A fried chicken specialty shop in Saitama Prefecture has restored its giant bento menu after Brazilian chicken prices dropped significantly [1].

The move highlights the volatility of global food supply chains and how import costs directly dictate the availability of affordable, high-volume meals for Japanese consumers.

Kitchen BUS STOP, located in Misato City, recently reintroduced its oversized karaage bento, which weighs approximately 800 grams [4]. The shop manager, Takumi Nakamura, said the decision followed a sharp decline in the cost of Brazilian chicken thigh meat, which fell to about half of the price seen in April 2026 [3].

Nakamura said that while prices had fluctuated in the past, the speed of recent changes was unprecedented. "It is sudden," Nakamura said, noting that while gradual increases had occurred before, he had never seen prices double within six months [5].

Historical data shows the extreme volatility of these imports. In January 2022, the procurement price for Brazilian chicken thigh meat was 350 yen per kilogram [6]. By February 2022, that price had surged to 700 yen per kilogram [7].

The recent price correction coincides with an increase in overall supply. In June 2026, chicken imports to Japan reached 55,730 tons, representing an 8.1% increase compared to the same month the previous year [8]. This surge in import volume and subsequent price adjustment has allowed small businesses to bring back menu items that were previously cost-prohibitive.

Kitchen BUS STOP specializes in large-portion fried chicken, and the return of the 800-gram bento, consisting of three large pieces of chicken, serves as a local indicator of stabilizing costs for imported poultry [4].

“Brazilian chicken thigh meat fell to about half of the price seen in April 2026”

The restoration of high-volume menu items at Kitchen BUS STOP reflects a broader trend of recovering import volumes from Brazil. Because Japanese poultry markets rely heavily on Brazilian imports to maintain low costs for processed meats, the 8.1% increase in June imports suggests a easing of the supply constraints that drove inflation earlier in the year.