The cost of putting food on the table in Japan is set to remain high this month, although the situation has improved since last year. Two major factors are higher material costs and the weak yen.

An analysis of 195 major food and beverage makers by Teikoku Databank shows that prices will go up for over 600 items. That's far fewer than a year ago.

Over 50 percent of the affected items are processed foods like edible seaweed, which has been affected by a poor harvest.

Prices of sweets and snacks also rose as cacao prices surged.

Over the first ten months of the year, prices are set to rise for more than 8,000 items. The depreciation of the yen is a major factor.

The survey also suggests that if the yen remains at its current level, prices for more essentials could keep on rising.