What do people get wrong about Japan's "best before" dates?

This answer is a draft. It stays unpublished until legal review and source verification are complete.

Japanese food packaging carries one of two dates: "best before" (賞味期限, shōmi kigen) or "use by" (消費期限, shōhi kigen). If you cannot read the kanji, they look identical. Government documents repeatedly point out that misreading these dates is one reason so much edible food is thrown away in Japan.

Passing the date means something different in each case. Throw food away without knowing which is which, and you throw away food that could have been eaten.

Misunderstanding 1｜There is a rule that "five days or less means use-by"

This is an old standard that has since been rejected.

At one time the explanation "roughly five days or less is a use-by date, longer is a best-before date" was widely repeated. But drawing the line mechanically at five days was judged inappropriate as a basis for setting dates under the definitions, and the relevant ministries sorted the matter out in 2008. Today, each period is to be set on the basis of its own definition.

[Verify] The above history is based on the Consumer Affairs Agency's *Guidelines for Setting Food Date Labels* (March 2025) and the agency's material on the date-labelling system. Confirm against the originals before publication.

Misunderstanding 2｜The date still applies after opening

The date assumes the package is unopened. Once opened, use the food up promptly regardless of the label.

Misunderstanding 3｜How you store it makes no difference

The date applies only if the storage method on the label has been followed. Carry a "keep refrigerated" item around at room temperature in a Japanese summer and the premise collapses, even within the date.

Misunderstanding 4｜Dates are set by guesswork

Dates are to be set by the manufacturer on a scientific and rational basis. At the same time, they build in a safety margin. That is why passing a best-before date is not an instant "no".

Misunderstanding 5｜Past the date is always still fine

How much margin there is depends on the food and how it has been stored. Check the appearance and smell, and if anything seems wrong, do not eat it.

In numbers

According to estimates by the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (published 27 June 2025), food loss in FY2023 was about 4.64 million tonnes. Of that, households accounted for about 2.33 million tonnes and businesses for about 2.31 million tonnes, so almost half comes from homes. This was 80,000 tonnes less than the roughly 4.72 million tonnes of the previous year (FY2022), but still short of the reduction target for FY2030.

[Verify] Figures are based on the Ministry of the Environment press release (FY2023 estimates). Check for the latest year at the time of publication.

For any actual product, always follow the label and the storage method printed on it. If anything seems wrong, do not eat it, even within the date. The rules may be revised.

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Sources

• Consumer Affairs Agency, Food Labelling Division, *Guidelines for Setting Food Date Labels* [食品期限表示の設定のためのガイドライン] (March 2025)

https://www.caa.go.jp/policies/policy/food_labeling/food_labeling_act/assets/food_labeling_cms201_250328_1029.pdf

• Consumer Affairs Agency, "Information on food date labelling" [食品の期限表示に関する情報]

https://www.caa.go.jp/policies/policy/food_labeling/food_sanitation/expiration_date/

• Consumer Affairs Agency, Food Labelling Division, *History of the food date-labelling system* [食品の期限表示制度の変遷等] (Document 4, May 2024)

https://www.caa.go.jp/policies/policy/food_labeling/meeting_materials/assets/food_labeling_cms201_240527_05.pdf

• Ministry of the Environment, press release, "Publication of estimated food loss in Japan (FY2023)" [我が国の食品ロスの発生量の推計値（令和５年度）の公表について]

https://www.env.go.jp/press/press_00002.html

⚠️ Editorial note: the source URLs above were identified by search. Our working environment cannot reach go.jp domains, so the contents have not been checked against the text. Verify every source before publication and record who checked it and when.

About this article

What we share here are ideas and everyday practices passed down among people living in Japan, together with general information drawn from public sources. They are not official recommendations, and they are not professional instruction. Practices vary between households and regions.

This is general information. Results vary from person to person and depend on your own conditions and surroundings.

Please decide for yourself, using your own judgement, whether any of this suits your situation. We cannot accept responsibility for any damage, loss or injury arising from following this article.

Some ingredients need thorough cooking. Eat raw only foods that are sold for raw consumption. If you have allergies, check the ingredients.

Sources

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