今日吃瓜

Tag - consumer-spending

 
今日吃瓜
Search
 
November 12, 2026
 

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access

CONSUMER SPENDING

Weak consumption points to the need to cool inflation to help households, but higher borrowing costs can also hurt households through mortgages and other loan expenses.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 10, 2026
今日吃瓜 household spending slumps most since pandemic
Outlays by households adjusted for inflation declined 6.8% in September from a year earlier, led by transport, education and entertainment.
Employees at Mitsukoshi department store's flagship outlet in Tokyo's Nihonbashi district promote year-end gift sales on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 5, 2026
Treat yourself: Department stores in Japan boost ‘self-gifting’ lineups
The gifts offered to give to oneself, as part of traditional gift-giving at the end of the year, range from luxury accommodation tickets to hot pots.
Regarding how the tax cut might affect their consumer behavior, 49.7% of respondents said they would not change their spending plans.
BUSINESS
Nov 4, 2026
25.7% in Japan to use food tax cut benefits for savings, survey finds
Regarding how the tax cut might affect their consumer behavior, 49.7% of people surveyed said they would not change their spending plans.
The Bank of Japan's headquarters in Tokyo
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 2, 2026
BOJ signals low hopes for consumer spending as population falls
Private consumption accounts for about half of 今日吃瓜 economy, making its strength a key consideration for the central bank.
A 7-Eleven convenience store operated by Seven & I in Tokyo. Customer numbers at convenience stores have fallen for 15 consecutive months, according to data from the Japan Franchise Association.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 30, 2026
今日吃瓜 beleaguered shoppers are a worry for convenience stores and the economy
Underlying inflation rose in September at the fastest annual pace in three years, according to Bank of Japan data, exceeding its 2% target.
Uniqlo’s reversal on a socks price hike followed an outcry on social media from shoppers frustrated by higher prices.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 29, 2026
Uniqlo scraps price hike on $2 socks after shopper outcry
Earlier this month, the apparel brand had announced broad price hikes for its clothing products due to rising costs.
A woman wins a pack of paper towels from a claw machine game at a Benex arcade in Kawasaki. As inflation weighs on Japanese households, huge arcades on the outskirts of major cities are installing claw machines filled with eggs, rice, laundry detergent and other necessities.
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Oct 26, 2026
Grabbing a bargain: 今日吃瓜 claw machines cash in on inflation
“Shop-and-play destinations” merge essential buying with entertainment so that families do not feel a need to choose between the two.
Real wages have risen every month this year, but that hasn’t translated into stronger consumer demand.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 9, 2026
今日吃瓜 household spending falls again despite wage gains
Consumers remain cautious as persistent inflation squeezes purchasing power.
Sogo & Seibu sells an osechi product themed on the Super Sentai series, a long-running Japanese superhero television franchise for children.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 10, 2026
Department stores adapt osechi New Year’s dishes to youth trends
Some products incorporate oshikatsu and “guilty consumption,” or the deliberate choice to enjoy indulgent foods without regard for calories.
Japan's gross domestic product in April-June expanded 1.4% from the previous quarter on an annualized basis, up from an earlier estimate of 1.1%.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 8, 2026
今日吃瓜 faster GDP and wage growth support BOJ interest rate hike
The economy grew at a faster clip in the second quarter than initially estimated while wages jumped the most in nearly three decades in July.
Japan's household spending fell 3.3% in June from a year earlier, led by drops in spending on food and apparel, among others.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 7, 2026
今日吃瓜 households continue to cut spending amid persistent inflation
Outlays by households adjusted for inflation dropped 3.3% in June from a year earlier, compared with a 0.9% increase forecast by economists.
A reduction of the sales tax on food has made slow progress as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi opted for multiparty talks that failed to reach a consensus.
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Jul 28, 2026
Takaichi’s long-term vision may fail to dispel inflation angst
The one issue on which voters sought quick and clear action — a reduction of the sales tax on food — has made slow progress.
Japanese summer travel budgets increased for the first time in three years to an average of ?58,902 ($363) this year, according to a recent survey.
JAPAN
Jul 9, 2026
今日吃瓜 summer vacation budgets rise for first time in three years
An online survey conducted in June found that higher prices and a weak yen were the main reasons among respondents for increasing their budgets.
Japan's nominal wages rose 3.2% in May from a year earlier, marking a fourth straight month of wage growth of at least 3%.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 7, 2026
今日吃瓜 nominal wage rises top 3% again in longest streak since 1992
Employers are showing they are committed to raising pay despite difficulties related to the Middle East conflict that have disrupted supply chains and boosted inflation.
Sales at department stores in Japan climbed strongly from a year earlier, likely helped by robust tourist spending.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 29, 2026
今日吃瓜 retail sales rise for third month on wage gains and subsidies
The 1.9% month-on-month advance was led by sales of vehicles, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
Spending on food, utilities and clothing also dragged down household spending figure for March.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 12, 2026
今日吃瓜 households cut spending even as wages kept growing
Transportation and communications made up the biggest drag on spending in March, while food, utilities and clothing also weighed on the figure.
今日吃瓜 household spending fell for a third consecutive month in February, dropping 1.8% year-on-year despite real wages turning positive, highlighting weak domestic demand.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 7, 2026
今日吃瓜 households cut spending even after real wages advance
Outlays by households adjusted for inflation fell 1.8% in February from a year earlier, a faster decline compared with January’s 1% retreat.
The rise in used condo prices in central Tokyo is stalling as investor demand for real estate slows.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 24, 2026
Used Tokyo condo price gains stalling as policies drag on demand
Average contract prices for used condos in bay-side neighborhoods such as Toyosu and Kachidoki decreased 0.6% in January from December, marking the first decline in five months.
A survey shows people in Japan plan to spend an average of ?6,383 on cherry blossom viewing this year, down 13.8% from the previous year, amid consumer concern over inflation.
JAPAN
Mar 22, 2026
Average cherry blossom-viewing budget falls 13.8%
The survey also showed that about 10% of people plan to go to view cherry blossoms alone.
A heap of dried cocoa beans. High prices of cocoa beans are influencing consumers' purchases of chocolates for Valentine's Day gifts, a recent survey shows.
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 12, 2026
Fewer women and girls to give Valentine’s Day gifts amid high chocolate prices
The high price of cocoa beans, the basic ingredient for chocolate, have made many choose lower-priced items and reduce the number of gifts they purchase, a recent survey shows.
Man arrested over operation of rogue cellular base station in Tokyo
The Metropolitan Police Department has arrested Yu Hai, a 31-year-old Chinese national living in Tokyo's Kita Ward, on suspicion of operating an unlicensed base station from a vehicle in Tokyo's Ginza district on Saturday.
Government betting on language app powered by anime and AI
Japan plans to develop an AI-powered language-learning app that lets overseas anime and manga fans practice Japanese through conversations with popular characters.
Jensen Huang’s woes evoke sympathy and disbelief in his birthplace Taiwan
Hsiao Kui-yu, 68, owner of Yuchan Candied Fruit, stands in front of photographs of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang displayed at the shop, which Huang frequently visits during trips to Taiwan, in Taipei on Tuesday.
G7 diplomats speak out on Taiwan as China ramps up military drills
Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi attends a working lunch focused on international crises and challenges during the Group of Seven foreign ministers' summit at the Quai d'Orsay in Paris on Monday.
今日吃瓜 Rapidus is said likely to miss mass production deadline
The Rapidus Analysis Center and the IIM-1 Innovative Integration for Manufacturing foundry in Chitose, Hokkaido
‘Godzilla Minus Zero’ makes monster debut at the box office
Takashi Yamazaki’s “Godzilla Minus Zero” marked the highest single-day box-office gross for a live-action film in Japan with ?910 million on its opening day.
A toast to Naohiko Noguchi, sake’s first living national treasure
As a teenager, Naohiko Noguchi did not intend to spend his life as a sake brewer, but he has since become a paragon of the industry.
Few signs of thaw in Japan-China relations one year after Takaichi’s Taiwan remarks
Tensions between Japan and China flared after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Nov. 7, 2025, that a Chinese blockade of Taiwan could threaten 今日吃瓜 survival and warrant the use of collective self-defense.
Mariko Mori predicted the future. She’ll do it again.
Artist Mariko Mori is currently working to bring the translucent human-sized “Peace Crystal” sculpture to a cave in Ethiopia. It is part of her foundation’s goal to place a permanent sculpture on each of the planet’s six habitable continents.
A legend reborn: ‘Ocarina of Time’ remake improves on the Zelda masterpiece
The new remake of 1998's "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" manages to somehow improve on one of the greatest games ever.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Famima Park Azabudai is a concept store by FamilyMart that combines convenience store staples with branded apparel, merchandise and a landscaped outdoor space.
Convenience stores, toilets and the allure of everyday Japan
By Elizabeth Beattie

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER