Japan's July household spending up for eighth straight month, but at slower pace

Meh.  People don't get paid well so they don't spend.

Get some last spending in before the tax-hike hits. It will all go downhill from October.

Also, more stores trying to trick the customers by writing the new price (without the tax) in big numbers and in tiny numbers write the real price or 税別

Are the figures not inclusive of spending by chinese tourist.

I always take numbers issued by the government with a pinch of salt.

These cats lie through their butts to sugar-coat the reality of the Japanese economy. The months of growth match the summer bonus payments and a surge in spending before the sales tax increase. It'll take some creativity to sugar-coat the huge drop in sales over the next three months. The first sales tax hike resulted in a drop in spending of up 25% depending on the sector and it has not recovered. And, salaries have continued to drop in the same period. One does not need to be an economist to realise that, with zero inflation and zero wage growth combined with the ever increasing costs of living the Japanese economy is doomed!

My spending has certainly increased but it is on electricity for the air con and gas for showers!

I use vending machines for drinking water too in the hot summer too.

I guess it is the same for most other people...

We're spending more as things cost more, the price of food has gone up a lot.

Many people are spending because of the tax hike. My wife and her mother keep telling me we should buy many things before the price goes up.

What I tell them is it’s only 2%.

For groceries like vegetables etc, I tend to rely on the local farmer who puts the daily produce out & you just feed the coins in the box if he's not around.

A bit cheaper than the local supermarket.

Toasted Heretic - For groceries like vegetables etc, I tend to rely on the local farmer who puts the daily produce out & you just feed the coins in the box if he's not around.

Good for you! There's a bit of a shortage of local farmers in central Tokyo though.

Good for you! There's a bit of a shortage of local farmers in central Tokyo though.

True, dat.

One of the reasons why I'm glad to live out in the sticks. No disrespect to Tokyoites, of course!

when you keep raising prices and taxes kinda hard to spend less

Real wages down while corporate profits were the second highest in the nation's history. Nope, no exploitation taking place there.

Let's have cheers for Japan's "free market" reforms!!