More than 40 percent of Japanese households hit hard by consumer price rises
(Mainichi Japan) April 16, 2008
More than 40 percent of households in Japan have been “significantly affected” by recent increases in the price of daily necessities, a survey announced by the Cabinet Office has shown.
The survey for March showed that 42.4 percent of people serving as monitors in the survey answered that their household finances had been significantly affected by price increases — 5.2 percentage points higher than the figure for the previous month.
It was the first time for the figure of those significantly affected by higher prices to exceed 40 percent, showing that escalating costs of food and other items are putting pressure on household finances.
In the survey, people across Japan designated as national lifestyle monitors investigated the price of 17 types of products sold at stores, and answered a questionnaire. The survey started in January, and 1,625 people responded to the February and March polls.
The survey showed that the biggest price increases were in products such as pot noodles and spaghetti. While the price of tissue paper, gasoline, kerosene and other items went down after earlier price rises last year, more than half of the surveyed products rose in price.
Shaping up to the reality?
Sumo wrestlers, some weighing as much as 280kg, gather in a circle around the Referee in the ring-entering ceremony. Sumo wrestlers eat 5 meals a day including more than 20 eggs for breakfast!
The combined percentage of people who answered that they were “significantly affected,” “affected to a certain degree,” or who would say they were affected if they had to give a yes or no answer surged to 96.7 percent.
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