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The Mainichi
16-07-2025
- Business
- The Mainichi
Japanese budget for summer holidays hits record high: survey
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japanese people plan to spend a record high of over 100,000 yen ($670) on average for their summer holidays this year, rising for the fourth straight year on the back of higher wages at major companies, a recent survey showed. The increase to 104,901 yen came as 18.5 percent of respondents said they intend to increase their budgets, with many planning to travel. But the overall rise masked a divergence of sentiment, as a similar proportion, at 18.3 percent, said they will spend less due chiefly to rising inflation. The average budget for summer vacations hit a new record for the first time in 10 years, surpassing 89,296 yen marked in 2015, according to the online survey conducted in June by Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co. with responses from 1,120 people in their 20s to 50s. Of those who plan to increase spending, 74.9 percent cited "plans to go on a trip" as the reason, followed by 27.5 percent who cited higher wages. The percentage citing wage hikes was up nearly twofold from the previous year, with nearly half selecting that answer employed at large companies, according to the survey. Of the respondents who plan to cut spending, 62.0 percent said they are facing a tight budget due to the higher cost of living, while 24.9 percent plan to save money due to anxiety about the future. The average budget of people planning a domestic trip came to 151,938 yen, up 10.6 percent from last year, reflecting surging accommodation fees amid a rise in the number of overseas tourists. In contrast, the budget for people who plan travel abroad dropped 13.3 percent to 380,051 yen, with around 40 percent of them saying they will take food and beverages with them to save money amid a weaker yen, the survey said. "Many households are being forced to hold back on spending this summer, as employees at small and midsize companies are not benefiting from rising wages," said Yuya Kikkawa, an economist at the Meiji Yasuda Research Institute.
Kyodo News
16-07-2025
- Business
- Kyodo News
Japanese budget for summer holidays hits record high: survey
TOKYO - Japanese people plan to spend a record high of over 100,000 yen ($670) on average for their summer holidays this year, rising for the fourth straight year on the back of higher wages at major companies, a recent survey showed. The increase to 104,901 yen came as 18.5 percent of respondents said they intend to increase their budgets, with many planning to travel. But the overall rise masked a divergence of sentiment, as a similar proportion, at 18.3 percent, said they will spend less due chiefly to rising inflation. The average budget for summer vacations hit a new record for the first time in 10 years, surpassing 89,296 yen marked in 2015, according to the online survey conducted in June by Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co. with responses from 1,120 people in their 20s to 50s. Of those who plan to increase spending, 74.9 percent cited "plans to go on a trip" as the reason, followed by 27.5 percent who cited higher wages. The percentage citing wage hikes was up nearly twofold from the previous year, with nearly half selecting that answer employed at large companies, according to the survey. Of the respondents who plan to cut spending, 62.0 percent said they are facing a tight budget due to the higher cost of living, while 24.9 percent plan to save money due to anxiety about the future. The average budget of people planning a domestic trip came to 151,938 yen, up 10.6 percent from last year, reflecting surging accommodation fees amid a rise in the number of overseas tourists. In contrast, the budget for people who plan travel abroad dropped 13.3 percent to 380,051 yen, with around 40 percent of them saying they will take food and beverages with them to save money amid a weaker yen, the survey said. "Many households are being forced to hold back on spending this summer, as employees at small and midsize companies are not benefiting from rising wages," said Yuya Kikkawa, an economist at the Meiji Yasuda Research Institute.
11-07-2025
- Business
Japan Summer Vacation Budget Hits Record High
News from Japan Jul 11, 2025 18:01 (JST) Tokyo, July 11 (Jiji Press)--The average summer vacation budget in Japan this year rose 26.4 pct from the year before to a record 104,901 yen, according to an annual Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co. survey. The average grew for the fourth straight year, with 18.5 pct of respondents increasing planned spending, up from 16.0 pct in the previous survey. Of the budget-boosting respondents, 74.9 pct said they will spend more on travel, while a rise in wages was cited as a major driving force by 27.5 pct, much higher than the 2024 survey's 13.4 pct. But the latest study also showed that planned cuts in summer expenses, such as for trips and homecomings, widened some 1.5-fold to average 42,112 yen amid high inflation, although the proportion of thrifty respondents dropped to 18.3 pct from 20.0 pct. The survey was conducted online in June, covering 1,120 men and women in their 20s to 50s, with some questions excluded. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Mint
24-04-2025
- Business
- Mint
Japan's Biggest Life Insurer to Reduce Its Yen-Bond Holdings
Japan's largest life insurer plans to reduce its holdings of the nation's sovereign bonds, even as higher yields have attracted more domestic buyers and overseas investors to the haven asset. Nippon Life Insurance Co. said that after making purchases at a brisk pace earlier this month, buying will now steady and that on a book value basis, its holdings of the debt will drop this fiscal year for the first time since the 12 months ended March 2017. While yields for 30-year Japanese government bonds favored by Nippon Life are attractive, 'the market is highly unstable with low liquidity that's resulting in heightened volatility,' said Akira Tsuzuki, executive officer of the company's finance and investment planning department. The pace of purchases may change, depending on market conditions, he said at briefing on Thursday. With combined invested assets of about ¥390 trillion , the industry's investment decisions are closely watched by global investors as they can move markets. At the moment, there is a divergence in approaches among them to investments this year. Nippon Life is similar to Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co., which will reduce yen-denominated bond holdings while boosting purchases of foreign bonds and stocks. In contrast, some others such as Fukoku Mutual Life Insurance Co. and Daido Life Insurance are increasing holdings of domestic bonds. The insurers are contending with the fallout from US President Donald Trump's tariffs policies, which have whipsawed global markets, sparking so-called sell-America trades as some investors questioned the traditional haven status of the dollar and Treasury bonds. Japan's super-long government bonds saw a record foreign inflows last month as heightened risk aversion highlighted the securities' allure as a safe asset. Read: Japanese Assets Draw Record Inflows in Sign Funds Are Leaving US Nippon Life expects the Bank of Japan to raise interest rates this fiscal year to 0.75%, from 0.5% now. It also projects Japan's 10-year yield to rise to 1.4% at the end of the fiscal year, from its current level of about 1.31%. The global trade war has muddied the picture for the BOJ, with overnight index swaps showing a 59% chance of a rate hike by the December policy meeting, compared to certainty earlier this month. 'While life insurance companies are delaying investments due to the high volatility, they are sensing potential in current yield levels,' said Ataru Okumura, a senior interest-rate strategist at SMBC Nikko Securities. 'Once the market stabilizes, they may enter the market to buy.' This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. First Published: 24 Apr 2025, 03:35 PM IST
