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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.
The Mainichi
29-06-2025
- Business
- The Mainichi
Regions cashing in on Japan's anime, manga soft power reach: study
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Visits by foreign tourists to locations related to manga and anime works in Japan have proven a boon to local economies, a research institute said, providing impetus for more areas to cash in on the nation's soft power reach. In 2024, around 3 million foreign tourists, or 8.1 percent of 36.87 million inbound visitors, likely visited places linked to movies or anime. That is up from 4.8 percent, or an estimated 1.15 million, of the 24.04 million who did so in 2016, the Meiji Yasuda Research Institute said based on a government survey. Purchases of anime and manga-related goods are estimated to have totaled 54.3 billion yen ($372 million) last year, up 53 percent from 2016, the report said. Japan's anime industry continues to expand, with more than 3 trillion yen spent by consumers globally in 2023, while animated films led domestic box office revenues in recent years. The phenomenon known as "seichi junrei," literally meaning "holy pilgrimage," has become a rite of passage for fans. They visit places that inspired or were the real-life settings for popular works. The trend became prominent after the success of 2016 Japanese anime film "your name." One popular destination among foreign fans is the Homangu Kamado Shrine in Fukuoka Prefecture linked to the "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba" anime and manga series. The southwestern prefecture ranked fifth in the nation in foreign tourist numbers, said Takafumi Fujita, an economist at Meiji Yasuda Research. In addition to its positive impact on local economies, the growing popularity abroad of Japanese content, including games and movies, also has the potential to reduce the country's massive digital trade deficit. While Japan incurred a record 6.8 trillion yen digital trade deficit in 2024 due to domestic firms' heavy reliance on technologies provided by U.S. IT giants, exports of Japan's entertainment content, which stood at 4.7 trillion yen in 2022, could offset much of the deficit if the industry continues to grow, the report said. However, the benefits are tempered by some downsides. Fujita said local governments need to address overtourism issues affecting the lives of those who live near the popular locations. "To accommodate a large number of tourists, including those from abroad, local authorities need to develop systems to offer multilingual support and train local tourism volunteers," Fujita said.
Japan Today
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Japan Today
Regions cashing in on Japan's anime, manga soft power reach: study
Supplied photo shows "ema," or wooden plaques, with illustrations of "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba" drawn by visitors at Homangu Kamado Shrine in Dazaifu, Fukuoka Prefecture. Visits by foreign tourists to locations related to manga and anime works in Japan have proven a boon to local economies, a research institute said, providing impetus for more areas to cash in on the nation's soft power reach. In 2024, around 3 million foreign tourists, or 8.1 percent of 36.87 million inbound visitors, likely visited places linked to movies or anime. That is up from 4.8 percent, or an estimated 1.15 million, of the 24.04 million who did so in 2016, the Meiji Yasuda Research Institute said based on a government survey. Purchases of anime and manga-related goods are estimated to have totaled 54.3 billion yen. last year, up 53 percent from 2016, the report said. Japan's anime industry continues to expand, with more than 3 trillion yen spent by consumers globally in 2023, while animated films led domestic box office revenues in recent years. The phenomenon known as seichi junrei, literally meaning "holy pilgrimage," has become a rite of passage for fans. They visit places that inspired or were the real-life settings for popular works. The trend became prominent after the success of 2016 Japanese anime film "your name." One popular destination among foreign fans is the Homangu Kamado Shrine in Fukuoka Prefecture linked to the "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba" anime and manga series. The southwestern prefecture ranked fifth in the nation in foreign tourist numbers, said Takafumi Fujita, an economist at Meiji Yasuda Research. In addition to its positive impact on local economies, the growing popularity abroad of Japanese content, including games and movies, also has the potential to reduce the country's massive digital trade deficit. While Japan incurred a record 6.8 trillion yen digital trade deficit in 2024 due to domestic firms' heavy reliance on technologies provided by U.S. IT giants, exports of Japan's entertainment content, which stood at 4.7 trillion yen in 2022, could offset much of the deficit if the industry continues to grow, the report said. However, the benefits are tempered by some downsides. Fujita said local governments need to address overtourism issues affecting the lives of those who live near the popular locations. "To accommodate a large number of tourists, including those from abroad, local authorities need to develop systems to offer multilingual support and train local tourism volunteers," Fujita said. © KYODO
Kyodo News
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Kyodo News
Regions cashing in on Japan's anime, manga soft power reach: study
KYODO NEWS - 18 minutes ago - 11:29 | Arts, All Visits by foreign tourists to locations related to manga and anime works in Japan have proven a boon to local economies, a research institute said, providing impetus for more areas to cash in on the nation's soft power reach. In 2024, around 3 million foreign tourists, or 8.1 percent of 36.87 million inbound visitors, likely visited places linked to movies or anime. That is up from 4.8 percent, or an estimated 1.15 million, of the 24.04 million who did so in 2016, the Meiji Yasuda Research Institute said based on a government survey. Purchases of anime and manga-related goods are estimated to have totaled 54.3 billion yen ($372 million) last year, up 53 percent from 2016, the report said. Japan's anime industry continues to expand, with more than 3 trillion yen spent by consumers globally in 2023, while animated films led domestic box office revenues in recent years. The phenomenon known as "seichi junrei," literally meaning "holy pilgrimage," has become a rite of passage for fans. They visit places that inspired or were the real-life settings for popular works. The trend became prominent after the success of 2016 Japanese anime film "your name." One popular destination among foreign fans is the Homangu Kamado Shrine in Fukuoka Prefecture linked to the "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba" anime and manga series. The southwestern prefecture ranked fifth in the nation in foreign tourist numbers, said Takafumi Fujita, an economist at Meiji Yasuda Research. In addition to its positive impact on local economies, the growing popularity abroad of Japanese content, including games and movies, also has the potential to reduce the country's massive digital trade deficit. While Japan incurred a record 6.8 trillion yen digital trade deficit in 2024 due to domestic firms' heavy reliance on technologies provided by U.S. IT giants, exports of Japan's entertainment content, which stood at 4.7 trillion yen in 2022, could offset much of the deficit if the industry continues to grow, the report said. However, the benefits are tempered by some downsides. Fujita said local governments need to address overtourism issues affecting the lives of those who live near the popular locations. "To accommodate a large number of tourists, including those from abroad, local authorities need to develop systems to offer multilingual support and train local tourism volunteers," Fujita said. Related coverage: FEATURE: Anime "Slam Dunk," "Suzume" locations in Japan a magnet for tourists FEATURE: Tokyo spots bank on cherry blossom peak as foreign tourists return FEATURE:Korea boom in Japan sparked by drama 20 yrs ago kept going by young
