All posts tagged "Family Finances"

  • Why are Christmas cakes more expensive this year?

    Festive strawberry shortcakes fill supermarkets at this time of year. But don’t be surprised to see the price of a whole Christmas cake surge by a few hundred yen. Japan’s Teikoku Databank Ltd. said 15-cm run-of-the-mill cakes...

    • Posted December 6, 2023
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  • Why I left Japan

    I left because my salary was comparatively low to someone in a similar position in America and after almost ten years in Japan, I’d felt it was time to return to my home country. I thought my...

    • Posted October 11, 2023
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  • 5 Major Japan Banks to Raise Housing Loan Rates in September

    Five major Japanese banks – MUFG Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp., Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, Mizuho Bank and Resona Bank- said Thursday that they will raise their 10-year fixed housing loan rates for the second straight month...

    • Posted August 31, 2023
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  • Why are electricity prices rising again in June?

    Power costs are set to rise, once again. In June of last year, electricity rates leaped by about 10 to 20 percent compared to 2021, the highest it’s been in the past five years. This was due...

    • Posted May 31, 2023
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  • Rich Households in Japan hit record high in 2021

    Nomura Research institute said Wednesday the number of rich households in Japan has increased in 2021 by about 158,000 compared to the 2019 survey. The record-high increase refers to 1.48 million households with net financial assets of...

    • Posted March 2, 2023
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  • Japan insulates households from impact of rising power and gas bills

    Ten major power companies in Japan will be lowering electricity rates in February as a result of government subsidies. This means that a standard household consuming 260 kilowatt-hours a month in areas covered by Tokyo Electric Power...

    • Posted December 28, 2022
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  • Japan bumps up childbirth allowance by 80K from April 2023.

    Jiji press reports today that families can get an additional 80,000 yen childbirth allowance as broadly approved by Japan’s health ministry subcommittee. This raises the total amount of childbirth allowance from 420,000 yen to 500,000 yen per...

    • Posted December 15, 2022
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  • The USD/JPY exchange rate hits 150 yen mark

    The US dollar goes past 150 yen level in Tokyo trading Thursday as the currency continues to slide. This is the Japanese yen’s lowest level since August 1990 as the U.S. currency rises by around 35 yen...

    • Posted October 21, 2022
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  • Dollar at 138.50 yen level on Tuesday afternoon

    At 5 p.m. Tuesday, the Japanese yen has gone nearly 4% low this month and traded around the 138.50 level too close to a 24-year 140 yen level. Nouriel Roubini, Professor Emeritus of Economics at New York...

    • Posted August 31, 2022
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  • How does a weak yen affect families in Japan?

    The US dollar shot up above 139 yen today, the highest it’s been since September 1998. Generally,  Japanese companies have maintained stable prices for years and avoided a price increase in order not to scare customers away....

    • Posted July 15, 2022
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  • More food price hikes to affect families this summer.

    Our food bill has been creeping higher since the last food increase announcements in October last year. With food and energy prices going up at the same time, my family is beginning to feel the pinch even more...

    • Posted July 1, 2022
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  • Bigger power bills will be arriving soon.

    Did you notice that your  electricity bill this year is higher than the previous year? Well, that’s because Japan makes adjustments as often as necessary depending on the supply and demand situation. Next month is no different....

    • Posted December 27, 2021
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  • Lawson releases 100-yen meatball lunch packs

    A typical Japanese bento sold at convenience stores come with more than one “Okazu”  or side dish. But as food manufacturers and retailers weigh the probability of higher inflation, consumers in Japan are already feeling the pinch...

    • Posted November 9, 2021
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  • Japan plans to provide 100,000 yen coronavirus support to children under 19

    The government of Japan, members of the ruling LDP and its coalition partner Komeito, are considering to provide children under 19 with 100,000 yen support amid the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. The cash handout program at...

    • Posted November 6, 2021
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  • Retailers announce price increases: What will affect the family’s purse strings?

    Perhaps by now, you have spotted that the price of a product/service  you paid for a month ago is getting more expensive. There have been recent price adjustments that some economists are calling the effect of how...

    • Posted October 30, 2021
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  • Say goodbye to cancellation fees when you switch carriers.

    This month, NTT Docomo Inc. becomes the first among Japan’s three major telecom carriers to stop its decades-long practice of charging subscribers a cancellation fee. As a common business practice by telecom carriers, a one-off cancellation fee...

    • Posted October 27, 2021
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  • Update: No-interest loans provided by Japan to people hit by pandemic expanded.

    In extending the state of emergency in 10 prefectures (including Tokyo), Prime Minister Suga on Feb 2, has introduced an additional emergency loan of up to 2 million yen per household. The special loans initially introduced in...

    • Posted February 4, 2021
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  • Japan to stop giving child benefit to high-Income families

      Currently, Japan  pays a ¥5,000 child allowance as benefit to a family of 4 where husband earns an annual income of 9.6 million yen or higher and wife stays at home full time with two children....

    • Posted February 3, 2021
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  • How much does a game sound creator make a year in Japan?

    Perhaps parents today won’t be so impressed when their daughter or son tells them he/she wants to pursue a career as sound creator of video games.  But I was. My son who earns his degree in Engineering...

    • Posted June 9, 2020
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  • Running out of money to pay rent? What to do before your life falls apart.

    The global pandemic has resulted in cascading economic impacts to people who have lost part or all of their income with little to zero savings left to fall back on. Families are unable to continue paying rent,...

    • Posted June 5, 2020
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  • Phone service providers extend payment deadline.

    Has coronavirus affected your income and cash flow? Fret not, Japan’s telecommunication companies NTT Docomo, NTT East, NTT West, NTT Group of Companies, Softbank and KDDI have your back.  These companies have agreed to extend help as...

    • Posted March 31, 2020
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  • Stop in the name of love. Feb 14 is business-as-usual day.

    As families approach Valentine’s Day, many couples in Tokyo ask the question. Why do we spend money on chocolates or gifts on Feb 14 just to express our affection for someone? The reason is simple.  Valentine’s day...

    • Posted February 12, 2020
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  • Do you want to cut your communication costs? Here are the best deals in Japan now.

    The lure of purchasing a new handset in installments bundled with voice calls and data plan through major mobile phone carriers in Japan may sound attractive at first. But, if you do the math, you actually pay...

    • Posted August 3, 2017
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  • Why average Japanese families have more cash savings than people in other countries

    Last year, the Japanese households’ average savings reached ¥18M and is steadily increasing every year. The habit of saving money is deeply ingrained in the Japanese culture because not having enough money can make one run  into...

    • Posted August 11, 2016
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  • Is Summer Learning worth the time and money?

    Most parents are looking forward to the end of the school year when they are able to take a long break from homework wars and getting up early to make obento. Summer holidays are indeed long and...

    • Posted April 19, 2016
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