Yen for Living

Recent posts

• Diamonds are suddenly everybody’s best friend

  Dealers are flocking to Japan to buy up all those gems “sleeping” in people’s dresser drawers.

• Japanese low-cost carriers hit hard by pilot shortage

  Japan is going to have to compete with other countries for airline pilots.

• Japan home electronics makers plays dumb on smart TVs

  One company dominates Japan’s smart TV market, and it isn’t Japanese.

• Labor shortage cutting across all industries

  Reliance on part-timers has left many companies struggling to fill positions.

• Golden Week activity influenced more by logistics than by economics

  This year’s Golden Week holiday isn’t as golden as it normally is owing to the way the national holidays that make it possible fall in relation to the days of the week.

• The price is right, but sometimes difficult to read

  Since the tax hike went into effect, price tags aren’t what they used to be.

• College students’ savings habits indicate anxiety about the future

  In the last 10 years student savings has increased by 80 percent.