Silver Week to make up for less than lustrous summer?
So much time, so few things to spend it on
On your mark, get set, spend money!
Silver Week officially starts whenever you get off work today, and according to various media reports, the government estimates that the average Japanese household will spend ¥37,000 during the special five-day holiday period, though I’m not sure if this amount is above what they would spend during a normal five-day period incorporating a weekend or includes what they would normally spend.
It’s no secret that the holiday was concocted with stimulus in mind, which means it had to be planned a fairly long time ago. But the timing seems opportune since consumption this past summer was disappointing due to the cooler weather (less beer and air conditioner sales). There was a slight uptick in travel toward the end of August but not as much as usual, and since travel costs are cheaper in Sept. anyway, it should make up at least partly for that shortfall.