아베노믹스 이후 일본 민간 소비의 특징

Abstract

It has been five years since the full-blown operation of Abenomics, and there are opposite assessments of Abenomics today. The most prominent change is found in the favorable employment environment. The positive assessments of Abenomics turn negative when it comes to the consumption indexes, however. In Japan, personal consumption, which accounts for 60% of GDP, is hardly on the path to recovery. It is true that the low consumer confidence is showing no sign of recovery and that the overall household consumption has not increased, but there are a couple of characteristics facts about consumption data by the gender and age. Focusing on the consumption behavior of Japanese people by the gender and age, this study set out to demonstrate that the private consumption was not simply stagnated or reduced but had more complex multi-layered features in Japan in recent years. The findings indicate that the elderly had a relatively higher level of consumption utility than other age groups and made many consumption expenditures on their children and grandchildren based on their savings. The percentage of women getting married late or deciding not to get married is rising, which phenomenon combined with the expansion of women’s entry in the society has resulted in the increased consumption expenditures of single women households. The problem lies in the young Japanese people that tend to close their wallets due to their anxiety about the future. Kenshohi (anti-consumption sentiment) is, however, one of the characteristics of the young generation that are hard to be resolved in a short run. As the findings of the present study show, there are many changes being detected in its content in terms of quality in spite of stagnated private consumption. Here is the reason why the policies for the activation of consumption should be addressed at a more micro-level in the future.