Japan Real Time Charts and Data

Edward Hugh is only able to update this blog from time to time, but he does run a lively Twitter account with plenty of Japan related comment. He also maintains a collection of constantly updated Japan data charts with short updates on a Storify dedicated page Is Japan Once More Back in Deflation?

Friday, August 31, 2007

Japan July 2007 Income and Expenditure Survey

Spending by households dropped in Japan in July for the first time in seven months, according to data released today by the Statistics Bureau. Here's the chart:



As usual, we are being told that the weather is the problem:

Spending by households unexpectedly dropped for the first time in seven months, as a typhoon kept shoppers at home and a tax increase weighed on sentiment.
Bloomberg

In fact, just a quick look at the chart should tell you that we may now be resuming a trend which was all too evident across a big part of 2006, typhoon or no typhoon. We haven't seen any upward movement in consumption worth speaking about since May. now