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2014/04/01

Here in Japan, a consumption tax goes up to 8 percent from today, 2014. The consumption tax rate has ever been 5 percent since 1997 April. The government explains that this is necessary to secure financial resources for our rising social security costs. Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe has stressed many times in the Diet the consumption tax would be used only for social security. 
 
Under the power of the Democratic Party of Japan, namely, under the nightmare of the manifesto fraud party, the consumption tax increase had been decided already. As there was the existence of the Article 18, Supplementary Provisions regarding  Consumption Tax Law, nevertheless when Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made his final decision for it last November, many Japanese admitted his decision unavoidable, which we think would help the financial base of our government.
 
Until the decision, the mass media in Japan, using their favorite experts, tried to promote the tax incrase . But the moment the decision was made, they quickly changed their attitude, starting to fuel fears of economic downturn. However, contrary to their expectation, popular consumer sentiment are not inflamed, without excessive reaction. I think most Japanese do feel something wrong with opinion by mass media, which changes so often, because how many times mass media may appeal ' Only a few big companies enjoy good economy! ', general people know the market has been active since Autumn in 2011 , and get feeling or anticipating the boom comes real to themselves. 
 
Personally it has hit me, as involved with importing, the exchange rate has actually varied, from 78 yen to the dollor, now up(down?) to 102 yen to the dollar.  As the selling prices vary, the customers, the general people are all able to understand the situation of the exchange rate, and also sometimes come to give comments they do feel an upturn in business as real. For me, indeed it comes so unprofitable, but I don't care, because I have only to work harder, and I'm happy if the entire Japanese economy gets better, which in the long run, will surely contribute to a growing number of cutomers, I believe. My view, too optimistic?  But under the power of DPJ, although yen had been strong, I felt increasingly depressed and concerned about what this country would become of. Compared to that bitterness, I feel much better and comfortable now.
 
In Japanese language, 'economy' is '景気' , and '気' means in English, spirit, mood, atomosphere, mind and air. As Japanese people are living with the changing of four seasons, we also keenly sensitive to them, which shape our mentality, in a part. Japanese are keen the 'mood' of economy, too. It is mainly a matter of our mood, which is maybe peculiar to Japan. It is all of us that can produce the mood, as consumers. At the consumption tax increase, the wise may have stocked up on daily supplies or bought in expensive products. In order to support Abenomics, the wiser continue to consume as usual, and the wisest will buy the expensive products from this April.
 
By this increase of tax consumption, how personal consumption will be affected, and how much cooling consumer sentiment  reluctant to buy will be engendered, it is unknown now. I dare say we can just anticipate the shape of the opinion by mass media in Japan from now on. They are waiting to start criticizing and blaming that  Abenomics die before it begins, like that.  To beat the forecast, we can only continue to consume normally.
 
Even in the worst kind of economy, there will be still sometning good. As you know, we will not be able to help or support 'that' country which is to starve to death financially in the near future. However hard the US may act as an intermediary between Japan and that country, the bad economic situation of Japan, our national sentiment, mood and mind would never allow our government to give an economic aid to that country, because we cannot afford to do that, sorry. 





by wakeup4japan | 2014-04-01 14:10