I was passing through small station in Tokyo suburbs when I spoted this stall selling umbrellas.
As you can see, single umbrella goes for 300 yen or roughly 2.5 US dollars, while for two umbrellas you pay as little as 500 yen.
I remember that when I first arrived to Tokyo 10+ years ago, the bottom price for the same umbrella type would never drop below 1000 yen. What’s happening?
Why for last 10 years I pay the same or less for pack of milk or juice, loaf of bread, can of beer (you see my basic needs are quite primitive 🙂 I pay the same or less for plate of cheap sushi, for pint of beer in Roppongi or for local English newspaper.
It’s called deflation and scares economists in Asia and elsewhere. As a consumer I can’t complain, but as an employee of young and struggling Internet company I really for improving of overall health of Japanese economy. I am not an economist, but you don’t have to be economic genious to tell that economy is paralyzed here. Jusk try to find job or ask your headhunter friend.