With decades of stagnant prices and deflation seemingly in the past for Japan, inflation is the new normal. Prices in April rose at the fastest pace in two years.
Faced with sticky inflation (where prices remain elevated regardless of consumption trends and government efforts) and maybe even a return to the dreaded stagflation (stagnant economic growth combined with high inflation), how can residents of Japan go about managing their personal finances?
“If prices are going up, you have three choices,” says Ben Tanaka, founder of RetireJapan, a financial advice website focused on expats in Japan. “One: You can buy less with the same money. Two: You can increase your income (by getting a promotion, changing jobs or taking on side work), which will allow you to keep buying the same amount of things. Three: You can invest so that money grows over time (hopefully more than inflation) so you can spend a bit more in the future.”
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