While the nation continues to struggle with weak consumer spending amid the protracted economic slump, the World Cup soccer finals, which Japan and South Korea will cohost from May 31 to the end of June, seem to be loosening the purse strings of some consumers.
Consider John Goss. In April, the Briton, who runs a private English language school in Tokyo, bought two new TV sets -- a Sharp with a 29-inch screen for himself to watch the games and a 15-inch Aiwa for his wife and daughter, who otherwise might be unable to watch their favorite programs for the duration of the event.
Goss also bought and installed a tuner and antenna for receiving digital satellite broadcasts and began subscribing to SkyPerfecTV, which will offer live broadcasts of all the FIFA World Cup championship's 64 games.