People are snatching up hybrid cars, solar panels and energy-efficient TVs, wooed by government incentives designed to battle a recession while conserving energy.
Tax breaks and rebates on low-emission cars have helped two hybrid vehicles, Toyota's Prius and Honda Motor Co.'s Insight, become the best-selling models in Japan the last two months. Likewise, consumers are buying up environment-friendly electronics products to earn Eco-points that the government has promised can later be converted into products or other deals that have yet to be announced.
The renewed consumption is giving struggling corporations and the sagging economy a much-needed jolt — although some economists wonder if the demand created by the incentives will run out of steam.