It's been the most radical cash injection in history — nearly ¥400 trillion pumped into Japan's economy over more than five years to slay deflation and kick growth into higher gear.

That's still not enough to save Tomoaki Nagai's metal parts factory near Osaka, and it's a similar story throughout the world's third-largest economy.

North of Tokyo, Hiroyuki and Machiko Hayashi of Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, worry about Hiroyuki's lack of job security as a wedding photographer. And in Akita Prefecture, taxi driver Takeshi Kikawa struggles to make ends meet when interest rates on low-risk investments are near zero.