Masao Kitasawa, 58, is a lottery fan. He buys about 10 lottery tickets a week, spending roughly 10,000 yen a month to "dream a little."

"My wife gave me a choice - give up lotteries and pachinko, or cancel my life insurance policy," the taxi driver said. "No contest. The life insurance has to go."

Kitasawa, who noted that his wife does not see things as he does, bought 20 yearend Jumbo lottery tickets at 300 yen apiece for a shot at the 300 million yen top prize, at odds of 10 million-to-one.