Whether it is the young or the old, Japanese consumers are spending less on fun, and that is bad news for Abenomics.
With many pensioners on fixed incomes focused on buying the essentials, and a growing number of workers in their 20s and early 30s stuck in low-paying, nonregular jobs, fewer people have the money or the appetite to splurge on entertainment, travel and recreation.
This is holding down purchases of televisions, personal computers and package tours, in a sign of continuing weakness in consumption. It is hurting Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's efforts to revitalize the economy and the central bank's campaign to boost inflation.
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