These are the questions that so many ask, myself included, yet no one seems to know the answers.
There are many gauges of prices that the government uses to measure inflation. But the government often changes these metrics to fit their political purposes.
It looks like Japan has been in deflation over these past 15 years, but if we only looked at gasoline prices, you wouldn't think so. A liter of regular gasoline was about ¥92 yen in 1999. Today it is ¥136 yen per liter.
Many things have gone up in price. Some things have gone down in price. So, here is my "Depression food" index. I'll shall call it, from now on, the Campbell's Soup Japan Inflation/Deflation/Depression Index. I will go to OK Store in Yoga and, photograph these cans everytime I see them and date the photo. From here, we can use this one item to judge:
Is Japan really as scr*wed as people think we are?
Campbell's Soup Japan Inflation/Deflation/Depression Index
Feb. 18, 2011 about ¥169 a can (about $2.03 USD)
Rules: All items will be priced in Japanese Yen. I will give you the dollar price also, but that doesn't really count for my Campbell's Soup Japan Inflation/Deflation/Depression Index as Japanese people will be paying in yen. I also do not want that to be prominent as this chart does not take into effect the dollar/yen rate as that situation is too fluid.
This is merely a representation of what the average Japanese housewife sees when she buys this product. I may add milk and eggs in the next installment. I will not add rice as the price of rice is controlled by the government.
This page will be updated and posted every time there is a price change to Campbell's Soup or my other target items.
Stay tuned to this blog for more economic news and excitement about money in Japan and, er, where was I? Oh, yeah, I was.... ZZZzzzzzz.................. Snork! ........ZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzz.......................
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