Japan and the United States reversed! Still the inflationary frenzy that continues
Just last Sunday, when I got on the bus and went out, I was surprised to see that the fare that was 170 yen until one month ago suddenly rose to 190 yen (when I paid in advance and put coins in the fare box, the driver stopped me as a customer ~ …).
The JR initial fare has also gone from 140 yen to 150 yen, and it feels like a wave of price increases is gradually coming closer.
Furthermore, when I went out, I decided to hit a big wave…
When I went to a musical instrument store to replace the strings of a stringed instrument, the full set was 8,000 yen until the last time, but it exceeded 11,000 yen.
Plus the consumption tax will shock your wallet.
Nowadays, the strings were imported.
Apparently, the stock that arrived during the strong yen was sold out, and Matomo was finally made to feel the effects of the yen’s depreciation.
Come to think of it, I’ve said it in the news the past few days.
In July, the prices of more than 3,500 items such as food were raised, and in August, about 1,100 items of food are scheduled to be raised.
Moreover, dairy products such as milk and yogurt are conspicuous, and since these are items to which consumers are sensitive, there is concern that consumers may become more inclined to protect their lives and that “refraining from buying” may become pronounced.
Certainly, milk, cheese and yogurt are essential foods on the daily table.
Although it is unavoidable to be severe about the price.
But on the other hand, the dairy farmers who supply them are also screaming.
In the Tokachi region of Hokkaido, one of the leading dairy farming areas in the Japan, the cost of feeding cows and the electricity used in the stables have risen by 1.4~1.5 times compared to two years ago, and dairy farmers are struggling to manage their businesses.
It seems that there are voices asking consumers to understand and support their purchases.
If the number of dairy farmers who cannot withstand financial difficulties and go out of business increases, the tables of Japan, which are said to have a low food self-sufficiency rate, will become even more dangerous.
I guess this is one thing that we should accept the price increase and shop as before.
By the way, there seems to be an abnormal spiral in the United States right now.
I think there were many people who lost their jobs when the new corona pandemic hit, but for some reason they have not come back even after the pandemic is over.
Even if you try to return the business of the store to normal, you can’t because the employees don’t come back.
Where have they all gone?
While being squeezed by Corona, it seems that many people have put working from home on the board.
Unlike in the past, we are in an era where we can choose from a variety of work styles.
Does this mean that even if the pandemic strikes again, the risk of unemployment is low and you can work in a safe environment?
It seems that many people have changed the way they think about work after Corona.
In any case, firms continue to raise wages in an attempt to secure manpower.
Then, more and more people are changing jobs in search of a better paying job.
Companies also raise wages to retain employees. In this way, if the competition for human resources becomes overheated and labor costs rise steadily, prices will also rise due to this.
The U.S. has been trying to contain inflation by raising interest rates frequently over the past year or so, but it doesn’t seem to be going as planned.
It’s not a fire on the other side.
I thought that inflation would not be possible for the United States, but the consumer price index in June this year rose 3.3% in Japan, while the US increased by 3% compared to the same month last year, and finally surpassed the United States in terms of inflation rate.
In addition to numbers, there are many situations where I feel that my expenses have clearly increased in my daily life.
Moreover, since the Bank of Japan is poised to continue its low interest rate policy, inflation is likely to continue to rise.
The Bank of Japan has circumstances in which it cannot raise interest rates even if it wants to.
Since it has a debt of more than 1,200 trillion yen, if you inadvertently raise the interest rate, you will have to struggle with interest payments.
If this is the case, even if the United States starts to cut interest rates in the future, it may be difficult to recover the yen’s depreciation.
Since the rapid depreciation of the yen and the appreciation of the dollar are a major factor in the rise in Japan prices, the prices of imported goods will continue to be high and the prospect of price rises subsiding is difficult to see.
By Admin|2023-08-04|2023,News Release|