Japan University Students and Food Costs: Updated September 13, 2024.

 

Half of Japan univ. students cut food spending as 98% feel prices too high: survey

Article Source:  https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20240907/p2a/00m/0bu/014000c

Ideas:

University students, globally, have challenges related to food costs, as for most of them, they have limited budgets and just can't spend like they have full-time jobs like other people.

As inflation continues on in Japan, its not a surprise that university students are challenged, just like low-income or fixed income groups have the same challenges with food costs. 

Not everyone can go to a nice restaurant for lunch or even dinner, as maybe in Japan, many students visit convenience stores a lot for the low-priced ramen, or sushi rolls, or something like that.

Spending 10,000 to 29,000 each month or even 30,000 to 49,000 each month doesn't go very far, and again, maybe many students have to visit convenience stores for their lunch or dinner. So over 60 percent of university students in Japan are challenged financially.

At the same time, not sure why, but whenever I visit a Japanese convenience store in Japan, I never see Japanese university students working there, only foreign students working at the convenience stores.

So what is going on? Do Japanese university students have part-time jobs but none of them seem to be working at Japanese convenience stores.

The list above related to what students cut back on is interesting, but food seems to be the most common item students cut back on at 51.0%.

You would think clothing and fashion, at 36.4% would be higher but maybe students need or want to look fashionable even though it might hurt their budget.

And eating out was only at 30.6% so maybe they need or want to continue to eat out with their friends.

And even more surprising was entertainment and hobbies was only at 19.8% percent for cutting back on expenses, which again might mean something or nothing at all.

Not all students save or cutback on the same thing, just like in the economy, households and families have different priorities that they cut back on, and no family or household is the same, and its the same with students, as not all students are the same.

Students, like families or households in Japan can't be stereotyped into one group or another other than they all have money challenges, and they have different priorities on what they like or don't like, or what they need or don't need.

But, like all students globally, they all have budget challenges and they cut back on what feel and need to do, as some might decrease spending on food, while some might decrease spending on fashion and clothes, while some might decrease spending on entertainment.

Prices are always going to be different in urban areas and rural areas, and that is a global situation, and not just in Japan, but even different urban areas might have different price levels, as the prices in one urban area might be completely different than the prices in another urban area.

Its the same with everyone else and not just students, as people feel and see the different prices in different areas, and not just students.

Everyone wants lower prices and not want to pay for the higher prices, at least most people. But of course there are always to going to some who want to go to the most expensive places to show off but, of course that has not to do with this article.

Have a nice day!