NYTimes article: When Consumers Cut Back: A Lesson From Japan
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I noticed this artice in the NY Times today by Hiroko Tabuchi titled “When Consumers Cut Back: A Lesson From Japan.” It was interesting to read and contemplate the impact of the lingering “depression era” mentality that the article suggests many Japanese people still carry.
However, in addition to starting with anecdotal evidence (i.e., one or two examples of frugal Japanese people) and extrapolating to a more generalized, anxiety-inducing trend, I was also a bit bothered by the implied conclusion that conservation is bad. I understand from a macroeconomic perspective that it’s helpful to a country’s economy when everyone spends and consumes more and that deflation causes signficant problems. But from a long-term perspective, it seems that in casting a judgment, it’s also worth considering the benefits to our society when people are in the mindset of re-using bathwater for laundry purposes and repairing their clothes and other items rather than purchasing new ones.
Feel free to share your own perspectives in the comments section of this post.
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