世界には親心しかない in KOBE

With Trump's inauguration as president, the biggest concern for ordinary Japanese citizens is how prices will be affected. The exchange rate, which directly influences prices, is a major point of anxiety. If the yen continues to weaken and prices keep rising, life will become even more difficult. Reflecting on Trump's pre-election statements, it's unclear whether the yen will weaken or strengthen. He mentioned aiding American export companies by devaluing the dollar. At the same time, he talked about raising tariffs. Raising tariffs would naturally increase prices, leading to interest rate hikes, which would then strengthen the dollar. It's uncertain which direction things will go. It's undeniable that prices in Japan are rising, and the increased cost of living is burdening households. Wages seem to be rising as well. Day laborers and short-term part-time workers have seen slight wage increases, likely because employers need to attract workers. While higher wages f...

It seems like it was quite a while ago when monetary easing began with the goal of escaping deflation. Whether it was due to the effects of monetary easing or not, we are currently experiencing inflation. The Bank of Japan still seems unsatisfied and reportedly will not raise interest rates anytime soon. Nevertheless, inflation is severe for ordinary people. When shopping at the supermarket, it feels like prices have increased by about 1.5 to 2 times. I don't know the actual inflation rate, but looking at my household budget, it doesn't seem to be a low figure of just a few percent. AEON, a supermarket listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market, used to be popular for its low prices. There were a few cheaper supermarkets, but they were not as favored due to lower quality or poor customer service. However, recently, they have become very popular. Supermarkets like Gyomu Super, operated by Kobe Bussan, are more popular than ever, with long lines at the registers on weekends....