Survey: Inflation Cuts Into Golden Week Holiday Plans

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A survey by Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance found that many people plan to stay at home during the upcoming Golden Week holiday. The online survey was conducted in March and covered 1,620 married men and women aged 20 to 79 across Japan.

Travel Plans

When asked about plans for the late April to early May holiday period, "staying at home" was the most common response at 46.7%. Only 1.2% said they planned to travel abroad—less than a fifth of the 9.2% who said overseas travel was their ideal way to spend the break.

Asked why their actual plans fell short of their ideal, respondents most often cited "rising prices" (44.4%), followed by "a weak yen and unfavorable exchange rates" (25.6%) and "high airfares and fuel surcharges" (24.1%). The results highlight how sustained inflation is discouraging overseas travel plans for many people.

*Rising prices continue to strain household budgets. (File photo ©Sankei/Ryosuke Kawaguchi)*

On holiday spending, the share of respondents planning to spend more than last year fell by 1.4 percentage points to 4.3%. However, among those who did plan to increase spending, the average additional amount rose by about ¥20,000 to ¥79,514.

Meanwhile, 29.3% said they expected to spend nothing extra during the holiday period, underscoring a clear divide between those tightening their budgets and those willing to splurge.