Changes in Japanese household consumption and saving behavior before, during and after the Bubble era: empirical analysis using NSFIE micro-data sets

This paper seeks to clarify changes in the Japanese household behavior in the 1980s and 1990s through empirical investigation of available data on consumption and saving using the micro-data sets of the National Survey of Family Income and Expenditure. Our findings are as follows: First, household consumption was stable even during the Bubble period. Second, “bubbly” consumption in the Bubble era was due to consumption relying on corporate expense accounts. And, third, the saving behavior of households changed significantly after the Bubble burst and asset prices imploded. This is indicated by the change in the coefficient of assets in the saving function.