Japan's household spending in July rose a real 0.1 percent from a year earlier for the first increase in three months, as higher wages drove outlays on home renovations and entertainment, government data shows.

But the relatively modest increase indicates households have had to curb spending on food and utilities amid the inflationary environment.

Average spending by households with two or more people stood at 290,931 yen, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said.

Overall spending was lifted by a 17.3 percent increase in housing outlays, as more people did home renovations such as installing new kitchens and bathtubs, the ministry said.

Outlays on entertainment rose 5.6 percent as more households bought televisions to watch the Paris Olympics, a ministry official said. Expenditures on domestic package tours surged 47.0 percent while those for overseas package tours jumped 62.6 percent.

The average monthly income of salaried households with at least two people climbed 5.5 percent in real terms to 694,483 yen in July, rising for the third straight month, following increases of 3.1 percent and 3.0 percent in June and May, respectively, the ministry said.

Meanwhile, expenditures on food, which account for around 30 percent of spending, fell 1.7 percent, as people spent less on meat and vegetables, with more households reducing their purchases of beef and pork to buy chicken, which is cheaper, the official said.

Spending on electricity and gas decreased 4.6 percent as people cut back on their usage after government subsidies were temporarily discontinued.

While overall personal consumption is recovering, households are becoming more selective in their spending amid rising prices, the official said.

"Spending has not increased as much as wages grew. Some households may be saving part of their increased income," the official said, adding that the ministry will continue to watch closely how the rising wages affect consumption.

Household spending is a key indicator of private consumption, which accounts for more than half of Japan's gross domestic product.
 

 

Dr. Ghazi Binzagr, the Saudi Arabian ambassador to Japan, visited the Shizuoka Futaba Junior and Senior High School on Sept. 3, where he discussed the Kingdom’s culture with the pupils as part of the school’s cultural exchange event.

There were 230 pupils at Binzagr’s session, where he gave a speech about bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and Japan and encouraged the students to visit the Kingdom.

Additionally, he discussed Saudi Arabia’s culture and introduced dates and lambs as dishes that represent the Kingdom. He said the two countries have similarities in culture, such as respecting and appreciating elderly people. 

“I want two countries with similar values to deepen intergenerational ties in the fields of culture and economy and convey the charm of Asia to the world,” Binzagr said. 

The ambassador engaged with the students as he answered their questions about the Kingdom and shared memories from his childhood. He also participated in the school’s tea ceremony activities. 

The speech had a positive effect on the students, reflecting their curiosity about different cultures. “The words ‘cherish encounters’ were impressive. I wanted to know more about Saudi Arabia,” one of the pupils said.
 
 

What would happen if a student avatar joined a classroom one day and tried to break the mold of everyday discussions or deliberately opposed the consensus reached and pushed by the classroom leader?

That is what is happening at some small schools in Japan where an avatar app is creating constructive conflict by playing the role of devil's advocate in discussions to deliver improved learning outcomes by challenging the status quo.

The "Virtual Transfer Student" app created in a collaborative effort among academics "can change the atmosphere of classrooms, where it is difficult to express diverse opinions and stimulate discussion," said Keita Kobayashi, an assistant professor of educational technology at the University of Fukui, the main developer of the software.

In September, a disaster prevention class was held at Koshino Junior High School in Fukui, central Japan, which has just six students.

The students in the combined class -- two boys and four girls in their second and third years -- were asked what they should do if their teacher is not present when an earthquake occurs and no evacuation instructions are announced by the school.

When it appeared the students had reached the consensus that it is "better to wait" for their teacher's return, "Himawari-chan" -- the cat avatar virtual transfer student -- suddenly interjected, saying, "For the time being, why don't we just go outside?"

The virtual cat's suggestion immediately sparked discussion, with some students questioning whether taking the advice would be dangerous and others voicing opinions that if they "go this way out, we'll be okay."

Yuzuha Kadoki, 15, one of the four girls and a third-year student, said of the app, "It said things I hadn't thought of and was easy to talk to."

The Virtual Transfer Student is a semi-automated app that allows teachers to prepare dialogue in advance and have it recited in the correct context in the classroom. Teachers say Himawari-chan encourages spontaneous thinking by speaking from the perspective of a student.

Kobayashi, 33, said that while working at middle schools and high schools in the past, he felt that classroom discussions tended to be pulled in one direction by some students, leading to biases that did not contribute to more worthwhile conversations. So, about a decade ago, he started an initiative to develop a robot that makes mistakes.
 

 

In 2021, he began research using avatars at the University of Fukui, hoping to "put them on a more equal footing with children."

Research is being conducted on generative artificial intelligence to improve the content of the statements, but Kobayashi said, for the time being, they are not considering incorporating the technology as "it is still difficult for AI to come up with good questions that will deepen discussions."

Having teachers prepare remarks in advance also has the advantage of helping them improve their teaching skills, he said.

So far, access to the app has been given to about 30 elementary and junior high school teachers across Japan, including in Fukui, Niigata and Nagasaki prefectures, and it has been used mainly in ethics and social studies classes. Of these, 70 to 80 percent are small schools.

Kobayashi says Himawari-chan is not "good at reading a room" but can be helpful because it stirs debate by voicing contrary opinions in small classes where some students tend to dominate.

"When there are just a few students, roles within the group become set, making it difficult for some to make in-depth statements," he said.
One teacher who has used the app in the classroom, praised it, saying, "Even quiet students have started expressing their opinions a lot more and enlivening the discussions."

Initially, the avatar was a human boy, but some students objected to it, so they started using a cat to test whether using a human factored into its likeability.

Kobayashi said, "I would like to use avatars to research what kind of words and appearances are effective in deepening opinions and changing the atmosphere in classrooms where students often find it difficult to express their true feelings."