Weak Yen Boosts Tourist Wallets In Japan

Tokyo, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st May, 2024) Foreign tourists are flocking to Japan in record numbers and thanks to a sliding Yen many are living like kings, splashing out on everything from kimonos to knives and slap-up meals.

"I bought three pairs of shoes, which is something I would never normally do," French tourist Katia Lelievre, 36, said with a laugh in the bustling Asakusa area of Tokyo famous for its Buddhist temple and souvenir shops.

The brands available in Japan are the same as in Europe -- Converse, Nike and Adidas -- but because of the exchange rate "it was really worth it" to buy, she told AFP.

"The food is really cheap. (I spent a lot) especially on food. I tried everything I wanted," Dominique Stabile, 31, visiting from Italy, told AFP.

"I had a budget set and I didn't exceed it, so I'm happy.

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Local businesses are also benefitting.

"A lot of people do the math and when they see the equivalent in their country's Currency they say: 'Wow, I'm going to buy that too'," said Saori Iida, who works in a shop selling traditional second-hand Japanese clothes.

"Yesterday, we had someone who bought 15 kimonos," she said.

"Thanks to the weak yen, foreign customers are buying a lot of handmade knives, even as prices rise," said Yuki Suzuki, 21, who works in a shop selling knives, another tourist favourite.

"I feel like there are now more customers who want to own sets and buy a little more, for example several blades made by the same craftsman," she told AFP.