Japan's Needy Households Struggle with Record-Low Food Spending

According to a recent survey by Save the Children Japan, many needy households in Japan are struggling to make ends meet. The average daily food expenditure per person among these families is less than 500 yen, down from previous years.

The survey, conducted in June and covering 8,736 parents nationwide who applied for food assistance, found that over 60% of respondents were living in debt or relying on their savings to get by. Among two-person households, the average daily food spending per person fell to 490 yen from 533 yen last year.

Alarmingly, about 85.5% of respondents reported being unable to buy the groceries their families needed during the past year. This indicates a growing struggle with food insecurity among low-income families in Japan.