MNI 5 THINGS: Japan Jan Household Spending Up 2.0% Y/Y

--Japan Household Spending +2.0% Y/Y; Forecast Median -0.7%

     TOKYO (MNI) - Here are five major points from the January Family Income and

Expenditure Survey on Households, released by Japan's Ministry of Internal

Affairs and Communications on Friday.

     --Spending by households with two or more people rose 2.0% y/y after

adjusting for two survey method changes, beating the forecast median of -0.7%

seen in the MNI survey, posting the second straight y/y rise. 

     --The ministry upgraded its view on household spending -- to "showed a sign

of pickup" from "is picking up, but marking time".

     --January's rise was led by a pick-up in demand for housing, which

increased by 18.0% y/y. Spending on education also made good contribution by

increasing 17.7% y/y.

     --Household spending slowed to 0.7% on a monthly basis. 

     --The average real income of households with salaried workers climbed to

3.6% y/y from December's 2.3%, the third increase in the last four months. 

--MNI Beijing Bureau; tel: +86 (10) 8532-5998; email: flora.guo@marketnews.com

--MNI London Bureau; tel: +44 203-586-2225; email: les.commons@marketnews.com

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