AI Data Insight
Japan's real household food spending in Q2 2026 (May) grew by 2.4% year-on-year, showing a significant improvement from the previous -0.6% and turning positive. Although overall household spending continued to contract slightly, the decline was better than expected, indicating that easing inflationary pressure is supporting domestic demand. As consumption of necessities and certain core items recovers, the market expects real wage growth to become the key to subsequent recovery.