Reiwa Teenagers' Golden Week is Surprisingly Affluent!? What We Saw About 10-Somethings' Financial Situation Amidst Parental Struggles

When Golden Week arrives, social media is filled with posts from young people saying, "I'm going to an amusement park!" "I'm traveling for my idol activities!" "Unlocking my savings!" At the same time, we often see comments from young people like, "I'm broke, so I can't go out" or "I don't have money to play." With rising prices, this year's Golden Week frequently features parents' conversations about "money being tight." How much spending money do Reiwa teenagers have? To answer this, "Wakamono Research" (https://wakamono-research.co.jp/media/), a marketing information site targeting teenagers and active high school students, conducted a survey among 15-19 year olds asking, "How much money do you have available for this year's Golden Week?" Here are some of the results.

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[To Companies]

Surveys on teenagers and Gen Z like this article can also be conducted for your company's products and services.

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["Have money" 52.5% and "Don't have money" 47.5% – Golden Week funds almost split in half]

In this survey, respondents were asked to choose from six options: "A lot," "A fair amount," "A little," "Only a little," "Almost none," and "None at all." The results were:

- A lot: 6.5%
- A fair amount: 21.2%
- A little: 24.8%
- Only a little: 23.1%
- Almost none: 16.3%
- None at all: 8.1%

When re-categorized into "have money" and "don't have money," the result was 52.5% for "have money" and 47.5% for "don't have money." It seems that the "surprisingly affluent group" and the "truly broke group" are almost evenly split.

First, looking at the opinions of young people who answered "a lot," "a fair amount," or "a little" money for Golden Week:

"Because I have a part-time job."

"Because I worked hard at my part-time job."

"Because I saved from my part-time job."

"Because I have my part-time job earnings."

Many cited "part-time jobs" as the reason, indicating that having a way to "earn their own money" is a major dividing line. On the other hand, it's not just part-time jobs; many young people cover their expenses with regular "pocket money" from home, saying:

"Because I receive pocket money."

"Because I have pocket money."

"I have regular pocket money."

"I'll get extra pocket money for Golden Week."

From these responses, it's also apparent that some young people receive enough pocket money from their parents to fully enjoy Golden Week. Furthermore, a notable income source unique to young people was "New Year's money" (otoshidama):

"Because I still have New Year's money left."

"New Year's money savings."

"I used my New Year's money strategically."

"Because I saved my New Year's money."

It seems some people are planning ahead, saving their New Year's money for Golden Week. From these opinions, it appears that the mainstream financial management for young people who have money for Golden Week might be: "Earning from part-time jobs, managing daily life with pocket money, and saving New Year's money as 'event funds.'"

Meanwhile, looking at the voices of young people who answered "only a little," "almost none," or "none at all" for Golden Week funds, a significant number of young people stated they had "almost exhausted their funds during spring break," with comments like:

"Because I spent money during spring break."

"I spent a lot of money in March."

"Because I played a lot during spring break."

"I played too much during spring break."

"I spent too much during spring break."

There were also comments like:

"Just went to Disney before Golden Week."

"Just went on a trip the other day."

These suggest that for young people, especially students, memories from spring break might have "higher weight" than Golden Week. Other reasons included:

"Because I don't have a part-time job."

"I'm a student and don't have a part-time job."

"Because I have no income."

"Because part-time jobs are prohibited. I wish they'd allow it."