Japan's Economic Stimulus

as much as i like getting free money,these stimulus packages is only going to put the country in even more debt

Hmm.. roughly $125 USD...
A new synthesizer keyboard! ^o^
(Of course, that's including the money I already have saved up.)

cool I wish I would get that money I would spend it at mcdonalds.

What would I do with 125 USD ? hmmm I would save it and use it to start my DSLR camera fund! hahah

Well, as I didn't file taxes (No employment = no taxes to pay) I won't be getting any stimulus. But I would probably use the money for something smart, like paying a bill.

Oooh I can get myself a m.o.v.e. CD, Saber Photobook and Gift Yoko with that kind of money! Great stimulus package ^^

Haven't seen anything like a stimulus package around here. We do get some kind of gas refund once in a while.

I'd get bored of eating $200 worth of McDonald's food all the time >_<

What would I do with 12000 yen? Buy the Botan plush, or use it towards a dollfie lol.

Goverment don't need to encourage me to buy things lol. I'll do it out of love of shopping lol.

Great country Japan! I would buy some ps3 games from that money..

$125? i dunno, probably saves it for future expenses (read : figures & gunpla :X )

also, I dont know why, but I have to pause it at 2:38.... must be because there's a cute onee-chan there ^^;

http://www.alter-web.jp/figure/09/08_1/index.html

125 USD wouldn't be enough though and spending the money that way wouldn't exactly help the local economy, but who cares about such minor details ~_~

ya our government is also giving out money but only to citizen (no foreigners) above 21 years old.

$125? I would spend it on food at cheap places like Mcdonalds, Matsuya, and Cocoichi.

Or if I happen to find that DD outfit I am looking for...

I actually wouldn't mind spending my $125 on $200 worth of McDonalds. Though I would probably end up getting fat.

Australians are getting stimulus packages, if you've sent in you 07-08 tax return (I think is that date) you get 900 AUD.
I'd probably use the 125 for.. well food is a good idea, maybe paying rent in the future?

Weird way to stimulate economy...
Shows how different today Japan is.
Decades ago, I guess the government (or the emperor) would need only to ask for people to spend a little more.

Food coupons are kinda weird too. Because food is a basic necessity... so I don't think people will just stop eating because of the crisis.

Now, discounts to other stuff like anime DVDs, manga, figures, cars, electronics and other stuff, THAT I can understand.

The government needs to create ways to make rich people spend more.
Making poor people spend will only increase debts.

But anyways, loved the Galaxy Angels music on the video. xD

new monitor perhaps? >___< my current one is killing my eyes

i think i am going buy some figures with it.
or spare it a trip to Tokyo.

im supposed to get AUD$900 for our government stimulus...

WHEN WILL IT ARRIVE?!?!?!?!

I would probably do the same thing I did with the $300 USD the US Government gave to us last year: save it. I don't think that's what they had in mind...but it funds my next Japan trip.

$125.. I would probably spend half of it on getting my art supplies (and a new tablet).

I'd definitely buy the McDonalds booklet. McDonalds in Japan is great.

WOW , Japan is a really smart country to live in .

w00t free money ^^ 125USD!?!? Thats not that much for ppl who have jobs but..its a lot for ppl my age!! XD =3

Our government gives out packages based on your living conditions, and salary. of course you have to be 21 years old to qualify.. im receiving S$500 this year

I already got my state and federal tax rebate, which I used to blow on non-American (i.e. Japanese goods). I'm such a terrible citizen.

those free money was actually worth around 3 weeks of food in tokyo. in hamamatsu, it could worth a month of food. but it looks like i will use it to fund my saber lily that will come around next mont :P

I would use it to pay bills...or pre-order Yagyu Jubei from Alter which I had to unfortunately cancel (.xx).

Other than that I could fit that into my anime budget. $125 would last me a year in terms of purchasing anime if I only bought new and some old titles. I can budget and deal hunt fairly well.

probably put it in the bank this time. makes me wonder if we'll be getting a stimulus this year, I kind of gave up hoping for one. if it happens though, I'd probably bank it to help recover from figure spending.

Hmm I must suck at economics and stuff, can anyone explain to me how does this awesome stimulus thing works? xD They dish out money to make people buy stuff?

I remember when the US government did the same thing last year, except it was about $400 to each person that paid any taxes. I used mine to buy a XBox 360. This year my tax return went to a bunch of figures, including a Wonderfest Figma Konata, and a PSP.

Right now, if I got ~$125, it'd probably go to figures (or the credit card bill with the charges from other figures...).

Hmm, I'd probably buy that Goth Punk Louise by Alter. It's so cute that it hurts me cuz I don't have it.

125 Dollars.... If its cash, its goin to my new DAC ^^;

I got my $600 [s]bribe[/s] stimulus payment a year or so ago when Bush was still in office. I used it to buy an xbox.

Hmm, if I had some free money, it would probably be spent on anime goodies. So yeah, helping Japan's economy.

I have some serious issues with this form of stimulus. Our government is currently going through a similar process, handing out AU$900 to anyone under a certain income bracket who paid tax last year (notably this means my girlfriend doesn't get it as, because of her employment, she didn't pay tax). Problem is it's only a short term measure, it doesn't actually address the deeper problems of job security or creating long term projects to keep money flowing... frankly I think it's a waste.

However, at risk of sounding hypocritical: I'm not about to give back my Rudbux on principal ^^;

I really think that people who doesn't really affected by the economic downturn, shouldn't be using their share of stimulus package... It calls for a bit of self-conscience... but I think people, who will spend anyway without this, should not be using their share.... well, that's just me... Since this is created to stimulate people to spend their money in hope of stimulating the economy...

As for me, I would prefer to spend it on Yoshinoya than McD, but above all, I would rather support the otaku-sphere business and spend it on figures, eroge, or the likes, rather than spending it on big money monger company....^^

where do i get this money??

That's not much I got $1300 from my stimulus package. :3

If I got some extra like that the first thing I would do is check and see if there any bills or expenses I can put it towards.
If there's nothing there then I'd use it for any equipment and/or tools I may need.
Then if there's nothing there I'd use it on any goodies I've been eying at the time.

More money into my Vanguard funds. Or Ikea...probably Ikea and Costco.

12,000 yen? Wish my goverment were that generous... >,<

Do nothing special with it, just deposit it into my bank til I need it.
I never buy something just because I suddenly got more money. (Paycheck, Tax Return, etc.)

i got a new 32 inch full hd lcd tv (xxx never looked better) with my stimulus package....thanks Mr Rudd

A few years ago we got $400 from the government, but it wasn't part of a stimulus package, it was called a prosperity cheque because it came from government surpluses.

We got our stimulus last year. Already forgot how much it was though...I think it was like $400 or something. >_>

Figures and more figures :P

It almost the same as Singapore CPF Offset package, last year I got a total of S$600 from the government which was given separately for 3 months.

125?
maybe ima use it to go get some figmas and the bases.

I don't usually go for fast food so I think I'd spend it on a figure...or updating my manga collection...

Put it in the bank.

Something like that happened for Hong Kong as well fairly recently (around 1 year ago). Not as much as 12000 Yen (as Hong Kong is not a nation and the government won't have that much fund to donate), but I think the impact isn't that much. Funny enough was that McDonalds did something to encourage the so-called stimulus too and did a lot of giveaways to poorer people as well.

12000 Yen? That's more than enough for the upcoming Alter Fate figure I have preordered in the local shop. But otherwise I'll just put it in the bank for further use.

Yet interestingly enough, I did blog about what I can buy with just 200HKD (~25USD/2450Yen) not too long ago. A coincidence, perhaps?

http://quentinlau.blogspot.com/2009/04/if-i-have-200-dollars.html

I got $600 from the USA Government last summer and this year I got back $650 in taxes ^^

I would probably buy a new mixer, or a snazzy UDG bag.

There was a tax break awhile back but seeing as I basically have no job I got nothing. But I don't think it's really a long term solution for the economy anyway...

..bills... school loans...wife.... what money? ;_;

our gov't isnt doing anything of such sorts

But a few years ago, our province gave every man, woman and child $600 Cdn since we had immense surpluses from oil revenues. Forgot what I did with my money...

Would adopt a Dollfie with this Money,

but i want a PS 3 too. :-) Very difficult decision.

In Germany you can get 2500,-- € Sraccping Bonus "here its called Abwrackprämie" for your over 9 year old car. If you shred it into pieces and buy a new car you get the 2500,-- €.

Very bad times for people like me who want to sell an old car privatly.

I'd save up half of it and spend the rest on anime goods :)

I'd spend each of those yen in buying figures :P

With that kind of money, it would go straight to gas for my car for a month ^^

I would probably... get something I need with the $125. Like new glasses. *headdesk*

Government still owes me stimulus money from when Bush was in power. I don't know *why* I'm not getting it, but it would be really nice to have right now. ;_;

I wonder how much McD has paid to that show.
That show was almost like a McD commercial.

lol "health food". :d

It remind of of BLT in my country...

Not really deanny, they are taking even more from us in the long run :/

Why don't we have something like that here?! ..or do we, but are they doing it behind my back?
Anyway, I would buy GSC's black rock shooter figure if it would be released right away <3

Sounds like good deal for Japan. But buying this "economic stimulus package" from big corps like McDonalds isn't really helping economies in Japan and not just because it's very unhealty, They should spend more on local store, resturants or markets at least learn how to cook. I mean I would rather pay 500yen for miso ramen all month, than rip off Macdonalds

but still Thats lot of two for 99cents tacos in Jack in the Box XD. except we go 10% tax in California can you imagine that =.=?

If I had 12,000 yen, I would buy 30 400 yen ero doujinshis *^_^* Or 60 200 yen used ero manga books >.> List goes on and on...

I agree with the ippan lady who got interviewed--I wouldn't buy the package for the fear of gaining a lot of weight from eating all that Mickey D's... But then again, there was a huge news coverage a few years ago regarding how a certain American guy lost like 40lbs from eating Mickey D's everyday. My only objection to this, however, is that he was initially quite massive and it's fairly easy for bigger people to lose significant amount of weight than average-sized people. >.<;;

So much for deregulation... but I'd still take the money to buy either Gunpla/Figma/Busou Shinki.

12000 yen to make you fatter == not worth it.
I would rather use this amount of money on daily food supplies <:

12,000yen is so little...
I received a stimulus package of $950 + $220 for being a student...
Total of nearly $1200

Plans so far... already bought an iPhone for about $630... and the other remainder, I'll try and nab a 24" LCD monitor...

That's a very interesting marketing gimmick by Micky Ds =3

and then suddenly I want to order a Big Mac meal XDDD

My goverment is not giving us money but taking it and using it on them selfs from what iv heard from the news. If i got the 12,000 yen i would buy food or games or clothes or just put it in the bank.

I applied for mine but still have not recieved it. I will use it to send stuff back to my home country, hehe.

Now that would be nice, I'd have plenty of uses for some extra moneys....but alas, nothing here.

I would buy figures with that money :D Actually, I'd probably use it to subsidize a camera purchase since I've been wanting one for a while ^^"

Interesting that McDonalds' is pushing people so hard to spend the stimulus package on them. Seeing how they are a multinational, I am not sure how much of that money would remain in circulation in the Japanese economy, which appears to be the whole point of this stimulus.
.
I'd welcome a few yen, but I'd probably use it for basic needs like food... and hookers. And drugs. ;)

I think all my stimulus check money is still in my bank account somewhere, but I never remember how much of the money I get back is for taxes I overpaid on to avoid underpaying.

Seeing how the 12000 is for 22890 of goodies in coupons, it doesn't seem like a bad deal. Plus, not all McDonalds outlets are operated by a head out of Japan--this is where franchisees who only pay a regular fee to McDonalds but keep everything else come into play. It still keeps people going to McDonalds in Japan where Japanese people work instead of letting outlets potentially go into the red and shut down. That being said, they probably don't expect all the coupons bought to be used so there's profit there for whatever branch is managing that promotion.

Luckily no direct payments here.

i'd probably use it on figmas.......or DVD box sets....or if im feeling intellectual i'll put in the bank to get some returns.....

i use it for my transport expenses to and from uni... they ain't cheap ya know blehhh

the stimulus is very needed for this economic climate !!

That's too much junk food on the table... Looks a little scary ;;^^.
I would use the money on travel, or save up to buy stuffs while I am in Hong Kong/Japan where there are more to buy.

i would buy more figures with that money ^^ or i'll save it just in case ^^;;

i aleady recieved the 12k yen in my bank account :D and aleady spend it on the air ticket to hokkaido tomorrow!

Too bad 12000 yen will go to pay my bills ToT.

Here in Australia we received $900AUD. Probably equivalent to about 600USD.

i think they also have it here, but much less i guess.
agh, since i'm only reaching there in 10 days, that means i won't get the free money? XD

the only stimulus package my government would think about is raising taxes to stimulate their profits every year. my country's government is a money leech.

Figmas. Lots of figmas.

nom nom nom, it looks so tasty...

Wait did they have to pay for the booklet?? This is kinda ridiculous on put it all on fast food..

Is it directly to citizens?
weird -_- capitalist democracies can be so generous =P
Not the same here, just less interest for banks and a law to allow 100% usage of unemployment fund (CTS in spanish), also more infrastructure projects.
If I could get my hands over an economic stimulus, I'll use it for my studies.
¬_¬ sad that I'll use money for studies and not for clothes or food.
Somebody shoot me dead please! =P

$125 isn't so bad.. That should cover my home's electric bill here.

i want to buy more food..

I received my $900 Aussie bucks thanks to Mr Rudd stimulus package.

Spent it on a few figures and a new chair which was sweet. xD

The government isn't dishing out money for anyone here. I think it's the other way around.

I'd probably get started on my promise to myself to learn how to draw and sculpt; art supplies are expensive, I hear.

I received a nice stimulus check before Obama was head of state... Dont think theres plans for any more :( Itd be nice to get another and if I did, I would surely use it for my travels

Isn't this like what America is doing?....

Thailand is following Japan. We got a 2,000 baht stimulus cheque (60 USD) last month.

Going towards a pair of these ..

http://item.rakuten.co.jp/apolloplus/10018469/

economic stimulus? giving free money to ppl to stimule them to buy? unbelievable!
that will never happen here. the only thing done since the boom of the crisis were raising taxes, and giving special credit plans to the ppl with low resources to buy new home appliances (wasn't giving credits the start of all the mess?

Hah, we got the same thing in Australia,
Tax payers get about $900 AUD with many other benefits, governments just dishing out money to make us buy stuff ;]

I don't think we're getting any sort of money life this in Holland, but then again they are talking about little points of light on the horizon, so who knows, I think the worst is behind us now.

If they gave me that kind of money I think I'll use it to buy an external hard drive and a maybe a DVD or 2. The thing is I don't see my government giving out money to the people.

Oh niice. Must be a lotta money when you put it all together. Though I wouldn't want to spend it at McDees xD Maybe add it to my Dollfie fund.

What is your favorite Japanese snack food? Favorite J-cookie with tea? In Sasebo they make a great cookie called "99 Islands" with almonds that I love to eat with tea. Sweet, crunchy almonds taste.

We are spending our stimulus money on coming to Japan in July!!!

Our Government has given out three lots and this is the only one we have received. So we thought we should help Japan's economy and get you to buy more Aussie stuff with it! So make sure to buy Australian so our money is returned - thanks!

12 000 yen is BND$182.00+ I'll put the $100 into the bank and the rest is for myself...

Taiwan did a similar stimulus a few months ago. From what I heard, the citizens were really excited about it. Even my parents (who live in the U.S.) claimed their stimulus vouchers =)

The problem with a stimulus package is that it doesn't assuage people's fear of the bad economy. Even if you give out money, if the people won't spend it, nothing happens. If everybody spent their money, it would probably actually do something.

Wow look at Japan go 0_0 it is really funny that the economy has not hit our part of Canada. At work we are making over our sales plans every week. I see things in the States and can't believe what I see.Is it just as bad in Japan or are they preparing for it?

I would buy some stuff 0_0 and put a pre-order on the black shooter fig XD

No stimulus package in the UK to the ordinary people.

Guess the government only gives money here to bankers and themselves by the looks of it.

However, they did take 2.5% of the VAT rate.

the most important question is, can you get another "economic stimulus package" after you spend it?

I not eating that rubbish for $125. If I lived in japan, I'd blow it all on sushi!!!...and some figures too.

Don't really need more money. If anything here the government would probably just up the taxes (as if the worlds highest wasn't high enough already :P).

But if i got 125 USD... i'd probably use it on manga, games and figurines. Maybe put some away for a planned trip abroad. :) Ah... A vinyl player wouln't be all bad either... hm.

Wow, I didnt know Japan does that to their citizen~~~~~

My wife and daughter got theirs and stuck it in the bank.

A better stimulus would be to drop the rate of consumption tax back to 3%.

aussies got their stimulus of 900 bucks
good thing about this is free money and spending on whatever you please to get money flowing around
problem is that its a short term fix to get money rolling and plus those people who got their stimulus might not be spending it all
for me, 900 bucks is overkill for me, i ended up giving half to my folks who used it for their mortgage and bills

our government ruslted up £100 billion. then gave it to the banks.

Wow, if only I had money like that to use at McDonalds.

put it this way, would you spend you stimulus on maccas??
i wouldnt
here maccas is expensive and ive noticed they shrunk their burgers too

That's a lot of food, an unhealthy amount:)

$125 USD... I could buy a figurine or two with that money.

If what the "documentary" Super-Size me is correct does this mean there will soon be a sharp increase in the number of Debu in Japan?

I wonder how many people are taking the stimulus package literaly and are getting a Hello Kitty vibrator...

125$...sweet~~~
gonna buy some figs^^

to be honest it is stupid if you ask me.

There dishing out the stimulus packages down in Australia as well. I didn't meet the requirements though because I didn't earn enough, I was short by about a grand...sigh. I would have put that money to a new video camera lens, but what can you do.

If the money is given with economical stimilus purpouse, i'ld spend it at food, entertainment, cinema, etc. because that's the real intention of it, not to save it in my pocket 8)

Nothing from Cdn Government...only more tax...Orz
Taiwan and Macau government also given out money earlier

For that 12000 yen, I am sure I can spend them all easily in akiba!

The same they did themselves in '98

Definitely a great plan to earn the 12,000 yen from consumer...Too bad I didn't have the chance to get it.

Breaking news, Japan spends money to try help kickstart the economy and ends up with a month of health related problems destroying the hospital system due to everyone spending it all on cheezubaagaa!

^_^

I'd save the money. But youknow what I see happening with this?

Otaku taking advantage of it and using their stimulus package to buy food for a month. If they starve a bit and eat one meal a day they could do it. Then the rest of the money can go to rent and merchandise. ^^;

I received my 20,000 yen 2 months ago ^_^! And they are gone! hehe. I bought some otaku stuff! Yay!

To be honest my country puts out these stimulus packs every year. And everyone pretty much already knows the us is so far in debt that i don't even think are government cares about the well being of it.