www射-国产免费一级-欧美福利-亚洲成人福利-成人一区在线观看-亚州成人

  Home>News Center>Life
         
 

New gimmicks to get rid of your millions
(China Daily)
Updated: 2004-07-31 08:56

Want to play golf with Tiger Woods? Celebrate your birthday with Ben Affleck? If you are rich in Japan, these and other extravagances can be yours.

While the economy in Japan is still weak, despite a series of rosy economic figures produced by the government, the number of big spenders has been rising and new businesses are catering to their expensive tastes.

Tokyo-based Club Concierge fulfills any customers' wish, including arranging a meeting with world celebrities. To become a member of the club you either have to have assets worth more than 100 million yen (US$910,000), or an annual income of more than 10 million yen (US$91,000).

Since starting up in October of last year, the company has attracted more than 700 members.

Club Concierge President Naoyuki Miyayama says that despite the economic turmoil the country has experienced since the early 1990s, Japanese over the age of 50 still have estimated combined savings of roughly US$12.7 trillion.

"They have money," the president says, "but there has been no place to offer them services or products to spend it on."

Miyayama said one of the most popular orders is sending a chef from Tokyo's renowned Q-bei Sushi restaurant - famous for hosting successive prime ministers and Sony's co-founder Akio Morita - to a customer's home to make sushi. The cost? Nearly US$1,700.

Club Concierge customer Kazuko Hiramoto said she spent over US$1,800 in April for the club to organize a dinner at a Geisha house, or Ochaya, in Kyoto's famed Gion district.

During the dinner, Geisha girls entertained the guests by singing, playing instruments, and performing ancient Japanese dances while pouring sake for Hiramoto and her four male companions.

The 58-year-old company owner said she spent the money because "it's not easy for women to go to an Ochaya, as Geisha houses are, in general, only for male celebrities."

"I don't mind spending big money for something I feel is worth while, because I feel it is a reward to myself for my hard work," said Hiramoto.

Seiji Katsurahata, an economist at Dai-Ichi Life Research Institute, said despite the fact that the number of rich people has been decreasing in Japan, the number of big spenders has been rising.

According to government statistics, the number of high taxpayers whose income taxes topped 10 million yen was 73,900 in 2003, falling for the third straight year. The number was 128,000 in 1993.

But Katsurshata said high income earners are not the only people who are big spenders. "In addition to older Japanese people changing their custom from saving to spending, there are other groups of big spenders that have emerged on the scene, such as young entrepreneurs and investors who have made profits through Internet stock trading," he said.

"Internet stock trading investors are mainly young people in their 20s and 30s who play the markets on the side. They tend to spend immediately after earning profits."

In response to the growing number of big spenders in Japan, American Express introduced the ebony-coloured Centurion credit card, known as the "Black Card," two years ago in the Japanese market.

Despite its eye-popping US$1,450 annual fee, it has become a much desired item for status-conscious Japanese who demand special services, such as private shopping at certain boutiques after they close, and going to hard-to-get-reservation restaurants and hotels anytime they want.

"The invitation-only Black Card is given to a selected group of American Express Platinum card holders who like shopping, entertainment and travelling," said Mitsuo Inagaki, spokesman for Amex. Inagaki said the business for high-end users was doing so well in Japan that American Express began publishing Departure, a good-life advice magazine for the rich, in March.



Titbits of life in Beijing
Gong Li and Yeoh to star in Spielberg geisha film
Xu Jinglei's new directing credit
  Today's Top News     Top Life News
 

US nationals arrested for DVD piracy

 

   
 

China, US sign deal to expand air services

 

   
 

US Chinese suspected of spying `regretful'

 

   
 

China beat Iraq 3-0 to reach Asian Cup semis

 

   
 

Ensuring clean online environment

 

   
 

Condoms to be made more widely available

 

   
  New gimmicks to get rid of your millions
   
  Miss America axes talent competition
   
  2.4 million Britons can't get enough of the office
   
  Capital taste goes global
   
  Sex education offered online
   
  Chinese rapped for attacking Japan in soccer match
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
  Feature  
  Paris Hilton, singer Nick Carter end romance  
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 国产亚洲欧美日韩国产片 | 男人天堂社区 | 最新福利片v国产片 | 美女张开大腿让男人桶 | 国产精品久久毛片 | 1717she国产精品免费视频 | 中文字幕一区二区三区有限公司 | 欧美三级黄| 国产欧美日韩亚洲精品区2345 | 男女男精品视频免费观看 | 欧美性高清bbbbbbxxxxx | 国产精品亚洲综合网站 | 国产真实女人一级毛片 | 欧美成人鲁丝片在线观看 | 国产成人精品日本亚洲网站 | 亚洲成人欧美 | 99精品免费| 欧美在线小视频 | 精品日韩二区三区精品视频 | 亚洲黄色美女视频 | 日韩中文字幕在线观看视频 | 久99re视频9在线观看 | 亚洲精品综合在线 | 免费成人在线网站 | 欧美最猛性xxxxx亚洲精品 | 亚洲久久在线观看 | 欧美色老头gay | 97在线视频观看 | 国产成人综合欧美精品久久 | 在线观看免费毛片 | 欧美视频一区二区专区 | 精品成人在线视频 | 国产亚洲人成网站在线观看 | 国产成人精品亚洲 | 九色视频在线观看免费 | 国产一区免费在线观看 | 国产精品国产精品 | 天堂免费在线视频 | 国产成人咱精品视频免费网站 | 国产亚洲人成网站在线观看 | 在线高清免费爱做网 |