The real costs of crafting in Japan

As someone who loves to craft in various ways, the results from a recent survey by Song LLC were of particular interest to me. They polled 300 men and women from their 20s to their 40s to see what their spending on craft-related pursuits was, and there were some eye-opening findings.

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According to the survey, people in that age range spend an average of ¥112,400 a year on craft hobbies, which I can understand since it adds up quickly. What was interesting though was that 43% of those costs aren't materials, but hidden extras like tools, workshops, and storage solutions. Living in Japan amplifies this, in my opinion, since things like workshops are plentiful and tempting, especially for us as expats looking to build community or learn traditional techniques.

The survey also found that 64% of crafters sit on excess inventory, with unused materials averaging over ¥21,000. That feels painfully accurate for me with paper crafting, since I seem to collect papers and stickers like they're going out of fashion.