More people in Japan gifting to themselves this holiday season

For many expats in Japan, the holiday season now comes with an extra layer of financial planning as prices continue to climb. A new holiday gift survey by MTG Co., Ltd. (best known for its beauty brand ReFa) had some interesting insights as to how consumer behavior is shifting with higher living costs and tighter personal budgets.

The October 2025 survey of 778 online shoppers found that around 80 percent still plan to buy gifts this winter, despite inflation pressures. Something that stood out most to me from the survey, even amid rising prices, is the growing popularity of "self-gifting." One in three respondents said they plan to buy a gift for themselves, with 68 percent citing it as a way to reward themselves for a year of hard work. This trend reflects a broader mindset of perhaps being more selective, but spending where it feels personally justified.

Budgeting data from the survey was also quite telling. More than 60 percent of people plan to spend between 10,000 and 50,000 yen on gifts for themselves, while nearly 70 percent aim to keep gifts for others under 20,000 yen. In other words, consumers are more generous when the money is for their own use. The most popular category by far was beauty appliances and beauty products, chosen by nearly 80 percent of respondents (probably heavily pushed by who was conducting the survey!) followed by fashion and daily necessities.

I think the takeaway from the survey is that in a high-cost environment, many people in Japan are prioritizing fewer, more "logical" purchases that combine practical value with emotional reward.