What Japan fams spend for Mother's and Father's Day

I think small cultural holidays often reveal a lot about how people value money, time, and relationships, and I find it particularly interesting exploring those things through a life in Japan lens! A recent survey by research firm Intage Inc. (based on responses from 5,000 people nationwide) looking at Mother's Day and Father's Day habits showed a pretty interesting gap between what children spend money on, and what parents actually value.

The general consensus is less gifts, more thanks! ;)

The data showed that Mother's Day is slightly more generous when it comes to present spending, with an average of ¥5,102 compared to ¥4,736 for Father's Day. Also, roughly 65% of people do something for Mother's Day, versus 58% for Father's Day. It was a fairly typical consumer pattern, too, with things like flowers, sweets, and small gifts dominating both occasions.

The more interesting insight to me was the mismatch in expectations. While children tend to spend on physical items (sweets, flowers, drinks, etc.), parents consistently say what they value most is time and verbal appreciation. Around a third of mothers and nearly one in five fathers mentioned they simply want to be thanked!

It's probably a good reminder with the cost of living going through the roof that maybe you don't need to go spending on fancy presents, but just do something thoughtful or meaningful.