Spending by Japan’s households rose for the first time in three months in July.
The internal affairs ministry says households of two or more people spent an average of 290,931 yen, or about 2,030 dollars, in July.
That’s up 0.1 percent in yen terms from a year earlier, adjusted for inflation.
Spending on culture and recreation, such as on TV sets and travel, rose 5.6 percent. The amount was pushed up by demand from viewing the Paris Olympics and higher corporate bonuses.
Expenditures on housing, including renovations, were also up, by 17.3 percent.
But consumers spent less on food, which accounts for a large portion of overall expenditures. The number fell 1.7 percent as shoppers started switch more of their expensive beef and pork for chicken.
Utility expenses also dropped, by 4.6 percent, when government subsidies of energy bills were suspended.
Ministry officials say consumers remain thrifty and higher incomes are failing to lead to increased spending.