The result is shoppers are always looking for a bargain and will chase down the cheapest price they can find. Ito-Yokado, where Kuramochi had been shopping, made a big splash with shoppers this month by slashing prices on some goods as much as 40 percent. It sells fresh food, daily necessities, cosmetics, furniture and clothes.

　　UPHILL TASK

　　Some economists support Abe's argument that the BOJ needs to ease monetary policy more aggressively to help end deflation.

　　However, many other economists say Japan needs to make structural changes to its economy by shifting employment to services from manufacturing, encouraging more female employment and getting families to have more children to stop the population from shrinking.

　　Data from the Bank of Japan underlines the uphill task confronting Abe.

　　In September, 62 percent of people surveyed in the BOJ's quarterly household survey said they expected prices to rise a median 3 percent over the following year.

　　But 94 percent expected their wages to remain the same or fall and 96 percent expected to maintain their spending levels or cut them. The survey has shown the same underlying trend for nearly 20 years.

　　Expectations for higher energy and food prices could explain the inflation expectations, but the survey does not ask about specific goods, a BOJ official said. What the survey does show is that households plan to spend less when they expect incomes to stagnate, which has a direct and negative impact on the economy, said the official, who is not authorised to speak to the media so asked not to be identified.

　　Discretionary spending remains under intense pressure. An annual survey by Shinsei Bank compiled in September showed that the average monthly spending money available to a Japanese "salaryman" was down to its lowest level in 30 years in 2011.

　　The pressure to discount has created a prisoner's dilemma for Japanese retailers. Restaurant chains and retailers would prefer to sell their goods without discounts, but there is little reason to trust that rivals will not try to cut prices first to poach customers. That logic ignites price wars.

　　Yoshinoya Holdings Co Ltd, a manager of a popular fast-food chain, cut the price of "gyudon", or stewed beef over rice, at a few new stores it opened. A company spokesman said the price cut to 250 yen a bowl from the usual price of 380 yen was an "experiment".

　　Weeks later a rival chain also cut its prices to 250 yen to match Yoshinoya.

　　"Companies realise that cutting prices is a war of attrition and we see signs that companies want to get out of this pattern," said Toshihiro Nagahama, chief economist at Dai-Ichi Life Research Institute.

　　"Expectations for falling wages have become entrenched. However, if they think wages will rise, then people will react logically and spend more."

　　相关中文资料

　　日本想要成功对抗通缩，首先就得说服像Kumiko Kuramochi这样的消费者。

　　自民党在周日众议院选举中获胜，该党希望公众明白：大刀阔斧的货币政策将推升通胀。这传递的讯息非常明确：趁着物价还没开始涨之前，要买东西赶紧买吧。

　　但问题在于，日本20年来经济停滞不前、15年来薪资下滑且经历了近15年的通缩，人们“买便宜货”的心态已经根深蒂固。而政府想要让公众相信未来收入增长足以让他们承受物价上涨，并不是件容易的事。

　　38岁的Kuramochi就是典型的日本主妇。她正带着两个孩子在东京购物，由于担心丈夫明年可能减薪，她不得不削减支出。

　　她说：“我趁着打折时，给我自己、还有我一个孩子买了冬衣，因为我们想尽量少花钱。我对家庭财务感到担心，手头很紧，我也不指望我丈夫明年的收入能增加，因为经济形势不好。”