JTB did a poll of Japanese people in their 20s published online by Yomiuri here:
If you had 300,000 yen would you save it or take a trip?
The numbers are interesting, but the poll is probably skewed. The poll was given on the internet, asking 500 people in their 20s from three unspecified big cities. You can also consider the poll colored by the fact that it was taken by JTB, Japan’s largest travfel agency. The article doesn’t specify how respondents were found on the internet, but if they took the poll after visiting JTB’s homepage, there’s an obvious possibility it will be skewed.
I would be very interested to see a well done poll of these things.
I think number one would actually be some kind of travel, followed by things like buying games or clothes, eating some kind of expensive food.
300,000 yen is only about $3,000 so it’s an interesting question. It’s enough for some people to want to save, but it’s not really “make your dreams come true” kind of money.
As for me, I think I’d pay some bills and forget about it if I walked into 300,000 yen. Maybe I’d send it back to the U.S. and save it in my higher interest savings account.