Jun 15 (NHK) - The results of a new survey have revealed the extent to which rising prices are hurting low income households in Japan. Over half of those polled say they have been forced to cut back on the number of meals for their children.
Tokyo-based non-profit organization Kidsdoor polled close to 1,400 low-income households with children up to high-school age. The survey lasted five days through Tuesday.
Eighty-five percent said the price hikes were making their lives "more difficult," with nearly half saying "much more difficult."
Sixty-four percent said they could no longer afford to give their children nutritionally balanced meals. Sixty percent said they had to give their children fewer meals overall. Thirty-seven percent said they could no longer buy meat or fish.
"People were already struggling with the pandemic, and now the price hikes are making it even harder to make ends meet," said Watanabe Yumiko, Board Chair of Kidsdoor. "We must help these people. This is getting serious."
Kidsdoor says it plans to offer food aid to struggling families with children starting in July. It will launch a crowd-funding campaign to gather donations next Monday.
