The Change Mariner

Frugal Japanese Dig Into Savings

Frugal Japanese Dig Into Savings

In more prosperous times just a few years ago, Kiwako Kaiyama and Kiyoko Kitamura looked to a future of kicking back on their husbands' salaries. Instead, to make ends meet, the 40-something housewives have had to cut their spending, take part-time jobs and -- shockingly, for Japan -- dip into their savings. AdvertisementFor decades, the Japanese routinely socked away 10 to 20 percent of their incomes, earning a reputation as one of the world's most frugal people.