Japan is a highly brand-conscious society in which upscale designer labels are incredibly popular. Although the devastation wrought by the 2011 tsunami has dampened demand for luxury goods among many Japanese, their love affair with top brands started in the 1970s when the local economy was booming and many Japanese could buy Western luxury accessories for the first time. Some analysts say Japan's long slump since that time may be fostering a psychological need to splurge on small luxuries to give Japanese consumers the illusion of wealth and forget their anxieties about the future.
Single working women are largely responsible for fuelling Japan's luxury-goods spending (about three-quarters of Japanese women aged 25 to 29 are employed outside the home). Often, these women save money by living with their parents, leaving them with cash to spend on clothes, accessories, and vacations.

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