PRICES IN JAPAN

Waipa Post, Volume 47, Issue 3384, 24 October 1933, Page 8

PRICES IN JAPAN

TOOTHBRUSHES id EACH Passengers by the steamer Kitano Maru, which reached Sydney recently from Yokohama, said they had been astonished at the cheapness of nearly all classes of goods in Japan. They quoted some amazing prices. Tobacco pouches, worth 5s each in Australia, were sold at a price equivalent to 3d in Australian currency. Pearl-handled pocket knives of fair quality were sold at 3d each, toothbrushes . at about a halfpenny each, children’s tricycles at 3/6 each, sandshoes at 5d a pair, and sunglasses at 3d or 4d a dozen. Retail prices were correspondingly low, silk of good quality 6d or 7d a yard, straw hats 7d each, and bicycles £1 2/6 each. Woollen and leather goods ap-. peared to be the only articles selling at anything like Australian prices/ First grade petrol, of a brand well, known in Australia, cost 7M a gallon. Taxi hire for a journey up to six. miies cost 9d. A j'ourney of 60 miles’ 1 by electric train cost. 1/6. People worked Seven days a week, and 10 ; or 12 1 hours a day, with two or ; three days off a month. Wages were very low, a labourer receiving about 7/6 a week;