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If more people go out to look for Pokemon, it will increase consumer spending because these people will pay for transportation and meals. If local bodies organize regional Pokemon tours, it will help

13 Comments

Toshihiro Nagahama, chief economist at the Dai-ichi Life Research Institute Inc, predicting the release of the Pokemon Go app will have a big economic effect because of its popularity. (Mainichi Shimbun)

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Leave it to the Japanese to turn a bunch of kids running around outside into some kind of top down, organized event where people go on guided Pokemon hunting tours.

I can see the busloads of Japanese tourists walking around with the guy in front with the flag pointing out where all the Pokemon are.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Simply beyond pathetic!

4 ( +5 / -1 )

I predict crowds of young men milling around causing huge transport bottlenecks, the result is a huge drop in GDP leading to a massive govt economic stimulus leading TO a gram of gold reaching 100000 yen!

Pika!

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

The Pokemon cult is going to save the world. Yeah, right.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

I have seen a lot of zombies standing on corners. Sort of like in ghetto areas of major cities throughout the world.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

@gainjinfo

Leave it to the Japanese to turn a bunch of kids running around outside into some kind of top down, organized event where people go on guided Pokemon hunting tours. I can see the busloads of Japanese tourists walking around with the guy in front with the flag pointing out where all the Pokemon are.

Definitely. This is already happening in Sth. Korea & Indonesia - and the game isn't even officially out in those countries yet! I was at a World Heritage site down near Izu yesterday & there were tonnes of people playing Pokemon Go. The rarer Pokemon were around the area - including the gift shop. Whilst the technology is amazing, like everything in Japan you can't take everything at face value. It will turn this into a giant "con" where the best Pokemon / items will be at places where you'll have to pay for entry (either directly or indirectly). Nickle-and-diming is the Japanese way.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Simply beyond pathetic

Agree. Perhaps they should improvise a SDF recruitment version. Get more young Japanese to sign up.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

yeah Pokemon Go will rescue Abenomics (!) Perhaps both will go away sooner or later.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I'm really surprised at the sheer number of people playing it here in Hachioji. You can spot them by their behavior, and confirm your suspicions by looking at their game screen, which looks a lot like that on a navi. And yes, I've seen several people doing this while riding their bike too. I'm with GW on this one, "simply pathetic". TV used to be called the opiate of the masses, now it's Pokemon go.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Is this abes third arrow I wonder//////

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Christ, talk about putting a positive spin on an app which is going to waste people's time, time which could have been put to better use like learning something useful or, dare I say it, working or finding a job.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

The back alleys small roads in my neighborhood now have more people wandering about looking for Pokemon, and the small restaurants are seeing more foot traffic. The nearby McDonald's was so busy that there was a two-and-a-half hour wait for food deliveries.

Pokemon Go is indeed revolutionary, silly as it sounds, more so even than Facebook.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

You are wrong. It is a fad, and, like all fads, will fade away sooner rather than later. The economy will remain as it is -- hopelessly messed up.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

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