Abstract
Using the linearized AIDS model, this paper analyzed the Japanese householdfs demand for food, non-food, and leisure products for the years from 1970–2006, in order to estimate the growth in the outsourcing of meals. The food products were classified into restaurant and take-away food and home-cooked food, foodstuff used in home-cooked meals excluding vegetables, and fresh vegetables. Fresh vegetables were further grouped into two categories: vegetables that are roots and/or are used in traditional dishes, which require more time for cooking, and vegetables that are considered to be healthy by consumers and/or are used in Western dishes, which require less time for cooking. The results showed that a change in the wage rate resulted in a little more elastic negative change in demand for the former vegetable group than the latter group. It also had a negative effect on the demand for the foodstuff used in home-cooked food, but not on restaurant and take-away food and home-cooked food. Moreover, changes in consumer taste led to a negative shift in the demand for the vegetable group excluding fresh vegetables and foodstuff, but a positive shift in demand for fresh vegetables, restaurant and take-away food, and home-cooked food.
