Recent Development in Food Consumption Analysis in Japan

Abstract

The significance of economic variables such as price and income in food consumption has weakened since the 1980s. New approaches in food consumption analysis have been developed in order to adapt to these changes. Information plays a key role in analyzing food consumption behavior; information also affects the food market and competition in food industries. The evaluation method of non-market goods helps clarify the values of various food attributes. With the changing circumstances of Japanese families, owing to the falling birthrate, aging population, and trend toward later marriages, empirical studies on the demographic characteristics of family members and aspects of the household production theory improve our understanding of food consumption behavior in Japan.