IN BRIEF : Japan Firms’ Gift Tab: $33.8 Billion

Japanese companies spent a record $33.8 billion last year on entertainment and gifts, according to the National Tax Administration Agency.

The agency, in a report released Monday, said spending by hospitals and the life insurance industry was highest at $77,980 per firm.

The 4.19-trillion-yen total for entertainment spending last year represented an average daily expenditure of $91.9 million, a 6.1% increase over 1986, when wining and dining clients cost companies a total of $31.8 billion, the agency said.

Japanese executives are often given carte blanche to entertain at exclusive nightclubs and inns, where an evening meal can cost $500 or more. Inviting clients for rounds of golf and exchanging gifts are other customary entertainment expenses.