OFF THE TICKER : Hog Wild About Old-time Banks

Young Japanese, biggest of the big spenders in the boom time 1980s, are splashing out once more--but this time on piggy banks to help them save.

A spokesman for the Seibu retail chain said one store in the capital sold more than 500 piggy banks in December, five or six times more than in the average month.

Another big store, Tokyu Hands, said sales so far this year were running at double last year’s rate.

“For some young people, piggy banks are novel items,” said a salesman, noting that the banks are popular among customers in their teens and early 20s.

One that especially caught buyers’ fancy was a bucket designed to take 500-yen ($4) coins. It bears the message, “Bank to save 1 million yen.”

It was all a bit depressing for government planners trying to spur flagging consumption in hopes that Japan could spend itself out of its steep economic downturn.