In 2009, the Bank of Japan conducted a public survey on deflation. The results were not what the esteemed central bank wanted or expected – at least not after a “lost decade” of falling prices. Instead of expressing horror at the idea of deflation, 44 per cent of those surveyed deemed it “favourable”; 35 per cent felt neutral about the phenomenon; and just 20.7 per cent described it as “unfavourable”. Although a subsequent survey painted a slightly more negative picture, the pattern was clear. As Kathy Matsui, vice-chair of Goldman Sachs Japan, says: “More Japanese actually feel that deflation is a positive than a negative.”
2009年，日本央行(BoJ)就民眾對通縮的態度進行了一次民意調查。調查結果不是這家受人尊敬的央行所希望或期待的——至少在價格持續下跌的“失去的十年”之后是如此。受訪者沒有對通縮感到恐慌，44%的人認為通縮“很好”；35%的人感覺通縮不好也不壞；認為通縮“不好”的人僅為20.7%。盡管隨后的一次調查表明認為通縮不好的比例略有上升，但民眾對通縮的態度已經一目了然。正如高盛日本(Goldman Sachs Japan)副主席松井凱蒂(Kathy Matsui)所說：“實際上，日本對通縮持積極看法的人要多于持消極看法的人。”