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Many children in Japan receive a monthly allowance from their parents. According to 2005–2006 survey by the Central Council for Financial Services Information, the percentage of children receiving a monthly allowance was 16.9% for those in the lower grades of elementary school, 41.1% for those in middle school, and 59.2% for those in high school. The average amount the students received was ¥901 (7.7 dollars) for lower elementary school, ¥812 (6.9 dollars) for middle school, and ¥1,122 for high-school (9.6 dollars). On top of their monthly allowances, in early January Japanese kids get otoshidama-gifts of money from their parents and relatives to celebrate the New Year. According to a survey made by a publisher in 2007, the average amount that elementary schoolchildren received in otoshidama was ¥25,293 (210 dollars). Getting otoshidama is one of the most exciting parts of the New Year for children!
Most kids use the money they receive to buy little things they want from day to day -- like toys, comic books, and stationery -- and then save the remainder. From an early age, Japanese children get used to the idea of saving money. The average savings of a student in grades four to six is about ¥48,000 (457 dollars)!