What the study found
Japanese tweets commenting on price hikes shifted after 2021 toward more acceptance of higher prices, even though anger remained common. Some posts also expressed positive feelings and mentioned salary hikes.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors suggest this may reflect a change in the social norm that had developed during Japan's chronic deflation era, when people expected and believed prices should not rise. They conclude that inflationary shocks after COVID-19 and the Ukraine war may have changed how people respond to price increases.
What the researchers tested
The researchers applied a natural language processing technique, meaning a computer-based method for analyzing language, to tweets that commented on price hikes in Japan. They used these tweets to examine how public reactions to rising prices changed over time.
What worked and what didn't
The analysis found that more posts revealed anger, but there was also an increase in posts after 2021 that accepted price hikes for various goods. Some posts went further and showed positive feelings, including mentions of salary hikes.
What to keep in mind
The abstract does not describe detailed limitations, sample size, or how the tweets were selected. The summary is limited to tweets that commented on price hikes and to the period discussed in the abstract.
Key points
- Japanese tweets about price hikes became more accepting after 2021.
- Anger was still more common in the tweet data.
- Some posts expressed positive feelings and mentioned salary hikes.
- The authors link the shift to possible changes in social norms after COVID-19 and the Ukraine war.
- The abstract does not give detailed limitations or sample size.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Tweets showed more acceptance of price hikes after 2021
- Authors:
- Toshitaka Sekine, Tetsuro Wada
- Institutions:
- Hitotsubashi University, National Tax College
- Publication date:
- 2026-03-09
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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