TOKYO -- Expensive clothing was not much of a thing for Hiroki Ishimoto, an employee at a public relations company in Tokyo. "I've never been one who buys fancy clothes," he said. "Always settled for Zara and Uniqlo."
His wardrobe underwent a significant upgrade in 2017 after the 27-year-old received "quite a big" increase in his winter bonus. Now when he goes to work, it is typically in his brand new coat from Mackintosh, which set him back a cool 200,000 yen ($1760). That's not the only thing that has changed. "I'm eating out quite a lot more now," he said, expecting that his company will continue doing well, which may lead to further pay increases.
