21.   But the stiff tax on beer stayed, meaning that Americans drink Sapporo Draft at about half what Japanese consumers pay.

22.   By opting more for joint-branding, analysts say Kodak is trying to advertise its name while appealing to the increasingly thrifty Japanese consumer.

23.   Chocolate sales are falling as Japanese consumers -- after five years of a sluggish economy -- cut back on luxuries.

24.   Chocolate sales are falling as Japanese consumers -- after five years of sluggish economic growth -- cut back on luxuries.

25.   Coke has the largest share of the Japanese cola market, but sales have been hurt lately because Japanese consumers consider other drinks healthier.

26.   Critics of the central bank say that Japanese consumers have no reason to spend despite lower prices.

27.   Data indicating a slowdown in Japanese consumer spending and a rise in its trade surplus with the United States already have sparked a sharp response from Washington.

28.   Demand for imports, made cheaper by the strong yen, is growing among Japanese consumers and companies.

29.   Despite predictions that cheap American apples would wipe out Japanese apple farmers, it turned out that many Japanese consumers did not much like American apples.

30.   For another, Japanese consumers are hungry for basic information.