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)就民众对通缩的态度进行了一次民意调查。调查结果不是这家受人尊敬的央行所希望或期待的——至少在价格持续下跌的“失去的十年”之后是如此。受访者没有对通缩感到恐慌，44%的人认为通缩“很好”；35%的人感觉通缩不好也不坏；认为通缩“不好”的人仅为20.7%。尽管随后的一次调查表明认为通缩不好的比例略有上升，但民众对通缩的态度已经一目了然。正如高盛日本(Goldman Sachs Japan)副主席松井凯蒂(Kathy Matsui)所说：“实际上，日本对通缩持积极看法的人要多于持消极看法的人。”