New Mountain Day holiday seen giving US$8b boost to Japan economy

Tokyo

AS Japanese prepare to head for the hills on Thursday for their inaugural Mountain Day holiday, retailers and tourism operators are gearing up for an US$8 billion windfall.

They're counting on customers such as schoolteacher Ayako Kobayashi, 33, who spent more than US$700 on a sleeping bag, mattress, backpack and food to climb Mount Kita near Nagano last weekend. She's looking for a two-person tent and a bigger backpack, which would set her back another US$1,000, but she says the price tag is worth it.