Japan university student spending nears bubble era peak

TOKYO -- Spending on hobbies and leisure activities by university students in Japan has bounced back to the 30-year-old record level reached during the go-go years of the bubble economy era, supported thanks to higher pay for part-time jobs, according to a survey by university co-op group.

With more money to spend on hobbies, today's students prefer to buy experiences, such as concerts, rather than the cars and brand-name products their counterparts in the 1990s focused on.