Do Japanese kids get an allowance?

	Do Japanese kids get an allowance?
	Many children in Japan receive a monthly allowance from their parents. There are no statistics for students in grades one to three, but according to a survey taken in 1998, fourth graders got an average of ¥960 (9 U.S.dollars at 105 yen to the dollar) each month, fifth graders got ¥1,172 (11 dollars), and sixth graders got ¥1,364 (13 dollars). On top of their monthly allowances, in early January Japanese kids get otoshidama-gifts of money from their parents and relatives to celebrate the New Year. Kids in the fourth through the sixth grades, according to the same survey, received otoshidama from an average seven people, for a total of ¥26,790 (255 dollars). Getting otoshidama is one of the most exciting parts of the New Year for children! Most kids use the money they receive to buy little things they want from day to dayÑlike toys, comic books, and stationery-and then save the remainder. From an early age, Japanese children get used to the idea of saving money. The average savings of a student in grades four to six is about ¥48,000 (457 dollars)!