Japan has a new weapon to scare people into saving for their old age - an exploding piggy bank.
The "Savings Bomb," which goes on sale in Japan next week, "explodes" and scatters coins if users don't put money in for a long time, toy manufacturer Tomy Co. Ltd. said last week.
The battery-powered toy - designed as a cartoon-style, ball-shaped black bomb with a skull and crossbones logo - lights up, makes a noise, shakes very hard and scatters coins if coins are not added for a long time.
"Users must pick up and collect the scattered coins and reflect on their laziness," the Japanese company said.
Japan has the world's oldest population and because people aren't having many babies, many are worried about old people being taken care of in the future.(STAFF WRITER, WITH AFP)
日本出現了一種威嚇人存養老金的新利器─一個會自動炸開的撲滿。
玩具製造商湯米有限公司上週宣布，「炸彈撲滿」將於下週在日本上市。這個撲滿的特色就是，如果使用者很久都沒有存錢進去，它會自己炸開、讓硬幣四處散落。
這個撲滿需要使用電池，外觀設計成一個黑色、上面印有骷顱頭圖樣的卡通球體。當長時間沒有硬幣投入時，它會發亮、發出噪音、大力搖晃，把硬幣撒得到處都是。
「這種時候，使用者必須收拾那些散落的硬幣，並反省自己偷懶的後果，」湯米公司解釋。
日本有全球最高齡的人口，又加上生育率低，所以未來老年人口的照護一直是許多民眾關切的問題。
（法新社／翻譯：袁星塵）
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