JAPAN

Savings Grow, but at Slower Pace: Despite tough economic times, Japanese savings grew last year, with the average household’s nest egg reaching the equivalent of $132,000, according to government figures. The figures uphold Japanese households’ longstanding reputation for frugality. But savings grew at a slower rate last year, reflecting the erosion of income growth during the economic slump, said the statistics bureau of the prime minister’s office. Average savings per household at the end of 1992 were up 4.9% from a year earlier, compared to a 7.6% increase in 1991.