TOKYO -- How much are parents spending on their kids' presents in Japan this Christmas? The strained circumstances for a generation of parents facing historic price rises are clear in the results of two recent surveys.

One survey conducted by Tokyo-based Actindi Inc., the operator of the Iko-yo website offering parents information on places to take children, the average budget estimate for parents to spend on their kids this year was 5,688 yen (approx. $37). Some 40% of respondents mentioned budgets between 4,000 and 5,999 yen (about $26-39). Regarding the timeframe for purchasing gifts, 65% of the families said they finished their shopping by Dec. 14.

The amount spent on gifts went up in line with children's ages. Just 22% of families with children aged 0 to 2 chose gifts in the 3,000 to 4,999-yen (roughly $20-32) range, but the proportion spending this much went up to 29% among parents of children aged 3 to 5 and 40% of parents with kids aged 6 to 8. For kids aged 9 to 12, 65% of families said they spent 5,000 yen or more.

Meanwhile, in a separate survey by the education and career info portal site Study Sapuri Shinro, run by Tokyo-based Recruit Co., 57.9% of respondents said that recent price increases had "affected" or "greatly affected" their gift-buying -- up 6.3 percentage points from the year prior. Around 80% of those who gave this response, however, indicated that their "total budget for Christmas is unchanged."

A company official explained, "While maintaining the amount spent on gifts, they may have stopped dining out or reviewed their food expenses. This reflects parents' consideration for their children."

Large generational differences were seen when it came to what presents kids wanted. The Actindi survey heard kids' imaginative responses such as "a ticket to meet Santa," "a large stocking" and "a flying cape."

In contrast, the Study Sapuri Shinro survey found the most common gift for high school children, given to 34.1%, was cash.

As price hikes force people to tighten their belts, finding presents to delight children appears to be a worry for parents -- just like in any other era.

(Japanese original by Tatsuro Ando, Business News Department)