Retail¹ sales in Japan plunged² in March as consumers stayed away from shops in the wake of last month's earthquake and tsunami³.

受上月大地震和海啸的影响，日本三月份零售销售额大幅下降。

Japanese consumers have refrained from spending in the aftermath of the earth quake and tsunami
Japanese retail sales fell 8.5% last month, compared with March 2010, according to the latest data by the trade ministry⁴.

This is the biggest year-on-year drop in sales in the past 13 years.

The data is the first indicator⁵ of the affect the devastation⁶ has had on Japan's consumption levels.

The Japanese government has downgraded its outlook for the growth of the country's economy following the recent natural disasters.

'Sense of forbearance'

Analysts⁷ said that the uncertainty⁸ surrounding economic future has kept consumers away from non-essential spending.

"A big fall in retail sales was inevitable⁹ as the earthquake led consumers to refrain（节制，避免） from spending on luxury items and consumer electronics," said Yoshimasa Maruyama of Itochu Economic Research Institute.

While the earthquake and tsunami hit the north-east coast of Japan, analysts say that the affect has been felt all over the country.

"Spending was hit not only in the areas directly affected¹⁰ by the earthquake, but also nationwide as a sense of forbearance（自制，忍耐） took hold," said George Worthington of IFR Markets.

Analysts say that other factors also contributed to the drop in sales, not least the shortage of electricity supplies in the country.

"Rolling blackouts in Tokyo and surrounding areas caused stores to shorten operating hours," said Mr Maruyama.