Answer: Japan went through the deflation phenomenon
During the great depression the Japanese economy was also affected by the combination of a financial and stock market crisis and by the decrease of its exports.
This resulted in lower prices, as the owners of companies realized that their production and cash capacities were too great and their debts too important. Therefore, they stopped investing and prices and wages began to decrease.
Along with this fall in prices came the shortage of jobs and the fall in real estate prices, and the Japanese stopped investing in the stock market and preferred to physically save their money.