Among the reasons offered for Japan's lengthy slowdown is poor investment choices due in part to its less developed financial markets in which savers had fewer options and were left with low returns.
Lower returns drove most consumers away from investments. 
mnli hypothesis: Lower returns drove most consumers away from investments.  premise: Among the reasons offered for Japan's lengthy slowdown is poor investment choices due in part to its less developed financial markets in which savers had fewer options and were left with low returns.