Inequality amid Affluence: Social Stratification in Japan

Highlighting the limits of existing approaches in the study of stratification in contemporary Japanese society, Inequality Amid Affluence adopts a new framework that distinguishes between the concepts of 'basic wealth' and 'upper wealth.' This book argues that most Japanese have attained a level of income in which they no longer suffer from poverty and starvation while the majority of Japanese children now advance to high school. Japan has therefore achieved an equalization of 'basic wealth.' However, at the same time, there has been no progress whatsoever towards the equalization of 'upper wealth.' Specifically, there is inequality in many areas including income, assets, academic background, occupation, gender and lifestyles. Japan can be characterized as an affluent society in which particular forms of inequality exist.