3 ms·

Quality of life? Japan's poverty level is at record highs.[0] "Bookshops advertise a slew of bestsellers on how to survive on an annual income of under ¥2m ($1

• HillaryBriss 10y ago
  The thing about this is that national poverty statistics don't tell the whole story. They just offer a rough summary. Things really are different in Japan, even in the impoverished parts. From the same Economist article: "The country has long prided itself on ensuring that none of its citizens falls between the social cracks. Japan’s orderly, slum-free neighbourhoods seem to confirm that. Street crime, even in Kotobuki, is minuscule. Unemployment is below 4% ... " Compare that to the "choice parts" of downtown Los Angeles or the Tenderloin in SF. Despite many decades of fighting poverty, many many people still fall through the holes in the US social safety nets. Japan also builds better cars.
  • toomuchtodo 10y ago
    This hits the nail on the head. As a US citizen who has lived in the US for 32 years, I'd rather live in poverty in Japan than middle class in LA, SF, or NYC.