ABSTRACT
Problems involving perception of class and status are of particular interest and importance, both theoretical and practical, in the Japanese sociological context. First, as we shall see shortly, the proportion of the population who regard themselves as belonging to the 'middle' category jumped to 90 percent in 1964 and remains at that high level according to the polls by the Prime Minister's Office. Political parties have sought to secure the massive vote of this group, but none has succeeded, since however homogeneous it may appear as the 'middle mass' (Murakami, 1974), this group does not form a unified collective actor with a single class or status identity. For example, the Democratic Socialist Party (DSP), when it was formed in 1960, dreamt of the establishment of a 'state of the middle class' (Nishimura, 1960; Odaka, 1961). But as history shows, the DSP remains a minority party which survives only through coalition with the Liberal Democratic Party or is dependent on similar stances on the issues with other opposition parties. This 'middle mass' accordingly has been the puzzle of politicians as well as of the sociologist. Secondly, many Japanese feel that Japanese society has become an affluent one, given the number of electric appliances and durable consumer goods they own. For instance, one survey shows that 83 percent of the population feels that contemporary Japanese society is affluent (NHK, 1991). But on the other hand, the actuality, as repeatedly noted by many scholars, appears to be far from a 'true affluent society' when housing, working conditions, and social welfare are considered (Uzawa, 1989; Teruoka, 1989). We have been puzzled by the coexistence of such 'poverty in abundance' and the large proportion of self-perceived 'middle'. Furthermore the latter
phenomenon did not cease when Japan experienced serious 'oil shocks' in 1973 and 1979. This was again a troubling puzzle.
