vitrine · JP · room 6 of 7
The 2000s room
The composite family. Each room is a statistical composite, assembled from separate distributions with separate sources. The family at the median income did not also have the median house, the median car, and the median diet. No single family described here ever existed; each fact tells you, in its provenance drawer, which real population it was measured from.
No curator's route yet
The room is open; the route is not written
This room's facts are sourced and complete. The editorial route through them has not been authored yet — the ledgers below are the exhibit.
era-graded wash · absent technology isn't drawn · every glyph opens its record
The complete room
All six ledgers, including the curator's route above and the records around it. Value, tier, measured population, and source on every line.
The home
4 exhibits61.2%A
Homeownership rate, 2003observed record
% of occupied dwellings owner-occupied
Population measuredDwellings and households in sampled enumeration districts nationwide. Excludes diplomatic facilities, Imperial property, jails, SDF/US military bases.
Source recordStatistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) · 2025 · Tier A
Full record
Housing and Land Survey (住宅・土地統計調査) — via Japan Statistical Yearbook
Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), 2025 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From HLS 2003 via JSY 2016 Table 21-5 (jsy2016-y652105000.xls): 28,666 thousand owned ÷ 46,863 thousand occupied dwellings = 61.2% (homeownership ratio). The 2008 survey gave 61.1%. Homeownership recovered above 61% after dipping near 60% in the 1990s and held steady through the decade. 2003 is the HLS year closest to the 2005 income anchor.
Source note: Quinquennial since 1948 (first survey was a census). Renamed from 'Housing Survey' to 'Housing and Land Survey' in 1998. English stat.go.jp pages provide only survey outlines; summary results extracted from Japan Statistical Yearbook (JSY) Excel tables: JSY 2016 (65nenkan) tables 21-1/21-5/21-8 covering 1988–2013, JSY 2026 (75nenkan) tables 21-1/21-5/21-6 covering 2013–2023. Homeownership rate, floor area, rooms per dwelling available. Basic bath/toilet facility data NOT in English JSY tables — needs e-Stat.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Japanese surveys measure households, not four-person families
Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), 2025 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From HLS 2003 via JSY 2016 Table 21-5 (jsy2016-y652105000.xls): 28,666 thousand owned ÷ 46,863 thousand occupied dwellings = 61.2% (homeownership ratio). The 2008 survey gave 61.1%. Homeownership recovered above 61% after dipping near 60% in the 1990s and held steady through the decade. 2003 is the HLS year closest to the 2005 income anchor.
Source note: Quinquennial since 1948 (first survey was a census). Renamed from 'Housing Survey' to 'Housing and Land Survey' in 1998. English stat.go.jp pages provide only survey outlines; summary results extracted from Japan Statistical Yearbook (JSY) Excel tables: JSY 2016 (65nenkan) tables 21-1/21-5/21-8 covering 1988–2013, JSY 2026 (75nenkan) tables 21-1/21-5/21-6 covering 2013–2023. Homeownership rate, floor area, rooms per dwelling available. Basic bath/toilet facility data NOT in English JSY tables — needs e-Stat.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Japanese surveys measure households, not four-person families
94.85 m²A
Floor area per dwelling, 2003observed record
m² per dwelling (occupied dwellings, nationwide)
Population measuredDwellings and households in sampled enumeration districts nationwide. Excludes diplomatic facilities, Imperial property, jails, SDF/US military bases.
Source recordStatistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) · 2025 · Tier A
Full record
Housing and Land Survey (住宅・土地統計調査) — via Japan Statistical Yearbook
Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), 2025 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From HLS 2003 via JSY 2016 Table 21-1 (jsy2016-y652101000.xls): 94.85 m² floor space per dwelling (occupied dwellings). Up from 91.92 m² (1993); the 2008 survey gave 94.13 m² (a slight decline). Floor area peaked around 2003–2008. Owned houses averaged 121.67 m² vs rented 51.56 m² (JSY 2016 Table 21-8).
Source note: Quinquennial since 1948 (first survey was a census). Renamed from 'Housing Survey' to 'Housing and Land Survey' in 1998. English stat.go.jp pages provide only survey outlines; summary results extracted from Japan Statistical Yearbook (JSY) Excel tables: JSY 2016 (65nenkan) tables 21-1/21-5/21-8 covering 1988–2013, JSY 2026 (75nenkan) tables 21-1/21-5/21-6 covering 2013–2023. Homeownership rate, floor area, rooms per dwelling available. Basic bath/toilet facility data NOT in English JSY tables — needs e-Stat.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Japanese surveys measure households, not four-person families
Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), 2025 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From HLS 2003 via JSY 2016 Table 21-1 (jsy2016-y652101000.xls): 94.85 m² floor space per dwelling (occupied dwellings). Up from 91.92 m² (1993); the 2008 survey gave 94.13 m² (a slight decline). Floor area peaked around 2003–2008. Owned houses averaged 121.67 m² vs rented 51.56 m² (JSY 2016 Table 21-8).
Source note: Quinquennial since 1948 (first survey was a census). Renamed from 'Housing Survey' to 'Housing and Land Survey' in 1998. English stat.go.jp pages provide only survey outlines; summary results extracted from Japan Statistical Yearbook (JSY) Excel tables: JSY 2016 (65nenkan) tables 21-1/21-5/21-8 covering 1988–2013, JSY 2026 (75nenkan) tables 21-1/21-5/21-6 covering 2013–2023. Homeownership rate, floor area, rooms per dwelling available. Basic bath/toilet facility data NOT in English JSY tables — needs e-Stat.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Japanese surveys measure households, not four-person families
4.77 roomsA
Rooms per dwelling, 2003observed record
rooms per dwelling (occupied dwellings, nationwide)
Population measuredDwellings and households in sampled enumeration districts nationwide. Excludes diplomatic facilities, Imperial property, jails, SDF/US military bases.
Source recordStatistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) · 2025 · Tier A
Full record
Housing and Land Survey (住宅・土地統計調査) — via Japan Statistical Yearbook
Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), 2025 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From HLS 2003 via JSY 2016 Table 21-1 (jsy2016-y652101000.xls): 4.77 rooms per dwelling. Down from 4.85 (1993); the 2008 survey gave 4.67. Persons per room 0.56 (down from 0.62 in 1993) as household size continued to fall. Nationwide.
Source note: Quinquennial since 1948 (first survey was a census). Renamed from 'Housing Survey' to 'Housing and Land Survey' in 1998. English stat.go.jp pages provide only survey outlines; summary results extracted from Japan Statistical Yearbook (JSY) Excel tables: JSY 2016 (65nenkan) tables 21-1/21-5/21-8 covering 1988–2013, JSY 2026 (75nenkan) tables 21-1/21-5/21-6 covering 2013–2023. Homeownership rate, floor area, rooms per dwelling available. Basic bath/toilet facility data NOT in English JSY tables — needs e-Stat.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Japanese surveys measure households, not four-person families
Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), 2025 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From HLS 2003 via JSY 2016 Table 21-1 (jsy2016-y652101000.xls): 4.77 rooms per dwelling. Down from 4.85 (1993); the 2008 survey gave 4.67. Persons per room 0.56 (down from 0.62 in 1993) as household size continued to fall. Nationwide.
Source note: Quinquennial since 1948 (first survey was a census). Renamed from 'Housing Survey' to 'Housing and Land Survey' in 1998. English stat.go.jp pages provide only survey outlines; summary results extracted from Japan Statistical Yearbook (JSY) Excel tables: JSY 2016 (65nenkan) tables 21-1/21-5/21-8 covering 1988–2013, JSY 2026 (75nenkan) tables 21-1/21-5/21-6 covering 2013–2023. Homeownership rate, floor area, rooms per dwelling available. Basic bath/toilet facility data NOT in English JSY tables — needs e-Stat.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Japanese surveys measure households, not four-person families
no reliable record accessible onlineD
Dwelling facilities (bath, flush toilet, kitchen)documented gap
n/a
Population measuredDwellings and households in sampled enumeration districts nationwide. Excludes diplomatic facilities, Imperial property, jails, SDF/US military bases.
Source recordStatistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) · 2025 · Tier D
Full record
Housing and Land Survey (住宅・土地統計調査) — via Japan Statistical Yearbook
Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), 2025 · source
Confidence: D — Scholarly estimate
Curator note: The HLS 'Situation of facilities' (bath, toilet, kitchen) data is not published in the English JSY tables — only aged-person and energy-saving facility tables appear. Basic facility prevalence for the 2000s is not transcribed; needs e-Stat (Japanese) or printed HLS reports.
Source note: Quinquennial since 1948 (first survey was a census). Renamed from 'Housing Survey' to 'Housing and Land Survey' in 1998. English stat.go.jp pages provide only survey outlines; summary results extracted from Japan Statistical Yearbook (JSY) Excel tables: JSY 2016 (65nenkan) tables 21-1/21-5/21-8 covering 1988–2013, JSY 2026 (75nenkan) tables 21-1/21-5/21-6 covering 2013–2023. Homeownership rate, floor area, rooms per dwelling available. Basic bath/toilet facility data NOT in English JSY tables — needs e-Stat.
Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), 2025 · source
Confidence: D — Scholarly estimate
Curator note: The HLS 'Situation of facilities' (bath, toilet, kitchen) data is not published in the English JSY tables — only aged-person and energy-saving facility tables appear. Basic facility prevalence for the 2000s is not transcribed; needs e-Stat (Japanese) or printed HLS reports.
Source note: Quinquennial since 1948 (first survey was a census). Renamed from 'Housing Survey' to 'Housing and Land Survey' in 1998. English stat.go.jp pages provide only survey outlines; summary results extracted from Japan Statistical Yearbook (JSY) Excel tables: JSY 2016 (65nenkan) tables 21-1/21-5/21-8 covering 1988–2013, JSY 2026 (75nenkan) tables 21-1/21-5/21-6 covering 2013–2023. Homeownership rate, floor area, rooms per dwelling available. Basic bath/toilet facility data NOT in English JSY tables — needs e-Stat.
The budget
2 exhibits¥522,629 per monthA
Workers' household monthly income, 2005observed record
JPY per month, nominal (actual monthly income, workers' households)
Population measuredTwo-or-more-person households (workers' households and all households), Japan. Urban-only before 1962; national from 1963.
Source recordStatistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) · 2025 · Tier A
Full record
Family Income and Expenditure Survey (家計調査) — long-run time-series tables
Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), 2025 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Basis: Monthly figure
Curator note: From FIES long-run time-series (fies-a18-2.xls), 2005, column 実収入, workers' households. Nominal income declined 8.4% from the 1995 peak (¥570,817) — the lost-decades contraction. It would stagnate near this level through 2015 (¥525,955). Two-or-more-person workers' households, Japan.
Source note: Monthly survey of household income and expenditure, continuous from 1946. Three universes: workers' households, all two-or-more-person households, one-person households. Expenditure classification revised in 1981 (methodology seam). Long-run Excel tables downloaded: fies-18-02-a.xls (workers' households, all cities, 1948–1962), fies-a18-2.xls (workers' households, 1963–2017), fies-a18-1.xls (all two-or-more-person households, 1963–2017). Before 1962 the survey covered cities only — pre-1962 facts carry the urban-rural-split caveat. URL CORRECTION 2026-08-14: the Statistics Bureau reorganized the English site and the old /data/kakei/tsuki/ deep link 404s; repointed at the FIES English landing page, which links the outline, results, and Q&A pages (1560–1563). The long-run Excel tables cited above remain in samples/.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
Assumption: Japanese surveys measure households, not four-person families
Assumption: Japan's lost decades: nominal stagnation amid real gains
Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), 2025 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Basis: Monthly figure
Curator note: From FIES long-run time-series (fies-a18-2.xls), 2005, column 実収入, workers' households. Nominal income declined 8.4% from the 1995 peak (¥570,817) — the lost-decades contraction. It would stagnate near this level through 2015 (¥525,955). Two-or-more-person workers' households, Japan.
Source note: Monthly survey of household income and expenditure, continuous from 1946. Three universes: workers' households, all two-or-more-person households, one-person households. Expenditure classification revised in 1981 (methodology seam). Long-run Excel tables downloaded: fies-18-02-a.xls (workers' households, all cities, 1948–1962), fies-a18-2.xls (workers' households, 1963–2017), fies-a18-1.xls (all two-or-more-person households, 1963–2017). Before 1962 the survey covered cities only — pre-1962 facts carry the urban-rural-split caveat. URL CORRECTION 2026-08-14: the Statistics Bureau reorganized the English site and the old /data/kakei/tsuki/ deep link 404s; repointed at the FIES English landing page, which links the outline, results, and Q&A pages (1560–1563). The long-run Excel tables cited above remain in samples/.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
Assumption: Japanese surveys measure households, not four-person families
Assumption: Japan's lost decades: nominal stagnation amid real gains
¥381,807 per monthA
Average monthly cash earnings, all surveyed industries, 2005observed record
JPY per month, nominal (total cash earnings, all surveyed industries, establishments with 30+ regular workers)
Population measuredEstablishments with 30 or more regular workers, all surveyed industries (total), Japan. Calendar year averages.
Source recordMinistry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) · 2025 · Tier A
Full record
Monthly Labour Survey (毎月勤労統計調査) — long-term actual data
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), 2025 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Basis: Monthly figure
Curator note: From MLS long-term actual data (mls-long-term-actual.csv), year=2005, month=CY, industry=TL, size=0, emp_type=0. Calendar-year average of monthly total cash earnings. Down 6.6% from the 1995 peak (¥408,864); continued decline to ¥361,684 (2015). Establishment/payroll survey, not household income.
Source note: Monthly payroll survey of employment, wages (total cash earnings), and working hours. Long-term actual CSV (mls-long-term-actual.csv) covers 1960–2026 at industry level; all-industry (TL) total available from 1970. Data for 1955/1965 taken from scanned Japan Statistical Yearbook pages. 'Total cash earnings' includes regular pay (所定内給与) and special pay (特別に支給された給与).
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
Assumption: Japanese surveys measure households, not four-person families
Assumption: Japan's lost decades: nominal stagnation amid real gains
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), 2025 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Basis: Monthly figure
Curator note: From MLS long-term actual data (mls-long-term-actual.csv), year=2005, month=CY, industry=TL, size=0, emp_type=0. Calendar-year average of monthly total cash earnings. Down 6.6% from the 1995 peak (¥408,864); continued decline to ¥361,684 (2015). Establishment/payroll survey, not household income.
Source note: Monthly payroll survey of employment, wages (total cash earnings), and working hours. Long-term actual CSV (mls-long-term-actual.csv) covers 1960–2026 at industry level; all-industry (TL) total available from 1970. Data for 1955/1965 taken from scanned Japan Statistical Yearbook pages. 'Total cash earnings' includes regular pay (所定内給与) and special pay (特別に支給された給与).
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
Assumption: Japanese surveys measure households, not four-person families
Assumption: Japan's lost decades: nominal stagnation amid real gains
The table
2 exhibits¥300,903 per monthA
Monthly consumption expenditure, all households, 2005observed record
JPY per month, nominal (consumption expenditure, all two-or-more-person households)
Population measuredTwo-or-more-person households (workers' households and all households), Japan. Urban-only before 1962; national from 1963.
Source recordStatistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) · 2025 · Tier A
Full record
Family Income and Expenditure Survey (家計調査) — long-run time-series tables
Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), 2025 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Basis: Monthly figure
Curator note: From FIES long-run time-series (fies-a18-1.xls), 2005, all two-or-more-person households. Nominal consumption declined 8.6% from the 1995 peak (¥329,062) — deflation reduced both nominal income and nominal spending. Continued decline to ¥288,326 (2015). Population differs from the income fact (all households vs workers' households).
Source note: Monthly survey of household income and expenditure, continuous from 1946. Three universes: workers' households, all two-or-more-person households, one-person households. Expenditure classification revised in 1981 (methodology seam). Long-run Excel tables downloaded: fies-18-02-a.xls (workers' households, all cities, 1948–1962), fies-a18-2.xls (workers' households, 1963–2017), fies-a18-1.xls (all two-or-more-person households, 1963–2017). Before 1962 the survey covered cities only — pre-1962 facts carry the urban-rural-split caveat. URL CORRECTION 2026-08-14: the Statistics Bureau reorganized the English site and the old /data/kakei/tsuki/ deep link 404s; repointed at the FIES English landing page, which links the outline, results, and Q&A pages (1560–1563). The long-run Excel tables cited above remain in samples/.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
Assumption: Japanese surveys measure households, not four-person families
Assumption: Japan's lost decades: nominal stagnation amid real gains
Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), 2025 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Basis: Monthly figure
Curator note: From FIES long-run time-series (fies-a18-1.xls), 2005, all two-or-more-person households. Nominal consumption declined 8.6% from the 1995 peak (¥329,062) — deflation reduced both nominal income and nominal spending. Continued decline to ¥288,326 (2015). Population differs from the income fact (all households vs workers' households).
Source note: Monthly survey of household income and expenditure, continuous from 1946. Three universes: workers' households, all two-or-more-person households, one-person households. Expenditure classification revised in 1981 (methodology seam). Long-run Excel tables downloaded: fies-18-02-a.xls (workers' households, all cities, 1948–1962), fies-a18-2.xls (workers' households, 1963–2017), fies-a18-1.xls (all two-or-more-person households, 1963–2017). Before 1962 the survey covered cities only — pre-1962 facts carry the urban-rural-split caveat. URL CORRECTION 2026-08-14: the Statistics Bureau reorganized the English site and the old /data/kakei/tsuki/ deep link 404s; repointed at the FIES English landing page, which links the outline, results, and Q&A pages (1560–1563). The long-run Excel tables cited above remain in samples/.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
Assumption: Japanese surveys measure households, not four-person families
Assumption: Japan's lost decades: nominal stagnation amid real gains
22.9%A
Food share of consumption expenditure, 2005observed record
% of consumption expenditure spent on food
Population measuredTwo-or-more-person households (workers' households and all households), Japan. Urban-only before 1962; national from 1963.
Source recordStatistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) · 2025 · Tier A
Full record
Family Income and Expenditure Survey (家計調査) — long-run time-series tables
Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), 2025 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From FIES (fies-a18-1.xls), 2005: food ¥68,910 ÷ consumption ¥300,903 = 22.9%. All two-or-more-person households. The Engel ratio reached its low point here (23.7% in 1995 → 22.9% in 2005) before rising to 25.0% in 2015 as nominal consumption fell faster than food spending.
Source note: Monthly survey of household income and expenditure, continuous from 1946. Three universes: workers' households, all two-or-more-person households, one-person households. Expenditure classification revised in 1981 (methodology seam). Long-run Excel tables downloaded: fies-18-02-a.xls (workers' households, all cities, 1948–1962), fies-a18-2.xls (workers' households, 1963–2017), fies-a18-1.xls (all two-or-more-person households, 1963–2017). Before 1962 the survey covered cities only — pre-1962 facts carry the urban-rural-split caveat. URL CORRECTION 2026-08-14: the Statistics Bureau reorganized the English site and the old /data/kakei/tsuki/ deep link 404s; repointed at the FIES English landing page, which links the outline, results, and Q&A pages (1560–1563). The long-run Excel tables cited above remain in samples/.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Japanese surveys measure households, not four-person families
Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), 2025 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From FIES (fies-a18-1.xls), 2005: food ¥68,910 ÷ consumption ¥300,903 = 22.9%. All two-or-more-person households. The Engel ratio reached its low point here (23.7% in 1995 → 22.9% in 2005) before rising to 25.0% in 2015 as nominal consumption fell faster than food spending.
Source note: Monthly survey of household income and expenditure, continuous from 1946. Three universes: workers' households, all two-or-more-person households, one-person households. Expenditure classification revised in 1981 (methodology seam). Long-run Excel tables downloaded: fies-18-02-a.xls (workers' households, all cities, 1948–1962), fies-a18-2.xls (workers' households, 1963–2017), fies-a18-1.xls (all two-or-more-person households, 1963–2017). Before 1962 the survey covered cities only — pre-1962 facts carry the urban-rural-split caveat. URL CORRECTION 2026-08-14: the Statistics Bureau reorganized the English site and the old /data/kakei/tsuki/ deep link 404s; repointed at the FIES English landing page, which links the outline, results, and Q&A pages (1560–1563). The long-run Excel tables cited above remain in samples/.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Japanese surveys measure households, not four-person families
The day
1 exhibit152.5 hoursA
Average monthly working hours, 2005observed record
hours per month, all surveyed industries, establishments with 30+ regular workers
Population measuredEstablishments with 30 or more regular workers, all surveyed industries (total), Japan. Calendar year averages.
Source recordMinistry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) · 2025 · Tier A
Full record
Monthly Labour Survey (毎月勤労統計調査) — long-term actual data
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), 2025 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From MLS long-term actual data (mls-long-term-actual.csv), year=2005, month=CY, industry=TL, size=0, emp_type=0. Calendar-year average of monthly working hours. Continued decline from 159.1 (1995) and 175.8 (1985). Establishments with 30+ regular workers, all surveyed industries.
Source note: Monthly payroll survey of employment, wages (total cash earnings), and working hours. Long-term actual CSV (mls-long-term-actual.csv) covers 1960–2026 at industry level; all-industry (TL) total available from 1970. Data for 1955/1965 taken from scanned Japan Statistical Yearbook pages. 'Total cash earnings' includes regular pay (所定内給与) and special pay (特別に支給された給与).
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Japanese surveys measure households, not four-person families
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), 2025 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From MLS long-term actual data (mls-long-term-actual.csv), year=2005, month=CY, industry=TL, size=0, emp_type=0. Calendar-year average of monthly working hours. Continued decline from 159.1 (1995) and 175.8 (1985). Establishments with 30+ regular workers, all surveyed industries.
Source note: Monthly payroll survey of employment, wages (total cash earnings), and working hours. Long-term actual CSV (mls-long-term-actual.csv) covers 1960–2026 at industry level; all-industry (TL) total available from 1970. Data for 1955/1965 taken from scanned Japan Statistical Yearbook pages. 'Total cash earnings' includes regular pay (所定内給与) and special pay (特別に支給された給与).
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Japanese surveys measure households, not four-person families
What had arrived
9 exhibits97.3%A
Households with a colour television, 2004observed record
% of two-or-more-person households
Population measuredTwo-or-more-person households nationwide (separate data for one-person households). Excludes restaurants/boarding houses, foreign households (pre-2019).
Source recordStatistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) · 2009 · Tier A
Full record
National Survey of Family Income and Expenditure (全国消費実態調査) — durable goods summaries
Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), 2009 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From NSFIIE 2004 summary (https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/zensho/2004/taikyu/gaiyo1.html): colour TV ownership rate 97.3% (2,140 units per 1,000 households). From 2004, plasma/LCD TV sets were assigned a separate category from CRT colour TVs — this figure is CRT/Braun-tube colour TVs only. Two-or-more-person households, nationwide, as of end of October.
Source note: Quinquennial deep-dive survey since 1959. Publishes 'Summary of Results Concerning Major Durable Goods' with possession rates (% of households) and ownership quantities (per 1,000 households) for ~40 categories. English HTML summaries available for 1999, 2004, 2009. The 2014 and 2019 (renamed) surveys do not publish English durable-goods summaries — data only via e-Stat (Japanese). Main data tables are image-based (GIF) on HTML pages; numbers transcribed from narrative text.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Japanese surveys measure households, not four-person families
Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), 2009 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From NSFIIE 2004 summary (https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/zensho/2004/taikyu/gaiyo1.html): colour TV ownership rate 97.3% (2,140 units per 1,000 households). From 2004, plasma/LCD TV sets were assigned a separate category from CRT colour TVs — this figure is CRT/Braun-tube colour TVs only. Two-or-more-person households, nationwide, as of end of October.
Source note: Quinquennial deep-dive survey since 1959. Publishes 'Summary of Results Concerning Major Durable Goods' with possession rates (% of households) and ownership quantities (per 1,000 households) for ~40 categories. English HTML summaries available for 1999, 2004, 2009. The 2014 and 2019 (renamed) surveys do not publish English durable-goods summaries — data only via e-Stat (Japanese). Main data tables are image-based (GIF) on HTML pages; numbers transcribed from narrative text.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Japanese surveys measure households, not four-person families
99.2%A
Households with a washing machine, 2004observed record
% of two-or-more-person households
Population measuredTwo-or-more-person households nationwide (separate data for one-person households). Excludes restaurants/boarding houses, foreign households (pre-2019).
Source recordStatistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) · 2009 · Tier A
Full record
National Survey of Family Income and Expenditure (全国消費実態調査) — durable goods summaries
Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), 2009 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From NSFIIE 2004 summary: washing machine ownership rate 99.2%. Near-universal in two-or-more-person households. Two-or-more-person households, nationwide.
Source note: Quinquennial deep-dive survey since 1959. Publishes 'Summary of Results Concerning Major Durable Goods' with possession rates (% of households) and ownership quantities (per 1,000 households) for ~40 categories. English HTML summaries available for 1999, 2004, 2009. The 2014 and 2019 (renamed) surveys do not publish English durable-goods summaries — data only via e-Stat (Japanese). Main data tables are image-based (GIF) on HTML pages; numbers transcribed from narrative text.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Japanese surveys measure households, not four-person families
Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), 2009 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From NSFIIE 2004 summary: washing machine ownership rate 99.2%. Near-universal in two-or-more-person households. Two-or-more-person households, nationwide.
Source note: Quinquennial deep-dive survey since 1959. Publishes 'Summary of Results Concerning Major Durable Goods' with possession rates (% of households) and ownership quantities (per 1,000 households) for ~40 categories. English HTML summaries available for 1999, 2004, 2009. The 2014 and 2019 (renamed) surveys do not publish English durable-goods summaries — data only via e-Stat (Japanese). Main data tables are image-based (GIF) on HTML pages; numbers transcribed from narrative text.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Japanese surveys measure households, not four-person families
99.0%A
Households with a refrigerator, 2004observed record
% of two-or-more-person households
Population measuredTwo-or-more-person households nationwide (separate data for one-person households). Excludes restaurants/boarding houses, foreign households (pre-2019).
Source recordStatistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) · 2009 · Tier A
Full record
National Survey of Family Income and Expenditure (全国消費実態調査) — durable goods summaries
Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), 2009 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From NSFIIE 2004 summary: refrigerator ownership rate 99.0%. Near-universal in two-or-more-person households. Two-or-more-person households, nationwide.
Source note: Quinquennial deep-dive survey since 1959. Publishes 'Summary of Results Concerning Major Durable Goods' with possession rates (% of households) and ownership quantities (per 1,000 households) for ~40 categories. English HTML summaries available for 1999, 2004, 2009. The 2014 and 2019 (renamed) surveys do not publish English durable-goods summaries — data only via e-Stat (Japanese). Main data tables are image-based (GIF) on HTML pages; numbers transcribed from narrative text.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Japanese surveys measure households, not four-person families
Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), 2009 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From NSFIIE 2004 summary: refrigerator ownership rate 99.0%. Near-universal in two-or-more-person households. Two-or-more-person households, nationwide.
Source note: Quinquennial deep-dive survey since 1959. Publishes 'Summary of Results Concerning Major Durable Goods' with possession rates (% of households) and ownership quantities (per 1,000 households) for ~40 categories. English HTML summaries available for 1999, 2004, 2009. The 2014 and 2019 (renamed) surveys do not publish English durable-goods summaries — data only via e-Stat (Japanese). Main data tables are image-based (GIF) on HTML pages; numbers transcribed from narrative text.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Japanese surveys measure households, not four-person families
97.4%A
Households with a microwave oven, 2004observed record
% of two-or-more-person households
Population measuredTwo-or-more-person households nationwide (separate data for one-person households). Excludes restaurants/boarding houses, foreign households (pre-2019).
Source recordStatistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) · 2009 · Tier A
Full record
National Survey of Family Income and Expenditure (全国消費実態調査) — durable goods summaries
Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), 2009 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From NSFIIE 2004 summary: microwave oven ownership rate 97.4%. Near-universal in two-or-more-person households. Two-or-more-person households, nationwide.
Source note: Quinquennial deep-dive survey since 1959. Publishes 'Summary of Results Concerning Major Durable Goods' with possession rates (% of households) and ownership quantities (per 1,000 households) for ~40 categories. English HTML summaries available for 1999, 2004, 2009. The 2014 and 2019 (renamed) surveys do not publish English durable-goods summaries — data only via e-Stat (Japanese). Main data tables are image-based (GIF) on HTML pages; numbers transcribed from narrative text.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Japanese surveys measure households, not four-person families
Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), 2009 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From NSFIIE 2004 summary: microwave oven ownership rate 97.4%. Near-universal in two-or-more-person households. Two-or-more-person households, nationwide.
Source note: Quinquennial deep-dive survey since 1959. Publishes 'Summary of Results Concerning Major Durable Goods' with possession rates (% of households) and ownership quantities (per 1,000 households) for ~40 categories. English HTML summaries available for 1999, 2004, 2009. The 2014 and 2019 (renamed) surveys do not publish English durable-goods summaries — data only via e-Stat (Japanese). Main data tables are image-based (GIF) on HTML pages; numbers transcribed from narrative text.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Japanese surveys measure households, not four-person families
84.7%A
Households with a mobile phone (NSFIIE 2004)observed record
% of two-or-more-person households
Population measuredTwo-or-more-person households nationwide (separate data for one-person households). Excludes restaurants/boarding houses, foreign households (pre-2019).
Source recordStatistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) · 2009 · Tier A
Full record
National Survey of Family Income and Expenditure (全国消費実態調査) — durable goods summaries
Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), 2009 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From NSFIIE 2004 summary: cellular phone ownership rate 84.7% (1,823 units per 1,000 households). Up from 64.9% (1999). The ICWP 2005 (end 2004) household penetration rate for mobile phones was 91.1% — the difference reflects the two surveys' methodologies (NSFIIE durable-goods questionnaire vs Communications Usage Trend Survey). Two-or-more-person households, nationwide.
Source note: Quinquennial deep-dive survey since 1959. Publishes 'Summary of Results Concerning Major Durable Goods' with possession rates (% of households) and ownership quantities (per 1,000 households) for ~40 categories. English HTML summaries available for 1999, 2004, 2009. The 2014 and 2019 (renamed) surveys do not publish English durable-goods summaries — data only via e-Stat (Japanese). Main data tables are image-based (GIF) on HTML pages; numbers transcribed from narrative text.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Japanese surveys measure households, not four-person families
Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), 2009 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From NSFIIE 2004 summary: cellular phone ownership rate 84.7% (1,823 units per 1,000 households). Up from 64.9% (1999). The ICWP 2005 (end 2004) household penetration rate for mobile phones was 91.1% — the difference reflects the two surveys' methodologies (NSFIIE durable-goods questionnaire vs Communications Usage Trend Survey). Two-or-more-person households, nationwide.
Source note: Quinquennial deep-dive survey since 1959. Publishes 'Summary of Results Concerning Major Durable Goods' with possession rates (% of households) and ownership quantities (per 1,000 households) for ~40 categories. English HTML summaries available for 1999, 2004, 2009. The 2014 and 2019 (renamed) surveys do not publish English durable-goods summaries — data only via e-Stat (Japanese). Main data tables are image-based (GIF) on HTML pages; numbers transcribed from narrative text.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Japanese surveys measure households, not four-person families
69.3%A
Households with a personal computer (NSFIIE 2004)observed record
% of two-or-more-person households
Population measuredTwo-or-more-person households nationwide (separate data for one-person households). Excludes restaurants/boarding houses, foreign households (pre-2019).
Source recordStatistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) · 2009 · Tier A
Full record
National Survey of Family Income and Expenditure (全国消費実態調査) — durable goods summaries
Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), 2009 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From NSFIIE 2004 summary: PC ownership rate 69.3% (999 units per 1,000 households). Up 106.0% from 1999 (37.7%). The ICWP 2005 (end 2004) household penetration for PCs was 77.5%. Two-or-more-person households, nationwide.
Source note: Quinquennial deep-dive survey since 1959. Publishes 'Summary of Results Concerning Major Durable Goods' with possession rates (% of households) and ownership quantities (per 1,000 households) for ~40 categories. English HTML summaries available for 1999, 2004, 2009. The 2014 and 2019 (renamed) surveys do not publish English durable-goods summaries — data only via e-Stat (Japanese). Main data tables are image-based (GIF) on HTML pages; numbers transcribed from narrative text.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Japanese surveys measure households, not four-person families
Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), 2009 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From NSFIIE 2004 summary: PC ownership rate 69.3% (999 units per 1,000 households). Up 106.0% from 1999 (37.7%). The ICWP 2005 (end 2004) household penetration for PCs was 77.5%. Two-or-more-person households, nationwide.
Source note: Quinquennial deep-dive survey since 1959. Publishes 'Summary of Results Concerning Major Durable Goods' with possession rates (% of households) and ownership quantities (per 1,000 households) for ~40 categories. English HTML summaries available for 1999, 2004, 2009. The 2014 and 2019 (renamed) surveys do not publish English durable-goods summaries — data only via e-Stat (Japanese). Main data tables are image-based (GIF) on HTML pages; numbers transcribed from narrative text.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Japanese surveys measure households, not four-person families
86.2%A
Households with a car, 2004observed record
% of two-or-more-person households
Population measuredTwo-or-more-person households nationwide (separate data for one-person households). Excludes restaurants/boarding houses, foreign households (pre-2019).
Source recordStatistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) · 2009 · Tier A
Full record
National Survey of Family Income and Expenditure (全国消費実態調査) — durable goods summaries
Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), 2009 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From NSFIIE 2004 summary: car ownership rate 86.2% (1,446 units per 1,000 households). Up from 84.9% (1999, per the 2004 text's comparison figures). Of these, 1,392 were domestic cars and 54 imported. Two-or-more-person households, nationwide.
Source note: Quinquennial deep-dive survey since 1959. Publishes 'Summary of Results Concerning Major Durable Goods' with possession rates (% of households) and ownership quantities (per 1,000 households) for ~40 categories. English HTML summaries available for 1999, 2004, 2009. The 2014 and 2019 (renamed) surveys do not publish English durable-goods summaries — data only via e-Stat (Japanese). Main data tables are image-based (GIF) on HTML pages; numbers transcribed from narrative text.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Japanese surveys measure households, not four-person families
Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), 2009 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From NSFIIE 2004 summary: car ownership rate 86.2% (1,446 units per 1,000 households). Up from 84.9% (1999, per the 2004 text's comparison figures). Of these, 1,392 were domestic cars and 54 imported. Two-or-more-person households, nationwide.
Source note: Quinquennial deep-dive survey since 1959. Publishes 'Summary of Results Concerning Major Durable Goods' with possession rates (% of households) and ownership quantities (per 1,000 households) for ~40 categories. English HTML summaries available for 1999, 2004, 2009. The 2014 and 2019 (renamed) surveys do not publish English durable-goods summaries — data only via e-Stat (Japanese). Main data tables are image-based (GIF) on HTML pages; numbers transcribed from narrative text.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Japanese surveys measure households, not four-person families
91.1%A
Households with a mobile phone (ICWP, end 2004)observed record
% of households (Communications Usage Trend Survey)
Population measuredHouseholds and individuals in Japan (varies by chapter — household penetration vs individual users)
Source recordMinistry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) · 2015 · Tier A
Full record
Information and Communications White Paper (情報通信白書) — English summaries
Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), 2015 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From ICWP 2005 white paper, Chapter 2, Section 7 (Figure 2-7-1, 'Digitization of homes'), data end of 2004: mobile phone household penetration 91.1%. Source: 2004 Communications Usage Trend Survey, MIC. This is a household penetration rate from a communications survey; the NSFIIE 2004 durable-goods rate was 84.7%.
Source note: Annual white paper since 1973. English online summaries available 2001–2024. Key data: household penetration of mobile phones, PCs, fax, car navigation, broadband; internet users and penetration. Pre-2001 English summaries not available online (may be Japanese-only or print). Chapter PDFs downloaded for 2001 (ch.2), 2005 (ch.2), 2010 (ch.4), 2015 (ch.5).
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Japanese surveys measure households, not four-person families
Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), 2015 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From ICWP 2005 white paper, Chapter 2, Section 7 (Figure 2-7-1, 'Digitization of homes'), data end of 2004: mobile phone household penetration 91.1%. Source: 2004 Communications Usage Trend Survey, MIC. This is a household penetration rate from a communications survey; the NSFIIE 2004 durable-goods rate was 84.7%.
Source note: Annual white paper since 1973. English online summaries available 2001–2024. Key data: household penetration of mobile phones, PCs, fax, car navigation, broadband; internet users and penetration. Pre-2001 English summaries not available online (may be Japanese-only or print). Chapter PDFs downloaded for 2001 (ch.2), 2005 (ch.2), 2010 (ch.4), 2015 (ch.5).
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Japanese surveys measure households, not four-person families
77.5%A
Households with a personal computer (ICWP, end 2004)observed record
% of households (Communications Usage Trend Survey)
Population measuredHouseholds and individuals in Japan (varies by chapter — household penetration vs individual users)
Source recordMinistry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) · 2015 · Tier A
Full record
Information and Communications White Paper (情報通信白書) — English summaries
Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), 2015 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From ICWP 2005 white paper, Chapter 2, Section 7 (Figure 2-7-1), data end of 2004: PC household penetration 77.5%. Source: 2004 Communications Usage Trend Survey, MIC. Higher than the NSFIIE 2004 rate (69.3%) due to survey-method differences.
Source note: Annual white paper since 1973. English online summaries available 2001–2024. Key data: household penetration of mobile phones, PCs, fax, car navigation, broadband; internet users and penetration. Pre-2001 English summaries not available online (may be Japanese-only or print). Chapter PDFs downloaded for 2001 (ch.2), 2005 (ch.2), 2010 (ch.4), 2015 (ch.5).
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Japanese surveys measure households, not four-person families
Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), 2015 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From ICWP 2005 white paper, Chapter 2, Section 7 (Figure 2-7-1), data end of 2004: PC household penetration 77.5%. Source: 2004 Communications Usage Trend Survey, MIC. Higher than the NSFIIE 2004 rate (69.3%) due to survey-method differences.
Source note: Annual white paper since 1973. English online summaries available 2001–2024. Key data: household penetration of mobile phones, PCs, fax, car navigation, broadband; internet users and penetration. Pre-2001 English summaries not available online (may be Japanese-only or print). Chapter PDFs downloaded for 2001 (ch.2), 2005 (ch.2), 2010 (ch.4), 2015 (ch.5).
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Japanese surveys measure households, not four-person families
A day's work buys
1 exhibitno reliable record accessible onlineD
Affordability comparisons, 2000sdocumented gap
n/a
Population measuredEstablishments with 30 or more regular workers, all surveyed industries (total), Japan. Calendar year averages.
Source recordMinistry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) · 2025 · Tier D
Full record
Monthly Labour Survey (毎月勤労統計調査) — long-term actual data
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), 2025 · source
Confidence: D — Scholarly estimate
Curator note: No item prices are in the archive for the 2000s, so hours-of-work-to-afford comparisons cannot be computed. The MLS wage (¥381,807/month, 2005) is the available wage reference. Under deflation, the affordability axis (hours-to-afford) would be the more reliable comparator than nominal-value ratios.
Source note: Monthly payroll survey of employment, wages (total cash earnings), and working hours. Long-term actual CSV (mls-long-term-actual.csv) covers 1960–2026 at industry level; all-industry (TL) total available from 1970. Data for 1955/1965 taken from scanned Japan Statistical Yearbook pages. 'Total cash earnings' includes regular pay (所定内給与) and special pay (特別に支給された給与).
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), 2025 · source
Confidence: D — Scholarly estimate
Curator note: No item prices are in the archive for the 2000s, so hours-of-work-to-afford comparisons cannot be computed. The MLS wage (¥381,807/month, 2005) is the available wage reference. Under deflation, the affordability axis (hours-to-afford) would be the more reliable comparator than nominal-value ratios.
Source note: Monthly payroll survey of employment, wages (total cash earnings), and working hours. Long-term actual CSV (mls-long-term-actual.csv) covers 1960–2026 at industry level; all-industry (TL) total available from 1970. Data for 1955/1965 taken from scanned Japan Statistical Yearbook pages. 'Total cash earnings' includes regular pay (所定内給与) and special pay (特別に支給された給与).
Confidence & flags
A — official statistical series
B — official microdata, computed by this project
C — reconstructed from period surveys
D — scholarly estimate
Gap — no reliable record; shown as the gap it is
Reading the atlas
Provenance is in the scan-line: every exhibit's row names its value, confidence tier, the population actually measured, and the source record. Chart points and stage glyphs open the same record.
Rising series draw in petrol, falling in ember. Absent technology isn't drawn — a bare house says more than ghosts.