Japan doesn’t seem to have a huge wealth gap, at least not an obvious one, but it’s a capitalist country after all. Who are the richest people in Japan?? How many people are below the poverty line? Let’s find out. 

Words mentioned/useful words

舟屋 funaya - boat houses (famous in Ine, Kyoto) 

億万長者 okumanchouja - billionaire, multi millionaire, very rich person 

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Frankie - @franklinthewoman

Cheyenne - @lostwithlow

**Since we recorded this episode on Jan 12th, seems like Forbes has updated info based on 2024 stats. Numbers 1-3 remain the same but their net worths are even higher now. See here:https://www.forbes.com/billionaires/

References:

Forbes list https://www.forbes.com/lists/japan-billionaires/

How Ethical Is Uniqlo?https://goodonyou.eco/how-ethical-is-uniqlo/

Uniqlo and the women owed $5.5 million

https://cleanclothes.org/news/2020/uniqlo-and-the-women-owed-55-million

The Royal Family allowancehttps://www.kunaicho.go.jp/e-about/seido/seido08.html

More than 40% of single elderly women struggle to live in poverty

https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15192214

Japan's rich embrace family offices amid market boom and weak yen

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Markets/Wealth-Management/Japan-s-rich-embrace-family-offices-amid-market-boom-and-weak-yen

Time stamps

00:00 intro/snow in Kyoto/Cali

9:43 does Japan have billionaires?

12:00 the Forbes list

14:39 the #1 richest person

23:37 #2 and #3 richest

25:30 Japan’s capitalist origins

26:34 Japan’s royal family

31:38 inheritance tax

35:23 poverty rates in Japan

37:46 billionaire family nanny