Paper short abstract:

I address both “possession and non-possession” of durable goods after the Second World War in Wes Germany and Japan. I want to clarify that the non-possession during the postwar era is one “form of living and consumption” in the economic miracle.

Paper long abstract:

I address both “possession and non-possession” of durable goods after the Second World War. The development of the possession rate of durable goods has been regarded as the milestone of the postwar economic growth. But thinking about the themes “forms of living and consumption beyond growth” and grassroots networks of collaborative and innovative production and consumption,” we must focus on non-possession or relative low rats of the possession in the postwar era and analyze the social class who did not relatively possess the durable goods, the reason and influence. I want to clarify that the non-possession during the postwar era is one “form of living and consumption” in the economic miracle and one of the grassroots networks of collaborative consumption.

According to the research of Jun Suzuki, the possession rates of durable goods relating to living condition between the late 1950s and early 1970s were up in Japan in general, but with a variation. Regarding the international comparison, possession rates of main durable goods in the USA were high in 1964, compared with main European countries and Japan. Compared with West Germany, the possession rates of TVs and refrigerators in Japan were high around 1964, while those of washing machines were low.

I will deal with the reason of the non-possession of washing machines and TVs in West Germany, especially with the statistics of West Germany. Regarding the possession of the durable goods in general, the convergence between the middle class and the working class did not occur in West Germany as drastically as in the USA. I will compare the style of consumption of the middle class with high income with that of the working class with the high income.

I will also focus on the relative low rates of the possession of the refrigerators in Japan. The relatively late possession of refrigerators in the postwar era should be analyzed in the context of the relatively late housing program in Japan and the relative late introduction of European kitchens. I will show with which motivation Japanese dealers introduced German kitchens to Japan in the 1960s and 1970s.