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Paper short abstract

Analyzing 700 Japanese Gen Z, this study identifies a structural bifurcation in values across clothing, food, and housing. The dichotomy between "Rational Survivors" and "Sensory Explorers" reveals a heterogeneous logic of strategic resource optimization rather than simple low-desire patterns.

Paper long abstract

Understanding the consumption patterns of Japanese Gen Z, specifically young adults aged 18 to 29, is a critical priority for contemporary sociological and economic analysis. While existing research has primarily highlighted cost-efficiency as a defining characteristic of this demographic, this study seeks to further elucidate the complexity of their internal value structures. This study moves beyond such singular frameworks by analyzing the interconnected value systems of this age group across the three essential pillars of life: clothing, food, and housing. The methodology utilizes K-means clustering applied to normalized selection ratios across 18 distinct criteria variables. This ratio-based approach controls for individual response volume, allowing for a precise evaluation of relative value priorities rather than simple frequency. By examining survey data from approximately 700 respondents, the research identifies a structural bifurcation in consumption logic, demonstrating that these choices are manifestations of a systematic value orientation that governs broader socio-economic behavior.

Empirical results identify two statistically significant "tribes" defined by distinct resource allocation models. The Rational Survivors represent a segment that prioritizes a utility-based framework; quantitative analysis reveals their decision-making is heavily weighted toward economy, functionality, and safety, with a significantly higher mean share for cost-related factors compared to the other group. Conversely, the Sensory Explorers demonstrate a decisive shift toward aesthetics and emotional fulfillment, where the relative weight of design and brand worldview exceeds that of functional utility. This data-driven divide suggests that the "lost decades" of the Japanese economy have not produced a uniform "low-desire" generation, but rather a heterogeneous one where functional optimization and symbolic self-expression exist in a sharpening dichotomy. The study concludes that resource allocation is a strategic choice: the Rational group seeks security through pragmatism, while the Sensory group seeks meaning through curated experiences. Recognizing this structural divergence is indispensable for theorizing the complex socio-economic reality and the fragmented value systems of Japan’s younger generation.