Standard of living in Japan

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In the postwar decades, the standard of living in Japan has undergone a dramatic rise.^[1] Some observed changed has been a reduction of the gap between blue and white collar workers.^[2] What was once considered the "three sacred treasures", was possessed by 90% of households by 1964.^[3] By the 1970's, the living conditions of the working class were considered to be as high as those in the West.^[4] Japanese consumers have benefited from the nation's economic growth, while in turn they have stimulated the economy through demand for sophisticated products, loyalty to domestically produced goods, and saving and pooling investment funds. But personal disposable income has not risen as fast as the economy as a whole in many years—at 1 percentage point less than average GNP growth in the late 1980s.^{[citation needed]}