In the early years of the 21st century, such neologisms as nyū puā (new poor) and wākingu puā (working poor) began appearing in the Japanese media. Like their equivalents overseas, the terms were typically applied to people unable to realize a decent livelihood while holding down a job, or even more than one job.
Then at some point, when the condition of puā was no longer trendy, the native word, hinkon (poverty), began taking precedence. When written out in kanji characters, hinkon somehow carries with it weightier and more ominous implications than the foreign loan words do.
In the world's third-largest economy, what does it mean to be poor? How is it defined?