On his first visit to Japan in 1995, French sociologist Jean Baudrillard came up with a paradoxical hypothesis that Japan was affluent because Japanese were poor. Acknowledging that he was not an expert on Japanese affairs, Baudrillard made the suggestion in an interview with the Asahi Shimbun after a wide-ranging tour of the country.
In 1987 Japan surpassed the United States in per capita gross domestic product, placing fourth after Switzerland, Luxembourg and Iceland. It was a dream come true for Japanese who had striven to catch up with and exceed the West after their defeat in World War II.
Most Westerners are likely to have an impression that the quality of life is poor in Japan, where long commutes in crowded trains, unpaid overtime on the job, cramped homes, few hours for families to spend together, and "examination hell" for students hoping to enter a prestige universities are commonly accepted norms.