Japan's poor (1987)

By William Wetherall


Table 2

Concentrations of poverty in selected social groups


Public assistance rates (Percent of population on relief)

Social groups by group and surrounding populations

San'ya * Foreign Buraku # Ainu
residents residents residents Japanese
1986 1986 1975 1986
Group 33.00 4.4 7.60 6.09
Neighborhood 6.8 5.35
Municipality 1.33
Prefecture 1.09 1.15 2.19
All Japan 1.11 1.11 1.2

Notes * The San'ya neighborhood includes parts of Taito and Arakawa wards.
# Figures are for all buraku (dowa) neighborhoods and all municipalities in the 34 prefectures that were included in government serveys. 1985 statistics for 36 prefectures showed a group rate of 6.77 percent.
Sources San'ya: Tokyo Johoku Welfare center.
Foreigners: Ministery of Health and Welfare, Health and Welfare Statistics Association.
Burakumin: 1977 data from Prime Minister's Office, 1985 data from Management and Coordination Agency.
Ainu: Hokkaido Public Welfare Department.

Japan's poor

Table 1: Local differences in public assistance rates

Table 3: Economic status of students at public and private colleges