Even as there were significant shifts in understandings of waste and waste consciousness in the early 1970s, the desires and values which had been shaped by growing material and economic prosperity endured. A new, “bright kechi (stinginess)” was not to sacrifice comfort, mean going without, compromise standards of living, or cause hardship. The centrality of consumption to daily life, corporate focus on the maximization of profit, influence of marketing and advertising, and longing for convenience and comfort persisted. The calls to reign in excess, to appreciate what had been attained, and to preserve middle-class lifestyles, revealed the depth and tenacity of the hopes and expectations forged in the making of a wealthy Japan.
The Time of Television: Broadcasting, Daily Life, and the New Indian Middle Class