格差社会

• Reading: かくさしゃかい
• Romaji: kakusa shakai
• Kanji breakdown: 格 (kaku) — rank, standard, grade; 差 (sa) — difference, gap; 社 (sha) — company, society; 会 (kai) — meeting, society
• Pronunciation: /ka.kɯ.sa.ɕa.ka.i/

Meaning

A society with widening inequality; a stratified society marked by large and growing gaps in income, wealth, or opportunity between different social groups.

A compound of 格差 (disparity/gap) and 社会 (society). Became a major buzzword in Japan in the 2000s as economic stagnation widened income gaps and irregular employment (非正規雇用) increased. Associated with declining social mobility and debates about Japan's traditional self-image as a 一億総中流社会 (a middle-class society). The term carries strong critical and political weight.

Examples

1. 経済の低迷が続く中、格差社会の問題が政治的な争点として浮かび上がってきた。 Amid continuing economic stagnation, the problem of a stratified society has emerged as a major political issue.
2. 格差社会を是正するためには、教育の機会均等が最も重要な政策課題の一つだと言われる。 To correct the inequalities of a stratified society, equal access to education is said to be one of the most important policy challenges.
3. 若者の将来に対する閉塞感は、格差社会の固定化に対する不安と深く結びついている。 Young people's sense of being trapped is deeply connected to anxiety about the entrenchment of inequality in society.

Usage Guide

Context: politics, society, economics, sociology, journalism

Tone: critical

Origin & History

格差 (kakusa, disparity/gap, from 格 meaning rank/grade and 差 meaning difference) + 社会 (shakai, society). A modern sociological compound that gained widespread use in the 2000s, often linked to research on Japanese economic inequality.

Cultural Context

Era: Contemporary

Generation: Adults

Social background: General