The graph gives information about the average monthly salary(yen) of Japan citizens between 1953 to 1973, and the costs of black-and -white and coloured television over the same timeframe.
Overall, Japanese monthly salaries increased dramatically over the 20-year period, whereas the prices of both types of televisions declined. In addition, black-and-white TVs consistently became cheaper, while the price of coloured TVs dropped sharply after they were introduced.
In 1953, the average monthly salary stood at approximately ¥30, while a black-and-white television cost around ¥100. Over the following decade, salaries rose gradually to about ¥60 in 1963. During the same period, the price of black-and-white TVs fell steadily from ¥100 to ¥60, meaning that by 1963 the average monthly salary was equal to the cost of this type of television.
From 1963 onwards, salaries increased much more rapidly, reaching roughly ¥100 in 1968 before climbing to approximately ¥180 by 1973, the highest figure shown on the chart. In contrast, the price of black-and-white televisions continued to decline, dropping to around ¥40 in 1968 and then falling slightly further to about ¥35 by the end of the period.
Coloured televisions first appeared on the graph in 1958, when they were priced at approximately ¥180, making them far more expensive than black-and-white models. Their price then fell significantly to around ¥110 in 1963 and ¥100 in 1968, before decreasing more gradually to roughly ¥90 by 1973. By 1968, the average monthly salary had risen to match the price of a coloured television, and by 1973 salaries were approximately twice as high as the cost of one.