The line graph delineates the average monthly salary in Japan from 1953 to 1983 alongside the prices of both black and white televisions and color televisions during the same timeframe.
A salient feature of the graph is the notable increase in both the average monthly salary and the price of color televisions, contrasted by a persistent decline in the costs associated with black and white televisions over the observed period.
Beginning in 1953, the average monthly salary was approximately Y160, which experienced fluctuations, reaching Y180 in 1958, before dipping back to Y160 in 1963. A substantial rise occurred thereafter, culminating in nearly Y200 by 1973. In contrast, the trajectory of color televisions exhibited considerable volatility. Initially priced around Y40 in 1953, the cost of color televisions plummeted to roughly Y20 in both 1958 and 1963, before witnessing an upward surge to Y120 in 1968 and further escalating to approximately Y160 by the end of 1973.
Conversely, the pricing of black and white televisions illustrated a consistent downward trend. Starting just below Y80 in 1953, it decreased to around Y60 in 1958 and experienced further declines to approximately Y40 in 1963. By 1968 and 1973, the price had reached a notable low of nearly Y20, reflecting a dramatic fall that paralleled the rise in the affordability and popularity of color televisions. This data underscores the shifting dynamics of consumer electronics and wage growth during this critical period in Japan’s economic history.