The line graph illustrates the changes of TV prices as well as the average monthly wage between 1953 to 1973, measured in thousands of Japanese Yen.
Overall, the TV prices for both black-and-white TV and color TV declined drastically over the period, with the prices for black and white TV staying consistently lower that those of color TV. Compared to the figures for TV prices, Japanese people’s monthly salary rose significantly from 1953 to 1973. Notably, color televisions were far more expensive than black-and-white televisions, but their prices decreased sharply in the first 5 years after its invention. Meanwhile, salaries increased steadily and eventually surpassed TV prices.
In 1953, the price of a balck-and-white TV was approximately 100,000 yen, compared to around 180,000 yen for color TV sets in 1958, when color TVs were first invented. Over the next two decades, both figures fell consistently. By 1973, black-and-white TV had dropped to roughly 35,000 yen, while color TVs decreased to about 80,000 yen, despite experience a more dramatic fall in the earlier years.
In contrast, the monthly income rose continuously from around 30,000 yen in 1953 to nearly 180,000 yen in 1973. Around 1963, income levels overtook the prices of black-and-white TVs, and by the late 1960s, they also exceeded the cost of color TV sets. This indicates that TVs became increaseingly affordable for the average consumer.