In the West there is a stereotype that people who come from families that have had wealth for generations tend to downplay their privilege and are very quiet about their wealth. On the other hand, flaunting status symbols is seen as “new money” behavior that is judged as trying to overcompensate for one’s insecurities about their social status.
However, “old money” still cares about status, they just signal it in more subtle ways like belonging to an exclusive country club, vacationing at certain places, and participating in niche arts or expensive hobbies.
I’m sure it’s not strictly a dichotomy and there are gradations to this, but generally speaking does Japanese culture have a social distinction between those who are newly rich and those who come from generational wealth?
by Unique-Tourist8