Why Japan Looks Rich: The Debate Over Cleanliness and GDP

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Experts argue why Japan’s gleaming cities mask one of the lowest GDP per capita figures among advanced economies.

By TRH Foreign Affairs Desk

New Delhi, November 4, 2025 — Tokyo’s spotless streets and polished subway stations may awe visitors — but they also raise an uncomfortable question: why does one of the world’s cleanest, most efficient societies have such a modest GDP per capita?

That question was reignited this week after David Robinson, a China observer and commentator, posted a note on LinkedIn titled “The Cost of Cleanliness.” Robinson contrasted Japan’s order and diligence with its relatively low output per person — $35,000 GDP per capita, compared to nearly $90,000 in the U.S.

“Japan’s GDP per capita is low because a lot of people are employed — and working very hard — to keep things clean,” Robinson wrote, arguing that while beautification adds social value, it doesn’t contribute to GDP in the same way as extraction, production, or transformation. His comment quickly went viral among economists and policy thinkers.

Among the most pointed responses came from Djoomart Otorbaev, former Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan, who said bluntly: “Many people in Japan have stopped working (many are simply lazy) and the country has a large number of retirees. Japan’s GDP per capita is three times lower than Singapore’s. Who could have imagined this 30 years ago?”

Other economists pushed back. Mihai Dragnea noted that Singapore’s high GDP reflects “hyper-financialization,” meaning much of its wealth accrues to institutions, not workers. Mathieu Marchand added that Japan’s figures look weaker partly due to currency distortion — the undervalued yen exaggerates the gap when converted to dollars.

Meanwhile, Benjamin Treuhaft took a more philosophical stance, arguing that GDP itself is an increasingly hollow measure of well-being: “GDP describes the accumulation of power leading to control of humans involuntarily constrained within a system. Wealth, in that sense, is losing its meaning.”

The exchange encapsulates a deeper paradox at the heart of Japan’s economy: a highly functional, socially cohesive society that appears materially modest when measured in dollar terms. With one of the world’s fastest-aging populations, a shrinking workforce, and a cultural emphasis on order over output, Japan’s case challenges Western assumptions that wealth equals progress.

Clean streets, low crime, universal healthcare, and social harmony may not show up in GDP spreadsheets — but for many Japanese, those are the real dividends of a rich life.

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