But of course. Like that you can find out what kind of bag a rich, classy and cool girl might buy, and then buy that bag and look just like her. Not really a very new phenomenon, just a bit more out in the open.
Can Cam knows exactly what its readers look for: some clues to know how to fake their place on the social ladder. So why mask it in "IN vs OUT" talk that would make them have to read between the lines. And - these statistics would finally let them know that it DOES NOT work anymore to buy a Louis Vouitton purse to make yourself look rich - on the contrary. Buy Chloe instead.

It's amazing that a student of marketing would only now come to this conclusion. Surely the same phenomenon explains Music Station and Select Shops and the spike end of the Long Tail. In the mass market, success breeds success. Quantification has always been required.

Am I really "coming to this conclusion"?

Usually these stats come in the form of "surveys" not "marketing reports." The total lack of hiding this guidance any sort of imagination or "elegance" is fascinating. Not unexpected for Japanese culture, but very, very out-in-front. No digging required to prove this phenomenon. Except reading knowledge of Japanese and a seat on a train, I guess.

Doesn't this just mirror the increased number of women in executive and managerial positions.

Surely what this mirrors is the relative decline of Japan's economy. As actual wealth decreases, the need to display the trappings of wealth increases. People with real money don't need to "fake their place in the social ladder", let alone read articles in Can Cam about it.

On Japan's economic state of affairs:

"In July, the total number of jobless fell by 210,000 from a year earlier to 2.68 million people, marking the eighth straight month of declines."

"The number of employed rose by 110,000 to 64.21 million people, the ministry said, marking the 15th straight month of increases."

So, according to the above, I am left to assume that the job's given were of lesser quality than those given in previous years?

Is this the "temp worker" phenomena discussed earlier?

check: judging by the new hires where I work, yeah they really really are of lower quality.

Doesn't this just mirror the increased number of women in executive and managerial positions.

No, because Can Cam is an OL-magazine. If you are on the managerial track, you are reading Oggi. (I am dead serious.)

As actual wealth decreases, the need to display the trappings of wealth increases. People with real money don't need to "fake their place in the social ladder", let alone read articles in Can Cam about it.

Yes. And when social class is relatively equal, "taste" and "subcultural affliation" (in a fake "consumer lifestyle" kind of way") become the ways to differentiate yourself, not just displays of raw wealth. In this regard, Japan is getting much closer to Korea and China where wealth disparity go hand in hand with ostentatious love of luxury brands.

So, according to the above, I am left to assume that the job's given were of lesser quality than those given in previous years?

Yes, indeed. I am sure some full-wage jobs were created, but proportionally less, certainly.

I presume you're already aware of this website, but if you're not:

http://whatjapanthinks.com/