Looking up...
経済成長は物質的な豊かさをもたらしたが、精神的な充実にはつながらなかった。
Economic growth brought material wealth, but did not lead to spiritual fulfillment.
Wealth or prosperity measured by tangible goods, financial resources, and physical comforts rather than intangible or spiritual well-being.
先進国では物質的な豊かさが当たり前になっているが、その一方で貧困問題も深刻化している。
In developed countries, material wealth has become the norm, but poverty issues are also worsening.
彼は物質的な豊かさを追求したが、家族との時間を犠牲にしてしまった。
He pursued material wealth but sacrificed time with his family.
Often contrasted with 精神的な豊かさ (spiritual wealth) in Japanese discourse.
In Japanese society, there is an ongoing debate between 物質的な豊かさ and 精神的な豊かさ, especially in discussions about work-life balance and the pursuit of happiness. This phrase often appears in critiques of modern capitalism.
物質的な豊かさ is always used with 物質的 (material) to distinguish it from spiritual wealth. Simply saying 豊かさ alone would be ambiguous in most contexts.
物質的 (material) + な (adjectival particle) + 豊かさ (wealth/prosperity). The compound emphasizes tangible, measurable prosperity over intangible qualities.
This phrase is commonly used in economic, social, and philosophical discussions to distinguish between material and non-material aspects of prosperity. It carries a neutral to slightly critical connotation in modern Japanese, often implying that material wealth alone is insufficient for true happiness.