Research suggests that when exposed to evidence of their privilege, upper-class individuals exhibit self-defensive responses—such as claiming personal hardships—to mitigate threats to self-regard and cover their privilege. However, these findings are based on studies in the U.S., and research in Japan among high-income individuals has yielded conflicting results. Therefore, this study investigates whether upper-class individuals—specifically, those with high educational attainment—exhibit self-defensive responses to evidence of privilege in Japan. A sample of elite university students in Japan (N = 157) was randomly assigned to either a privilege-exposure condition or a control condition and asked to evaluate their personal hardships and effort. Bayesian analysis revealed that even after controlling for meritocratic beliefs, which are considered a cultural difference between Japan and the U.S., participants did not claim greater personal hardships or effort in response to evidence of privilege. These findings suggest that upper-class individuals in Japan may not perceive their privilege as an inconvenient truth that necessitates concealment.
