The movement for life-improvement in the Taisho era in Japan was based on the life style of the upper part of new middle class in terms of style of movement and in terms of budgetary condition of living. However, this movement had the potentiality to cross the border between social classes. First, its ideal model of living was not totally consistent; it was the amalgam of secular moralism and life modernism, and manifested itself as an enumerative list of items for life-improvement. Second, this movement was based not only on the “union” of practitioners which was mostly consist of the upper part of new middle class, but also on the ideal of “adult education”.　　

On the other hand, the movement for life-improvement was criticized because of its class-based characteristic. These criticisms were often expressed as contempt for the "upper class" (not for the "upper part of new middle class") by journalism. This type of criticism was based on traditional secular moralism in Japan. This movement had the potentiality of “downward extension” in terms of social class, but the “barrier” around the movement was also recognized.

本稿は，2014年度科学研究費補助金（基盤研究（C），「生活改善運動の多様性と変容過程に関する社会教育史研究」，課題番号：24531006）による研究成果の一部である。