This paper is based on my keynote lecture delivered at the 25^<th> Annual Meeting of The Japan Society of Household Economics. We first study the inequality of regional income distribution and find that the Gini coefficient, a measure of inequality, is negligibly small. However, we are likely to hear people saying that regional inequality still exists. Two explanations, the time lag of the business cycle and the continuation of an enduring recession, are given as answers to this puzzle. Then a new concept of poverty is introduced and critically examined. The second part of this paper discusses the issue of security in life and the revitalization of regional economies. In the former case, various constructive reform suggestions follow after critically reviewing the current systems of both medical services and social security. In the latter case, we emphasize the importance of collaboration between academic institutions, regional banking institutions, and local businesses in order to jumpstart the regional economy.
