Elderly people in Japan
This article focuses on the situation of elderly people in Japan and the recent changes in society.
Japan's
Age stratification and the elderly
Old age ideally represents a time of relaxation of social obligations, assisting with the
Although the standard
In the late twentieth century, there has been a trend toward a nuclear family instead of a three-generation household that leaves the elderly, who are accustomed to different values and who expected to live with their son's family during old age, by themselves.
But still, this group was a small portion of the total elderly population. People living alone or only with spouses constituted 32% of the 65-and-over group. Less than half of those responding to a government survey believed that it was the duty of the eldest son to care for parents, but 63% replied that it was natural for children to take care of their elderly parents. The motive of co-residence seems to have changed, from being the expected arrangement of an agricultural society to being an option for coping with circumstances such as illness or widowhood in a post-industrial society.
The health of the aged receives a great deal of the society's attention. Responsibility for the care of the aged, bedridden, or
Aging and the elderly
While Japan focuses its policy makers and medical experts to figure out how to deal best with the shrinking population, the decreasing workforce, and the raising costs for elder care, the voices of the elders themselves are rarely heard.[3]
Not only do many elders wish to stay in the workforce to fight off psychological and physical health problems,[4] they are motivated to participate in societal activities or have hobbies, leisure activities and "ikigai" - which roughly means "purpose of life" - to avoid their worst fears of becoming a burden to their families. Keeping themselves busy and productive, elders take part in voluntary work in civil society organizations and community projects, while there are some who join overseas development projects under the auspices of the Japan Overseas Volunteer Corps.[4] Asides from physical activities, mental practices are also encouraged, such as reading out loud, which is considered to be beneficial to keep up one's concentration capability and is more challenging than just reading silently.[2] The active elder population also gives way to a growing consumer market ranging from leisure and education to healthcare and housing.[4]
An innovative take on the super-aging society of Japan called REPRINTS, Research of Productivity by Intergenerational Sympathy, was launched in Tokyo Metropolitan area, which has a 20.47 percent of people over 65 (below the country's average) in 2004 (Tokyo Statistical Yearbook, 2013, p. 53). This project was started by a research team for Social Participation and Health Promotion of Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology (TMIG), and later was sponsored by the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Labor. The team was motivated to bring "active participation in society by senior citizens" in Tokyo, while studying "how intergenerational exchange between senior volunteers and children affect each other and what outcome it produces" (Research of Productivity by Intergenerational Sympathy, 2013). After completion of three-week training workshop, volunteers visited public elementary schools and kindergartens and sometimes even senior high schools depending on demand for picture book reading sessions. The elders can decide the appropriate type of book for the respective age group they are going to read to, or sometimes, they can read old stories such as ancient Japanese myths or legends they enjoyed during their childhood. This encourages the older generations to pursue intellectual activities while transferring wisdom and contributing to the growth of the younger generations. Although the REPRINTS network relies heavily on demand of the schools and the initiative of the volunteers, the experience created has major impacts on both the young generation and the elderly themselves. While the students are having a refreshing change to their ordinary school day with exciting cultural stories, beneficial improvements in health were found among elders who volunteered intensively. Overall, the REPRINTS network has intergenerational activities that can be easily adopted and introduced to other communities while including senior citizens, helping them stay active and useful for the community.[4]
This type of voluntary program can be a possible answer to promote society involvement, life fulfillment and healthy activities for the elderly population of Japan.
Also various robots have been developed to cater for increasing number of elderly persons. Examples include robots designed to elicit emotional responses or enhance communication such as robots Paro or Pepper as well as physical assistant robots, mobile servant robots, and person carrier robots. Those robots that are specifically designed to assist elderly people are also known as carebots, and their development has been heavily funded by the Japanese government.[5]
Aging and retirement of the labor force
As Japan's population aged, so did its
In most Japanese companies, salaries rise with worker age. Because younger workers are paid less, they are more attractive to employers, and the difficulty in finding employment increases with age. This pattern is evidenced by the
Most Japanese companies require that employees retire upon reaching a specified age. During most of the postwar period, that age was 55. Because government social security payments normally begin at age 60, workers are forced to find reemployment to fill the five-year gap. However, in 1986 the
As Japan's population ages, the financial health of the public pension plan deteriorates. To avoid massive increases in premiums, the government reformed the system in 1986 by cutting benefit levels and raising the plan's specified age at which benefits began from 60 to 65. Under the revised system, contributions paid in equal share by employer and employee were expected to be equivalent to about 30% of wages, as opposed to 40% of wages under the old system. However, problems then arose in securing employment opportunities for the 60-to-65 age group.
In 1990 some 90% of companies paid retirement benefits to their employees in the form of lump-sum payments and pensions. Some companies based the payment amount on the employee's base pay, while others used formulas independent of base pay. Because the system was designed to reward long service, payment rose progressively with the number of years worked.
See also
References
- ^ "Praying for a 'pokkuri' moment: No muss, no fuss". Japan Today. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
- ^ .
- PMID 26530607.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-4051-9194-4.
- ^ Japan is running out of people to take care of the elderly, so it's making robots instead, Business Insider, 20 November 2015
- S2CID 169746160.
- This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. Country Studies. Federal Research Division. - Japan
Further reading
- Yamauchi, Kanako; Isao Saito; Tadahiro Kato (21 June 2018). "Depression in the elderly in rural areas of Japan and its impact on activities of daily living: a longitudinal survey over 10 years" (PDF). Bulletin of the Faculty of Education. 65. Ehime University: 191–197.
External links
- Another Tsunami Warning: Caring for Japan's Elderly (NBR Expert Brief, April 2011)