Japan


	June 22, 2002	atimes.com

Japan

Japan's elderly refuse to fade away
by Suvendrini Kakuchi

TOKYO - Koji Iwatsuki, 62, retires this month after working as a technician for the past 40 years at a leading steel company.

"I am looking forward to a new life," says the tall, muscular man, who goes jogging at 6am daily and plays golf once a week.

Iwatsuki will be joining Japan's largest growing demographic group, the elderly, who now make up 18 percent or 22.87 million of the country's 127 million population as of October last year. This is a 0.6 percent increase from the previous year.

The latest statistic on ageing, compiled by the cabinet, adds that the number of elderly people will rise dramatically in Japan, accounting for 26 percent of the population by 2015 and 30 percent by 2030. More important, the report also reveals that Japan's aged are physically in good shape and socially active as well. Three-fourths of citizens aged 65 or older say they do not have physical problems that affect their daily lives. For those aged 60 or older, 50.3 percent say they go out almost daily. About 90 percent of those capable of driving said they drive two to three times a week.

"There is no doubt, Japan's elderly are young both at heart and physically. I am ashamed to refer to them as 'old' these days," admits Hiroko Oba, head of the public-funded Foundation for Research on Elderly and Welfare.

Energetic Iwatsuki and even his 84-year old mother, who lives alone, can vouch easily for this new image. Iwatsuki says his widowed mother drives, takes regular trips with her friends, and has started taking singing classes. "Despite a bout with a cancer [for] a few years, she is even more sprightly than she has ever been since her husband passed away two decades ago," grins Iwatsuki.

Japan, which boasts of the world's top longevity, is now grappling with its fastest ageing society among industrialized countries. Japan's Kamata Hongo, 114 years old, became the oldest person in the world in March. While she needs help to walk and speak, her daughter reports that she eats heartily and is in good health.

According to a survey conducted in January this year, the life expectancy of a Japanese man climbed from a little more than 79 years previously to 80.95 years. Japanese women live an average 89.22 years, up from 86 years.

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry also reports that one in every 20 Japanese females has a high probability of celebrating her 100th birthday. But analysts point out that there is no need to worry too much about the quality of life of many elderly Japanese.

Hiroshi Shimada, 64, professor at Obirin University, says that 80 percent of elderly people in Japan can function independently in daily life. "The stereotyped image of old people as a social burden does not apply to Japan any more," he explains.

Analysts say seniors in Japan lead lifestyles that are very different to their parents following the post-World War II westernization of the country. Mie Maruyama, a social worker, explains that older people are now spending money on themselves rather than giving it away to their children in exchange for being looked after in their old age, as according to Japanese tradition.

"There is a growing feeling among the aged that they can no longer depend on their offspring. Thus seniors prefer to spend their hard-earned money on having a good time or saving for a rainy day," Maruyama said.

According the Health and Welfare Ministry, almost 20 percent of the elderly in Japan reported living alone, with the majority responding they liked their independence rather than relying on their children. The government contends that there will be an increase of old people living alone or in homes for the elderly, just like in the West.

"The new concept for successful ageing is to help the elderly remain independent and lead high-quality lives," says Shimada, who will launch the country's first post-graduate course on interdisciplinary gerontology.

Still, Oba says that despite better health, loneliness is bound to be a leading problem for the ageing in the coming years, as more seniors begin to live alone. "To combat the issue, we are concentrating very hard on getting them to socialize. Our annual sports events have been highly successful in this respect - more than 2,000 participants," she explains.

Japan is also beginning to wake up to the potential of this market of elderly people. The over-65 group is at the top of the country's US$11. 3 trillion savings. Economists predict that Japan's elderly will be spending nearly $95 billion a year on new products, home care, and home renovations to make their lives easier.

(Inter Press Service)