Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Japan says one in 10 residents are aged 80 or above as nation turns
gray
In 1966, September 15 was set as Respect for the Aged Day in Japan. In
those days, most people retired at or before the age of 60. Naturally, people who
turned 60 were regarded as seniors and celebrated. The date was changed to the
third Monday of September in 2003 due to the Happy Monday System. As people became healthier and their life expectancies
extended to the world longest, the definition of seniors also pushed back.
Nowadays, seniors in Japan mean those who are 65 and older, and they represent
nearly 30% of Japan’s population, the world’s highest rate. Many of those
seniors are still healthy and active, and they are encouraged and demanded to
work as the nation’s population ages and declines while fewer young people
enter the labor market. In fact, in a society where life expectancies go well beyond
80 while the fertility rate plunges below 1.3, seniors are now an integral part
of Japan’s workforce in all businesses, particularly in healthcare for seniors.
In Japan, younger and active seniors care for older seniors, and seniors celebrate
Senior's Day among themselves, especially in rural communities where young
people tend to leave for exciting and rewarding jobs in cities.
Read the article and learn about what is happening in the world’s most
aging country.
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