The third Monday of September is a public holiday in Japan known as Respect for the Aged Day in Japan. We Japanese celebrate the longevity of our elders and give gifts to them. Japan is a country where both men and women rank highly when it comes to average life expectancies and we are proud of our healthy washoku diet and health care system, but…
According to the 2015 census, more than a quarter (26.7 per cent) of the Japanese population, approximately 33.4 million, is aged 65 years or older. On the other hand, in Australia the ratio was 14 per cent in 2011 and in the New Zealand it was 14.3 per cent in 2013. Japan is the most aged society in the world and this aging in society has taken place in a shorter span of time than in any other country. In 1965, nine working-aged people (20 to 64 years of age) supported one elderly person, but now it is 2.4 working-aged people. It is predicted that support will need to be provided by just 1.2 working-aged people, almost a one-to-one ratio, in 2050.
We must prepare the budget for old-age pensions, additional nursing care centres & personnel and upgrades to facilities, housing & various kinds of transport for the elderly. With the exception of the pension, most Japanese local governments struggle to deal with these demands.
In terms of multicultural policies, Australia and New Zealand are more advanced than Japan, but our ageing society means we may have to consider similar policies with more urgency.
Please keep an eye on how we respond to the challenges of our ageing population; we will be sure to keep you updated.
Katsunori Kamibo
Director