The Role of the Aged in Aging Society (January 28,2006/Taka Asai)
A 50-year of
one’s lifetime is a story of the past. Japanese will come to appreciate 90
years of longer life span in the next 10 years, resulting in the world’s
highest longevity country, the Cabinet Office forecasts. It is urgent for us to
look at elderly people from different angles in order to meet the demographic
shift in this century.
Let’s take a look at the recent statistics related to demography, first.
According to the 2005 White Paper on Aging Society released by the Cabinet
Office, people aged 65 or older account for nearly 20% of the nation’s
total population. Since Japan is aging at an unprecedentedly rapid pace, the
ratio of senior citizens will soar up to from 26 % by the year 2015, to a stunning
35.7 % by 2050, resulting from prolonged life expectancy coupled with declining
birth rates.
On the other hand, more noteworthy is the decrease in the number of population.
The National Institute of Social Security and Population predicts that
the total population of Japan will begin to fall in 2007 to 100 million
by 2050, down 27 million. It continues dropping to half as many as the
current status by 2100. It is a serious problem we have to deal with.
Those things
in mind, a picture of the aged that I have drawn is that they hold an important
role as a core member of the ongoing gray society. They have to share the
burden equally with younger generations so as to maintain the energy of this
country. By no means can they be free loaders any longer as they used to be. On
the contrary, their knowledge and experience will help us revitalize the
withering society.
Yasuichi Emi, honorary professor at Hitotsubashi University, recommends
to save ‘dowry’ enough to live a
comfortable life after retirement at age 65. He divides the period of the aged
into four stages; fresh old (65~74), middle old (75~84), senior old (85~94),
and super old (over 95). Fresh old will be able to work regardless of part-time
job or full time. After this stage, a key factor is whether or not they have
the purpose of life. Health condition is closely related to medical and nursing
care. One should beware of the reality that it is the amount of dowry that
matters.
Old age is
the time to add the finishing touch to one’s life. But in aging society,
retirement does not necessarily mean going out of the mainstream of our
society. The aged should remain active so long as they are sound in mind and
body.
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