Employment of Elderly Persons Is the Source of Innovation

1. Aged society in Japan is at the forefront of the world

The faster aging population is a characteristic of Japan.The aging rate of Japanese society (the percentage of the total population aged 65 or above) has increased by up to approx. 30%, which is the highest level in the world. The faster aging population is a characteristic of Japan. The number of years required to double the population rate of elderly people (doubling time), from 7% to 14%, was 115 years in France, 85 years in Sweden, a relatively shorter 40 years in Germany, and 47 years in UK. In contrast, the Japanese aging rate increased from 7% to 14% in 24 years from 1970 to 1994. The aging speed in South Korea and Singapore is even higher than Japan.

The speed differs from country to country, but aging populations themselves are a universal trend. The percentage of elderly persons is definitely increasing not only in countries in Europe but also in Asia. Japan is at the forefront to face this trend, and it means that it must address the issue on its own as there is no model to learn from—a very difficult task. However, looking at it from a different point of view, you can say that there is nothing more challenging and exciting than this.

In fact, countries all over the world are watching the countermeasures taken by Japan against the aging population issue. “We have the impression that the aging population problems that Japan are currently facing will be the problems of Germany in the next five years,” a German researcher stated, “So we are keeping a close eye on the successes and failures of the measures taken in Japan.” Many researchers from Asian countries are visiting Japan to make investigations into Japanese society and the countermeasures taken by Japanese companies against the aging population issue. Japan has become a country that must present examples to the world for fields relating to the utilization of elderly persons.