Aging in Japan
Introduction
Historically, Japan has been a leading global figure, full of rich culture, economic stability, and progressive development. Yet today, Japan finds itself shifting from a promising past into an uncertain future as a result of its aging society. Every country worldwide deals with the natural aging continuance of its citizens and has to accommodate the changes which surface as a result. For Japan, these growing pains prove to be intense and complicated, attributing to an alteration in social and economic policies. Various factors exist which contribute to this situation in its entirety and in examining these aspects, it remains apparent that no simple solution prevails. However, in looking at Japan’s shifting structures and comparing them to those of the United States, we gain a better understanding of the social and economic complexities in existence worldwide.
Discussion
Japan’s population is aging more swiftly than any population in history. Over the next fifty years, the number of non-elderly will decline, while the number of elderly will increase. And it has been proposed that Japan will be the first developed nation to fall below the ratio of three working adults to each elder. This growing proportion of elderly persons will put a huge burden on the melting number of working people. With such projections, sociologists worldwide are trying to discover why Japan finds themselves in this predicament. In researching this topic, I found that the main factors include low fertility, declining marriage, and longer life expectancy.
The main cause of Japan’s demographic trend resides within their low fertility rate, which compares the number of births per one thousand women between the ages of fifteen and forty-four. Today, Japan’s fertility rate is 1.39, one of the lowest in the world, whereas the United States has a fertility rate of 2.03. Since contraception and abortion became available in 1960, the fertility of older Japanese women between the ages of thirty and thirty-four has declined dramatically. Overall, this not only leads to fewer people today but fewer people tomorrow as well, since present actions will result in a smaller number of childbearing women in two or three decades. Japan’s population is estimated to peak at around 127 million by 2007, and then near the end of the century, drop by half. This plunging birthrate does not provide an easy explanation, but statistics show that it mostly stems from a decline in marriages.
To counteract Japan’s declining birthrate, the number of married persons needs to increase. However, statistics show that a large amount of Japan’s middle class continues to delay marriage and childbearing. Since 1970, the number of unmarried women in their late twenties has tripled to just under fifty percent. These millions of individual decisions combine and create enormous consequences for Japan as a whole. Masahiro Yamada, a sociologist at Tokyo Gakugei University, thinks that the main reason for declining marriages in Japan deals with economics.
Nearly seventy percent of unmarried women in their early thirties still reside with their parents, allowing them to engage in a more comfortable lifestyle. When this single lifestyle is compared to that of a typical married Japanese, marriage does not possess as much economic advantage. Other factors influencing marriage are the rigidity of Japan’s lifetime-employment system, which shifts one’s attention from family onto a career, and the lack of agreement between Japanese men and women in terms of engagement.
Japan is known for its longevity and with such a high life expectancy rate, its aging population will remain large and in the picture for many years. Since 1960, the mortality decline among the elderly and middle-aged has contributed to the increase in Japan’s life expectancy, which continues to increase at an accelerating rate. In 1995, the life expectancy in Japan was 76.6 for men and 83 for women. By 2020, the female life expectancy will be 90. As a result, the average retirement age is 62.1 for men and 61 for women. This aging population is also growing in size. In 1995, people over sixty-five composed 14.5% of the Japanese population. It has been projected that by 2025, those sixty-five and older will become 25.8% of the population.
In examining all of these factors, it becomes clear that, indeed, Japan’s population is aging. So, what exactly are the consequences requiring concern? For one, the rapid increase in the number of elderly persons presents a major challenge when considering health care and quality of life. Social and economic changes must occur in order to accommodate the increasing medical costs and strains placed on society and family. And Japan’s public pension system needs updating, which policymakers have yet to respond to. In regards to caregiving, support for aging relatives by family members is steadily declining in Japan and more elderly persons must turn to alternative means of care and support.
Also, Japan possesses the need to keep elderly workers in the labor force. Already, Japan has a high degree of elderly participation within the workforce, noticeable in the fact that 71.4% of men and 39.2% of women between the ages of sixty and sixty-four are employed. In comparing those statistics to the U.S., 54.2% of men and 35.3% of women in the same age bracket are employed. However, Japan needs to increase the productivity of elderly workers from part-time to full-time in order to help offset the decreasing middle-aged population.
These occurrences in Japan remain even more significant than most people realize because they mirror similar situations developing in Europe and the United States, although neither the U.S. nor Europe faces the severity of Japan’s dilemma. Yet, like Japan, America is growing older and questions have surfaced regarding the future sustainability of Social Security and Medicare systems. In the United States, concerns with population aging are often connected to the “Baby Boom” generation of post World War II. In Japan, the “Baby Boom” only lasted for a few years, whereas it lasted for twenty in the U.S.
This surge in population threatens the funds offered by the U.S. government, and it has been charted that by 2038 Social Security funds will be exhausted. The Social Security System works on a balance between workers paying into the fund and beneficiaries. Today, the ratio is 3.4:1 and it is expected to drop to 2:1 by 2030. And the fact that the U.S. fertility rate continues to decrease, like Japan’s, means that there will be fewer and fewer workers supporting the nation’s elderly. Another demographic challenge for the U.S. is that people are retiring early and living longer. With longer life expectancy, more people will draw upon government funds for longer periods of time.
Conclusion
All human beings get older, no matter what language or skin color you stem from. As mentioned above, various components of aging initiate change within society, especially in regards to social and economic foundations. Each country interacts with these circumstances in different ways and at different intensities, but an interweaving pattern exists. For Japan, growing older has challenged its strength as a nation. The United States faces a similar challenge, but to a less drastic degree. Each, though, will have to adapt and shift its way of life or else risk losing their power within the global market.
Annotated Bibliography
Belsie, Laurent. “Boomers Reshape Culture, Again.” Christian Science Monitor. 5/15/2001. Vol. 93, Issue 119, p. 1.
Belsie, a staff writer of The Christain Science Monitor, focuses on the implications of the median age of the U.S. population as a result of the baby-boom generation. She talks about the social and political effects of this generation on American society, specifically dealing with Social Security and Medicare.
Bovbjerg, Barbara. “Straight Shooting on Social Security: The Trade-offs of Reform.” FDCH Congressional Testimony. 12/10/2001.
Bovbjerg, director of education, workforce, and income security issues in the United States, details a speech given to the U.S. Senate during a special committee on aging. She outlines some of the social security challenges facing America, describes various proposals for overcoming these challenges and suggests some reforms that should occur.
Butler, Steven, and Kevin Whitelaw. “Japan’s Baby Bust.” U.S. News and World Report. 10/05/98. Vol. 125, Issue 13, p. 42.
Butler and Whitelaw examine the declining birth rate in Japan and the choices between career and family. They also look at the impact of low fertility on Japan’s economy and the proportion of unmarried women in their 20’s. Other things they focus on are the rigidity of Japan’s lifetime-employment system, the rejection of traditional marital views, and population growth worldwide.
Chee, Yeon Kyung, and Kimberly Dash. “Development and Implementation of a Train-the-Trainer.” Educational Gerontology. July/August 1998. Vol. 24, Issue 5, p.509.
Chee, from the Department of Social Medicine and Division on Aging at Harvard Medical School, describes Japan’s rapidly aging society and the shift they are undergoing as a nation. The article focuses on ways to ensure aging individuals continue to succeed physically, psychologically, and socially in their daily living, and examines ways to promote health and proper caregiving.
Efron, Sonni. “Japan’s Aging Population Creates a “Nursing Hell” for Many Women.” http://www.geog.ucsb.edu/~keuper/sbcc/supp_sheets/japan_nursing.htm. 6/25/01. Visited 10/10/02.
Sonni Efron, a Times Staff Writer who recently spent four and a half years in Japan, discusses the aging situation occurring in Japan and how it is specifically affecting Japanese women. She briefly examines some reasons Japan resides in this current setting and predicts future problems. Most of all, she explores how this problem is changing the daily lives and roles of women and how it is contributing to higher stress levels emotionally and financially.
Fujiwara, Mariko Kuno. “Japan Faces a Silver Society.” Japan Information Network.
http://www.jinjapan.org/insight/html/focus01/focus01.html. Visited 10/10/02.
This website, directed by Fujiwara, offers a variety of hot topics currently occurring in Japan. More specifically, this website contains a Focus One section, which focuses specifically on the Japanese elderly. It examines four profile cases and the areas contributing to the problem as a whole, such as elderly care, jobs, cost, pensions, leisure, etc.
Imanaka, Rie. “Aging in Japan.” Indo.to. http://indo.to/english/rie/12.htm. 9/11/01. Visited 10/10/02.
Imanaka, a Japanese young adult presently living in Japan, discusses the deterioration of Japan’s financial and social security as a result of unbalanced age groups. He alludes to Japan’s top-heavy social pyramid, wherein middle-class citizens and youth are trying to support an overbearing elderly population.
Mackellar, Landis, and David Horlacher. “Population Aging in Japan.” The European Journal of Social Sciences. Dec. 2000. Vol. 13, Issue 4, p. 413.
Landis and Horlacher describe many aspects in regards to the aging problem in Japan. They focus on the causes of Japan’s low fertility, economic impacts, pension and health systems, labor, and the impact on population by age group.
Muhleisen, Martin and Hamid Faruqee. Japan: Population Aging and the Fiscal Challenge. http://www2.gol.com/users/coynerhm/japan_population_aging_and_fiscal.htm. Visited 10/08/02.
Muhleisen and Faruqee, both Senior Economists at IMF, focus on the financial predicament Japan faces with it’s over the populated elderly class. As prosperity has increased in Japan, birth rates have decreased and the result is that there are fewer and fewer people to financially support public pension systems. These systems are running out of money. They also question how these problems will affect this industrial country in the future and examine how Japan’s situation is mirroring what is happening in other countries worldwide.
Takashi, Oshio. “Outlook for Japan’s Aging Society.” Japan Economic Foundation.
http://www.jef.or.jp/en/jti/200205_001.html. Visited 10/01/02.
Oshio Takashi is a professor at Tokyo Gakugei University and specializes in social security issues. In this article, he examines the need for social reform in Japan as a result of low birth rates and increased aging populations. This reform is needed to reduce the burden for future generations. Takashi looks at not only how this situation is affecting pension plans, but also how it is creating turbulence in medical care programs as well.
Get Professional Assignment Help Cheaply
Are you busy and do not have time to handle your assignment? Are you scared that your paper will not make the grade? Do you have responsibilities that may hinder you from turning in your assignment on time? Are you tired and can barely handle your assignment? Are your grades inconsistent?
Whichever your reason is, it is valid! You can get professional academic help from our service at affordable rates. We have a team of professional academic writers who can handle all your assignments.
Why Choose Our Academic Writing Service?
- Plagiarism free papers
- Timely delivery
- Any deadline
- Skilled, Experienced Native English Writers
- Subject-relevant academic writer
- Adherence to paper instructions
- Ability to tackle bulk assignments
- Reasonable prices
- 24/7 Customer Support
- Get superb grades consistently
Online Academic Help With Different Subjects
Literature
Students barely have time to read. We got you! Have your literature essay or book review written without having the hassle of reading the book. You can get your literature paper custom-written for you by our literature specialists.
Finance
Do you struggle with finance? No need to torture yourself if finance is not your cup of tea. You can order your finance paper from our academic writing service and get 100% original work from competent finance experts.
Computer science
Computer science is a tough subject. Fortunately, our computer science experts are up to the match. No need to stress and have sleepless nights. Our academic writers will tackle all your computer science assignments and deliver them on time. Let us handle all your python, java, ruby, JavaScript, php , C+ assignments!
Psychology
While psychology may be an interesting subject, you may lack sufficient time to handle your assignments. Don’t despair; by using our academic writing service, you can be assured of perfect grades. Moreover, your grades will be consistent.
Engineering
Engineering is quite a demanding subject. Students face a lot of pressure and barely have enough time to do what they love to do. Our academic writing service got you covered! Our engineering specialists follow the paper instructions and ensure timely delivery of the paper.
Nursing
In the nursing course, you may have difficulties with literature reviews, annotated bibliographies, critical essays, and other assignments. Our nursing assignment writers will offer you professional nursing paper help at low prices.
Sociology
Truth be told, sociology papers can be quite exhausting. Our academic writing service relieves you of fatigue, pressure, and stress. You can relax and have peace of mind as our academic writers handle your sociology assignment.
Business
We take pride in having some of the best business writers in the industry. Our business writers have a lot of experience in the field. They are reliable, and you can be assured of a high-grade paper. They are able to handle business papers of any subject, length, deadline, and difficulty!
Statistics
We boast of having some of the most experienced statistics experts in the industry. Our statistics experts have diverse skills, expertise, and knowledge to handle any kind of assignment. They have access to all kinds of software to get your assignment done.
Law
Writing a law essay may prove to be an insurmountable obstacle, especially when you need to know the peculiarities of the legislative framework. Take advantage of our top-notch law specialists and get superb grades and 100% satisfaction.
What discipline/subjects do you deal in?
We have highlighted some of the most popular subjects we handle above. Those are just a tip of the iceberg. We deal in all academic disciplines since our writers are as diverse. They have been drawn from across all disciplines, and orders are assigned to those writers believed to be the best in the field. In a nutshell, there is no task we cannot handle; all you need to do is place your order with us. As long as your instructions are clear, just trust we shall deliver irrespective of the discipline.
Are your writers competent enough to handle my paper?
Our essay writers are graduates with bachelor's, masters, Ph.D., and doctorate degrees in various subjects. The minimum requirement to be an essay writer with our essay writing service is to have a college degree. All our academic writers have a minimum of two years of academic writing. We have a stringent recruitment process to ensure that we get only the most competent essay writers in the industry. We also ensure that the writers are handsomely compensated for their value. The majority of our writers are native English speakers. As such, the fluency of language and grammar is impeccable.
What if I don’t like the paper?
There is a very low likelihood that you won’t like the paper.
Reasons being:
- When assigning your order, we match the paper’s discipline with the writer’s field/specialization. Since all our writers are graduates, we match the paper’s subject with the field the writer studied. For instance, if it’s a nursing paper, only a nursing graduate and writer will handle it. Furthermore, all our writers have academic writing experience and top-notch research skills.
- We have a quality assurance that reviews the paper before it gets to you. As such, we ensure that you get a paper that meets the required standard and will most definitely make the grade.
In the event that you don’t like your paper:
- The writer will revise the paper up to your pleasing. You have unlimited revisions. You simply need to highlight what specifically you don’t like about the paper, and the writer will make the amendments. The paper will be revised until you are satisfied. Revisions are free of charge
- We will have a different writer write the paper from scratch.
- Last resort, if the above does not work, we will refund your money.
Will the professor find out I didn’t write the paper myself?
Not at all. All papers are written from scratch. There is no way your tutor or instructor will realize that you did not write the paper yourself. In fact, we recommend using our assignment help services for consistent results.
What if the paper is plagiarized?
We check all papers for plagiarism before we submit them. We use powerful plagiarism checking software such as SafeAssign, LopesWrite, and Turnitin. We also upload the plagiarism report so that you can review it. We understand that plagiarism is academic suicide. We would not take the risk of submitting plagiarized work and jeopardize your academic journey. Furthermore, we do not sell or use prewritten papers, and each paper is written from scratch.
When will I get my paper?
You determine when you get the paper by setting the deadline when placing the order. All papers are delivered within the deadline. We are well aware that we operate in a time-sensitive industry. As such, we have laid out strategies to ensure that the client receives the paper on time and they never miss the deadline. We understand that papers that are submitted late have some points deducted. We do not want you to miss any points due to late submission. We work on beating deadlines by huge margins in order to ensure that you have ample time to review the paper before you submit it.
Will anyone find out that I used your services?
We have a privacy and confidentiality policy that guides our work. We NEVER share any customer information with third parties. Noone will ever know that you used our assignment help services. It’s only between you and us. We are bound by our policies to protect the customer’s identity and information. All your information, such as your names, phone number, email, order information, and so on, are protected. We have robust security systems that ensure that your data is protected. Hacking our systems is close to impossible, and it has never happened.
How our Assignment Help Service Works
1. Place an order
You fill all the paper instructions in the order form. Make sure you include all the helpful materials so that our academic writers can deliver the perfect paper. It will also help to eliminate unnecessary revisions.
2. Pay for the order
Proceed to pay for the paper so that it can be assigned to one of our expert academic writers. The paper subject is matched with the writer’s area of specialization.
3. Track the progress
You communicate with the writer and know about the progress of the paper. The client can ask the writer for drafts of the paper. The client can upload extra material and include additional instructions from the lecturer. Receive a paper.
4. Download the paper
The paper is sent to your email and uploaded to your personal account. You also get a plagiarism report attached to your paper.
PLACE THIS ORDER OR A SIMILAR ORDER WITH US TODAY AND GET A PERFECT SCORE!!!
