National Sep 17, 2018
Over a fifth of Japan’s population is now 70 years old or older, the government says to mark Respect for the Elderly Day.
National / Social Issues Sep 17, 2018
In long-lived Japan, survey finds 20-year-olds don't want to live into their 80s
A survey has found that young Japanese in their 20s don't want to live into their 80s — a startling revelation in a country where the life expectancies for both men and women routinely rank among the world's highest. Men and women between 20 and ...
National Sep 14, 2018
Run Tomo event takes steps toward building a dementia-inclusive Japan
by Aika Sato
As scorching heat shimmered off the tarmac and licked at runners' sun-kissed faces, an elated crowd erupted into deafening cheers Sunday morning in the city of Chiba at the stroke of 10. A total of 204 people, including 10 people with dementia, were participating in ...
National / Science & Health Sep 11, 2018
Japan's shut-in elderly men more likely to suffer from undernourishment
Elderly men who go out less than once a week are more likely to suffer from undernourishment than those who leave their house more often, a 2017 health ministry survey revealed Tuesday. There was little difference in the nutritional status for elderly women, regardless of ...
National Sep 11, 2018
Hyogo elder care service hires nonprofessional soccer players to work at its facilities
An elder care provider in Kakogawa, Hyogo Prefecture, has hired 10 members of a local soccer team to become nursing care staff, a move that is attracting attention as a way to provide semiprofessional athletes with a stable income and ease the labor shortage ...
National Sep 2, 2018
Elderly women to bear the brunt of Japan's spending cuts
by Maiko Takahashi
As Japanese society ages and the government cuts social welfare spending, older women are bracing for the impact. "The only people who can enjoy living until 100 are those who have enough money and family," said Setsuko Betsui, a 78-year-old woman living in Saitama, who ...
National / Crime & Legal Aug 29, 2018
Fifth death confirmed at Japan hospital after air conditioning fails
A fifth elderly patient in Gifu Prefecture has died at a hospital where air conditioning units had broken down amid a heat wave that has gripped the country.
National Aug 28, 2018
Four die at Japan hospital after air conditioning fails amid heat wave
Four elderly patients at a hospital in Gifu Prefecture have died after the air conditioning unit in their rooms broke down amid a heat wave that continues to grip the country, police and the medical institution said Tuesday. Y&M Fujikake Daiichi Hospital, however, denied that ...
Language | BILINGUAL Aug 27, 2018
Will society still need me, will it still feed me, when I'm 100?
by Kaori Shoji
Back in the 1960s when Paul McCartney wrote "When I'm 64," the average life expectancy worldwide was 52. Yet half a century on, Japan is already gearing up for the era of 人生百年 (jinsei hyakunen, 100-year life).
National Aug 27, 2018
Welfare ministry seeks funding to pair dementia patients with volunteer supporters
The welfare ministry plans to launch a project in fiscal 2019 to provide better aid to dementia patients by matching them with volunteer supporters, informed sources said. The project will include providing subsidies to coordinators that connect dementia patients and their families with supporters who ...
National Aug 22, 2018
Japanese favoring Western-style gravestones for their cost and sturdiness: industry survey
The number of people who purchased traditional Japanese-style gravestones has halved over the past 14 years but Western-style memorials remain popular options, and those with designs unique to the deceased have experienced a sharp rise, according to an annual industry survey. This year's survey by ...
National Aug 20, 2018
Japan preparing to accept more caregivers from Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam
Japan plans to accept more caregivers from three Southeast Asian countries that have free trade agreements with Tokyo to help address the national labor shortage, sources familiar with the matter said. By easing some restrictions on caregivers from Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam, the government ...