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Aging in Comparative PerspectiveAging in Japan

Aging in Comparative Perspective: Aging in Japan [Japan has become one of the wealthiest societies in the world, and also (by 2005) the oldest. Imagine the contrasts you have seen if you are now in your eighties in this country: in your childhood you saw the rise of Japanese militarism, entry into World War Two via the attack on the US at Pearl Harbor, and the shock of eventual defeat precipitated by the dropping of the atomic bombs in Nagasaki and Hiroshima. The old order gave way to a new peaceful democratic society, albeit one in which powerful vested interests still largely predominated. Perhaps you became a salaryman with one of the new successful Japanese corporations like Sony or Toyota, and you and your family became wealthy. In your old age you are content with your life, and happy for your descendants. You now have a house in Thailand where you live during the winter, in what has become known as a “pendulum life” and your son and daughter’s families use it too, for summer vacations. The bursting of the property bubble was a financial shock, however, as was the loss of pension records in 2007. The Tohoku earthquake and resulting tsunami of 2011 was an even greater shock, however, as was the accompanying failures at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and you are reminded that Japan lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire and thus remains vulnerable to disasters. Perhaps, alternatively, you were a fisherman who lived in Miyagi Prefecture that bore the brunt of the giant waves that reached up to six miles inland; previously you had had a quiet life until the tsunami struck and now all that you once knew in the locality is in ruins, and many of your family and friends died as a result. Yes, the Ring of Fire is a reality for you and many like you, and life will never be quite the same again for at least a generation. You are grateful to have been spared but you would rather that you had been taken and one from the younger generation had survived in your stead. The final section of this chapter will conclude by exploring the selflessness of your generation in the face of such disastrous happenings.] http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png

Aging in Comparative PerspectiveAging in Japan

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Publisher
Springer US
Copyright
© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012
ISBN
978-1-4614-1977-8
Pages
37 –45
DOI
10.1007/978-1-4614-1978-5_5
Publisher site
See Chapter on Publisher Site

Abstract

[Japan has become one of the wealthiest societies in the world, and also (by 2005) the oldest. Imagine the contrasts you have seen if you are now in your eighties in this country: in your childhood you saw the rise of Japanese militarism, entry into World War Two via the attack on the US at Pearl Harbor, and the shock of eventual defeat precipitated by the dropping of the atomic bombs in Nagasaki and Hiroshima. The old order gave way to a new peaceful democratic society, albeit one in which powerful vested interests still largely predominated. Perhaps you became a salaryman with one of the new successful Japanese corporations like Sony or Toyota, and you and your family became wealthy. In your old age you are content with your life, and happy for your descendants. You now have a house in Thailand where you live during the winter, in what has become known as a “pendulum life” and your son and daughter’s families use it too, for summer vacations. The bursting of the property bubble was a financial shock, however, as was the loss of pension records in 2007. The Tohoku earthquake and resulting tsunami of 2011 was an even greater shock, however, as was the accompanying failures at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and you are reminded that Japan lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire and thus remains vulnerable to disasters. Perhaps, alternatively, you were a fisherman who lived in Miyagi Prefecture that bore the brunt of the giant waves that reached up to six miles inland; previously you had had a quiet life until the tsunami struck and now all that you once knew in the locality is in ruins, and many of your family and friends died as a result. Yes, the Ring of Fire is a reality for you and many like you, and life will never be quite the same again for at least a generation. You are grateful to have been spared but you would rather that you had been taken and one from the younger generation had survived in your stead. The final section of this chapter will conclude by exploring the selflessness of your generation in the face of such disastrous happenings.]

Published: Oct 17, 2011

Keywords: Chinese Character; Pension System; Tohoku Earthquake; Liberal Democratic Party; Pension Scheme

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