The Aging Situation in Japan - Case Study Example

 The Aging Situation in Japan Demographic Trends of the future and the past Being the first non-western country to experience the reduction in fertility after the Second World War, the reduction was hastier than expected in the industrialized states of the time. Considering a short period baby boom that occurred between 1947 and 1949, the countries fertility dropped spectacularly. After the period, the fertility levels increased around the substitution level until the first oil crisis. The public pension schemes were initially implemented for specific occupational groups considering that some groups were covered earlier than the rest. The National Pension Scheme and the Employees Pension Scheme occupy almost 90% of the workforce. The NPS was implemented in 1961 while the EPS in 1941. The initial difference between the NPS and EPS is that the paid employees that worked for the firm had at least 5 regular workers that belonged to the EPS. The duo schemes also differ in methods and levels of contribution. The equivalent of 13.736 per cent of a worker's total annual earnings entails the bonuses contributed to the government with the inclusion of contributions evenly split between the employer and the employee. Looking at the NPS, the government gathers a flat contribution from enrolled members with much of the individuals being self-employed. The reforms enacted in 1994 gave authority for the elimination by about 2013 of the inter-scheme variations in the minimum age need employees to retire at or before the age of 60. This leaves a superseding period. Japan’s life expectancy has been on the rise over the prior century and it appears to be the highest in the world. The Japanese individuals preserve the longest life anticipation in the world and have the lowest fertility rates. Considering that Japan could not maintain it's in progress level of fabrication, it is lying face down to lose its blemish as the third largest market in the world and a manager in the cutting-edge economy. Considering the several proposed answers to the predicament of the decreased labour force, several of the proposals are simply impracticable. The Japanese citizens have been traditionally working beyond the given retirement age that appears to be improbable considering that to have an increase in the retirement age could lead to an impact. In the process of increasing the working hours by the present labour supply to maintain production, increasing the level of productivity is not practicable. Considering the implementation of technology, for example, robots, it appears to be a reasonable workaround for the deceased employee's issue. Japan is a very mechanically improved state with several of the manufacturing jobs being done by the robots. In Japan, it is common to have adult children living with their aging parents which often lead to a three-generation household. The occurrence of such households is considered to be helpful with the lumber of the aging inhabitants that is imposed on the welfare system for a considerable amount of time. However, the minimized fertility rate indicates that the older citizens have a reduced numeral of children to handle them. The situation automatically raises the average cost of help which is needed by every retired individual. Having a raised numeral of the retired individuals only raises the issue. It certainly appears that to raise the number of workers becomes essential in order to access the tax revenue significant to support the system. Despite the fact that Japan can be capable of producing the present levels, the issues are past the maintenance of exports and the production levels. The improvements in production and technology could allow Japan to carry on with the same level of output. Nonetheless, the general aging of the population translates into more individuals who require help via Japan’s pension plans and social security. Due to the fewer young working individuals, there will be a reduced numeral of individuals that will foot the bill in form of taxation in order to fund the programs. To keep away from going bankrupt, it will be important for the tax rates to be increased since it can affect the economy. The suicide epidemic The elderly in Japan seem to live longer while many young individuals end their lives in Japan. It is has been determined that suicide leads in the factors of death in Japan between the age of 15-38. The raised suicide rate means indicate that there are fewer individuals in the work-force and a reduced number of young adults that should have children to counterbalance the increasing standard age. The view on honourable suicides has been replaced by the stigmatization that surrounds the shared suicide by a shared larger part of the world. Japan's suicide epidemic is tremendously complicated with an extended history. A considerable reason for the occurrence of suicide in Japan is the state's history of samurai who considered honourable in committing suicide instead of being defeated in battles. In sudden fresh years, the reputation of an honourable suicide was reaffirmed by the presence of kamikaze pilots in World War II that was capable of crashing planes into the enemy territories. Despite suicide being considered of not being honourable in the present days, there is still a reduced number of adequate support for programs that have been implemented to reduce the suicide deaths. Mental health counsellors lack the specific requirements to have work done as compared to other countries like the United States. The seemingly obvious answer to the menace is to add requirements for the mental health counsellors to make the work they do more accessible and public to those that require treatment. Mental health issues have a very negative stigma in Japan and are commonly assumed taboo for the fear of social backlash. Despite the Japan psychiatrists being capable of prescribing medicine to those suffering from mental illness, there is minimal comprehension of the significance of counselling. Barriers to the increased immigration An increase in immigration can be a solution to Japan's aging population. To allow more young citizens into Japan from abroad can be attributed significantly to bring the average age down for the provision of jobs that require to be filled. The act will provide the state with an increased taxable income that will be significant in solving many problems related to the aging population. Despite its obvious advantages, the Japanese government has been reluctant in its pursuance. Despite the optimistic increase in the fertility rate, it requires an average of about 200,000immigrants per annum to keep the inhabitants over 99 million. The Japanese individuals are entailed with a strapping sense of countrywide unity and the Japanese strengthen the unity on an ethnic level. Economic Challenges of Aging population in Japan The demographic variations have far-ranging consequences on the population. The demographic ratios have an influence on the organization and size of the labour workforce with consideration of the structure demand for services and goods. The raised number of elderly has also led to the creation of additional opportunities for the increase in the health care and other service sectors. Population aging has led to the shocks to the Japanese demand's structure which in turn led to the deflationary heaviness, a reduction in the real GDP from 1991 to 2000s, and a rise in the unemployment rates. The economic activity is exposed to slowing down due to the population aging that causes an increase in government expenditure and a reduction in the tax base. Other problems entail the financial problems in the health system and public pension alongside the decline in the availability of personal savings. Senior-oriented marketing Considering the rapid demographic shifts which are being observed in Japan as the serious look on the extension of numbers of senior lucrative business opportunity. Several companies are considering taking benefit of the ever-growing market with specification on seniors that spend their finances freely. A famous trend within seniors is the consumption of dishes and meals prepared commercially as compared to their homes. The prepared food markets have been linked to the rapid growth rate as this has been theorized to the trend of the current generation of the elderly Japanese men are not good in the kitchen as their aged wives may be tired of cooking many meals a day for their retired husbands. Restaurants and coffee shops have also been adapting to the demographic shifts, for instance, the Komeda coffee shops chain that is almost in every part of Japan. The shops began tailoring their opening hours too early growing seniors along the special offers for the aging individuals. For instance, there is Izakaya in Tokyo's Shinagawa district which has been established as a bar and restaurant type establishment that offers senior meal course with very attractive pricing to make the utilization of the market. To the travel industry, the raised spending of the seniors has been rewarding for the travel industry. An instance of the senior-oriented marketing being observed recently is the NTT DoCoMo, a wireless carrier. The facility recognizes individuals age 60 and above comprising nearly a quarter of their customers as they launched a new smartphone with larger icons and fonts with simpler camera and e-mail functions. Additionally, there is a retailer named Aeon which has opened a shopping centre with services and products specifically aimed at seniors. Unicharm, a diapers company reported that sales of adult diapers exceeded those for babies in 2012 hence highlighting a significant issue on Japan's demographic problem. Toyota manufacturing company has joined the trend through unveiling a service robot for the disabled and elderly to carry and fetch things to make their owners lives easier. Retirement Japan has been elevating the bureaucrat age of retirement in order to battle the expanding the extension burden of the public pension system. By 2013, the age limit was raised to 61 and 62 by 2016 considering the plans made by the Japanese government. In 2011, Japan men were moving from the labour market at 70 years old and the female gender at 67. It is claimed to be due to the government pension being insufficient as others prefer to keep body and mind health. Often, the companies are used to rehiring the employees past their retirement age with a considerable pay-cut. In consideration of the matter, it is profitable for them to have the highly experienced employees that impart wisdom to the younger generations which are paid as compared to the past. Alternatively, another solution that can be available to Japan's elderly recruitment is to secure jobs at the silver centres. The silver centres are a state government program which provides jobs for individuals that are aged 60 years and above. The higher-ranking complete work orders that arrive from private companies, even households, and environmental agencies entail the outdoor and indoor work across a wide variety of fields. Several of the elderly have found the silver centres enjoyable as they provide a better way to create finance while staying healthy and fit beside socializing with the other aged individuals. Robotics The manufacturing company Toyota is considering going robotic in the demographic budges. As the aging population requires the increasing amount of workers and resources in the elder care in the world, individuals have considered the elder-care robots that have a great budding to ascertain the needs of the expanding statistics of the numbers. The robots are assumed to meet the responsibilities like watching aging elderly patients with cameras and patients. The robots are assumed to help dementia patients through having engagements in the conversations, helping them to keep the record of important information that they can forget, for instance, appointments, dates, and phone numbers. Additionally, the robots can also proceed as a conservatory of the health-care specialties that limit the requisite for home visits as doctors can engage the elderly remotely by the help of the robot that can perform a check out procedure. As the artificial cleverness is improving, the robots are capable of acting as a companion to the aging individuals hence reducing boredom. The primary elder-care robots did not take off well despite the government pouring billions of yens to incentivize the elder-care robot development. With limited success and a steep price tag within the nursing homes, similar robots and Paro implemented as a disappointment with some individuals. Robots like Pepper, Palro, and ChihiraAico are designed to engage with individuals on a personal level and keep the aging company and ensuring their minds are active. When the nation begins to encounter a lack of caregivers for the expansion of numbers of the elderly, they consider the Japan care expertise to handle the matter. The speedy demographic shifts that are happening in Japan are encouraging progression in the robotic companies and industry by funding their own projects. Japan Solution to the Challenges Automation The matter of aging care, in general, has become increasingly significant in Japan. Therefore, Japan comprehensively and quickly requires responding to the rapid aging community. The physical and physical challenge in the field of care and labour shortage has been accompanied with the necessity to rethink on the utilization of health robots in the health care sector. With close consideration of the care market in Japan, it shows the various concepts for home health care provision, home usage, and aged care. The topical robot development in the field of care is entailed of interaction, care assistance, and therapy. Technologies for care assistance are aiming at reducing the burden for the nursing staff and the improvement of quality care via, for instance, the Robbed and the lifting systems like the polar bear robot RIBA. In the field of entertainment, the robots will be used for playing, for instance, the RoboCup and AIBO, to foster creativity like the Mindstorms and Lego, and for communication like the KOBIAN-R and NAO. By the usage of Robots for rehabilitation and therapy, the physical situations will be likely to receive improvement. Machinery Immigration When addressing Japan’s reducing workforce, the influx of young foreign workers could help in alleviating the immediate problems that are posed by a reduction of caregivers for the aging, boosting the birth rates, and bolstering the population. The Japanese policymakers are being reluctant in making fundamental changes to the severe immigration policies that are in place. This considering the fact that several Japanese are being exposed to mass immigration with half of the population is unhappy with the rising presence of the foreign individuals in their Japan. Individuals who have many chances of coming in contact with foreigners are more probable to be helpful for immigration. Considering the idea that most of the Japanese senior foreign nationalities being non-English native speakers, English communication skills appear to play some role in reducing the anti-immigrant response in Japan. With the further internalization, the Japanese government should at opening the country to more immigrants to encourage studying abroad and travelling in order to promote the cultural exchange as a dynamic to change the public insight of immigration. Gender Equality Gender equality has been linked with the fertility rates hence being a factor that has been participating in the aging population. Japan is ranked to be 110th among 144 states on the global gender report where many individuals are convinced that advancing gender equality may be the solution to the Japans’ challenges. The reduction in birth rates has been linked with the minimized marriage, more people choosing to remain single, and the consistent stigma against getting children outside marriage. Such factors are considered to be due to the gender inequality where the Japanese work environment has become more unreceptive towards the female gender that has children who are forced to make a choice between having a family or a career. Nonetheless, the gender equality policies have been received with repercussion from the Japanese society. The problem is at sometimes pointed to the traditional attitudes of the male-dominated society where the warriors received accolades and placed in high-status positions. However, Abe’s administration worked hard to raise the employment rate of adult females with objectives of increasing the employment rate of women aged 26 to 45 from 67% in 2016 to 74% in 2022 besides the increase in the percentage of women in the administrative positions to 32%. In their mission, they indicated how they will create an environment where both fathers and mothers could share responsibility in handling their children while continuing with work. This will enable implementation of the plan to eliminate the childcare waiting listing through creating about 500, 000 new nursery schools by 2020. The gender strategy is not probably to receive any of the radical changes in the coming few years due to the political focus and inertia on different issues. However, some minimal adjustments will be expected. There are hopes of expecting the continuous emphasis on the gender equality policies for the benefit of boosting birthrates with strategies that will improve women's lives and work balance as males will be expected to be participating in childcare. However, society has a backlash that comes from people that still hang on notions of traditional families that are comprised of male breadwinner and house-wives. Some individuals are believed to assume that enhancing the employment of women through the child-bearing period will eradicate the traditional Japanese families. The state requires being careful while putting into consideration the feelings of such individuals who fuel the backlash to the gender equality policies. Contending with the modern Japan social norms, a father who takes care of his child is observed to be not caring for his job as required by the traditions. With regards to the realization of gender equality in Japan's future, every gender should be having a shorter workday to lower the social expectations of motherhood. Read More