[Senior Trend] Lessons Learned on a Business Trip to Japan, the 'Country for the Elderly'

Last week, I went on a business trip to Tokyo, Japan. Before COVID-19, I frequently traveled there as I was in charge of the Japan region, so it had been a while. Whenever I need reference material related to senior living, I always look for Japanese books first. Japan, having experienced aging earlier and for a longer time than us, offers many cases worth examining. The discussions on various issues have been extensive, resulting in deep philosophies and diverse trends. Since it is part of the East Asian cultural sphere, it is easier to apply than Western examples. Through this visit, I felt both admiration for the systems and facilities already established for seniors and also thought there might be things we could do better.

The journey began with taking the train from the airport to the city center. The consideration for the elderly and vulnerable stood out immediately. Even before boarding the train, the floor was painted in vivid pink and blue colors to designate areas for the elderly and women, accompanied by large-letter signage. Inside, pictograms indicated seats reserved for “elderly, disabled, internally disabled, caregivers with infants, and pregnant women,” making it understandable even for those who cannot read the text (such as foreigners). Many people using wheelchairs were seen, but this seemed possible only on certain lines. Outside the city center, many places operate unmanned, and some stations are old with only stairs. However, where there was no elevator but only escalators, if a wheelchair user needed to move, one entire line?either the up or down line?would be stopped exclusively, and station staff would accompany and assist the person. Other passengers waited patiently for 5 to 8 minutes. It seemed to be a frequent occurrence, as I witnessed it more than once daily even as a short-term visitor.

The medium-sized supermarket in a bedroom community where people commute to Tokyo was also impressive. There was a variety of soft foods (軟化食: foods designed to compensate for reduced chewing ability) for people with poor teeth and convenient meal products for single-person households. Natural medicinal products for digestion, which are very famous, are essential shopping items for Korean seniors visiting Japan. There were more than two types of shopping carts, including a compact and easy-to-lean-on type suited for one- or two-person households. An interesting feature was the checkout counter. When you put in more than ten types of Japanese coins at once, the machine automatically separates and counts them, so you don’t have to squint and count each coin manually. The font size displaying the numbers and items at the counter was enormous, and at the same time, the amount was announced audibly. This voice service accommodated not only visually impaired people but also those with hearing difficulties. Although there are many places with Braille, unfortunately, I did not encounter them.

By good fortune, I was able to stay in a Japanese UR rental housing through an acquaintance. It is similar to the affordable housing operated by Korea’s LH Corporation. It is a low-income housing without key money, brokerage fees, renewal fees, guarantors, or guarantee fees. From the entrance, the design had no thresholds, and safety bars (handrails) were installed in every corridor inside the complex, allowing people to lean on them anytime. There were chair-type installations to rest briefly while passing by, which was helpful while waiting for the elevator. The house itself was full of thoughtful features. Emergency bells were installed next to the toilet and bathtub, and horizontal and vertical bars were fixed near the bathtub and toilet to serve as safety bars for grabbing onto when suddenly standing up or feeling dizzy due to temperature differences. The washbasin was placed low, considering children and seniors, and the washing machine faucet was positioned at the front rather than the back, allowing use without bending over. Thresholds were removed from every room to prevent tripping, and the structure allowed easy movement for wheelchairs or walkers. The elevator doors closed slowly by default to accommodate the elderly and vulnerable.

Various advertisements related to seniors were frequently seen everywhere. A famous liquor company ran cosmetics ads instead of alcohol ads, featuring a senior male model in his 50s appearing with his wife, explaining why men should take care of their skin as they age and recommending products. There were also multiple ads promoting easy loans secured by real estate owned by seniors. Dinner show ads by senior singers with long careers and hot spring travel ads featured many senior models with white hair. On the other hand, since newspapers mainly target senior customers, they wanted to expand readership among younger people and ran stylish ads using character webtoons.

I also visited several local bookstores, including Daikanyama Tsutaya Bookstore, which succeeded with taste curation tailored to senior lifestyles and even expanded overseas. I wanted to see the scene where essays by super-elderly grandmothers in their 90s became bestsellers and a goldmine for the Japanese publishing industry. These books are called “Arahan (Around Hundred),” referring to those around 100 years old, and the readers are mainly women in their 60s to 80s. Seniors seek stories from older generations to find answers about life, and a common theme is “the elegance of living without dependence.” It was nice to see book covers featuring kind photos of grandmothers. The self-development book section, often seen in Japanese bookstores, remained popular as ever. It was impressive to see shelves organized by generation, from teens to people in their 50s, with practical books about “things you must do” and “things you must not miss” every ten years.

Meanwhile, I couldn’t help but think about the population. Ads recruiting senior veterans in technical fields to rehire retirees due to labor shortages and stories from residents who must survive on their own because pensions have run out despite retirement age extensions did not feel like someone else’s problem. At a traditional yokan (sweet bean jelly) shop run by an artisan for over 100 years, I heard a sigh that they might have to close because there is no successor. Indeed, convenience stores in central Tokyo were staffed almost entirely by foreign students from China, the Philippines, India, Vietnam, and occasionally Korea. Although they follow manuals, the service culture was different from Japan’s unique hospitality. In regional areas, seniors reportedly work as sales clerks, but I could not confirm this on this Tokyo-only trip. I also watched a TV program discussing the “Akiya” (vacant house) problem in Japan, which is shouting to maintain a population of 100 million. Even in crowded Tokyo, 10% of houses are vacant. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, as of 2018, there were 8.5 million vacant houses (14% of all houses). Aging and population decline are causes, and houses left unattended due to aging and inheritance tax issues are increasing. Although free houses are increasing, transfer taxes, property taxes, and repair costs add up, making it difficult to find takers.

A society that considers the senior generation from all planning to design is full of consideration. However, experiencing the inside of a super-aged society firsthand, I realized all problems are interconnected and complex. Although we face a faster and more serious aging path than Japan, we still have time. We don’t know exactly what to do yet, but perhaps there is another way for us? Isn’t our execution ability the best in the world!

Lee Boram, CEO of Third Age

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.