Elderly people enjoy a game of Karuta (a Japanese card game) with some elementary-school children. (Jiji)

When asked about the image of the elderly in Japan, those aged 65 and older said that the elderly are healthy, enjoy satisfying lives, and are comfortable financially. Asked what they consider the ideals for old age to be, they chose "living independently without relying on my children" and "continuing to undertake new challenges." A large number of people indicated that they will rely more on their health than on money, and the older the respondents were, the more likely they were to share these opinions. Those aged 65 and older also showed an extremely strong desire to work. Trends in Japan conducted an e-mail survey at the end of August on the subject of people's views on a gray society, and the seniors who took part proved to be far more forward-looking, active, and healthy than people may have imagined.

Active Seniors
Japan is the fastest aging country in the world, and this survey was designed to gauge attitudes and ideas about old age. Trends in Japan surveyed 300 people (150 men and 150 women; 100 people each aged 20 to 39, 40 to 64, and 65 and older).

Respondents were first asked at what age they consider old age to begin. The top answer was "70," which was named by 58% of respondents. Next was "60" (28%), followed by "80" (12%). The order was the same for all the age groups surveyed, but the older the respondent, the more likely he or she was to select "80" as the age at which old age begins. This was the answer given by 20% of those 65 and older.

Pollees were next asked to select up to five words or phrases that describe their image of older people. "Retired" was the number-one choice, cited by 54%. This was followed by "relying on a pension and living a frugal life" (52%) and "pursuing hobbies" (46%). The next two responses, however, suggest a darker image. "Bedridden" was selected by 38% of pollees, and "living alone" was chosen by 31%. The top three choices were the same for all age groups in the survey, but older respondents tended to name more positive images. Interestingly, those aged 65 and older gave such answers as "healthy" (32%), "enjoying a satisfying life" (29%), and "living comfortably with money in the bank" (27%) much more often than their younger counterparts. [See graph 1]

The next section of the survey focused on the desire to work, and respondents were asked to select the answer that most corresponds to their own feeling on the matter. The top answer, chosen by 25%, was "For my health, I would like to do some kind of work even after reaching retirement age." This was followed closely by "I will work until I have enough money saved up, but after that I do not want to work" (23%); "I will work until retirement age, but after that I want to take it easy and not work" (22%); and "I want to keep working all my life" (20%). "I will work until I have enough money saved up, but after that I do not want to work" was the most popular choice for both women (29%) and respondents between the ages of 20 and 39 (37%). [See graph 2] Here again, the answers given by those aged 65 or older differed. Older people chose "I will work until retirement age"; "I will work even after retirement age"; and "I will work all my life" in greater numbers than any other group. Clearly, these seniors have a strong desire to work.

Ideals for Old Age
Respondents were next asked to choose up to five ideals for the life of seniors. The most popular answer, given by 66% of all respondents, was "being absorbed in hobbies." It was followed by "living independently without relying on one's children" (53%); "continuing to undertake new challenges" (51%); "taking a long journey" (43%); and "playing sports for one's health" (42%). [See graph 3] This order was almost the same for men and women and for all age groups. Respondents 65 and older, however, named "living independently without relying on one's children"; "continuing to undertake new challenges"; "playing sports for one's health"; "raising plants and animals"; "sharing one's knowledge with children"; "contributing to society through volunteer activities"; and "staying connected with the community through residents' associations" more than the other age groups.

Respondents were then queried as to the type of living arrangements they would prefer when they become seniors. Multiple answers were given. The top choice was "living together with my spouse" (56%). Interestingly, this answer was given by 63% of men but just 48% of women. The next most popular answers were "living in an area with lots of nature" (38%); "living near my children's house" (31%); "living with my children's family" (20%); and "living in a big city" (18%). Those aged 65 or older do not want to depend on their children, but many hope to "live near them" (40%) or "live with them" (28%). The seventh-most popular answer was "living abroad," (15%) and the three places outside of Japan where people would most like to spend their golden years are Hawaii, Australia, and the United States. These answers were the same for men and women and for all age groups.

Pollees were then asked what they would depend on in their old age. The top answer was "money" (35%), followed by "a healthy body" (29%); "children or family" (15%); "government care, including the pension and nursing-care systems" (8%); "a reason for living" (6%); "myself" (5%); and "friends or other people in the neighborhood" (2%). For those aged 65 and older, though, the top answers changed places and were "a healthy body" (34%) and "money" (28%). In addition, these seniors were more likely to say that they will depend on "government care" (15%). [See graph 4]

When asked what worried them about old age, many people in their twenties and thirties expressed anxiety about the pension system. A 28-year-old female office worker commented, "A great deal of money is deducted from my salary for pension and insurance. I wonder if I will ever see it again. I hope the pension system does not collapse." Those in the 40-64 age group tended to list their health as a major concern. A 58-year-old male translator and interpreter wrote, "I wonder how long my wife and I will be able to maintain our current health." Respondents aged 65 and older showed growing concern over long-term care. A 67-year-old housewife said, "To put it bluntly, I am worried about becoming bedridden or senile." Behind all of these worries are the effects of Japan's falling birthrate and aging population.

Respondents were also asked what, if any, difference there was between their previous perceptions of being older and the way they actually feel now and if there is anything that they now understand that they were unable to before. Their answers varied greatly. A 72-year-old retiree says, "As I was approaching retirement age, I had a dark view of that lifestyle. But now that I've retired, I feel healthy and have the desire to work as long as I am able to." Other seniors had different views. A 65-year-old housewife notes, "I had thought that I wanted to work as long as my body had the strength, but my body doesn't move as well as I thought it would." Among the younger respondents, a 36-year-old office worker says, "When I was younger, I thought that I would feel like an adult by now, but actually the way I feel hasn't changed much at all."

Finally, pollees were asked to name the person, living or dead, who embodies their ideal of how to live in old age. Those age 20-39 and 40-64 gave largely the same answers. The three people named most often by these age groups were "Kin and Gin," two twin sisters who lived past the age of 100 and often appeared on TV; "Mitsuko Mori," an actress who is still active in her eighties; and "Kyosen Ohashi," a former Diet member who has lived a comfortable life overseas since his sixties. Respondents aged 65 or older, though, gave a different reponse. Their number-one choice was "Shigeaki Hinohara," a doctor still practicing at the age of 90 and the honorary president of St. Luke's International Hospital in Tokyo. Hinohara was named a Person of Cultural Merit in 1999.