Japan's Demographic Problems

ShiroKuro

I’ve been reading about and hearing about the problem of population decline in Japan for years now, it was discussed when I still lived there, but now it has gotten much harder to ignore. The last time we were there (this past winter break) you couldn’t really tell in Tokyo, but in mid-size cities and smaller areas, you tell in terms of empty stores, empty houses, lack of staff or personnel… also schools have been closed because the number of children is down etc. It really sad. I think if we still lived there, I would feel really afraid about our post-retirement life.. Of course, in the US I’m afraid, just for different reasons.

Steve Miller

Interesting problem.

wtg

Another take, from Nippon:

https://www.nippon.com/en/in-depth/d00736/

It does seem that this has been a problem in Japan for quite some time. In one sense, it's not unlike the Kitty Genovese syndrome where people will stand by and do nothing even if there seems to be a situation that requires intervention.

@ShiroKuro , do you think there are cultural elements at play here? Are the Japanese extremely respectful of people's privacy, and therefore reluctant to act? Is it just denial that it's happening?

Big_Al

It's something that I think about more as I become older and more dependent on others for some needs.

A gentleman who I know is in his 90s and fell in his home. He was unable to get up and lay on the floor for nearly two days until his son came by to see why he did not snswer the phone. He has now moved to a senior living facility where his condition is more likely to be noticed.

A phone or alert system provides some protection, but is not proof against an incapacitating event. Living with someone provides some additional protection, but the rise of single individuals and no children makes this possibility less likely for many people.

As I said, this is a problem with no simple or obvious solution.

Big Al

ShiroKuro

@wtg said in Japan's Demographic Problems:

do you think there are cultural elements at play here? Are the Japanese extremely respectful of people's privacy, and therefore reluctant to act? Is it just denial that it's happening?

Certainly the things you mention are factors, but another is related to the concepts of enryo (restraint) and meiwaku (causing trouble to others) ... I see these as sort of the reverse of being respectful of someone else's privacy. So there is cultural preference not to cause problems for others, which means that people don't reach out when they need help. This happens long before someone dies, but I think it's connected to kodokushi (dying alone and not being found). Because people don't want to trouble others, when someone is in slow decline, they don't reach out for the little things early on, and so their decline it can go unnoticed. That means people don't have a habit of checking on each other if they're not family.

In generations past, there were family, children, extended relatives who did check on each other, but nothing has sprung up to replace those networks, and again, because people don't want to trouble their neighbors, they persevere in silence, and as their decline goes unnoticed, so does their absence when the pass.

ShiroKuro

@Big_Al said in Japan's Demographic Problems:

It's something that I think about more as I become older and more dependent on others for some needs.

I think about this too, although I'm still young enough that it's "in the future." But since we don't have any children, I wonder who we will depend on when the time comes. And as I do things for my 80 year old mother, I find myself thinking, who will do these things for me when I'm 80.

I try not to dwell on it, but it's there, in the background.

wtg

We have no children either. There are two of us here, so for now we look out for each other, but I've thought about some strategies if there's just one of us left.

I don't have an iPhone or Apple Watch, but my understanding is that the Apple Watch has a decent fall detection function. If it thinks you've fallen, it will call emergency services and up to five people you've designated.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/108896

The second thing I'd consider is creating a circle of a few friends who text or call to connect every day on a scheduled basis. One member of the group would be "on call" on a given day of the week, and everyone in the group would text that person to let them know they're alive and well. Even with just three or four people, any individual would only be on the hook a few times a week to keep track of whether everyone has checked in.

I've heard of elderly people opening a blind or shade each morning and closing it in the evening as a signal to a neighbor who is willing to be on the lookout. This would work well in a situation like ours, where our neighbor and friend Sue lives directly behind us. She can see the back of our house and whether the blinds on the kitchen window are open or closed. She has a regular schedule and even without any formal signal protocol, is generally aware of our routine. I hope she doesn't move before I'm dead.

DougG

this will be on my to do list to deal with someday. Not only do I live by myself, I’m quite the hermit. I don’t really know any of my neighbors. The rough timeline I’ve had in my head for a while is that sometime in my mid 70s I would need to move someplace at least a bit more communal, so someone will be able to find my rotting carcus fairly early. I hope to push this plan back to more by early 80s cause I actually love living by myself, but am probably one health scare away from having to change plans.

Steve Miller

Sharons grandmother moved in to a 1 bedroom apartment when her grandfather died in 1958. She lived there for the rest of her life and died at age 95 in the late 1990’s.

The complex had two single story buildings that faced each other, sharing a wide lawn. Maybe 12 units total. Each unit had a little flowerbed in front, maintained by the residents. The laundry room had a wringer washing machine in it and no one wanted the modern machine I offered to get for them. No dryer - the clothes line was a great place to socialize.

The best part was the rent. The lady who owned it was the daughter of the original owners and lived on the property. She stopped raising the rent some time in the 70’s and I think at the end the rent was $150/month.

Maintenance was informal, mostly done by family members. I know I replaced more than one toilet and kept the locks and windows working. Granny always made sure to have a nice dinner waiting when I was done and of course we brought the kids.

That’s a long intro to tell you that the women in that apartment complex (it was all single women) had devised a number of ways to take care of each other. There was one lady who would go around every morning to see if drapes were open or closed and knock on the door if something wasn’t right. That’s how they knew granny had fallen earlier and couldn’t get up. They shared food, too, and the residents with cars (not many) would help with errands.

It wasn’t a perfect setup, there was bickering and a remarkable amount of gossip but it worked. The place was torn down some years back to make way for new student housing and I suppose the residents got moved in to retirement homes.

ShiroKuro

@wtg said in Japan's Demographic Problems:

I don't have an iPhone or Apple Watch, but my understanding is that the Apple Watch has a decent fall detection function. If it thinks you've fallen, it will call emergency services and up to five people you've designated.

I got my mother an Apple Watch (maybe last year?) specifically for this reason. We also recently set up location sharing so I can see where her phone is as well.

I like the idea of having a system with neighbors or friends. Eventually we’ll need that. First we need to make some more friends in our new town.

Steve, that apartment complex sounds wonderful! My mother is planning to move to our town next year, I wish I could find a place like that for her.