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Being 100 in Japan

by Deepal Warnakulasuriya


Elders who came for pottery lessons in Saku city.

Japan is getting old and it's no surprise. According to the latest statistics more than 20,000 Japanese are 100 years old and around 20 million people are over 65. The elders represent almost 19 per cent of the total population which now stands at over 125 million.

The Japanese are proud of their life expectancy which is the highest in the World (78.32 years for males and 85.23 for females) and their longevity secrets which could be traced to their very active lifestyle even in old age and the rich variety of their culture.

In 1950, children (up to 14 years of age) accounted for 35.4 per cent of the total population, adults (15-64 years) for 59.7 per cent and the elderly (65 and over) for 4.9 per cent. But, as of 2002 children accounted for 14.2 per cent of the total population, adults for 67.3 per cent while elderly became 18.5 per cent.

In 1960, Japan had only 144 centenarians. But 40 years later, in 2000 the number increased to 12,256. As the Japanese Health, Labour Welfare Ministry reports, by September 2003 the number reached 20,561. The 2003 figure was 134 times greater than the 153 in 1963, when the Ministry started compiling statistics following the enactment of the Welfare Law for the Aged. Now they have a `Centenarian Club' and it is led by women representing 84.6 per cent of the total.


Yamaguchi Yasujiro (101) weaving gold thread into cloths to use as a costume for the Noh theatre

Hinohara Shigeaki, (94) Honorary President St Luke's Nursing College an still a practising doctor says that the diet is the most important reason for long life. According to him, most Japanese who are over 60 or older were born before the war, when they ate more sparingly, and even today most of them do not eat heavy meals. One of the common factors among the elders is that none of them are overweight. The Japanese strongly believe that obesity puts stress on the heart and also increases the possibility of hardening of the arteries.

The Japanese eat only up to 75 to 80 per cent of their stomach capacity. However, they do not say that you should eat only vegetables or avoid things you like. "It is okay to eat some meat and fish for an active life. The important thing is to keep the calorie intake down and to cut down on animal fat and sugar", Dr. Shigeaki says.

In Japan, it is common for elders to willingly avoid escalators at super markets, stations or air ports, while youth look for them. Elders mostly use the stairs. It is evident they stick to the advice "exercise is very important, and a physically and mentally inactive life could lead to dementia".

The older generation of the Japanese take a medical checkup at least once a year monitoring their physical conditions for symptoms of diseases. According to them, the most important factor is one's outlook on life. They say "Be optimistic. Do what you want to do".

The Japanese also believe in the adages "Early to bed, early to rise" and "Eat three good meals a day". If you have planned to work in a Japanese firm or government department, be careful, they do not want to see you looking dog-tired after the night shift or working long hours.

Your tiredness definitely will be defined as your inability to enjoy what you do. Till 1960's, Saku city in the Nagano Prefecture in central Japan accounted for the highest death rate due to cerebral stroke. The system which the Municipal government introduced for residents to stay healthy reversed the trend completely and today the prefecture is known as "the city for health and longevity".

Miura Daisuke (76) Mayor of Nagano who is also a practising doctor rejects the idea of an elderly person being stuck at home all day watching TV. He says "most of our elders eat the type of food our ancestors ate, mainly rice, vegetables, soy beans and fresh water fish. It was a healthy diet before, and it still is".

Although he does not mention it is usual to take a glass of beer before lunch or dinner by almost all Japanese including women. If you say "No drinks", the steward would give you a second look. Other than the diet, the Japanese, especially the older generation, drink green tea many times a day.

One astringent ingredient in green tea (Catechin) helps prevent cell oxidization, cancer and lifestyle diseases. Research has shown that the cancer death rate in Shizuoka prefecture, where green tea is harvested in huge quantities is 20 per cent lower than in the country as a whole.

The Japanese also make great efforts to help the elderly retain their independence and be socially active.

They argue that the retirement age should be increased to 70 (it is now 60) as the average lifespan is more than 80 years. However, the rule for 60 was set years ago when the average lifespan was 68. The suggestion has been mostly appreciated since they had understood that enjoying new experiences and staying active in body and mind keeps elderly people happy and in good health.

In a situation where Japan is becoming a multi-generational society, they promote outgoing attitudes, interacting with people, living a stimulating life among elders to keep them going well. The country's low birth rate has been identified as one of the major reasons for the high percentage of elderly people as the annual growth rate was 0.29 per cent in 2001. At the same time a considerably low infant mortality rate is also another reason.

While the country faces the phenomenon of a rapidly increasing elder generation as well as a low birth rate, the latest problem is that the number of people who have never married is increasing rapidly. The percentage of unmarried men is now so high and it has already brought a question mark about the survival of the Japanese society. In other words Japan's future is at risk.

In a bid to help reduce the burden of caring for the elderly the Japanese government introduced a long-term public nursing- care system in April 2000, in addition to the National Health Insurance (NHI). Almost four million had benefitted from the system by August 2003. While the ageing generation is rapidly increasing, the Japanese Cabinet had to pass another blueprint in March 2003 to create a new health insurance plan for people 75 years and older.

However, the time has already come for the Japanese to work toward a consensus on how Japan's priceless traditions and culture can flourish in the new social environment. If they are not to begin it today itself it would definitely bring hazardous results.


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