aging population
On the commuter train from Nagoya to Gifu, 70 year old elderly Watanabe tightly gripped the handrail. He has to do short-term cleaning work every week to support his family, because his monthly pension of 90000 yen has little left after paying Tokyo rent. After moving to rural Ibaraki, the rent dropped to 15000 yen, and Japan’s aging population finally managed to survive, “he said with a bitter smile. Meanwhile, a group of South Asian young workers on the same train were rushing to factories to fill job vacancies that Japanese people were unwilling to work in – they were the new blood of this aging country aging population
1. 2025 Crisis: Survival Challenge of Super Aging Population aging population
In 2025, Japan will usher in a historic turning point – the “Mass Generation” (born between 1947 and 1949), with approximately 8 million people collectively entering the age of 75 and above. This means that Japan has officially entered a super aging society where one in every five people is over 75 years old, and the impact of Japan’s aging situation far exceeds that of ordinary aging:
The demand for medical care has surged: the risk of diseases among elderly people aged 75 and above has significantly increased. By 2070, the proportion of elderly people will reach 38.7%, and the current nursing industry is facing a shortage of 320000 people, which is expected to expand to 690000 people by 2040;aging population
Collapse of labor structure: In 1995, Japan’s working age population peaked at 87.16 million, but dropped sharply to 74.06 million in 2020. Now, 51% of companies are on the brink of
bankruptcy due to “no one available”, and even 98.1% of college graduates have been “snatched away” by companies;
The elderly care system is on the brink of collapse: currently, an average of 2.1 workers support 1 elderly person, and soon it will approach a 1:1 ratio. Social security expenditures have surged from 47.4 trillion yen in 1990 to 137.8 trillion yen in 2024, with the fiscal burden approaching its limit.aging population
Faced with crisis, white haired workers have become the norm on the streets: the employment rate for elderly people aged 65-69 is as high as 52%, for those aged 70-74 it is 34%, and even 11.4% of those aged 75 and above are still holding their posts. What supports them is not only economic demand, but also a survival strategy that society has to resort to. The “employment ice age
generation” in their 50s is sliding towards deeper difficulties. As informal employers after the collapse of the foam economy, many of them rely on their parents’ pensions to live. According to data from the Ministry of General Affairs, the number of unmarried adults aged 35-44 living with their parents reached 2.88 million, which is 7 times higher than in 1980. After the death of their parents, nearly 40% of those born in 1974 have a monthly pension of less than 100000 yen (about 4600 yuan), and poverty in their later years has become a certainty,
2. Income illusion: survival cracks under high averages aging population
In 2023, the average annual income of Japanese salaried workers reached 4.14 million yen (about 184800 yuan), a new high since 1976, but this impressive figure conceals multiple gaps:
Gender gap: The average annual income for men is 4.64 million yen, while for women it is only 3.56 million yen, a difference of over one million yen;
Employment differentiation: The annual salary of formal employees is 5.3 million yen, while that of informal employees is only 2.02 million yen, which is less than 40% of the former;
Industry gap: The annual salary in the electricity and gas industry is as high as 7.75 million yen, while the accommodation and catering industry only has 2.64 million yen, a difference of nearly three times.
Even more concerning is that the “employment ice age generation” in their 50s is facing retirement difficulties. They are mostly informal employees who rely on their parents’ pension for their livelihood. According to data from the Ministry of General Affairs, the number of unmarried adults aged 35-44 living with their parents reached 2.88 million, which is seven times higher than in 1980. After the death of their parents, nearly 40% of those born in 1974 have a monthly pension of less than 100000 yen, and Japan’s aging population and poverty in their later years have become a foregone conclusion.aging population
Average annual income of age group (10000 yen) converted to Japanese yen
20-24 years old 279 13.0
30-34 years old 492 22.9
40-44 years old 612 28.5
50-54 years old 689 32.1
55-59 years old 712 33.2
What is even more suffocating is the erosion of real income by high taxes. Japan implements a progressive tax system, with income tax rates starting from 5% and reaching up to 45%. This means that nearly half of the wages of high-income groups need to be paid to the government, while China’s highest tax rate is only 35% and the threshold is even higher.aging population
The pressure of living costs is particularly evident in metropolises like Tokyo. The average monthly expenditure structure of a family of three in Tokyo is as follows: (in Chinese yuan)
Rent: 4000-6000 yuan (60 ㎡ apartment)
Food and groceries: 3500 yuan
Communication fee: 500 yuan
Transportation fee: 1500 yuan
Child education: 1500 yuan
The total cost is about 12000 yuan/month, and if you pursue a comfortable life, it will cost between 15000 and 25000 yuan
The cost of living in Osaka is slightly lower, with monthly leases for two bedroom apartments ranging from 4000 to 9000 yuan, but overall expenses are still between 12000 and 18000 yuan. This pressure is directly reflected in savings ability – among young people aged 20-29, 19% have zero savings per month, and 15% have savings of less than 232 RMB.
3. The Paradox of Happiness: Spiritual Loss in Safety and Prosperity
Japanese society presents two contradictory scenes of happiness:
According to the Ipsos 2024 global survey, only 57% of Japanese people feel happy, ranking third from the bottom among 30 countries, a decrease of 13 percentage points from 2011;
However, according to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun poll, 89.3% of respondents said they were happy.aging population
The tearing sensation is caused by multiple pressure sources:
The 40-50 age group has become the most painful generation: with a happiness rate of only 49%, they are trapped in the sandwich class of “elderly and young”, while facing the triple pressure of declining health, children’s education, and parental care;
Sociocultural repression of individuality: The proverb ‘the nail that stands out is knocked down first’ reflects the suppression of collectivism on individuals, and the long working hours make Japanese people often sleep soundly on the subway and drink to release themselves;
The actual cost of living erodes the sense of gain: A family of three in Tokyo spends an average of about 15000 yuan per month, and pursuing a comfortable lifestyle requires 20000 to 25000 yuan. And taxes can reach up to 45%, further weakening disposable income. This contradictory mentality has given rise to unique lifestyle habits and cultural traits:
The strict norms of spatial etiquette: the culture of changing slippers when entering the house is deeply ingrained in the bones, and even scenes where slippers need to be changed twice are not uncommon
Daily preparation in advance: Due to the changing maritime climate, long handled umbrellas have become a standard accessory when going out, and the umbrella basket in front of the store is specially designed for storage
Humanization of infrastructure: tap water can be directly consumed, and free drinking water outlets are set up in public areas of the station, saving the cost of purchasing water
A budget conscious mode of transportation: The subway has become the preferred choice due to its high cost-effectiveness, while taxis have a starting price of up to 500 yen (approximately 23 yuan)
Clearly defined social distance: 94.7% of Chinese people in Japan feel “unable to have intimate conversations with Japanese colleagues”, reflecting a sense of alienation in interpersonal relationships
The picture shows Mount Yoshino in Nara Prefecture, Japan
4. Chinese predicament: caught between the ideal and reality of “multicultural coexistence”
The number of foreign workers in Japan has reached 2.05 million (2023), but the situation of Chinese people is undergoing complex changes:
The attraction to Japan has declined: with the increase of China’s wage level and the depreciation of the yen, the number of Chinese in Japan has been overtaken by Vietnam, and the proportion of Vietnamese labor has risen to 1/4;
The difference between policy and public opinion: the government introduced the “education for labor” system to replace the problematic skills practice system, and formulated the “road map of a symbiotic society for foreigners”. But the poll shows that only 28.7% of Japanese welcome the increase of foreigners around them, and 23.5% clearly oppose it;
Cultural conflict manifested: When the Muslim Association of Dafen County applied to build a burial ground, it encountered strong resistance from residents on the grounds of “polluting water sources” and “affecting the sale of agricultural products”, and ultimately the government refused to sell the land. Similar to the ‘Neighbor Avoidance Movement’, it has been fermenting in many parts of Japan.
Low-income farmers collect wild medicinal herbs to exchange for food.
89.5% of Chinese believe that companies treat domestic and foreign employees differently
73.7% have been verbally abused
63.1% explicitly stated that they have experienced discrimination and bullying
100% unable to distinguish between polite and sincere words from Japanese colleagues aging population
A Chinese surnamed Li revealed, “It was only after a few months of employment that I accidentally learned about weekend overtime subsidies. If it weren’t for my Japanese colleagues’ unintentional mention, the company wouldn’t have taken the initiative to pay.” This systematic neglect is even more serious among informal employees.
5. The Future Path: Finding a Balance between Openness and Conservatism aging population
Faced with the prediction that the population will decrease to 87 million by 2070, Japan is standing at a crossroads of transformation:
Labor revolution: accelerate the employment of the elderly, and expand the introduction of foreign workers. It is estimated that the proportion of foreigners will reach 10% in 2070;
Symbiotic Community Experiment: The posters of kindergartens in Koto ku, Tokyo, featuring children of different skin colors holding hands, suggest that the education system is cultivating a new generation of inclusive consciousness;
Geopolitical Swinging: Japan’s diplomacy presents a “dual nature”, both confirming strategic reciprocity with China in APEC talks and criticizing China in the US Japan Joint Statement. Behind this is the confusion about its own positioning after the collapse of the “unipolar system in the United States”. The adherence and compromise of cultural habits become a microcosm of transformation at the micro level:
Mobile payment coverage has skyrocketed from 6% in 2018 to 42% in 2024, but cash still accounts for 52% of payment transactions
Office workers accept video conferences, but insist on stamping and approving paper documents
Young couples accept dual employment model, but the female turnover rate after marriage still reaches 45%
The figure of a white haired train conductor guiding passengers is intertwined with the uniforms of Southeast Asian youth in a factory in Gifu Prefecture – this is the most authentic portrayal of the aging situation in Japanese society. When 89.3% of happiness claims coexist with 57% of pessimistic data, and when Chinese people are both excluded and become an indispensable labor force, this country is undergoing a painful transformation between tradition and modernity, closed and open.
Under the newly installed multilingual signage on the streets of Tokyo, a Filipino child’s drawing of “My Favorite Friends” was posted on the city hall bulletin board. Hands of four different skin colors pulled together, and the sun shone on their shoulders. This childish graffiti may be the code to solve the social dilemma in Japan: when the new generation learns to coexist in differences, the aging island can be reborn as a place of hope.aging population
In daily life, implicit discrimination is everywhere:
Chinese Miss Liu was asked by the police to check her documents for no reason while chatting in Chinese at Tokyo Station aging population
Mr. Zhou and his family were speaking Chinese on the tram when they were scolded by a man in a suit for saying ‘rural people are too noisy’
Chinese researcher Xiao Mao found that professors always call their Japanese assistant “Tanaka Jun” first, and then call themselves “Mao Jun”, even though they have more experience
The deeper contradiction lies in identity recognition. A Japanese Chinese sighed, “The quality of life has declined and the pressure is so great that it’s suffocating. Seeing the development of our country so good, I really want to return home.” But giving up Chinese nationality is easy, but restoring it is as difficult as climbing the sky – these “homeless wanderers” are blocked in the first step of the country’s procedures aging population
6、 Life Code: Ethnic Characteristics in Diet and Tourism aging population
The Five Pillars of Longevity Diet
Japan has been the world’s oldest living country for several consecutive years (87 years for women/81 years for men). Although Japan’s aging population is severe, its obesity rate is less than 4% (30% in the United States), and the secret is deeply rooted in its food culture:aging population
Seafood first: The intake of fish and shellfish exceeds that of meat, providing rich Omega-3 fatty acids. The Tsukiji market consumes 2000 tons of seafood per day to support national demand
Small ware philosophy: the dishes are mostly 10-15cm in diameter, and the per capita calorie intake is 25% lower than that of Americans through visual control of the portion
Mild cooking: Raw food (sashimi), steaming (tea bowl steaming), and grilling (pu shao) account for more than 70%, with very little deep frying
Bean product revolution: Daily consumption of over 60 grams of natto, tofu, and other products, three times that of China. Plant estrogens delay aging
Tea ceremony health preservation: Tea polyphenols eliminate free radicals, and sitting quietly to enjoy tea is itself a stress relieving ritual
The mystery of resilience in travel preferences aging population
Despite the outbreak of influenza and unexpected incidents involving artists in early 2025, Chinese tourism to Japan still demonstrates astonishing resilience aging population
High end customer base supports the market: 51% of visas issued by the Shanghai consulate, with high net worth individuals from Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai as the core customer sources
Consumption power grows against the trend: In 2024, the per capita consumption of mainland tourists will be 13000 yuan, ranking first among all countries, with a year-on-year increase of 2.9 times
Policy dividend release: Extending the validity period of multiple visas, simplifying financial proof, and promoting Japanese tourism to become a popular destination during the Spring Festival
Table: Cost of living comparison between Tokyo and Osaka (for a family of three)aging population
Difference in expenditure items between Tokyo (monthly average) and Osaka (monthly average)
The rent is 6000-8000 yuan, which is basically the same as 6000-9000 yuan
Diet costs 4500 yuan, 4000 yuan is 11% lower aging population
Transportation costs 1500 yuan and 1200 yuan, with a 20% discount
Education costs 1500 yuan, 1200 yuan is 20% lower
The total amount is about 15000 yuan, about 13000 yuan, which is 13% lower
This’ stability in crisis’ stems from the irreplaceability of deep tourism experiences – philosophical strolls during the cherry blossom season, healing cultures through hot springs, and culinary experiences with ingenuity, which constitute a spiritual necessity that transcends short-term risks. As Hokkaido tourists have said, ‘Influenza occurs every year, but cherry blossoms will not stop blooming because of it.’.aging population
