The Japanese older generation: living with spirit

Mark Twain, a famous American writer, once said "Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.” This argument never appealed me until last spring when I attended a musical performance by a group of elderly Japanese women in the city of Iwakuni. The group had more than 50 members, all in the age range between 60-90 years. And most of them were in their 80's! The perfect dance steps, folk music and the old dancing queens - watching them performing so well was a treat to the eyes and soul.

Japan is considered as one of the healthiest societies on the planet. Japanese people, particularly women, have the longest life expectancy of any culture. It's been said that Japanese people are far less likely to spend their final years of life in a nursing home. Normally, they don't get fat and are indeed very active even in their old ages. And, as a matter of fact, Japan's population growth rate is negative and population's graying is accelerating. Almost one fourth of the Japanese population is 65 or older.

Nation's daily, The Japan Times reported that the number of centenarians in Japan is expected to reach 40,399, later this month breaking the 40,000 threshold for the first time. The annual survey conducted by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare ahead of the Respect-for-the-Aged Day on September 21, showed that the numbers of both male and female centenarians are increasing to record highs. Interestingly, women constitute 86.5 percent of the total centenarians.

There are rising concerns regarding the challenges posed by the aging population in Japan. However, what impresses me immensely is the fact that how this population is living its life. Japan's the official retirement age remains 60, however, many elderly Japanese feel that they are still healthy enough to keep working and they enjoy their jobs. They are so healthy and enthusiastic. As a fact, about 70% of men and 40% of women keep working beyond the retirement age. So what's the secret behind this longevity?

The most important ingredients for longer contemporary life spans are diet (balanced nutrition) and an optimistic outlook on life. The elderly Japanese remain independent (and many live alone or only with their spouse) but they keep themselves socially active. Dr. Hinohara Shigeaki, a graduate from the Medical School of Kyoto Imperial University in 1937, advises, "The human body contains about 36,000 different genes, and there are many genes people do not take advantage of. We can use the potential of some of those genes to do things we have never tried before—music, painting, sports, whatever. It does not matter if there is no financial reward. Enjoying new experiences and staying active in body and mind keeps elderly people healthy and happy".

The most important thing I have observed about Japanese older generation is that they wish to work in harmony with the younger generations. Despite that they belong to different generations, they still get on very well as friends. Last year, I had an opportunity to attend a concert by the elderly people where their grandchildren were invited to join and to enjoy the music. In a country where the younger generation is becoming so impatient and pessimistic about life as they don't hesitate even to commit suicide, the life-style of the older generation appears truly inspirational. I admire their unconquerable spirit and positive approach towards life. Let me conclude this post with the quote from Groucho Marx which reads, "Age is not a particularly interesting subject. Anyone can get old. All you have to do is live long enough".

*Photos courtesy: Niraj Prakash Joshi, Hiroshima University.