Would you wish to dwell past 100? No, some Japanese say : NPR

A lady holding her great-grandmother’s hand. Japan has one of many world’s most quickly ageing societies.

Yusuke Murata/Getty Photos

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Yusuke Murata/Getty Photos

A lady holding her great-grandmother’s hand. Japan has one of many world’s most quickly ageing societies.

Yusuke Murata/Getty Photos

SEOUL – A brand new survey has discovered that the majority Japanese would, actually, not somewhat dwell till 100 regardless of what the federal government advises.

The net survey, commissioned by the Japan Hospice Palliative Care Basis in Osaka, requested roughly 500 males and 500 girls the query: would you wish to dwell past 100?

The respondents had been of their 20s to 70s. Amongst them, 72% of male respondents and 84% of feminine respondents mentioned they do not assume they’d wish to dwell that lengthy.

The commonest rationalization given, at 59%, was that they did not need to trouble their household or others to look after them.

The Mainichi Shimbun experiences that the inspiration was “shocked” that so few individuals need to dwell so lengthy, and so they’re involved about how Japan will help these dealing with demise.

“Because the ‘100-year-life age’ turns into extra of a actuality, individuals might have begun to query whether or not they’re actually pleased with that,” a consultant of the inspiration advised Japanese media, in keeping with the report.

Japan has one of many world’s most quickly ageing societies. However it’s also one of many high 5 nations with the longest life expectancy at delivery.

In keeping with Japan’s Ministry of Well being, Labor and Welfare, the variety of centenarians, individuals aged 100 or older, in Japan reached 90,526 as of Sept., 2022. This represented 72.13 centenarians per 100,000 inhabitants. It was additionally a rise of almost 4,000 from September the earlier yr.

Start charges are slowing in lots of Asian nations, together with China. In Japan, the federal government estimated that the variety of births had dropped beneath 800,000 final yr. This led to prime minister Fumio Kishida to declare that the low birthrate and ageing inhabitants pose an enormous danger to society.

“Japan is standing on the verge of whether or not we are able to proceed to operate as a society,” Kishida mentioned in January. “Focusing consideration on insurance policies relating to youngsters and child-rearing is a matter that can’t wait and can’t be postponed.”

Kishida mentioned on the time {that a} blueprint for doubling spending on supporting households elevating youngsters could be out by June this yr.