There is no population in the world aging as quickly as the Japanese. The country is turning grey at an incredible rate; in just a few short years one in four Japanese people will be over the age of 65. The world of business already has the "silver market" fixed firmly in its sights. Spry Japanese pensioners play rugby, look for new jobs, accept honorary posts or, thanks to their healthy bank balances, live it up on holidays. Scientists are developing robots, which can give them mobility even in their very old age. Yet although the Japanese enjoy a long and generally healthy life, the population is shrinking. The birth rate is too low. It is estimated that by 2050 there will be 20 million fewer Japanese than there are today. This film clearly shows how this society is already changing. This aging trend is progressing most quickly in the countryside. The picturesque mountain village of Hoshuyama, for example, is slowly dying. The village school closed long ago, the kindergarten has hardly any children and the postman checks everyday whether the old folks living on their own are actually still alive.
The Land Of The Old People - Japan's Aging Society
People / Society
- Title: The Land Of The Old People - Japan's Aging Society
- Original title: Das Land der alten Menschen - Japans vergreisende Gesellschaft
- Film by: Mario Schmidt
- Format: 30', Series
- Long running series: Human Encounters
- Production: WDR
- Year of production: 2006
- Language / subtitle version: German
