Aging Population in Japan - Essay Sample

Introduction

The topic of the aging population in Japan is a wide one but I will break it down in subtitles to better understand the statistics. A significant percentage of the world’s population is getting older. The population aging globally is caused by more effective birth control, improved education and dramatic increases in life expectancy.

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In Japan, the increased life expectancy rate reflects a decrease in death rate triggered by diseases caused by parasites and infections and the overall shift in the healthy lifestyle aspect. Japan has rapidly become the leading nation with the aged society globally, with approximately twenty-eight percent (28%) of the current population being above sixty-five years and coming 2030.

Two Sides of the Argument

There are two sides of the argument about the aging population in Japan. One side of the argument is that Japan has an increasing aging population. The other side is that Japan has a youngster’s population that is higher compared to the elderly population. Japan’s increasing aging population is as a result of the country having both economic and social advances. Japan’s youngster population is existent because of the continued birth rate that is higher compared to the death rate. (Arcinas et al., 2020). Statistics show that there is an increasing number of the aging population and the expectation is that more people will continue entering this bracket and thus a higher percentage.

There are aspects that the opposing sides agree on. The two sides agree that Japan has a standard population of both youngster and aging people. The country has fertility and mortality rates that are all declining hence the population. The economic and social advances of the country have contributed to the distribution of population. Youngsters are now having long living life span. Generally, when the aging rates increase, and fertility rates decrease, there is a substantial change in Japan's aging distribution (Chen et al., 2018)

Other Aspects

There are also other aspects that the opposing sides disagree on. The acknowledgment is that the aging problem is not a problem as it has been considered an accomplishment of modern civilization. It has been seen that the aging population in Japan delay retirement to promote its sustainability in its financial pension system. In Japan, the aging population causes a challenge to the healthcare system due to the frequent occurrence of frailty, disability, and chronic diseases as aging increases the rate. Women earn less disposable income than men, and women also face ceiling glasses, limiting their positions and earnings in the workplace (Estes et al.,2018)

Conclusion

There are potential way to reconcile the two points of view. The low fertility rate will help to ensure a balanced distribution of population. The high cost of living will also slow down the birthrate. The government should include guidelines and programs that benefit the working women.

References

Arcinas, M. M., Tolentino, M. P., Lituañas, C. R. A., Cadeliña, J. S., & Obayashi, Y. (2020). e-Health and Healthy Aging Among the Participating Countries in the JST Sakura Science Exchange Program 2019. Asia-Pacific Social Science Review, 20(2), 149-157.

Chen, B., Qiu, Z., Usio, N., & Nakamura, K. (2018). Tourism's impacts on rural livelihood in the sustainability of an aging community in Japan. Sustainability, 10(8), 2896.
https://doi.org/10.3390/su10082896

Estes, C., Anstee, Q. M., Arias-Lost, M. T., Bantel, H., Bellentani, S., Caballeria, J., ... & Eguchi, Y. (2018). Modeling NAFLD disease burden in China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, the united kingdom, and the united states for 2016–2030. Journal of hepatology, 69(4), 896-904.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhep.2018.05.036.