Life Expectancy Continues to Rise for Japanese People
Life expectancy continues to rise for Japanese people, according to information from the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare. The MHLW attributes this to breakthroughs in medicine and a rise in health awareness.
Cancer remains a main cause of death and the MHLW estimates that 28.20% of men and 19.95% of women born in Japan in 2019 will die of cancer. That number might be higher in countries like the United States. With so many people dying of Covid, especially in the United States, I wonder what the pandemic is doing to life expectancy numbers.
Living longer is causing additional worries for people in Japan. How will people save enough money to live during longer retirement years and how will hospitals and care homes find the employees they need when the working populations are dwindling?
How long we live is not as important as how healthy and fit we are in old age. A 105-year-old who has been bedridden and in need of 24/7-care for the last 20-30 years is burdening both family and society. If that same person keeps fit and active, he/she can contribute to society and family in many ways. In Japan you see a lot of elderly people who are still working full days, farming, fishing, looking after great grandchildren, doing household chores or working as 'lolliipop ladies' (traffic guards near schools), telling stories at libraries, organising local festivals... Personally I want to pass over while I am still 'functional', at whatever age my number is up, 66 or 116.
Wow, just wow. This is both wonderful and worrisome. I agree with Queenie. I met an 82 year old woman yesterday says she regularly travels and enjoys outings in Tokyo, by herself. And she studies English every day. It is very inspiring.
I too wonder how covid will influence life expectancy around the world, especially with all the long term effects it can have for survivors of the virus...
Kudos to the Japanese! They can serve as a model in many fields of life.
ReplyDeleteLongevity,though, brings with it many worries too.
How long we live is not as important as how healthy and fit we are in old age. A 105-year-old who has been bedridden and in need of 24/7-care for the last 20-30 years is burdening both family and society.
ReplyDeleteIf that same person keeps fit and active, he/she can contribute to society and family in many ways.
In Japan you see a lot of elderly people who are still working full days, farming, fishing, looking after great grandchildren, doing household chores or working as 'lolliipop ladies' (traffic guards near schools), telling stories at libraries, organising local festivals...
Personally I want to pass over while I am still 'functional', at whatever age my number is up, 66 or 116.
I'm not surprised but that is a great statistic -- as long as you can afford it!
ReplyDeleteWow, just wow. This is both wonderful and worrisome. I agree with Queenie. I met an 82 year old woman yesterday says she regularly travels and enjoys outings in Tokyo, by herself. And she studies English every day. It is very inspiring.
ReplyDeleteI too wonder how covid will influence life expectancy around the world, especially with all the long term effects it can have for survivors of the virus...
ReplyDelete