As we all know, Japan is the most aging country in Asia, this aging began in the 70s of the last century, and today, the number of elderly people aged 65 and above in Japan has accounted for more than 28.4% of the current Japanese population, and the whole country is facing various problems and challenges brought about by the demographic structure.
People who travel to Japan will also notice that there are many elderly people on the streets and buses in Japan. Different from the elderly in China, they are relatively simple and fashionable, and the colors are mostly beige and coffee, and bright clothes are rarely seen. Most of the hairstyles of the elderly in Japan are also more particular, and they basically dye and style them.
This is a casual photo taken by a friend who has settled in Japan on the streets of Japan, and the elderly people in the photo, all of whom are 80 years old or older, are still holding banners on the streets, as if to protest against some actions of the local government. Not only that, but some taxi drivers in Japan are also in their seventies and eighties.
As a result, we inevitably ask the question: Why do the elderly in Japan still work at the age of 80? Are they not guaranteed to live in old age? Do their children care about them?
Let's take a look at Japan's welfare policy first:
Having a child: The government has a maternity subsidy, and both parents of the child have a holiday.
Maintenance: The government has a subsidy for children until the age of 18, and the more children they have, the more subsidies they have.
Medical: You don't have to spend money to see a doctor.
Education: Children over 6 months old can go to nursery school (equivalent to our kindergarten, all qualified, well managed, do not have to worry about children not adapting), childcare costs 10,000 yen/month, (Japanese average family monthly income 300,000-400,000 yen). Public elementary, junior and senior high schools are only responsible for textbooks and lunches. When children enter high school, most of them work part-time to earn pocket money.
The elderly and their children in Japan are completely financially independent, and they do not need to buy a house for their children, do not need to look after their children, and do not need to bring grandchildren.
Elderly people in Japan work long hours, save a lot of money, and have retirement benefits, pensions, and no subsidies for their children, so it is reasonable to have a very nourishing life in old age. So is it bad to spend their time in retirement traveling, and why do they still work?
It turns out that many elderly people in Japan have the consciousness that people will age faster when they are idle at home. They are willing to devote a lot of time to doing other things, such as volunteering in the Japanese community, which are done by the elderly.
In the Japanese mind, causing trouble to others, including children, is a particularly bad thing.
Therefore, the elderly in Japan do not rely on their children, but on themselves and the government. As long as they can move, they will take the initiative to take on some work, and one day their health is really bad and they are unable to move, they will choose to live in a nursing home or day care center, and the government will subsidize a lot of money a month, which is enough.
Of course, due to the various benefits in place, young people in Japan are low-desired, and many young people do not want to have children. Follow me and see the world together.