Japan

'No one wants to be homeless': A glimpse at life on the streets of Tokyo

Being homeless carries a powerful stigma in Japan, where society traditionally places strong importance on self-reliance. The method by which the ministry collects data — local officials patrolling areas during the afternoon and making informal observations — has been criticized as inaccurate.
2019

Waiting For The End In Japan's Terminal Villages

Japan has the oldest population of any developed country today. One in four people are aged 65 or over. This aging crisis has affected almost all aspects of life, but perhaps no consequence is more symbolic of this difficult era than that of the terminal village. There are thousands of these villages—or rather technically, hamlets—dotting the Japanese countryside.
2019

Multigenerational community development to revitalize a new town. Midorigaoka and Miki Aoyama Housing Complex Revitalization Project

Miki City in Hyogo Prefecture is where the declining population, declining birthrate and increasing aging population are significant.
2019

Fresh approaches to older people’s housing: Insights from overseas

Concepts like ‘retirement villages’ and ‘nursing homes’ seem increasingly outmoded.
2018

Japan tries to tackle health problems of aging homeless

Public and private efforts are gathering pace to address the increase in the number of elderly homeless Japanese. A nationwide survey by the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry found 5,534 people living on the streets or riverbanks as of January 2017, with many of them in urban areas such as central Tokyo’s 23 wards and the city of Osaka. Their average age was 61.5 as of October 2016, a rise of a
2018

The Growing Senior Population in Japan's Metropolitan Areas: Challenges for Japan, Hints for the World

Across Japan, the population is rapidly aging. An increase is expected in the number of households with a senior living alone or with the head of the household being aged 65 or older. These groups are expected to rise from about 30% of all households in 2015 to about 35% in 2025.
2018

Homeless in Tokyo: Fallen through society's cracks and frozen out

In Japan the homeless are ignored, not just by the government but also the public, and this sets off a vicious cycle. It is left to volunteer groups to provide food and essentials to the homeless population of Tokyo. “Twenty million people live below the poverty line within Japan.
2017

Social Sector-led Elderly Housing in Denmark and Japan

Denmark has been a pioneer in social-sectorled elderly housing. It is especially known for a high level of participation from the social sector and a generally high standard of retirement housing design and service delivery. The social sector provides for 20% of social housing in Denmark whereas the government provides for just 2%.
2016

What would it take to make an age-friendly city?

The challenges of caring for older people are growing as we live longer. By 2050 an estimated 83.7 million people in the US will be over 65.
2016

Ageing in Cities - Policy Highlights

This report provides policy makers with insights and tools to mitigate the challenges of ageing societies and make the most of the opportunities they present. Three considerations underpin the assessment: - Ageing societies are not “a problem” as such. - Ageing societies are not simply societies of “older people”.
2015
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