Aging of

Japan
Causes, effects and
government policies
Carlos Bravo
Salvador Ramrez

Problem of aging
Japan has the highest population of older people.

This causes many effect in politics, economics and social aspects of Japan

Causes

Japan has one of the lowest fertility rates in the World

By 2005 they reach only 1.25% and increase by 0.20% by the 2013.
Social and cultural factors are the main causes:

fewer and later marriages, poor work-life balances, the increase of the
participation of women in the workforce, small living spaces and high cost of
raising a child.

Effects
Political:

Internal migration that may cause imbalance in political power

Provinces may disappear
The increasing proportion of elderly people has a major impact on
government
spending.

Economic:

Mounting labor shortages in the 1980s and 90s led many Japanese companies
to increase the mandatory retirement age from 55 to 60 or 65.
The decline in working-aged cohorts may lead to a shrinking economy if
productivity does not increase faster than the rate of Japan's decreasing
workforce.

Government policies
Developing policies to encourage fertility and keep more of its
population, especially women and elderly, engaged in the workforce
Incentives for family formation include expanded opportunities for
childcare, new benefits for those who have children, and a statesponsored dating service.

Robots and Aging

Japan is in a serious crisis of aging: The population should drop to 89 million in
2055, with a ratio of four Japanese "major" out of ten, according to the National
Research Institute on Population and Social Security.
Companies in Japan are developing robots with multiple functions to combat the
problem.
A wide range of companies, from providing medical care to make cars that are
developing robots that can help the elderly or people who care.

Main robots created

Panasonic
Toyota
Unazuki Kabuchan
Vstone
Cyberdine

Robots will not necessarily solve the demographic crisis in Japan, but
the technological advances that are engendering can help older
people to work longer, experts say.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
KlZ4-LZcVcg

References:
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/01/27/national/social-issues/development-care-robots-growing-aging-japan/
http://www.marketplace.org/2016/01/25/world/robots-or-immigrants
http://www.wallstreetdaily.com/2015/07/11/japan-healthcare-robots/
http://www.prensalibre.com/tecnologia/japon-robots-poblacion-vejez-0-580742045