Figure 1-2-38 Trends of Indicators Related to Fulfilling Interactions with Rivers

(Notes)

Rank A: It is easy to put one's face in the river's water (a clean river people would want to swim in).

Rank B: It is easy to play in the river.

Rank C: People would not want to go in the river, but it is possible to go near it.

Rank D: There is nothing appealing about the river, and it is difficult to go near it.

Source: Created by the Ministry of the Environment, based on information from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's "Current status of Water Quality in the Nation's Class A Rivers (Indicators for Future Management of Water

1-2-41), unlike other countries. From an international perspective, Japan has not only a long average life expectancy but also a long healthy life-span (the age at which a person can live independently and in good health). As for older people's awareness about health in Japan, many people consider themselves in good health, thus the people in Japan can have long life-spans and at the same time lead healthy lives.

Next, we will look at changes in the way people use their time in their daily lives. Since 1976, the number of working hours on weekdays remained around 8 hours and there have not been any major changes, but the number of working hours on Saturday and Sunday is declining. By contrast, the number of hours spent on leisure activities increased from 4.5 hours in 1976 to 5.7 hours in 2006 on Saturdays and from 6.3 hours to 6.8 hours on Sundays (Figure 1-2-42). As for the way that leisure time is spent, on weekdays older people have more leisure time than employed people, with employed people having 3.7 hours in FY2006, compared to 7.0 hours for older people aged 65 or older.

Now, we will take a look at the interaction of people and society. There is a trend that the level of people's interaction with neighbors declines with age (Figure 1-2-43). A survey conducted by the Cabinet Office concerning people's interaction with their communities showed that as many as 60% of people in Japan think that human relations have become difficult. As for the causes, 54% of people think that it is due to weakening of ties with communities, and more than 30% of people think that it is due to the trend of nuclear families and weakening of parent-child relationships (Figure 1-2-44).

Figure 1-2-39 Trends in the Number of Businesses Conducting Ecotours (Upper Graph) and the Number of Registered Tours

Source: Ministry of the Environment

Figure 1-2-40 Trends in Average Life-Spans of Men and Women in Japan

Source: Created by the Ministry of the Environment, based on information from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's FY2009 abridged life table

However, there is a trend that people seek personal relationships through activities to preserve the environment. People who participate in volunteer activities to protect nature or the environment have a high ratio of joining such activities through regional or school organizations or with family members, and this shows that such activities are being conducted through interaction between individuals, society, and families (Figure 1-2-45). In particular, among the people participating in volunteer activities with their family members, the ratio of protection of nature or the environment is higher than any other types of volunteer activities in terms of type of activities. In other words, preservation of the environment provides people with opportunities for family interaction (Figure 1-2-46).