Japan is rapidly moving from having the youngest population to having the oldest population among industrialized countries. 65 and over was just 5 percent in 1950 and 10 percent in 1985, but it will reach 17 percent in the year 2000 and a global high of over 23 percent by 2025. By contrast, the proportion of the U.S. population aged 65 and over has been about 12 percent in the 1980s and 1990s, while that of most European countries has been about 15 percent. The main reason for this trend in Japan is the intense but short baby boom that occurred just after World War II and the subsequent decline in the birth rate to one of the lowest levels in the world. The Japanese are naturally very concerned about the implications of these demographic shifts for their nation's future.
Individuals worry about their parents, and themselves.
Of course, Japanese approaching retirement have many of the same concerns as Americans in the same position. Simply setting older makes one think about physical decline, loneliness, and eventual death. Many also worry about how to fill their days with activity, and their lives with a sense of meaning. Although some may look forward to the chance to take it easy or pursue a personal interest after a lifetime of daily toil, retirement is still one of life's major transitions, and few approach it without unease. These generalizations apply throughout the industrialized world, but retirement in the United States and Japan does differ in important respects.