by Floro Mercene
Despite the concentration of the nation’s huge household savings among Japan’s elderly, poverty among the post-65 population is also rising. The data shows that people 65 or older account for more than half of the nation’s households living on welfare due to financial difficulties.
Japan is the world’s most rapidly aging society as older Japanese continue to live longer lives and younger Japanese continue to put off having children. As of 2016, elderly people accounted for 26.7% of Japan’s 127.11 million citizens. About 90 percent of the welfare-dependent elderly households consisted of a single member, meaning senior citizens living alone, possibly with no relatives they can turn to for help.
Data shows the steep gap between the haves and have-nots among the elderly population, and large numbers of senior citizens who live below the poverty line do not apply for welfare benefits.
The annual white paper on crime by Japan’s Justice Ministry reflects official concern over rising criminality among the country’s growing ranks of retirees, which have doubled in the last decade. Mostly petty crimes like shoplifting and theft committed by elderly, many of who live alone, secluded, and with meager savings.
One researcher says that the spike of petty crime can be traced to a number of factors. Those elderly are feeling lonely, bored, and unafraid of the legal ramifications. Many have even come to see as an upgrade from their daily lives. “If you are arrested, you still get a roof over your head, you’re fed three times a day and you get health checkups. So it’s sort of a win-win situation either way”, she said.
The Japanese government has set aside nearly $500, 000 to hire additional nursing staff to the country’s 70 prisons.
