Signs that Japan is Getting Older

Japan is getting older, and it’s interesting to see the way society evolves and changes. Even during the 16 years I’ve been in Japan, I’ve noticed quite a change in way products are marketed, with a lot of companies embracing the coming market for services for the elderly. It seems every third TV commercial on daytime television is for companies selling products to older Japanese, including ways to remodel your house and make it “barrier free,” a term the Japanese have coined meaning a living space that’s free of stairs and other obstacles that make it hard for mobility-challenged people to live. Diapers for adults are also advertised openly on TV, as are hair-loss products aimed not just at men, but women. Insurance companies like Zurich and AFLAC have found a profitable business in Japan selling supplemental insurance to elderly Japanese who worry about being hospitalized and not having enough insurance to cover the costs. Then there’s the I-Pot service that home electronics maker Zojirushi operates, which is essentially an electric pot for boiling water that’s linked wirelessly to the Internet, which can be configured to send you an email every time your elderly mother makes a pot of green tea, to reassure you that she’s okay. Aww, that’s nice.