일본의 고령화와 보람 정책

Aging of Japan and Ikigai Policy

Upon becoming an aging society in 1970, Japan became a super-aged society in 2006. In Japan, aging is frequently mentioned in connection with the issue of ikigai(a reason for being) of the aged. For contemporary Japanese people, the meaning of ikigai is a state of mind such as a reason for being or a sense of fulfillment of survival and an object causing such state of mind. It was after the late 1960s during which high economic growth and social change took place when ikigai started to be emphasized in Japanese society. In regards to the ikigai policy at that time, its basic policy was to alleviate sense of isolation of the aged based on Welfare of the Aged Act. Although the early ikigai policy was a protective policy provided by the administration, its welfare policy also changed in response to the fact that Japan became an aging society in 1970. It changes from an unilateral ikigai policy through administration to a way emphasizing the independence of the aged. It implemented policies such as providing job placement service to the aged, as well as utilizing their knowledge or abilities. In the 1990s later on, they changed into policies promoting social participation to allow the aged to gain ikigai on their own. The ikigai policy implementation of Japan has been changing from the initial protective support policy through administration to self-help & self-reliance type policy for the aged on their own to the way of supporting social participation of the aged or assisting them to help one another. In addition, the contents of ikigai has also been changing from alleviation of isolation of the aged to utilization of their abilities and social participation.