Document Type
Graduate Student Paper
Abstract
Although Japanese seniors are very healthy, research shows that they are not very happy. Compared to seniors in other developed countries, Japanese elders have lower ratings of subjective well-being and are increasingly alone. This paper argues that changes to Japanese family life help explain why Japanese elders are struggling with low subjective well-being. Specifically, declining marriage rates and declining rates of elders living with their children (co-residency) have made it harder for elders to get the support they need. Moreover, the effect and the adaptations to these changes are not equal between men and women. While elderly Japanese men are struggling to adapt, elderly Japanese women are adapting by building robust social networks. In turn, elderly men tend to have lower subjective well-being than their female counterparts. Although the Japanese government has many programs for its seniors, it needs to invest more resources to address this gender gap.
Citation Information
Izu, Miki and Chalmers, Clayton. "Graduate Student Paper: Aging in a Changing Japan: Gendered Adaptation to Changing Family Structure." Asia Pacific Perspectives 18, No. 2 (2025)
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