SGS Blog

Adventurous Trip to Japan, the World of Nutrition, Exercise, and Social Connectedness

The world is experiencing population aging due to an increase in life expectancy and decreased fertility rates. For once, the number of older adults aged 65 or older will outnumber those 15 years and younger. In the United States alone, about 1 in 5 Americans will be 65 or older by 2040, and this is expected to grow exponentially afterward. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is expected that the number of older adults will reach 73 million by 2030, a 23% increase from 2020. This population is also vulnerable to several chronic diseases, such as diabetes, cancer, stroke, arthritis, and various forms of cognitive decline, classified as Alzheimer’s Disease and other related dementia (ADRD), with Alzheimer’s being more predominant.

In this paper, I would want to highlight some of the strategies that Japan, a ‘super-aged’ society, has adopted to ensure the health and well-being of its older adult population is maintained and what the United States can learn from them.

Japan’s Aging Population

Japan is experiencing the fastest growth in its population, with more than 1 in 10 people now aged 80 years or older. As a super-aged society, this is impacting their society, workforce, and economy. I found this great article that explains Japan’s aging society in terms of providing a solid understanding of what is causing the Japanese population to age faster – the root of the phenomenon, socio-economic consequences, some government policies, and the role of immigration policies as contributory factors. You can access the article here: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2020/659419/EPRS_BRI(2020)659419_EN.pdf

The concept of Nutrition, Exercise, and Social Connectedness

I had the opportunity to visit the Kanagawa prefecture and to meet with their governor. The governor shared their innovative strategy to respond to the needs of older adults and encourage healthy living among them. The ME-BYO concept is the magic behind Japan’s healthy longevity and increased life expectancy. The ME-BYO is a triad concept – nutrition, exercise, and social activities. This is to transform and contain Japan as a super-aged society by bridging the gap between healthy and sick trajectories. With over 1,400 partners – local and international, Japan intends to track the future risks of illness and encourage people to change their lifestyles. With the right nutrition, increased exercise, and social interactions, Japan seeks to promote a vibrant and purposeful life situated in positive spirits and a good community/environment. The Wakabadai housing is an example of how social activities and connectedness are displayed. They have within the housing project active resident associations, multigenerational families, community events, and programs to encourage people to have meaningful interactions with each other and for the younger generations to learn from the older ones. What is interesting is how this ME-BYO concept is accepted and incorporated into every working policy, either in education, medicine, technology, etc.

How would I talk about everything without mentioning their nursing homes and how they operate? Until recently, people preferred to die in the hospitals. Now, they prefer to either die in the nursing home or their own homes. With the universal healthcare system, older adults only need to contribute 10% out of pocket to supplement the 90% from the government. The display of technology through the use of sensors in resident rooms to monitor and prevent falls is breathtaking. Unfortunately, Japan is also facing workforce shortages, low pay, strain, and high turnover. With their strict immigration policies, they are unable to tap into the direct care workforce from other countries. Recognizing this challenge, they have begun partnership programs to recruit direct care workers from South Korea, Taiwan, and other Asian countries.

My Personal Experiences

Traveling to Japan has been one of the best experiences so far and has been the highlight of my career in gerontology – at least for now. The two-week trip was nothing but full of exciting activities. There was something new to learn every single day. As an international student from Ghana studying in the United States, I had the great opportunity to compare and contrast how aging policies are incorporated into everyday federal and state decisions and planning. Through this experience, I would say that in as much as there are some similarities between these three cultures, countries, and continents – Ghana, the U.S., and Japan, so are sharp differences. For example, whereas the U.S. is more individualistic, Ghana and Japan are strong on family and the role of familial support as effective ways of aging gracefully. Families feel responsible for taking care of their older parents, who need support with activities of daily living and, sometimes, instrumental activities of daily living. One similarity between these countries is the fact that their population is aging at a faster rate, and technology has become the tool to respond to the many needs facing older adults. I wouldn’t even want to talk about the food because I am literally thinking and salivating as I write this blog. They have the healthiest meals, which are eaten in smaller portions. My favorite was their seafood noodles garnished with different types of vegetables. I ate seaweed in almost all my food, and matcha (either tea or ice cream) was always the best to complement my breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Japan is neat and well-organized, and the people are amazing. Despite the language barrier, people were receptive and ready to help in the best way they could. They would always ‘bow’ as a sign of respect and thank you a million times within a minute – is that not amazing?!

I can go on and on with my experiences, but I would end it right here. If you have the chance, I highly recommend you visit Japan and learn, meet amazing people, eat good food, and explore your ‘ikigai’ – ‘sense of purpose” or ‘what motivates you to do what you do or wake up each morning.’ For me, my ‘ikigai’ is to support direct care workers in improving their health, well-being, and quality of life and to provide quality care to residents in nursing homes and other long-term care settings.

Watashi no burogu o yonde itadaki arigatou-gozaimasu (Thank you for reading my blog)

アルフレッド ボーキー Alfred Boakye

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