As Japan's society continues to age at an unprecedented rate, companies from a variety of fields are looking into the area of welfare for new business opportunities.
So far, the task of looking after the elderly has been left mainly to families, with women bearing most of the responsibility, and public services have been limited. However, the expected introduction of a public nursing care insurance system for the elderly will help accelerate the growth of the welfare business, because it is based on improving care services.
A public nursing care bill was approved by the Lower House in the last Diet session and is currently pending in the Upper House. First, however, companies that have become involved in the welfare business say they must develop high-quality services before seeking to make a profit. Such companies range from security firms to those involved in the education sector, and they consider "silver services" a legitimate part of their work.