This year's Respect for the Aged Day, last Monday, found a lot more aged to respect than ever before. According to Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry statistics, over 36,000 people in Japan are now over 100 years old. Many others are close behind. Over 28 million people were aged 65 and over, one-quarter of all Japanese women and one-fifth of all men. That adds up to a lot of silver seats and discount movie tickets!

While most elderly people appreciate respect, they would appreciate a serious reshaping of policies and a reconsideration of attitudes even more. The government needs to start planning now for a very different future society that will need more than just added silver seats on trains. A sense of reality demands a different vision of care and ways to lead active lives.

Of course, health becomes a central concern for those over 65, yet along with medical care, exercise and recreation facilities need to be expanded. Health also includes mental health. According to figures released this summer, suicide by over-60s jumped to 12,000 cases, comprising over one-third of all suicides in 2007. The depression that leads to suicide is one of the most preventable of conditions for the elderly and easy access to expanded facilities is urgent.

Local governments can also help the elderly by getting involved in such basic issues as transportation. Small, easy-to-use buses have started to offer the freedom for many older people to go where they like, to shopping areas, swimming pools or the ever-expanding silver centers. Expanding work possibilities further improves both physical and mental health for those who want to work, keeping people engaged in meaningful pursuits while bringing in some income.

Japan is not alone in confronting a graying society. The United Nations found that the number of older people worldwide has tripled over the past 50 years and predicted it to triple again in the next 50. Addressing the most urgent concerns now and increasingly involving the elderly in decisions about health care and urban life can create better conditions for what will soon be well over a quarter of the population.