Ideas to promote the migration of elderly residents from large metropolitan areas to other parts of the country are gaining attention as a way to address an anticipated crisis in welfare services for senior citizens in and around Tokyo.
The Abe administration has begun studying ways for rural areas to attract senior citizens to their communities, following the release last December of the government's comprehensive strategy for regional revitalization. A private think tank has come up with a more concrete — and controversial — proposal for promoting the migration of residents aged 75 and up in the greater Tokyo area to 41 areas in 26 prefectures that are deemed to have surplus capacity to provide medical and nursing care for such people.
Although such a proposal may seem to make sense at a first glance, its feasibility and desirability need to be closely examined. Some people may find it an attractive option, but mass migration should not be considered a panacea for the various problems associated with the sharp rise in the elderly population and associated medical and nursing-care requirements.