NEWSWORTHY
Russians' trust in Vladimir Putin falls to 13-year low of 33.4%, state pollster reports
Public trust in President Vladimir Putin has fallen to its lowest level in 13 years, according to a Russian state pollster, a setback for the Kremlin, which works hard to burnish Putin's image as a wise father-of-the-nation-style leader. The poll, by the Public Opinion Research ...
A Cabinet Office survey finds 30.7 percent of respondents are willing to work to earn an income until they are 61 to 65 years old.
The critical importance of staying connected
Preparing for what has been touted as the "100-year life" is not a task for elderly people or the government alone.
Government panel paves way for Japan's working age limit to be raised to 70
In the course of preparing to bills on the age limit, the government will also consider promoting different working styles such as working shorter hours.
Ministry looks to draw on expertise of retired government civil engineers with new staffing agency
The infrastructure ministry is considering establishing a human resource agency for former national government employees who worked in the civil engineering field to support municipalities' maintenance of infrastructure such as roads and bridges, sources said. The new staffing agency will enable retired central government personnel ...
Japanese air conditioner-maker Daikin to raise retirement age to 65
Major air conditioner-maker Daikin Industries Ltd. will raise the retirement age for its employees from 60 to 65 in April next year if the company obtains its labor union's consent, company officials said Friday. Daikin thinks that the extended employment of veteran workers will be ...
Health ministry encourages firms to help workers plan for retirement
Company-run programs to help employees get a head start on preparing for retirement are flourishing in Japan as the country's average life expectancy continues to grow. The government is also getting on board, supporting companies that promote seminars that prompt employees to examine whether they ...
Panel mapping course to allow continued employment beyond 65 years old
The government has started talks on a new growth strategy, aiming to help employees to continue working after they turn 65 years old. Officials now plan to craft a law obliging businesses "to make efforts" to extend the retirement age of employees to 70. The government ...
In long-lived Japan, survey finds 20-year-olds don't want to live into their 80s
A survey has found that young Japanese in their 20s don't want to live into their 80s — a startling revelation in a country where the life expectancies for both men and women routinely rank among the world's highest. Men and women between 20 and ...
Will society still need me, will it still feed me, when I'm 100?
Back in the 1960s when Paul McCartney wrote "When I'm 64," the average life expectancy worldwide was 52. Yet half a century on, Japan is already gearing up for the era of 人生百年 (jinsei hyakunen, 100-year life).
Extending the retirement age for government workers should be pursued in ways that accelerate similar moves among private sector companies.
Rose-tinted views of elderly workers' plight
The media has been conscientious in its coverage of the need for foreign workers in Japan. A May 20 NHK Special was particularly thorough in its portrayal of Mimasaka, Okayama Prefecture, which is encouraging Vietnamese laborers to move to the city. Several news outlets ...
