Overview

Japan’s long-term care insurance system was launched in April 2000, and in the ensuing years, as domestic demographics have continued to evolve, it has undergone various revisions to meet the changing situation. Currently, the pattern of aging in Japanese society has shifted from a phase in which the actual number of senior citizens was growing rapidly to a phase in which the number is not increasing much, but the relative proportion of those seniors to the overall population is rising as the working-age population is decreasing. This phenomenon calls for further changes in the system as it poses the dual challenges of finding new fiscal resources and securing the human resources needed to care for the elderly. Welfare for the elderly in Japan has always and will continue to be a “work in progress,” constantly evolving to keep up with the changing needs. The first half of this article looks back at the history of welfare for the elderly in Japan and reflects on its shortcomings. It explains the background that led to the creation of the long-term care insurance system, offering insight into the significance of the system and how it developed into what may be considered an optimal solution, the community-based integrated care system. The article also touches on the launch of the Asia Health and Wellbeing Initiative (AHWIN), which offers a different perspective on how Japan and the countries in Asia can work together to tackle the challenges facing aging societies in the coming years in order to create vibrant and healthy societies where people can enjoy long and productive lives.