ABSTRACT
This chapter tries to give an overview of the consequences of the continued aging of the population and what measures have begun to be taken in anticipation of the eventuality. From around 1970, when for the second time Japan became an aged society, many academics and journalists began to write about the aging society. Since a high proportion of old people and how to deal with them is an unsolved problem in most societies, it is only natural to look to Japan for new ideas and possible solutions. The change from a society with many children to one with many old people means that the state will have to guarantee a certain level of income for its older citizens. The dual structure of the Japanese economy is visible in the age composition of company employees. More interesting than the consequences of an aged population which are similar in all societies are the reactions to this process, and the various policy measures taken.
