Grey army of volunteers
Just one generation ago, most Japanese dreamed of retiring to play golf or chess, go on lots of overseas holidays and spend more time with their grandchildren, all the while comfortable in the knowledge that they had a generous corporate pension to support them. Back then, many people didn't believe they would live much beyond their retirement age.
Today, with average life expectancy up to 78 for men and 85 for women, and most people fitter and healthier than ever before, many are seeking a new post-retirement challenge. An increasing number are offering their services to non-governmental organisations and charities, as we witness the rise of post-retirement volunteerism in Japan.
I visited Musashino Mitaka Citizens TV, a non-profit-making organisation in suburban Tokyo, where volunteers produce brief programmes for local cable television. Its crew, producers and other staff consist primarily of retirees, both male and female. They are amateurs, but well-trained, and their professionalism impressed me greatly.
Active senior citizens are also visible at local libraries, zoos, museums and other public venues. At Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, about 270 volunteers - mainly men in their 50s and 60s - are at work. They not only guide visitors around, explaining about animals, but also meet in groups to study zoology. When the new Kyushu National Museum recently tried to recruit volunteers for its opening in October, 850 citizens - more than triple the number they needed - sent in an application. About 40 per cent of these were from people in their 60s. The oldest was 85. Retirees are also keen to help charities working to assist young people and protect the environment, among other things.
Many others are willing to go outside Japan to help. Nearly 2,000 'senior volunteers' with professional skills have worked in more than 50 countries under the government's economic assistance scheme since 1990.
Some professionals have even organised their own activities. One, the Japan Mine Action Service, is an NGO founded four years ago by former members of the Ground Self-Defence Force. At the request of the Foreign Ministry, they headed to Cambodia for mine-clearance duties and more recently to Afghanistan to clear mines, and also to collect insurgents' weapons and provide training to help them find work. Since 2002, they have cleared nearly 1,200 mines and disposed of 47,000 other bombs and firearms.
In 2007, Japan faces a huge challenge as millions of post-war baby boomers - born between 1947 and 1949 - retire. Many people fear it will have a negative impact on the economy. But if they follow the volunteer trail, they too can enrich society rather than be a burden to it.
