Well-being, Well-aging

Well Aging Economic Forum

Healthy & Positive Aging Initiative
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Well-Aging Economic Forum is a non-profit organization of pro-bono members for co-creation and public benefit that transcends generations and positions in politics, government, industry, and academia, and aims to create a vision for Japan in 2050, an advanced aging society, and to solve social problems and create value in order to realize this vision.　It is based on the "Public-Private Policy Roundtable," which has been continuously held voluntary basis since 2009.

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■What is Well-being x Healthy Ageing?

Well-being x Healthy Ageing (Active & Positive ageing)
To feel a sense of self-worth and dignity throughout life in the age of 100 years.

To age mindfully while maintaining mental, physical and social wellbeing at any age. 

The SDGs and SDG Version 2* advocate the importance of lifelong mental and physical wellbeing and the innovation and economies that support it, public-private partnerships and a mindset to end the division caused by ageism (age discrimination and prejudice). This is multiplied by wellbeing, which is what the Forum advocates for well ageing.

*Healthy Ageing in SDGs and SDG 2nd edition 'Decade of Healthy Ageing 2021-2030', Healthy and Active Ageing in GCOA

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　■VISION:  Age is just a number!　

A symbiotic and co-creating society where people can live and work in an age-free way in the age of 100 years.

We will work together to create a future in which people of all generations, regardless of age or position, are connected and can (1) face ageing positively and with enjoyment, (2) live long and healthy lives, (3) live safely and securely, (4) continue to grow and contribute to society through the work and activities they love, no matter how old they are. We will work together to create such a future.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　■PURPOSE　Re; Designing Japan　

Changing values about age and redesigning the super-aged society

The average life expectancy of people born after 2000 is 107 years.

Currently, half of all women are aged 60 or over.

In 2040, 40% of households will be headed by a single person.

Along with social security and other social structures, values regarding age need to be updated.

With the ageing of society due to technological innovation and increasing longevity and declining birth rates at an unprecedented rate, one in three people will be elderly (aged 65 and over) by 2050, and the average life expectancy of those born after 2000 will be 107 years* From 2020, half of all women will be in their 50s or older, and by 2040 40% of households live alone and more than half of these households are female. Regardless of income, the number of people choosing not to marry and have children is also increasing. From various angles, including population, family and age patterns and the history and culture behind them, the current social security system and other rules, preconceptions and values modelled on the 'Sazae-san' from the high economic growth period are undergoing a transitional period. *A study by the University of California in the USA and the Max Planck Institute in Germany estimated that the median life expectancy*1 of children born in Japan in 2007 (Heisei 19) was 107 years.
　

Nampei (54) from the Showa-era national anime Sazae-san would be 74 years old today, the same age as Masaharu Fukuyama (54). People today are on average 20 years younger and their life expectancy has been extended by 25-30 years.

According to the Bank of Japan's Financial Research Institute, Nampei (54), who played the role of Grandpa back then, would be 74 years old today, with a biological age difference of 20 years, and the gap is widening every year. Individual differences are also widening: even though his actual age was the same at 38, his biological age varied by 33 years, from 28, when he was younger than he actually was, to 61, when he had advanced ageing. With medical and healthcare research evolving and technology emerging to treat ageing as a disease, if life expectancy and healthy life expectancy, average age and biological age continue to increase, there will come a time when even 47-year-olds will be among the younger generation. Considering the diverse challenges of a super-aged society and living in the 100-year age, we need to first update our thinking about age itself.

Neither Prime Minister Snake (42) nor former Prime Minister Marin (34) will be born in Japan. Age-free ways of living and working that go beyond vertical and horizontal divisions will enhance the ability to challenge, social innovation and wellbeing.

Do you set limits and restrictions on your own and others' potential from childhood based on age, year and hierarchical relationships, such as "You can't do this when you are fat", "You have to do this when you are fat", "You have to respect your superiors" and "You can't do this when you are over fat or under fat"? Some students say they cannot study abroad because they are a year late, while in large companies and political policy industries, it is difficult to nurture young leaders due to the horizontal culture of seniority and annualism, which emphasises hierarchy in terms of year and position, and although there are calls for innovation first and personnel appointments for key positions, there is a long history of regulated industries with a The more stable companies have in fact found it harder to break free from precedentialism, including hierarchical relationships and rules. In addition, there is a gender ageism peculiar to Japan, such as the belief, even among schoolgirls, that "women lose value as they get older" and that even young people's self-esteem declines with age, as well as age and generational divisions to the extent that there are even communities where people over the age of zero or non-fatty generations are not allowed. It is time to rethink conventional concepts and theories of what is and should be, and shift the way we live and work to an age-free and agile way, away from Japan's unique values of age and seniority, hierarchical relationships and positional frames. The decisive factor for happiness is social tolerance. Multigenerational and agile communities and organisations have higher levels of wellbeing and are more likely to innovate*. *Depends not only on generational head count in organisations, but also on the flexibility of middle management: from Prof Linda Gratton, London Business School; Prof Shiho Futagami, University of Zurich and Yokohama National University.

Ageing does not necessarily mean decline. The pinch of the world's most super-aged society is an opportunity.

Solving Japan's problems will lead to solving the world's problems. 

People think that ageing = decline, but according to Yusuke Narita, Associate Professor at Yale University (lecturer at the Forum's first meeting), Germany, Sweden, Singapore and South Korea, which also have ageing populations, are growing. Japan faces diverse and complex social challenges, but being the world's most super-aged nation, we are an advanced country in terms of challenges, and solving these challenges will lead to solutions for the world. We envision an 'Age-Free Society'* as a vision for a sustainable 2050 future society to be passed on to the next generation, turning weaknesses into strengths, crises into opportunities, and a negative mindset towards the future into a positive one. To realise this vision, we are approaching it from both the mindset necessary for the 100-year age and the social innovation 'AgeTech'. We are working from many angles, including the economy, industry, society and education, to create a society in which people can live and work in ways that transcend existing age-related values and frames.

                                                                                 ■  Concept of activities

INTEGRACE: Integrate (integration and fusion) x grace (dignity, intelligence, merit, peace)

Integration of knowledge and aspiration

We will carry out various activities to promote the fusion, exchange, collaboration and co-creation of knowledge and aspiration, transcending all boundaries, frames and glass ceilings, such as between sectors of government, public, private, industry and academia, between seniors and younger generations, between large corporations and small, medium and start-up companies, between Japan and overseas, between established concepts and new perspectives and values, and so on. History clearly shows that it is the fusion of different cultures and civilisations that has created new cultures and innovations. The concept has remained consistent since 2009.

■ Activity policy

SDGs, SDGs Second Edition and cooperation　DGs ・UN The Decade of Healthy Ageing 2021-2030

In line with the SDGs and SDG Version 2: Healthy Ageing (Decade of Healthy Ageing: four action areas: (1) Combat Ageism (2) Environment (3) Integrated health (4) Long term care (5) Long term care), Healthy Ageing : To create new values, environment and opportunities, including de-agingism, to enable people to continue to be and do valuable things throughout their lives, we will promote Healthy Ageing from multiple perspectives. *Healthy Ageing is encompassed in 11 of the 17 goals of the SDGs, with clearly stated indicators for de-aggregation by age. 

Areas of activity for age-free lifestyles and a convivial and co-creating society.

Beyond Ageism.  

Fostering an age-free mindset that enables people to live positively every day, transcending age, year, generation and other boundaries and frames.

Update the mind-set, including the unique ageism (annualism, precedent-ism) that underlies Japanese society, which creates disconnects between generations and limits to the way we live and work.

Age-friendly environment - Planetary Health　

　　Action on the correlation between the health of the planet, the health of Age-friendly cities and human health.　　　

How climate change, decarbonisation and green energy, local development, town planning and transport, living environment, agriculture and diet all connect and circulate with all people, the next generation and the future

Integrated Health　

　Extending healthy life expectancy for age-free living, towards integrated care with dignity in mind.　　

What is the future of preventive healthcare, medical and nursing care, nutrition and food for age-free living?

Social Engagement

Age-free working, community, education, lifelong learning... Engagement with society

What is needed to create a virtuous circle in which people can connect with society, learn, work, do what they like and contribute to each other at any age? How to live while constantly updating and reskilling our knowledge

■Economics

There are nations that do not decline even with an ageing population. What kind of future society will Japan have and what is the state of an inclusive economy?

How should companies and individuals act to ensure that the economy and finance support a sustainable and inclusive society? Inclusive economy - sustainable management, promotion of ESG, economy for problem solving and value co-creation, management first or bottom-up, what kind of society and mindset is beyond the fusion and distribution? We will consider how to update capitalism.

​■Social Innovation & Education

Science, technology, innovation and education to support an age-free life and society

Creating science, technology and social innovation for an age-free life with age-free teams, education and learning.

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