Hello everyone, I am Atsushi Makino. I am very glad to have the opportunity to connect with all of you through this text and share some of my thoughts. I have a deep connection with Taiwan. Over the past decade or so, I have had the chance to visit Taiwan almost every year, whether for academic exchanges or participating in activities with senior partners in the community. These experiences have been very enjoyable and rewarding, and I have deeply felt the vitality of Taiwan's partners. This energy is of great help in facing a society with a centennial life expectancy, as well as Taiwan's upcoming transition into a super-aged society.

Why do I say this? Because Japan has been in a super-aged society for quite some time, so the experiences I have observed and learned from Japan may offer some reference for everyone.

I have long observed the changes in Japanese society. After entering an aging society, people were initially filled with pessimism, believing that population aging would prevent society from achieving the same level of economic development as before, which led to feelings of frustration and helplessness. From the perspective of past development models, this might have been true; however, I also discovered that by looking at it from a different angle, we can see a completely different story:

The past economic development led to advancements in healthcare and improvements in quality of life, which in turn resulted in an aging population and fewer children. This actually symbolizes progress in our times. As a result of this progress, people's lives have become more diverse than before, including increasingly diverse personal values.

Japanese people are no longer the uniform group we often stereotype, thinking "seeing one Japanese person is like seeing all Japanese people." Instead, they have a variety of values and various understandings and aspirations about themselves and life. In my research within the community, I have also observed similar interesting changes. Indeed, I found that Japanese people are gradually changing, becoming more willing to be their unique selves; at the same time, they are eager to contribute to themselves and their communities, bringing happiness to others and feeling proud of it.

Especially after the pandemic, everyone was "forced" to make changes in their work models and career development, and in doing so, unexpectedly developed a variety of new possibilities that were previously unimaginable. This experience has taught us that, no matter how the future changes, we have the ability to evolve new models to adapt. Therefore, we should proudly embrace the advantages brought by past economic development and invest in the future to explore more possibilities for a centennial life.

Through Japan's journey, both its people and government have gradually realized that a society with a centennial life expectancy is not one that relies solely on government support, but a society where everyone takes responsibility and has the ability to decide their own life path. Japan is slowly moving toward this direction, and I believe Taiwan is too. Moreover, the unique vitality and energy of Taiwan's people will ensure that each individual can take control of their own happiness, bring happiness to others, and be proud of themselves. Through Japan's transition from an "endangered super-aged society" to a "hopeful centennial life society," I wish Taiwan's partners will find the energy to move forward from past positive experiences, face the unknown together, and create infinite possibilities in the centennial life society.

◎ Extended reading:

人生100年社会デザイン財団。YouTube。(Open in a new window.)