Japan holds a large chunk of the world’s elderly population, as the majority of them are over the age of 65! While the average age of 29.1% of Japanese people is 65, more than 10% is 80 or older. Although the East Asian nation is technologically quite advanced, its aging population lives a lonely life. Their loneliness has increased to such an extent that elderly people die at home in the absence of their near and dear ones. Even their neighbours often have no information about their death!

In its latest report, the Police Administration of Japan has mentioned that a number of aged people did not find their loved ones by their side in their final moments! According to the National Police Agency, about 40,000 elderly people passed away alone at their residence in the first half of 2024. As per the report, the corpses of 4,000 people were lying inside their residence for a month (after their demise). People did not get any clue about the death of these unfortunate people as thousands of elderly citizens live alone in Japan.

The report prepared by the National Police Agency suggests that the number of senior citizens has grown at a significant rate because of the notable increase in average life expectancy in the Land of the Rising Sun. At the same time, the number of Japanese families has been constantly decreasing due to reluctance to have children in recent times. The scenario has prompted the majority of elderly people to live a lonely life.

Around 70% of people who took their last breath alone in 2024 were 65 or older! Of the 37,227 deaths reported in isolation, the corpses of 40% were recovered within a day. However, the bodies of nearly 4,000 people were recovered after more than a month and 130 bodies were lying for a year! The Police recovered those bodies only after they started decomposing and the bad smell prompted neighbours to check things out! Out of all the bodies recovered, 7,498 people were over 85, while 5,920 were 75-79 and 635 were aged between 70-74.

It is evident from these shocking statistics that the family members of the elderly people are not willing to take responsibility for the civil and social protection of them in Japan. Hence, the State has no other option, but to take that responsibility. The Government of Japan is well aware of the fact that it would have to face a great crisis due to such a large number of deaths.

The National Institute of Population and Social Security Research of Japan has warned that this particular issue shall go out of control in near future. The Institute has claimed that the number of people over the age of 65 who live alone shall increase to nearly 20 million by the end of 2050. It has also estimated that one in every five households could have at least one elderly person living alone in the next 26 years in Japan.

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das