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this article comes from wechat public account:zhiqu classmates, author: liu zhiqu, title image source: ai generated

according to the world health organization（WHO）and the united nations（UN）the definition of an "aging society" is that when the proportion of the elderly population aged 65 and above in a country or region reaches 7%, the country or region is considered to have entered an aging society; when it reaches 14%, it is called an aged society; and when it reaches 20%, it has entered a "super-aged society."

in japan, in 2007, the proportion of the population over 65 years old reached 21.5%.

the baby boom after world war ii and the subsequent decline in birth rates during the period of rapid economic development have gradually unbalanced japan's population structure. with the improvement of medical standards and living conditions, the average life expectancy of japanese people has continued to increase, which has once again exacerbated the rise in the proportion of the elderly population.

at the same time,the problem of increasing pressure on the pension system caused by an aging population has begun to emerge.

but in the past, we believed that even though japan has entered an aging society, it is still a developed country. with accumulation, high per capita gdp, and complete social welfare security, even if young people are in a slump in employment, those who have experienced the golden age will surely live a comfortable life.

however, an interview record titled "bankruptcy in old age" by the japanese nhk special program production team completely broke this stereotype.

the reality is that a considerable number of elderly people in japan are living on the "edge of bankruptcy."the monthly pension is little left after deducting daily expenses, and the family may even be in debt, so they have to accept living assistance, otherwise they will find it difficult to make ends meet.

in the interview of "bankruptcy in old age", the female boss of a construction company lost her support after losing her son and husband, and her life was difficult. in order to save money, she dared not easily seek medical treatment when she was unwell; the pet shop owner closed the shop to take care of her seriously ill mother, but after her mother passed away, she could not find a job again and was forced to sell the house to make a living; and there were those middle-aged unemployed people who relied on their parents' pensions to make a living, which eventually led to the bankruptcy of two generations...

the deeper problem is"bankruptcy in old age" not only affects japanese people over 65 years old, but is also spreading to middle-aged and young people.

the crises of economic recession, reduced income and rising prices have come one after another. young people cannot find jobs, and unemployed middle-aged office workers find it difficult to re-enter the workplace... this makes the younger generation a potential "bankrupt in old age".

different societies naturally differ at the macro level, but this does not affect our ability to learn more about the world from other people's stories, and to be more prepared for our later years.

social security is the survival line of defense in old age

the introduction of japan's universal pension insurance and national pension system dates back to the 1960s. at that time, it was rare for elderly people to live alone, and it was natural for several generations to live together.

during japan's golden age of rapid economic growth, people were rewarded for their hard work, and because of this, they believed that if they worked hard in their youth, they would have a comfortable life in their later years.

however, the situation has deviated from the expected track. first, the japanese society with an aging population and a declining birthrate has rapidly arrived. social security expenditures such as pensions, medical care, and nursing care account for more than 30% of japan's gross national income. second, the japanese family structure has shifted from three generations living together to small families, and the number of elderly people living alone has continued to increase by millions.

at that time, the proportion of three generations living together was still very high. dad, as the pillar of the family, went out to work, and the grandparents' pension was like "pocket money".

comparing data from the past and present, the proportion of three-generation families living under one roof was 60% in 1980, but dropped to around 10% in 2013.

in other words, pensions are no longer “pocket money” but have gradually evolved into the main source of income. if an elderly couple or a couple with children live together, they can still rely on the pension of two people, but if they are alone, they have to rely on the pension of one person to live.

the reality does not match the system. professor kawai katsuyoshi of meiji gakuin university said: "the national pension system itself, to some extent, is formulated on the premise that family functions are functioning."

the old-age security system, which was based on the premise of losing the family, began to fail, and the phenomenon of "old-age bankruptcy" in japan became increasingly widespread, and the problem remains serious to this day.

on the other hand, in china, signs of small families seem to be becoming increasingly obvious. more and more young people are leaving their parents and starting to live alone. among them, a considerable number of people choose not to marry or have children due to survival pressure, and relying on family-based collaborative pension is also ineffective.

when we enter old age, on the one hand, our ability to make money weakens due to the decline in physical fitness and energy, and on the other hand, the costs of medical care and nursing will become necessary expenses.

it can be foreseen thatthere is a high probability that “pension” will also become the only source of income for us in old age.

therefore, when you are working, you must urge companies to pay five insurances and one fund. this may be the last line of defense for the vast majority of ordinary people outside the system for future medical treatment and retirement.

scientific parenting, do what you can

according to statistics from the japanese cabinet office, more than 610,000 people aged 40 to 64 in japan have long been living off their parents, and about half of them have been staying at home for more than seven years.

after adulthood, they have no independent living ability and need to rely on their parents for a long time. the emergence of this phenomenon is closely related to the changes in the japanese economy.

in the late 1990s, after the japanese real estate bubble burst, companies closed down and laid off employees on a large scale, leading to an "employment ice age". as a result, many young people could not find stable jobs and survive in society, and eventually chose to rely on their parents for a long time.

in the interview "bankruptcy in old age", it was told about the children who were unemployed in middle age and relied on their parents' pensions to survive, which brought tremendous pressure to the family. in the end, the savings of the elderly were exhausted and two generations faced bankruptcy.

many people may not realize it now.a child who still cannot survive independently after growing up will bring a huge burden to the family during an economic downturn.

the family model of three generations living together is no longer the mainstream of society, so the highly educated parents of the post-80s and post-90s generation almost no longer have the idea of ​​"raising children to provide for old age". however, in terms of educational goals, especially the new middle class, there is still a fantasy that "education changes class" that is out of date.

i have always felt that society’s definition of “excellent children” is often too one-sided. for example, the “score-only” evaluation criteria make it easy for people to neglect general education.

perhaps we will soon find that academic qualifications can be solved with "money". in the future, it may be a great "blessing" for children from ordinary families to be able to survive independently in society, have enough food to eat, be physically and mentally healthy, be positive and optimistic, and not ask their parents for money. ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

therefore, judging from the current development trend, we should do what we can with childbearing and provide scientific education. on the one hand, we should cultivate children's ability to survive in society and avoid raising "useless people" who only know how to enjoy themselves and are unwilling to endure hardships; on the other hand, we should establish in children the value of "don't measure work by hardship or dignity, as long as you can support yourself independently, it's great."

accumulate financial capital

the idea that rural elderly people can enjoy a low-cost life is probably just a beautiful imagination.

the prices of rice and vegetables are being pushed down by cheap foreign goods, while the prices of fuel and fertilizer for agricultural machinery are rising continuously, causing farmers to lose more the more they work.

at the end of july in the summer of 2014, we went to the rural areas in the inland area of ​​akita prefecture. as far as the eye could see, the green paddy fields were all outside the car window, and in the distance were continuous dark green mountains. this rural scenery was dazzlingly beautiful.

"summers are really good, but winters are terrible. in this area, the snow can reach 3 to 5 meters." the person in charge who led us said. "the inland area of ​​akita prefecture is a heavy snow zone. when winter comes, it is extremely cold. it is common to spend 30,000 to 40,000 yen a month just on fuel for stoves. some elderly people living alone have to entrust snow removal companies or friends to clean the snow on their roofs, which also costs tens of thousands of yen each time."

you may find it hard to believe that this is the area where the famous "akita komachi" rice variety is grown in japan.behind this beautiful farmland is the cruel and deadly "post-old age poverty" under the heavy pressure of living costs.

history tells us that as the wheel of time rolls forward, the cost of living for ordinary people will only get higher and higher, and this trend is unstoppable.

survival is always about money. a person's life is like the four seasons. only if you sow seeds in the spring, water and fertilize in the summer, can you harvest in the fall and have food in the winter.

what really makes people feel anxious and uneasy at the moment may not be the problem of "63 years old", but the problem of the "36 years old" age line in the workplace; it is not that the channel for class advancement is getting narrower, but that the channel for downward mobility is getting wider. if you are not careful, the wealth accumulated for most of your life will be wiped out.

therefore, everything has its cycle. to build mature financial management capabilities, the boat may not always be "straight" when it reaches the bridgehead, but may also "sink".

make more money when you have the opportunity to make money and accumulate more wealth. only when you have enough money in your hands can you be at ease.

besides, i have never advocated that ordinary people and laymen try to resist inflation through financial means. take myself for example, i define myself as a person without "extraordinary luck in wealth". so far, i have neither a stock account nor gold hoarding, and i rely on working honestly to save some salary.

because you don’t participate in “gambling”, there is no “losing”.

don't work too hard

for capital, a person's struggle and contribution can be simplified into a number. therefore, apart from your closest relatives, few people care whether you are happy or how long you can live.

as we age, the risk of cell disorders in our bodies increases, which is an objective fact. so when our bodies inevitably go downhill, we must be aware of the dangers, take care of them in advance, and don't let them slide too fast.

during this period, i was free and flipping through my nursing textbooks from college, and suddenly i realized that once a person gets sick, there is no need to talk about high-quality life.

apart from the economic cost and the time cost of family care, all the treatments and nursing procedures are painful enough to make people suffer. let alone tracheotomy and assisted breathing, even inserting a urinary catheter or a gastric tube is not pleasant.

regardless of whether it is the liver, kidney, or stomach, the end point of chronic disease progression in these organs is cancer.

smoking is a recognized risk factor for almost all cancers, followed by drinking. maintaining good living habits and a regular schedule may sound old-fashioned, but it really works.

the so-called world is something you can only see when you are born, and it will disappear when you leave.

maybe one day you will find that the world is just a huge makeshift team.many things are just artificial fictions, but we take them seriously all our lives.