00: 04 VO It´s early in the morning at the ITS table tennis club in the Tokyo suburb of Mitaka.
00:11 The youngest player is 75, the oldest 91. This group of elderly players meet twice every week. It's a routine they've followed for many years.
00:25 Kyoko Kurokwa - I made a lot of friends through table tennis. That is why I love table tennis.(English)
Kyoko Kurokwa - Maybe I continue to play table tennis... forever. I hope so. (english)
00:47 VO The membership of this table tennis club holds a up mirror to the broader demographics of Japan: the younger members are greatly outnumbered by their older counterparts. Currently, more than a quarter of Japanese people are above the age of 65, and the cost of care is rising sharply.
01:04 Japan was the first country to experience the pressures of an ageing society, but more than 100 nations will soon face similar problems.
01:14 Professor Hiroyuki Murata - By 2030, I think most of the countries on the earth, except some countries in Africa, will become so called ageing societies. (English)
01:35 Japan's increasingly urban population means the number of elderly is growing particularly rapidly in the larger cities. Within the next 15 years, more than half of Japan's elderly will live in densely populated areas. And already there are consequences.
01:53 Sadao Miyanaga Nursing Home Manager - Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka, those big cities don´t have many facilities for old people so we urgently need to have a plan how to support the situation with the elderly people. (Japanese)
02:14 Sadao Miyanaga is worried. He feels there simply aren't enough staff, funds and care centres to support elderly people in larger cities like Tokyo.
02:29 Sadao Miyanaga Care Home Manager - There is a huge demand for grouphomes. In Tokyo there are 400 homes but we need 800. Now!
02:43 It's estimated that by 2015 there will be 2,5 million japanese people living with some form of senile dementia. With the nations care needs set to grow to such staggering levels, the situation is already forcing caregivers to innovate.
02:58 Sadao Miyanaga (Covered by pictures) There are a few methods we use to alleviate symptoms of dementia, like study therapy, and also a communication robot to help sufferers.
03:23 It may look like a simple doll, but Kabochan can sing, speak and even make small movements. It's programmed with 400 phrases, including instructions for gymnastic exercises. The introduction of Kabochan has had good results in several care-homes, and staff say their work burden has eased as patients become calmer.
03:46 As the elderly population increases, more staff are required to treat them. This is creating a growing financial burden for hospitals.
03:59 But several large corporations like Panasonic think they have the answer: robotic equipment. They're investing heavily in care-support technology that they say can save hospitals money.
04:12 Yukihiko Kitano, general manager product development group Robot development centre, Panasonic - Basically the trays with medicine are prepared the day before they are actually used and then they will be transferred to the patients by our robot Hospi, on demand.
04:38 Despite challenge the ageing population poses to society, these Japanese companies see it as an opportunity for growth. They believe their new technology will be a success on the international market, freeing time for staff to dedicate to their patients and allowing care providers to control costs.
05:00 Yukihiko Kitano, - When I grow old and retire I don't want to be sitting in a hospital surrounded by robots. I want to grow old with people, and I want to be surrounded by people rather than robots. But if some of my robots can assist my carers and friends with the hard and mundane work, that would be the ideal vision for me in the future.
05:52 With help from the robots, hospitals may just be able to cope with the rising number of elderly patients.
But the country faces another challenge: the increasing financial burden that is straining the pension system
06:07 Professor Hiroyuki Murata - If such demography continues in the future our government cannot support such system. It´s not sustainable. So to avoid that we have to do two things. One is to decrease the cost for medical and long term care as much as possible and second is we have to restructure the insufficient social system to be more efficient. But I think the more important thing we have to do, the first thing, because some older people they are literally spoiled by government spending. Many older people believed they will be rescued by the government whatever would happened. But the recent years they understood it was an illusion. Government cannot support us anymore.(English)
07:35 Here in Kashiwa, north of Tokyo, a pilot scheme is being tested; a project that might yet be part of the solution. The idea is to keep the elderly active and socially involved. So now retirees are being given new part time jobs created with government support.
07:57 Sasaki Sachiko- After retirement I had nothing to do, so I only did my hobby and became lazy. Now I have a job, I have to come on time, I am busy doing something. This schedule is very good for me. Without this I would be idle.
08:24 Professor Hiroko Akiyama heads the team of experts running the project in Kashiwa. Professor Akiyama's research reveals that most elderly people would prefer to keep a job in order to stay busy.
08:37 Hiroko Akiyama- This is not for the money. I think, if you stay home and watch tv all day and occasionally take a walk with the dog. Then your muscles deteriorates quickly and also the brain starts to deteriorate.
09:00 Before going into retirement, 77 year old Rie Kimura used to work in an office. When her husband died she says she felt lonely until the Kashiwa project gave her a job in this kindergarten.
09:20 Rie Kimura - I don´t want a full time job: But working 2-3 days a week as a part of Professor Akiyama's project is a good way to keep the elderly healthy and occupied. I have no experience of working in a nursery. The only previous experience that I have is that I raised my children and grandchildren. But doing this work is both pleasant and useful.
10:06 In Japan, it's typical for people to retire before reaching 65. According to Professor Akiyama that has to change if they are to reduce the burden on the health care system and save pension funds from collapsing
10:21 Professor Hiroko Akiyama - One solution is, I think people should stay working until mid 70s. I think we are living longer but also we are living healthier to. The age 65 or 70, ten or twenty years ago, it was quite different from now. So I mean, people now who is 65 is quite young and healthy and strong and they have knowledge and skills. Fortunately japanese wish to work. If most of the people work until 75 and pay tax, then we can support. And that also make people healthier too and maintain health. That is my idea. Too optimistic?
11:24 It may well prove that the only way for society to manage the demographic challenge will be to encourage the elderly to stay healthy and take care of themselves until a later stage in their lives. At the table tennis club they strongly agree with professor Akiyamas vision.
11:43 Kyoko Kurokwa- I use all energy when i play, that is the fun of my life. I get energy through table tennis
12:08 Fugenji Toshio - We play table tennis and I keep my body very young and healthy
12:14 Pensioner Fugenji Toshio says that being lonely and old is an unhealthy combination. So he takes every opportunity to engage in an activity that let's him meet people.
12:29 Fugenji Toshio, - We, elderly people like me, must make an effort to have fun in life!
12:56 It is Fugenji's belief that retired people should take more responsibility for their own well-being and not become a burden on society. So he participates in sport and music to keep physically and mentally fit. It's something that gives him hope for the future.
13:07 Fugenji Toshio, (covered by pictures) - In a chorus one person cannot be outstanding. Harmony is very important in a chorus and among people. I feel this harmony and it´s a great pleasure
13:29 Fugenji Toshio - To me it´s what life is all about
Producer/Camera/Editor
Cia Silver