経営・組織 The Aging Society and Its Social Costs: The Problems of Declining Birthrate and Aging in the Japanese Welfare State

概要

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Economic development produces positive values, but on the other hand invariably causes negative effects. Japanese society has two dominant trends. One is the declining rate of birth as the result of increasing number of young people who do not want to get married or postpone marriage. The other one is the increasing rate of aged people in the total population as a result of the rising level of income and medical care. Historically speaking, in the 1990's, the Japanese economy was seriously disturbed by the explosion of the so called "bubble-economy". The Japanese economy has been transformed. In the 1970's, it pursued the goal of becoming a big welfare state with big government putting priority to fairness and neglecting efficiency. In the 1980's, in accordance with Reaganomics as well as Thatcherism, it aimed at the big economic power with lean government. In the 1990's, Japan tried to get out of being a big country with a high level of consumption and the belief in GNP. In Japan, the following policies are being promoted: Multiple opportunities of employment suitable for women, the system of leaving work for child care, supporting system of returning to work after giving birth, externalization of domestic work in order to set free house wives, creating satellite offices to make work place closer to home, and promoting working at home.