Survey shows 64% willing to work beyond retirement age

A sad commentary on life when people feel they need to work long after their physical and mental health start to decline with age because of finances. And these people also need to deal with age discrimination.

There is no choice but to work as most retiring Japanese won’t be able to survive on their pensions.

There is something conceptually wrong with the survey results. If the main reason is "financial concerns," they are not so much "willing" as "feel they should/must."

"... companies in Japan are obliged to allow people to work until they turn 65 if they wish."

I don't get this. Is it illegal to hold down a company job at age 66? Most of the board members of Japanese corporations seem to be over age 65, and most rose thru the ranks of the same employer.

This Japanese change comes closer to the retirement age in US.  Early retirement age is considered 62; full retirement age is considered 67; and some may retire after, while 70 is a maximum for some countries, it is not mandatory in the US and is considered unlawful to force a person to retire at age 70 per the following,

retirehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandatory_retirement

I'm pretty sure vast majority of the 64% would say if they had the funds to retire then then would do so at retirement age.

This Japanese change comes closer to the retirement age in US. Early retirement age is considered 62; full retirement age is considered 67; and some may retire after, while 70 is a maximum for some countries, it is not mandatory in the US and is considered unlawful to force a person to retire at age 70 per the following,

Get with the reality! Retirement age here is 60. Anyone who works past that in a "regular" company job, takes a HUGE pay cut, and loses benefits as well, as they become yearly contracted employees, until 65. People who work after that, are for the most part in agriculture, service industry positions, or construction.

Don't make the same comparisons please!

This is becoming a necessity not only in Japan but in other western countries as well.

The safety and solid economies from the 80es and 90es are long gone.

Unfortunatelly many people won’t be able in the near future to live just with their pension and will somehow be forced to do small jobs.

We’re just witnessing a hard geopolitical and economical time,and the Covid gave a good boost to this crisis.

To prepare for post-retirement life, respondents said they want to save an average 30.33 million yen, while 62.1 percent said they do not know how much they would receive in retirement money and pension benefits when they retire.

LMAO. You have to be kidding me. 30.33 million yen is your magic number for retirement? Enjoy living off nothing but daikon and onion soup for the rest of your life. I would not bet my future on the pension or your company's retirement package.

It amazes me how adverse Japanese are to stock investing. I talked to a few coworkers and business partners recently and they basically think stock investing is a form of gambling that their wives won't allow. If time is on your side just buy into a low-cost index fund like VTI, automatically reinvest those dividends, forget about it for 20-30 years and you will rewarded handsomely.

A survey. Want and , “have no choice” maybe a little confused.

There are probably a few foreigners right now having a mini panic attack realizing that they're almost 50, can barely pay rent and have saved nothing for retirement like the old guys in the past did teaching English every day for $5,000 per hour.

It's a brave new world.

Truly a failing of a society when people are forced to work well past retirement just to make ends meet.

62.1 percent said they do not know how much they would receive in retirement money and pension benefits when they retire.

Should that be, ‘have’ to work beyond retirement age? The crappy pension is not going to support them.

“while 62.1 percent said they do not know how much they would receive in retirement money and pension benefits when they retire.“

yet they have happily paid into the scam all their working lives......

64% indicated they were willing to eat and not live under a blue tarp.

A lot of Japanese past 60 and towards 70 are still in excellent physical and mental health and are certainly able to continue working. The first pension system was designed around people living into their 70s and rarely, their 80s.

Within the next decade or two, the average life expectancy of a Japanese woman will probably rise to 90+. There is simply no plausible way in which the majority can retire at 60 or 65 and have a 25 or 30-year state pension under the current guise.

Severe labor shortages are one of the challenges Japan faces posed by a rapidly aging population and declining birth rate.

The sad results of a generation that put short term economic security over long term security by not having enough children.

My parents had a big family. Now their kids are taking care of them and they are doing well.

Not only that, but society also benefits as their bunch of kids all contribute to the economy.

Any society that minimizes the importance of having children, however difficult, will eventually pay the price.

"Willing" and "have to" have vastly different meanings. I may have to but I am definitely not willing. If I could retire comfortably tomorrow, I would have done it yesterday.

Willing or no choice, there is a massive difference.

Yes, DUE TO FINANCIAL CONCERNS imposed upon them by tax break cuts, tax increases, and increased health care costs... not by choice, as the article suggests. It's about as much choice as if they had a gun to their heads.

I must say I agree with the "shouganai" posters above. What we have in Japan is mostly the result of high longevity and people paying in very little in premiums. A large number of Japanese women contribute next to nothing but collect a pension for 25 years. Okay it's very small, but they paid nothing in. By Western standards, even men do not pay in very much. The result of this has always been known.

Whatever Japan does regarding employment of seniors, the focus should not be on seishain. Do that and you have already excluded the majority of the population.

I strongly suspect the brochure-type retirements we see in the West, with a decent number of folks on the golf course or cruise ships, will be a short-lived phenomenon, especially for public sector workers. While it is already difficult for many old people, this will significantly ramp up when "Generation Rent" starts hitting retirement age around 2040. I think we will see a return to serious destitution, Dickens-type poverty.

If I had the money I’d retire tomorrow.

Since I don’t, I’ll probably be “willing” to work until until I drop.

Go ahead, less crowd for me out there. I'm going to enjoy the hard earned life. I am not one to work myself to death. Use that salary to hire younger workers as plenty are out there, just on fixed and rigged up contracts.

No comments on the possibility that they actually enjoy working? Even if it is part-time?

That they have the company of younger people, have job satisfaction, are able to socialise, are able to keep physically and mentally healthy, that they have some income.

Not "willing". Have no choice as the government keeps giving away our taxes to rich people and keep raising taxes. It's almost impossible to save money anymore. And who in Japan (besides the homeless) can live off a 100,000JYP per month pension?

If the job is complete stressful and a toxic environment and the current diet we eat I don’t think the majority will not see life after retirement. The rich gets richer and the tax goes up , inflation inflation...Good luck

Survey shows 64% willing to work beyond retirement age

I got different vibes after reading this. It seems more like either have to or must; especially if it's for financial reasons. There's a difference. Myself, I really like my job, and thus, I would be willing to work past retirement since my job represents a feeling of gratitude and accomplishment for me.

And who in Japan (besides the homeless) can live off a 100,000JYP per month pension?

Huh? With the mortgage paid off, that's easy to live off!

Sadly it is VERY HARD to save $$ in Japan, especially when assets for most dont appreciate but rather DEppreciate!

Most will HAVE to continue to work, its another reason why I would STRONGLY advise young people wanting to come to Japan to only do so for 2-3yrs MAX more than that & you WILL hurt yourself a LOT, especially if you stay & I say that as one who just past the 30yr mark here

Japan is a real MEAT grinder of an existence sadly! And its getting worse over time!

Bernard MarxToday  12:28 pm JST

And who in Japan (besides the homeless) can live off a 100,000JYP per month pension?

Huh? With the mortgage paid off, that's easy to live off!

Have you considered the cost of;

Utilities: ￥20-30,000 per month

Land tax: ￥100,00 per year Depending on where you live

Food: 30-40,000 per month (2 people eating cheaply)

Homeowners insurance: depends on where you live.

Car: Insurance & Tax Once a year - Inspection (once 2 years. Price depends on size of car

If renting a home: 1DK about ￥70,000 per month (good point; no homeowners insurance

Daily necessities: ￥10-20,000 per month

Not included; clothing, replace broken/worn items in the home, enjoying your retirement with a hobby and/or travel, visiting family, gifts for grandchildren, and much much more.

Welcome to monetary enslavement where the rich gets richer of the poor. Capitalism has made this way.

My first job was at age 10. My goal was always to earn sufficient money to be able to retire, which I did over 20 yrs before most people do. After a few years, I started a business, but only work 20-50% of the time, as I prefer.

Working when it isn't necessary changes life completely, especially when you are self-employed.

I'm just happy that my mother taught me how to invest in stocks.

If you don't take 10 yrs off, say in your 40s and 50s, you'll probably be tool old to do many of the things you'd like to accomplish. I don't know how a typical Japanese salaryman could do that, but for risk takers who have a plan to have their own business, have some sort of work-anywhere, technical, capability, then doing this is definitely possible.

What were the questions on the survey?

35 years of pension payments should not equal 25 years collecting a pension. People need to work longer, save more / invest, or die sooner. The pension system is a scam, the boomers will drink the well dry, and those paying into it in their 20s, 30s, and 40s will never see a dime.

Land tax: ￥100,00 per year Depending on where you live

Mine is 36,000 per year.

Bernard MarxToday  04:04 pm JST

Land tax: ￥100,00 per year Depending on where you live

Mine is 36,000 per year.

Wow! Mines 136,000 per year. Like I said, Depends on where you live. Hoping to retire in the mountains. Buy a cabin and live the rest of my life off the grid. Only 4-5mil to buy a nice cabin. Sell everything I own in Tokyo and enjoy the simple life once again.

Yet if you tell people to run a business instead of having to work all day every day for someone else until they die poor, you get downvoted, lol.

Much easier to keep doing what's obviously ineffective and then blame your employer, the government, rich people... basically anyone but yourself.

The results of this survey mean little. Only those having policies with one particular life insurance company. The headline should say

64% of those who bothered to respond to a survey of people with life insurance policies of Nippon Life said

The survey is moreover clearly part of an effort to get people to buy retirement policies from that company.

Personal comments about retirement in Japan mean little given that individual circumstances vary and are not necessarily representative of what retired people in general receive.

It's NOT about Age, It's about how well off $$$ you are.

As always Statistics and Representation of surveys ...

Better breakdown would be :

I want to work after the retirement age

I wouldn't mind working after my retirement age

I will definitely not work after my retirement age

I can afford to retire

I don't know if I can afford to retire

I can not afford to retire

I can't even get a job, even if I try... (which would need further break downs)

@since1981

NIce idea - though sadly, you also need to consider Medical access - since as you get older, unless you maintain fitness, you will need more Medical assistance over time.

Personally, I hope everyone leaves Central Tokyo, depreciates property here, and then I can buy my neighbours property at a real bargain price and make a huge place with Swimming pool, gym, etc, and be the envy of all, whilst at the same time being close to Great Hospitals should I sprain an ankle, etc.