Finance Minister Minister Taro Aso. Concerns have been raised about Japan's public pension system in the wake of a Financial Services Agency (FSA) panel report stating that an average elderly couple would need 20 million yen in addition to their public pension to fund a 30-year post-retirement life.
© Mainichi ShimbunVoices
in
Japan
quote of the day
Do people think about their retirement money on the assumption they'll live to 100? I don't think ordinary people do. People have to think now about whether or not they've got any money.
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MarkX
What a stupid comment. Yes of course people are worried about having money now, but they also worry about retirement. That is why people are not spending and raising inflation to your dream of 2%, because they are so worried about saving for now and for later. But you and your cronies, Abe etc., who have so much money, just keep taxing and staking from the little guy. You are so out of touch with reality. Please retire and just go and read manga somewhere.
Maria
Now that we can't trust that our taxes and pension payments will actually translate into pension payments for our old age, it is a concern. As is having money for health care.
Shipwrecker
I ran this through my Oyaji to English translator. It came out as "I have no idea about the worries and concerns of ordinary people."
fxgai
The political propaganda has been coming around in the post due to the upcoming election, only the Ishin party has a clue, or any honesty. Ishin's propaganda aptly notes that the current pension system is like a very leaky bucket, and the system needs to be reformed.
As what they have stated makes so much more sense than the nonsense from the other parties, I expect them to garner less than 10% of the votes.
Jimizo
Aso is stupider than a bog brush and nowhere near as useful.
He is not to be taken seriously.
RickyC
He is extremely snob, but there is no meaning to blame him. He knows that he'll be elected again, whatever he says or executes.
Japanese society needs to look how they created and tolerated this apathetic governance style for decades while they have a chance to change by their votes and why they are not doing anything to change yet.
I started to believe that all society has Stockholm syndrome.
u_s__reamer
The Japanese have endured centuries of poverty and oppression, so they don't want to look back, but they don't have clue about how they want their future to be. They're just living comfortably numb which allows their rulers to run riot making mega moola to feather their nests while the sun shines. The bill to be paid by future generations will come when Aso and his ilk are a footnote in history.
JeffLee
I think he's right. My target age is 85, not 100. And yes, people have to grow a backbone and figure out on their own or with the help of an adviser how financially secure they are going to be after age 65.
cleo
I think he's as wrong as wrong can be. My target age is 'as old as possible', and I'm seriously hoping that will be triple digits.
At the same time, I realise that time flows only in one direction, and every day needs to be lived to the full. That means money to live now, and money to live way along the line.
Figures show that over 50% of Japanese girls born in 2017 can expect to live to the age of 90 and over half of those will reach 95, so Yes, Taro-kun, a goodly number of them will be hoping to celebrate their 100th birthday.
Vince Black
Another idiot comment from (one of) the biggest idiots in Japan. I really hope he doesn't live to be 100
Spitfire
Shipwrecker....
awesome comments.......gave me my biggest laugh for a while.
u-s--reamer......you are totally spot on as well!
Ah_so
This is accurate in that someone who makes it to 90 has an average life expectancy of 95. However, a 95 year-old will have the life expectancy of a bit over 97 and the gaps get smaller and smaller from then on, so still a relatively small proportion actually hit 100.
cleo
The figures I was quoting from are for girls born in 2017, not for people who have already reached the age of 90.
https://www.nippon.com/en/features/h00250/life-expectancy-for-japanese-men-and-women-at-new-record-high.html
coskuri
Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.
Yes, people think now. Get yourself decent polical leaders now. Aso has no plan now for those already old and needing help, they have been on waiting lists to see a nurse for as long as the Taro has been in government, they wait longer and longer... Don't count on his ideas for future. The question is not so much the age you reach but the years when you'll not have an income from work while you are healthy, and the years when you will need to pay for help for daily life and medical treatments. If you work till 50 and become disable/sick from 52 to die at 70, it's costlier than if you work till 90, become disable/sick at 102 and die a 103.
kibousha
Just got big bonus last month, you want to know where it goes Aso ? 100% into saving! I also read that 30% of Japanese also save their big bonus this year, You and BOJ can keep dreaming about that 2% inflation, lol lol lol.
Also, I read that top government officials got paid highest in history this year! What the hell are we paying you for dude ? You and your cronies won't get my vote in the coming election on the 21st for sure.
fxgai
not all of that be salary, for what it is worth.