Elderly people are very health-conscious, and they seem to be increasingly having opportunities to do exercise or sports, such as going walking and attending sports classes.

This is something to be very proud of, more so than the rugby team, whatever Nobel Prize it was, and that award in that payola travel magazine. Being healthy in old age is a huge quality of life issue. Due to social health care and social care provision, it also affects everyone else. More money spent by the health system dealing with unhealthy or dependent old people means less money to spend on everything else.

Every little town in Japan seems to have a publicly funded swimming pool where the people can swim and do aqua walking for free or a few hundred yen. This contrasts with my home country, the UK, where the government thinks nothing of closing pools or selling off playing fields in the name of austerity. Obesity is rife in the UK.

This contrasts with my home country, the UK, where the government thinks nothing of closing pools

It's no different in Tokyo. Recently demolished outdoor pools around me include Keyaki Pool in Asagaya, Yoyogi Olympic pool and the Kichijoji Park Pool. The Wadabori Pool in Suginami used to be open til 8, but shortened its hours to 6 out of, yes, austerity.

I used to enjoy swimming to cool off in Japan's hot summers. I don't bother anymore. The remaining pools are too crowded to do a single lap. They are only open for about 8 weeks out of the entire year, anyway. Getting exercise in Tokyo can be a real hassle.

This is the 'golden generation.'

Didn't suffer from the war,had plenty of job opportunities,little or no sales tax for most of their life,lifetime employment and all of the benefits that go with that including huge bonuses during and before the 'bubble,'nice pension and retirement bonus,low social security payments,could do well with a single person in the household working,yeah,the epitome of the 'golden generation.'

Now they are trying their best to prolong their blessed existence which is understandable.

I pity the next and future generations in Japan though......there is no way the future generations are going to be so lucky as the 'boomers.'

We all want our kids to have a better life than we have had but that is soon impossible in Japan with its fiscal and demographic time bombs about to explode.