Aging in rural area

 Today, my friend Ryu from Akita came to visit Tokyo. It was his first time in such a big city, and he was amazed by the sheer number of people. When I mentioned that I’d like to try living in the countryside, he immediately dismissed it, saying it would be incredibly boring with nothing to do. He had a point.

The most engaging part of our conversation was about population, especially the elderly. Sure, Tokyo, being a major urban area, has a much larger population than Akita, with plenty of both young and old people. However, Ryu insisted, "Akita is full of old people." This stuck with me, so I looked it up later.

I found out that despite Tokyo having about ten times the elderly population compared to Akita, the percentage of elderly people is 23% in Tokyo versus a striking 35% in Akita. Projections for 2045 are even more startling: Tokyo's elderly population is expected to be 30%, whereas in Akita, it's predicted to reach 50%. This means Akita's elderly rate is set to increase twice as much as Tokyo's. This stark difference between urban and rural areas in terms of elderly population ratios made me curious.

Digging deeper, I learned that it’s not just that the elderly are increasing in the countryside, but also that younger people are moving to urban areas for work. Additionally, the lower living costs in rural areas compared to cities make them attractive for retirees.

Personally, I find it problematic that young people are leaving their elderly behind to move to the cities. This could lead to a situation where there aren’t enough young people to support the growing elderly population, much like those illustrations you often see on the internet where a few young people are depicted as carrying the burden of many elderly. Considering this, I believe local governments need to take more action to address this issue. I’ve decided that I want to support politicians who aim to solve these problems and will vote accordingly.

4 地域別にみた高齢化|平成30年版高齢社会白書(全体版) - 内閣府. (n.d.). 内閣府ホームページ. https://www8.cao.go.jp/kourei/whitepaper/w-2018/html/zenbun/s1_1_4.html

4 地域別に見た高齢化|令和4年版高齢社会白書(全体版) - 内閣府. (n.d.). 内閣府ホームページ. https://www8.cao.go.jp/kourei/whitepaper/w-2022/html/zenbun/s1_1_4.html