In its late August issue, Newsweek magazine lauded Japan as the world's best place to grow old. Japan's elders enjoy the respect of society and get their own national holiday, Keiro No Hi (Respect-for-the-Aged Day), the magazine said.

 
But the recent revelations that a large number of very old Japanese are missing have aroused doubts about whether Japan deserves the title. 

The number of people aged 100 or older has soared over the decades to 44,449 this year, 290 times larger than the 153 in 1963, when the government started tracking the population of centenarians. 

There is good reason to question the credibility of the latest figure, which is a simple total of such people registered as residents of cities, towns and villages nationwide. 

But there is no doubt that the number of old people who need aid from others in their daily lives has been rising sharply. 

They include, for instance, senile senior citizens. An estimated 2.08 million people in Japan are suffering from dementia, and their ranks are expected to grow to 3.53 million in 2030, accounting for one in every 10 people aged 65 or older. 

The deaths of many elderly people believed to have been living with their families have not been reported to the authorities. Many others are missing. 

As it becomes increasingly difficult in the coming years to expect elderly people to be taken care of by their families, one big question that must be asked is who should keep watch on aged individuals and how they should be supported. The answer needs to be based on a fundamental review of the realities. 

Traditionally, local volunteer social workers contact people in difficult situations within the communities, including but not limited to the elderly, and report their conditions to the local authorities. 

Currently, there are slightly fewer than 230,000 government-commissioned volunteer social workers across the country. But there is an increasingly serious shortage of these social workers in urban areas where the population will age rapidly. 

There is a limit to what municipal governments can do to help local residents in trouble. Their fiscal straits make it difficult to use taxpayer money for efforts to help people facing problems in daily life, such as those who are isolated within the family, in danger of falling victim to illegal business practices or unable to do shopping or take out the garbage. 

What should be done? Some unique ways to tackle the challenge have been devised. 

In Kamogawa, Chiba Prefecture, people are being trained to keep watch on individuals facing difficulties in each area, instead of depending entirely on volunteer social workers for such services. 

Tokyo and Osaka are training and supporting social workers they call "citizen guardians." 

It is important to seek support from businesses as well as volunteers. 

In Kochi Prefecture, local supermarkets are taking advantage of subsidies provided by the prefectural government to operate small buses to sell goods to people who live in remote areas and have difficulties in going shopping. 

Baby boomers can be expected to play an important role in such efforts. 

Most corporate employees in this generation are now retired and are beginning to receive pension benefits. But many of them don't want to be treated like old people. 

By drawing on the skills and experiences they have accumulated through work, they can and should set examples of how to switch from being key economic actors to being active contributors to the local communities. 

It is also important to create programs to encourage such people to take part in efforts to support the elderly. 

One example is a system that allows people to accumulate hours of their community activities and later receive corresponding hours of services when they need them. Another is a program to allow volunteers involved in nursing care to earn points for their work that can later be exchanged for money or goods. 

Only when a social system has been established to ensure that people who offer help will receive help when they later need it, the respect for elders will be reproduced and the vitality of society will be maintained. 

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