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≪FIRST HALF≫

Living Longer, Living Better

According to a survey, Japan has the highest proportion of elderly citizens (65 and over) in the world. In 2024, over 29% of the population was 65 or older, and this is projected to reach 35% by 2040. Thanks to better access to healthcare services and the increase in personal health awareness, Japan’s average life expectancy has dramatically increased to about 85 years.

In fact, there are two types of lifespans. One is the overall life expectancy, as commonly understood. The other is health life expectancy which refers to the number of years people live in a healthy state without any limitations due to diseases or disabilities. According to the WHO report, in Japan, both healthy life expectancy and overall life expectancy are among the highest globally: about 74 and 85 years, respectively.

However, the gap between them is still approximately 10 years, and it has not been bridged for over the past years. In other words, it seems hard to pursue whatever you want to do later in your life due to health problems. To be satisfied with your own life, we might as well have a clear view of life in the earlier stage.

<Questions>

1. Until what age do you want to live? What goals do you want to achieve in your lifetime?

2. If you could know the time of your death, would you want to know? How do you want to spend time on the last day of your life?

3. What kinds of initiatives should be taken — by the government, communities, or individuals — to extend healthy life expectancy?

*Please share a summary of your discussion on Q.3 at the end of the workshop.

≪LATTER HALF≫

Quarter-Life Crisis

In your mid-20s to early 30s, have you ever felt anxious or like you’re falling behind when you see your friends getting married and having babies? Or have you ever regretted your major or career choice and felt stuck in your job? If you’ve experienced these kinds of feelings, this is known as a “quarter-life crisis”. This is a psychological term that refers to a period of emotional stress and uncertainty, similar to the more widely recognized “midlife crisis,” which typically occurs between their 40s and 50s.

Nowadays, many young people feel a gap between their ideals and reality in areas like personal life, career, and relationships, often comparing themselves to people around them, which leads to a sense of discomfort. A few years ago, I was one of them and struggled to break free from these complicated and tricky feelings.

From this experience, I’ve become really curious about how others feel and how they deal with these emotions.

<Questions>

1. Have you ever experienced a quarter-life crisis? If so, what triggered it, and how did you cope with it?

2. What factors (e.g. gender, culture, socioeconomic background, etc.) do you think influence how people experience a quarter-life crisis?

3. If your friends and colleagues were suffering from a quarter-life crisis, what advice would you give them?

<Reference>

https://onlinedegrees.bradley.edu/blog/understanding-the-quarter-life-crisis#:~:text=What%20is%20the%20quarter-life,mid-20s%20to%20early%2030s.

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