The Benefits of an Ageing Population: Case Studies from Rural Hokkaido, Japan

Abstract

This paper explores the strategies employed by Japanese rural municipalities to support growing numbers of older people in the face of dwindling financial and human resources. Drawing on case study research from a study visit made by the authors, the paper considers the social and economic benefits gained by taking a community based approach as seen in Kuriyama and an older-person centred approach to spatial planning as seen in Nanporo. It concludes by considering what lessons rural municipalities in the UK might draw from these approaches.

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the grant aid provided by the Daiwa Foundation that enabled their study visit to take place.