Japanese Ingenuity Applied to Aging Crisis

I don't normally think of the developing demographic shift as an impending crisis. I believe in humanity's ability to adapt. That's Darwin's original credo, after all, isn't it? Evolve or die?

However, some countries are poised for more significant troubles than others. Japan, for instance, has low birth rates, nominal immigration and long life expectancy. All of these factors add up to make it the "oldest" country in the world right now, with the median age of 44.2 years (the United States' median age is presently 36.7 years, but that will probably shift once the latest census information is released). The United States isn't nearly as challenged as this - if anything, our immigration policies contribute to other nation's difficulties in retaining their younger citizens. At some point, I believe, traditionally closed nations like Japan will have to cave and open their borders. In the meantime, we can look to Japan's innovations as possible ways to help our own aging society.

This little article on Japan's robotic farming suits gives insight into a number of elements of Japanese society - its aging labor force, its agrarian ties and its innovation.