Super-Aged Japan: Exploring Activity, Health, and Place

Japan leads the world in population aging where one out of every five residents is now aged 65 years or older. Becoming a super-aged society reflects public health successes in reducing childhood illness and early death, but efforts are needed to ensure that this change is an opportunity for society, rather than a burden. This course focuses on the topic gerontology – addressing the connections between aging, health and place through the lens of Japanese urban life. A particular focus in this course is understanding how the diverse environments in Japan contribute to certain behaviors in later life, such as physical activity, which plays a major role in influencing health and longevity. The course will draw on insights from expert Japanese and international contributors in the areas of psychology, health sciences, sleep, epidemiology, rehabilitation and emergency medicine to shed light on how Japan is confronting the challenges of a super-aged society. It is hoped that this course will provide a foundation of knowledge and interesting examples from Japan to allow learners to contribute to the successful adjustment to an aging world.