Japan is trying to retain older workers through job opportunities, skills training and preventive health measures as population aging challenges long-term economic growth, the Bangkok Post reported.
The Act on Stabilisation of Employment of Elderly Persons requires employers to provide job opportunities through age 65. It also calls on them to make efforts to extend those opportunities through age 70. A 2025 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development analysis put training participation at 29% among Japanese workers ages 55 to 65, compared with 35% across OECD countries, the Bangkok Post reported.
At a recent panel at Hitotsubashi University, Prof. Shinya Yamashige said Japan was the first society in Asia to reach super-aged status, in 2006. He said the country has spent decades adapting to population decline.
The Bangkok Post linked the workforce debate to falling fertility and later family formation. It described Japan’s activity in satellite projects, chip production and biomedical research as a bid to develop new sources of revenue, broaden younger adults’ job options and strengthen economic resilience. The outlet also reported that workplace changes, flexible arrangements and digital skills instruction, including AI-related training, have been raised as possible ways to help older employees adapt to shifting job demands.
The Bangkok Post compared Japan’s demographic pressures with those in Thailand. The country’s National Statistical Office counted 21.4% of Thailand’s population as age 60 or older in its 2025 Population and Housing Census. The report said Thailand faces similar pressures with fewer economic resources.
Revised workplace health guidance from Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) took effect Oct. 19. It encourages employers to coordinate with medical insurers on health checks and follow-up care covering cancer, dental disease, osteoporosis, eye conditions and women’s health. The guidance also promotes workplace arrangements for employees who remain at work while receiving treatment, but does not oblige companies to pay for every extra examination. The Bangkok Post described preventive care as part of an effort to preserve workers’ health and limit the economic burden of chronic illness.
