Candidacy Over Age 73 in Liberal Democratic Party Coming into Spotlight.

In Japan, the nation of longevity, retirement age issues have emerged as the center of debate recently.

On October 21, the Japanese government announced that it has decided to prolong the retirement age of wage earners from the current age of 60 to 65 with the purpose of protecting the Japanese’s senior citizens and preparing for the dwindling labor force as a result of the birth rate drop in Japan.

Facing a general election to be held on November 9, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is stirring up over whether the age limit, according to which people under the age of 72 are eligible for running for proportional representation, applies to the two former prime ministers.

Debate over extension of retirement age of wage earners: Sakaguchi Jikala, the Minister’s Secretariat of Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare said, “ It is the government’s duty to help workers when equipped with ability and full enthusiasm for working, even though these people over 60 continue to work. We will either extend the retirement age or obligate companies to keep employing them.” The current Employment Settlement Act for the Aged stipulates the retirement of age 60 as mandatory, but regarding those over age 65, it just prescribes as “recommendable.”

The extension of retirement age coincides with recent actions of postponing the pension recipient age from age 61 to age 65. With overwhelmingly increasing deficits in the pension system, the government has decided to put off the payment date of the pension, which is determined according to affiliation periods by 2013, until the age 65. This means that if the retirement age of 60 continues, the government has to deal with the period of vacuum between retirement age, 60, and age 65, when the retired employees are allowed to receive a pension.

However, many companies repel the actions by saying, “ Such actions not only go against current efforts for corporate workouts but also snatch hiring opportunities from young people.” Nikket, a newspaper in Japan, responded, “ Considering the decrease of the labor force and the prevalent aging trends, such actions are inevitable. However, it is too early to implement it, especially due to the repelling voices heard from the corporate sector.”