老後破產: 名為長壽的噩夢

by NHK Special Shuzai-han, NHK特別採訪小組, 謝承翰 (Translator)

直擊統計數字背後的社會現實，全球高齡社會引以為鑒

懷抱開店夢想，拼死賺錢的男子，年金制度卻無法照顧他的老後生活……
建材行老闆娘在獨子過勞死，丈夫相繼去世後頓失依靠，有病痛不敢看病，只求節省存款開銷……
建築師傅肩負重建戰後日本的重擔，老後卻必須賣掉親手建造的家，才得以接受照護支援……
中年失業的子女，仰賴雙親養老金過活，最後一起倒下，形成「老後親子破產」……

NHK特別採訪小組為期一年採訪製作，以「金錢問題」為主軸，揭露「老後破產」在居住、生活、醫療、人際關係等面向中的各種影響。案例中的每一位老人，年輕時都與你我一樣認真工作，做好退休後的儲蓄計劃，卻從沒想過老後生活如此孤獨辛苦，甚至失去求生欲望。

「老後破產」問題不只衝擊65歲以上的退休老人，更進一步蔓延至工作人口。經濟衰退、收入減少、物價上漲的危機紛至沓來，年輕人就業困難，中年失業的上班族難以再次進入職場，你我可能都是「老後破產預備軍」，一開始工作，就必須負擔沉重社會壓力。

問題早已不單只是存多少錢才能退休，而是不知道還要拼死拼活工作到何時？社會陷入惡性循環，「人口老化」不再只是政府政策的問題，而是每個人都必須面對的嚴酷現實。

264 pages, Paperback

First published July 10, 2015

Reviews

[Hazel P · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first non-fiction book I have read that focuses on the financial stability of retirees. Adapted from a documentary aired on the Japanese media outlet NHK in 2016, it shares poignant stories of Japan's elderly who are struggling with financial security and teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. The book leverages real-life examples to critique the government's failure to effectively promote and implement elderly welfare policies, revealing that a significant portion of the elderly population does not know they qualify for government assistance, and as a result, struggle to meet basic needs including food security. Additionally, the book points out that government policies further marginalize an already vulnerable group by imposing restrictive eligibility criteria for assistance, such as requiring that an individual's savings fall below a specific threshold (approximately $500 AUD), which unsurprisingly breeds distrust and discourages them from applying.

As it is adapted from a documentary, the book reads more like a collection of real-life stories. I'd like to explore more in-depth non-fiction works that address issues related to the aging population and welfare systems.

[Yapei Zhang · Rating 5 out of 5]

日本所经历的正是中国将要经历的。而由于中国庞大的人口基数，不健全的社会福利体系，和独生子女政策，老龄化问题在中国只会有过之而无不及。老后破产的问题也将会集中在失独老人，无房产或全家只有一处房产，和农村空巢老人之中。独生子女一代的生产力能否同时支撑自己未来的老年生活和父母的养老，中国老人是否能够接受reverse mortgage，零积蓄，都是解决老龄化问题的挑战。

[鸳鸯奶茶热蛋挞 · Rating 5 out of 5]

2021#42

[Atino · Rating 5 out of 5]

可以考虑买实体书，重复读，值得思考，找一下对应的纪录片看看，日本的过去可能是中国的未来

[Zeitgeist · Rating 4 out of 5]

中国也在老龄化，日本的超老龄化已经出现了许多问题，未来中国都会一一遇到，而且不一定处理地能比日本政府更好

[Martin L · Rating 3 out of 5]

很具体的描述了社会现状，确知能感觉到老人后面那种无助与痛苦。虽然说经济周期可能让这种情况不可避免，但是放在个人身上还是让人难以接受。不会书中并没有提及解决的想法或者一些可能的改变。