So who's actually retired in Japan?

[yakushika]

Interesting thread and it seems many shared concerns, including a heavy reliance on a Japanese spouse. Within Japan I wonder whether there are areas to which retirees will tend to migrate - Izu, Karuizawa, Nasu, Boso etc spring to mind near Tokyo and I could imagine a lot of other places which would be attractive places to be in retirement, and still more attractive if there are others in the same situation in the area too. So you could see communities emerge, and then the provision of the kind of senior welfare support to cater for them. I`m not advocating the full Florida retirement complex or Benidorm type development but it might be reassuring in retirement to know that there are others around.

[hbd]

Granted, among those common threads is a lack of children (or in my own case, a child who will never mature mentally nor even in some physical respects), but there's also anxiety about isolation. That sentiment is not necessarily confined to scenarios of losing one's Japanese spouse, or of loss or absence of linguistic competence. What I'm getting at is that unless you grew up or spent your late teens and early twenties here, then you became the person you are in a context utterly different to that which now surrounds you. A context of social experience, intellectual and interpersonal engagement based on norms of behaviour and verbal expression which are not part of common experience here beyond small pockets of globalised elites. If you're lucky enough to have close Japanese friends in such circles, you might be able to look forward to having enjoyable and rewarding conversations (regardless of the language in which you hold them) well into your old age. Yet most of us have rather little connection with those cosmopolitan Japanese who know how to engage in discussion of issues beyond the realm of their everyday concerns -- and who can 'cope' with the fact that educated Westerners enjoy infusing their daily banter with irony, sarcasm and other expressions perceived as annoying or even offensive if used by ordinary Japanese (except when permitted to do so by imbibing alcohol). So unless you're someone who enjoyed a certain kind of isolation even before you came to Japan, and whether or not your Japanese spouse is still alive, and whether or not you continue to be able to speak the language, retirement in Japan could be increasingly dull, especially as you lose your mobility (being able to get on trains or drive to places meet people or enjoy events).

Since most of us have been getting a foretaste of that condition during the last 14 months, I think we can say how much we're likely to enjoy such a life. Zoom, Skype and the rest let us see and talk with friends back 'home', but often after a long talk on those media if anything we feel the lack of in-person interaction all the more. (Compare connecting with one of your best friends by spending a day together to having a Zoom meeting with them for 2 hours.)

So as to the interesting suggestion of areas to which (Westerner) retirees might tend to migrate - Izu, Karuizawa, Nasu, Boso etc - I'm intrigued, and I hope others are, too. There are lots of wonderful people living in this land, and I wish I had time to meet more of them, but perhaps there will be time in retirement! As was said, attractive parts of the country would be still more attractive if there are others in the same situation in the area. Let's keep talking.

[captainspoke]

I was talking to a cousin once, well before I had retired (he might have been on the cusp), and this guy's comment was something like "it doesn't matter where you retire (to), it just matters that you're retired."

Four years in, I don't have any urge to go live somewhere else. Sure, I'd certainly like to go visit some places (both domestic and int'l). And some trips could be several weeks or even months long. But I don't think at all about moving to any of them. 'Home' has been here, right here, for quite a while.

[mighty58]

What I'm getting at is that unless you grew up or spent your late teens and early twenties here, then you became the person you are in a context utterly different to that which now surrounds you. A context of social experience, intellectual and interpersonal engagement based on norms of behaviour and verbal expression which are not part of common experience here beyond small pockets of globalised elites. If you're lucky enough to have close Japanese friends in such circles, you might be able to look forward to having enjoyable and rewarding conversations (regardless of the language in which you hold them) well into your old age. Yet most of us have rather little connection with those cosmopolitan Japanese who know how to engage in discussion of issues beyond the realm of their everyday concerns -- and who can 'cope' with the fact that educated Westerners enjoy infusing their daily banter with irony, sarcasm and other expressions perceived as annoying or even offensive if used by ordinary Japanese (except when permitted to do so by imbibing alcohol). So unless you're someone who enjoyed a certain kind of isolation even before you came to Japan, and whether or not your Japanese spouse is still alive, and whether or not you continue to be able to speak the language, retirement in Japan could be increasingly dull, especially as you lose your mobility (being able to get on trains or drive to places meet people or enjoy events).

I found this comment really spot-on, at least for my situation, and I know several of the other foreigners I know would feel the same way.

Even though (or perhaps because) this thread represents just a smidgen of the English-speaking foreigner population in Japan, I'm sure there would be more than enough demand for exactly the type of neighbourhood/community that people here are thinking aloud about. One that isn't an old-age care facility per se, but a neighbourhood, one that could provide the necessary social interaction, with added old-age care facilities as needed, all in English. I imagine land for such an endeavour in some place like Izu or Boso wouldn't be prohibitively expensive either. I, for one, would be interested in something like that.

[RetireJapan]

Even though (or perhaps because) this thread represents just a smidgen of the English-speaking foreigner population in Japan, I'm sure there would be more than enough demand for exactly the type of neighbourhood/community that people here are thinking aloud about. One that isn't an old-age care facility per se, but a neighbourhood, one that could provide the necessary social interaction, with added old-age care facilities as needed, all in English. I imagine land for such an endeavour in some place like Izu or Boso wouldn't be prohibitively expensive either. I, for one, would be interested in something like that.

Is this not just a case of people agreeing to move close to each other? It's a bit like Tynan's 'get all my friends to move to Las Vegas' thing.

[mighty58]

Is this not just a case of people agreeing to move close to each other? It's a bit like Tynan's 'get all my friends to move to Las Vegas' thing.

Yes, but with an added component of primary care facilities in English.

[beanhead]

I don't think anyone mentioned this before, but this place looks quite nice.
https://resort.seibupros.jp/onjuku/

With English-speaking medical staff, and a bar with a large screen for noisily watching sports events, it could be just the ticket

[Moneymatters]

I don't think anyone mentioned this before, but this place looks quite nice.
https://resort.seibupros.jp/onjuku/

With English-speaking medical staff, and a bar with a large screen for noisily watching sports events, it could be just the ticket

I had a drive around there when I was considering Chiba for a holiday/transition to spending most of the year there in old age place.
The used places are affordable for what you get. It's a bit hilly but you might snag a decent view as a result.

https://www.tokyu-resort.co.jp/bessochi ... 00057.html
That gives a better indication on one-off and running costs. Which frankly seem very reasonable.

As it's a resort I'd be worried about home owners association type rules, although I have no idea what they might be. But If we want the benefits of such a community that's the price of admission I suppose.

I'm not sure if it's this place or somewhere else that many properties have parking for a golf cart!
I've stopped playing but having a golf cart sized built-in garage will be ideal for the Meet the Jetson's autonomous drive EV I expect to have by that age.

I have new bathroom scales that give me the weather forecast when I step on them, several household appliances that converse with me more frequently than certain family members, and if my next washlet doesn't give me health screening I'll be dissapointed. So I think a self driving "cart" to get my inhebriated self back up the hill from the community centre is a realistic goal.

[Jansen]

If you don't mind the cold, I've noticed that ski resort areas like Niseko and Hakuba have a very large gaijin community. While a large portion of them are young and seasonal, a large number of them are middle-aged and run businesses in the area.

[Tokyo]

We are examples of people actually retired in Japan, now for a few years after working here since the 80s. Things didn’t work out quite as we planned.
Firstly, I imagined 10-20 years ago that we would live overseas either for a month or two in a few different places with a view to finding a second base for maybe spending half the year, or more. But the closer we got to retirement, the less attractive that option became with our kids settling happily here and the attractions of living in Japan (cost of living, safety, medical insurance, wonderful food at every turn) becoming increasingly stronger.
Secondly, we saved and inherited considerably more than we (deliberately under)estimated so our retired lifestyle has not been a step down but to our surprise, a step or two up.
While we both miss the rapport with work colleagues, we do not miss working one bit. As others have noted, it would be great to find or establish a retired gaijin support group - maybe after the pandemic is over.
Like other posters here, I was concerned about losing my ability to speak Japanese as I age but after witnessing the decline of a Japanese in-law from Alzheimer’s, my aging problems may be much more profound than linguistic difficulties. Anyway, losing my Japanese may not even be an issue if future caregivers are Filipino, Indonesian or other foreigners with English ability. I studied Japanese with a few such caregivers and they were nice, upbeat people.
This weekend we are going to look at a brand new neighborhood assisted care facility. I will report back if the details are promising. It’s far too early to move in yet but we want to know about future options and the costs involved.