RetireJapan

https://www.reddit.com/r/japanlife/comm ... ly_gaijin/

Interesting to read for how all you youn'uns look at us (invisible) older folks...!

I've posted some responses there (hopefully not too rant-like), and my overall impression is, gaijin posting there don't know jack about aging, or older people, not only here but also in their home countries.

Yeah, there are plenty of retired non-Asian people in Sendai (I'm guessing that's what the thread is referring to).

wait, how old is old?

I am in my early thirties, so I don't think I would count.
But I have met a 75+ years (in 2017) old Argentine, who had changed their name to a Japanese name and was attending a weekend volunteer Japanese class. More for socializing than language lessons.

Now that I think about it, it would have been lovely to have them here and talk about their personal finances!

At 71, I'm one of three foreigner retirees here just from my small uni. None of us have much to do with younger people--I haven't done any work (just judging a speech/drama contest once a year), and I don't go bar-hopping (never did) nor do I spend time at anything like a starbucks. One of these other fellows has naturalized (also doesn't work), and the other does some part time jobs at schools and companies.

There's another friend of ours who will be retiring in March, kind of from a long term uni/admin job. He partially grew up here (parents were missionaries). One other fellow and his wife, very long term contact with japan since he was an anthropologist prof back in the US, teaching about it and frequently here for exchanges, etc. After retiring there (US), they came here as a retirement move. Both of these guys are the most fluent japanese speakers, and the people most knowledgeable about japan, that I have had the pleasure of meeting/knowing.

Interesting thread (here and on Reddit).
My cohort are still working. Some of our older friends are 65+ and still doing a bit of part-time work. Some will spend extended time overseas if they have grandkids/family, but most are planning to stay in Japan. Cost of living, pension, health care, housing paid off are all financial reasons to stay.

I think the people in their late 30s/early 40s are the ones most likely to leave, especially if they have kids. They work here 10-20 years and then want their kids to get an English education and cannot afford ¥2,000,000 a year for international school here.