敬老けいろうの日ひ サッカー交流こうりゅう 動物どうぶつにプレゼント 各地かくちで長寿ちょうじゅ祝いわう催もよおし

September 15th is Respect for the Aged Day.

Soccer exchange, skincare together, gifts for the animals

Events to celebrate longevity were held in various places.

The duration of each game was set to 15 minutes, taking into account the physical abilities of the elderly participants. Despite the children’s vigorous attacks, the elderly also ran energetically and used the footwork they had developed in their youth to steal the ball, enjoying the game together across generations.

Among the participants, the oldest goalkeeper, Hideo Moriya 91 years old, bravely blocked the childrens sharp shots with his body.

Mr. Moriya said, Soccer helps prevent dementia and makes me pay more attention to my health, so I want to keep playing.

Kazuhide Kameyama 84, who organized the tournament, said, Im surprised at how much the soccer level of elementary school students has improved, and its a great experience to be able to enjoy soccer with kids even younger than my grandchildren.

This event, aimed at revitalizing the local community, has been organized for the past three years by Minami-Alps City and a cosmetics manufacturer that has decided to open a factory in the city. A total of 60 people participated, including children aged 3 to 8 and their grandparents.

Participants learned through quizzes and slides from representatives of a cosmetics manufacturer that when moisturizing, it is important to gently apply the moisturizer to the skin.

After this, the children and their grandparents smiled happily as they applied moisturizer safe for newborns to each others hands and arms and danced together.

The 7-year-old boy said, I had fun applying the moisturizer, and his 69-year-old grandmother said, It became a nice memory for Respect for the Aged Day.

Ms. Hitomi Sato from the Public Relations Department of the cosmetics manufacturer said, Next year, our factory will begin operations in Minami-Alps City, so we want to work together with everyone in the community to liven up the city.

At a hot spring facility in Matsuyama City, an event is being held for Respect for the Aged Day where about 100 cypress boards, each about 9 centimeters in diameter and featuring messages from elementary school students, are floated in both the mens and womens baths.

Among them, in the mens open-air bath, there were floating boards with messages expressing care and gratitude for the elderly, such as Stay healthy forever and Thank you for your hard work. Bathers would pick up each board and read the messages, soothing their daily fatigue with the refreshing scent of cypress.

A 75-year-old man who visited from Saijo City, Ehime Prefecture, said, There were many memorable words like Stay healthy and Do your best, which gave me energy.

Manager Shin Goda of the hot spring facility said, I hope people will read the messages from the children and feel warmed both in body and spirit.

Of these, when Lumo, an 18-year-old male jaguar, was given his favorite treats of horse meat and chicken, he came out from the backyard and eagerly ate them.

In addition, Taro, who is estimated to be 62 years old and is the oldest male chimpanzee currently kept in zoos in Japan, was given fruit and vegetables as gifts.

Taro climbed up to a high place with a pear in his mouth and skillfully ate it using his hands.

The 5-year-old boy who saw Taro said, He was munching on his food.

I like animals, they said.

Also, a woman in her 70s said, This is my first time seeing Taro. Please keep eating well and live a long life.

Chiemi Hisakawa, who has been taking care of Taro at the zoo for over 30 years, said, All the staff will continue to take care of Taro, so I hope he lives to be 70.

According to the population estimate compiled by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications as of the 15th, the number of people aged 65 and over is 36.19 million, which is a decrease of 50,000 compared to last year.

The number of men is 15.68 million, and the number of women is 20.51 million, so there are 4.83 million more women than men.

This is the second time since comparable records began in 1950 that the population aged 65 and over has decreased, the first being in 2023.

According to a labor force survey conducted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the number of working elderly people increased by 160,000 from the previous year to 9.3 million last year, marking a record high.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications states, Due to factors such as labor shortages and the extension of the retirement age, there are increasing opportunities for elderly people to play active roles, so it is expected that the number of elderly people working will continue to rise in the future.