[Slate] The Choice of Death, a Right or Coercion?

Director Chie Hayakawa's film 'Plan 75'
Addresses elderly bankruptcy for those over 75
Assumes Japanese government implements death-inducing policies
Could become the future of Korea, with the fastest aging population

The film 'Plan 75' opens with a radio news broadcast. "The system supporting the right to choose death for elderly people aged 75 and over, commonly known as 'Plan 75,' has passed the National Assembly today. As ageist crimes continue nationwide, voices demanding measures to address the worsening aging population problem have grown louder. (Omitted) This unprecedented attempt is attracting global attention and will be a solution to Japan's aging population issue."

Kohi (古稀·70 years old), Kiju (喜壽·77 years old), Sanju (傘壽·100 years old)... In Japan, there are customs and cultures that celebrate and bless longevity. But now, things are different. As the proportion of elderly people increases, it has become recognized as a social problem. There is no single solution to the population structure problem. Painful institutional reforms and improvements are inevitable. Many scholars have sounded the alarm, and the government has made various attempts, but the results have been unsatisfactory. Meanwhile, the lives of socially vulnerable elderly people have collapsed. The number of those barely surviving on pensions and unable to receive adequate medical or nursing care services has surged. This is so-called 'old-age bankruptcy.'

Director Hayakawa Chie focuses on the 'working poor' elderly, who are on the brink of old-age bankruptcy. Kakutani Michi (Chieko Baisho) is a seventy-eight-year-old grandmother. She works as a cleaner at a hotel but is suddenly notified of her dismissal. When her colleague Iineko (Hisako Okata) collapses during work, the hotel finds employing elderly people burdensome. Kakutani tries every possible way to find a job. However, all reject her due to her old and sick body.

Job loss becomes the starting point that breaks the will to live. Housing problems arise immediately. If one cannot meet conditions such as paying two years' rent in advance, housing cannot be secured. The government or local authorities recommend basic livelihood protection. "There might be possibilities for apartments for basic livelihood protection recipients." "I think I can still work." "Ah, I see. Then there is no way we can help you."

Receiving a pension forces one to live minimally, such as reducing medical service costs. This is not only a problem for solitary elderly like Kakutani. Even if one has family, if their income is insufficient or they are unemployed, they can be pushed into hardship. According to the paper 'Recent Situation of Unmarried Adults Living with Parents (2012),' the number of middle-aged unmarried adults (35?44 years old) living with parents in Japan was 3.05 million in 2012. Among them, 10.4% were unemployed. This is more than twice the overall unemployment rate (4.2%) for the same age group.

This trend is accelerating as social inequality deepens. According to the 'Income Redistribution Survey' published by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the Gini coefficient (a measure of income inequality and disparity between classes, where 0 is perfect equality and 1 is maximum inequality) was 0.5700 in 2021. This was 0.0106 points higher than in 2018 and close to the worst-ever 0.5704 recorded in 2014. Due to the spread of COVID-19 and other factors, wages of young people and elderly non-regular workers, who are relatively disadvantaged in the labor market, were severely impacted. The number of elderly people unprepared for old age is increasing, as is the young impoverished population, raising calls to address the wealth gap.

Fumihiko Nishi, a researcher at the Statistics Research Institute of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications who predicted this situation in his paper, warned, "The number of middle-aged unmarried adults living with parents is increasing, but when parents become ill or require nursing care, it should be anticipated that 'both parents and children will go bankrupt.'"

In the past, it was believed in Japan that living with children meant security in old age. People dreamed of living comfortably, relying on their children's income, receiving a pension, and even giving pocket money to grandchildren. The background to this illusion lies in the income gap between regular and non-regular workers. As the latter reached about 40% of total employment, the average household income paradoxically decreased.

Director Hayakawa accurately perceives this point. She highlights not only Kakutani but also Hiromu Okabe (Hayato Isomura), who accepts Plan 75 applicants; Yoko Narimiya (Yumi Kawai), who provides telephone counseling; and Maria (Stephanie Arian), who manages the belongings of the deceased. Hiromu and Yoko are non-regular young workers, and Maria is a foreign worker. All are working poor who can fall into the working poor class due to illness, parental nursing, aging, or other reasons.

In a society where the younger generation has lost dreams and hope, extreme measures inducing the death of the elderly only predict endless competition. Transitioning to a new society becomes practically impossible. This is not just a problem in Japan. South Korea is the fastest-aging country in the world. It is heading toward a society with a population structure similar to Japan’s. If it enters a super-aged society as is, it will undoubtedly suffer pains comparable to Japan’s. 'Plan 75' is our near future.