Dear Indians, take note: Here’s how the Japanese show respect to elders. See pics

Every year, September 18 is celebrated as Respect for the Aged Day in Japan. Various events are held to mark the public holiday.

Respect for the Aged Day in Japan honours and celebrates senior citizens. The day traces it origins back to 1966 when it was declared a public holiday. According to the population estimate released by the Japanese government, as of last week, the total number of Japanese people aged 90 and older has topped 2 million for the first time, reported The Japan Times. Moreover, a record 7.70 million people aged 65 and older are earning wages in some fashion.

Events to mark Respect for the Aged Day are often held in the run up to the occasion. For instance, a pop-up restaurant called the Restaurant of Order Mistake was set up in Tokyo on September 16. Its wait staff team included 17 dementia patients. So you were expected to be patient if you ordered a pasta but ended up with a soup. The idea was to spread the message of acceptance and empathy towards elderly dementia patients.

Another event encouraged senior citizens to look after their health. It was held at a temple in Tokyo’s Sugamo district, an area frequently visited by Japan’s elderly population. Take a look at the pics from the event:

Elderly and middle-aged people exercise with vigour. (Toru Hanai/Reuters)

Japan has a large number of elderly population. (Toru Hanai/Reuters)

Many events are held to mark the annual Respect for the Aged Day. (Toru Hanai/Reuters)

A large number of senior citizens in Japan are engaged in part-time or contractual work. (Toru Hanai/Reuters)

Now that Japan has paved the road for other countries to follow their lead, India too must take more steps to look after older adults in a better way.

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