When the practice started in 1963, the Asian nation sent out 153 of the commemorative saucer-like cups as a token of recognition that being very old was something unique and truly special. In 2014, 29,357 people received the dishes.
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This year’s Respect for the Aged Day in Japan is fast approaching, but this time the country’s government won’t be commemorating the September holiday with its usual wares.
But the number of old folks in Japan has ballooned since with almost 30,000 people eligible for the annual gift in 2014, at a cost of 260 million yen (US$2.1 million).
The government doesn’t want to leave centenarians unacknowledged altogether though-instead, they’re considering making the sakazuki from a cheaper material or simply sending a congratulatory letter, according to the Times.
[In Japan, the elderly are committing more crimes than teenagers].
And the cost set to rise as Japan has one of the highest life expectancies in the world.
Japanese women live an average of 86.3 years, putting them at the top of the global longevity table last year, while Japanese men were in fourth place, with an average lifespan of 80.5 years.
[The women over 100 who say staying single is a key to their longevity].
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As the population ages, the birth rate has fallen, and more and more retired citizens are being supported by a shrinking working population.
