The International Roundtable for Cities: Resilient Cities in Aging Societies conference was hosted by OECD and Toyama City on October17th. The aim of the conference was to share experiences related to tackling challenges facing super-aging societies by exchanging opinions and discussing specific actions to be taken. Cities addressing problems connected to the aging of the population participated, including Helsinki, Lisbon, Manchester, Yokohama, and Kyoto. Researchers from the University of Tokyo, Chiba University, Toyama University, public and private sectors, and international organizations such as OECD, WHO, and ITF also participated. Discussion was very lively. Reports included measures for addressing the aging population, including projects supporting elderly activities which are government-backed. What struck me most was that participants listened attentively to the variety of examples reported. In Tomioka, there is a system in place which pays elderly people who participate in a pedometer data recording project. In Toyama, elderly individuals are able to use public facilities free of charge when accompanying their grandchildren. In Yokohama, the municipality is developing a city wherein artistic elements are being incorporated into public architecture. In the chair’s summary, which followed the sessions, the chairman stated the need for long term resource distribution, the need for expansion and development of job opportunities in cooperation with public and private sectors throughout a generation, and the need for segmentation of elderly people to assess and respond to their needs (including accessibility needs) from the perspective of psychology. I found out that what I am studying at GLAFS is of considerable concern internationally. I would like to be involved in the research of gerontology more deeply and positively. |