[Below article is an English version of an article which is originally in the Chinese language . 这篇文章是一篇原文为中文的文章的英文版。Zhè piān wénzhāng shì yī piān yuánwén wéi zhōngwén de wénzhāng de yīngwén bǎn.]
和田博士将80岁老人成为“幸运儿”的秘诀总结为“44句话”。
(最后更新：2022-10-13)
9月19日是日本的“敬老日”。
作为世界领先的超老龄化国家，日本遵循儒家精神，将每年的这一天定为敬老日。
庆祝老人的习俗，日本总务省统计局会在这一天公布“日本目前的老年人数”等数据。
所谓“老人”，是指65岁以上的老人。
根据今年也就是2022年的数据，日本的老年人口数量高达36.27万，占日本总人口的29.1%！
在全球范围内，日本的老龄人口比例一直遥遥领先，目前比第二位的意大利高出5个百分点以上。
如果保持这个发展速度，再过3年，这个比例就可以突破30%大关。
此外，在36.27万老年人中，百岁以上老人高达90,526人。
日本已成为人类迎接超老龄化社会的“实验国”。
针对这种情况，我的朋友兼心理医生和田英树在今年三月出版了一本名为《80后的墙》的书。 在日语中，80-sai no Kabe 作者和田英树。
80-sai no Kabe ,
80ー 再の ,
Hachi chi sai no Kabe,
英文翻译,
80-year-old wall.
该书一经发行，（发行日期：2022-03-19）销量突破50万册，成为当下最畅销的图书。
如果按照这个速度发展下去，这本书的销量将超过 100 万册，成为今年 2022 年日本最畅销的图书。
61 岁的和田医生是一名老年精神疾病专科医生，过去 35 年来，他累计治疗了约 6000 名患者。
同时，作为老年病学家，他着有多部著作，参与录制了多部电视节目。
用一句话概括《80年的墙》这本书，就是“80岁老人的赞歌”。
具体来说，本书在“百岁人生”的时代背景下，告诉80岁的人如何健康地活到100岁。
如今，日本男性的“平均健康预期寿命”（身心独立并保持健康的年龄）为 72.68 岁，女性为 75.38 岁。
就“平均预期寿命”而言，男性为 81.64 岁，女性为 87.74 岁。
从“平均预期寿命”中减去“平均健康寿命”，男性大约有 9 年，女性大约有 12 年的“需要他人照顾的时间”。
如何将这个时间最小化是和田博士大作的核心内容。
和田博士提倡将 80 岁以上的人称为“幸运的人”，而不是“老年人”。
因为在日语中，“幸”和“长者”发音相同，都是“幸”。
幸运的，年长的
幸运の高齘者
Kōun'na kōrei-sha
日本的老年人可以享受每年一次的免费体检。
日本人的长寿，相信也得益于这项政策。
但和田医生表示，80 岁以上的老年人不需要定期检查，因为“健康标准”因人而异。
他还说：“不要相信医生说的话，因为医生接触的是‘病人’，他们不明白什么是真正的健康。
同时，他也反对老年人长期服用多种药物，主张“必要时只吃必要的药”。
换句话说，“为了预防什么而吃药”毫无意义。
按照这种观点，老年人也没有必要经常服用安眠药。
老年人睡眠时间减少是一种自然现象，没有人死去
失眠。 一天24小时，想睡就睡，想起来就起来，这是老年人的特权。
另外，老年人普遍担心的胆固醇值，即使高到一定程度也不用担心。 因为胆固醇是人体产生免疫细胞的原料。
有了更多的免疫细胞，老年人患癌症的风险就会降低。
此外，部分雄性激素也由胆固醇组成。 如果胆固醇水平过低，男性的身心健康将难以为继。
同样，如果您的血压更高也没关系。 50多年前，人类普遍营养不良。 因此，当血压达到150左右时，血管就会破裂。 不过现在很少有人营养不良，所以即使血压在200以上也不会导致血管破裂。
和田博士将80岁老人成为“幸运儿”的秘诀总结为“44句话”，如下：
1.
继续走。Jìxù zǒu.
2.
当你感到烦躁时深呼吸。Dāng nǐ gǎndào fánzào shí shēnhūxī.
3.
锻炼使身体不感到僵硬。Duànliàn shǐ shēntǐ bù gǎndào jiāngyìng.
4.
夏天吹空调多喝水。Xiàtiān chuī kòngtiáo duō hē shuǐ.
5.
“纸尿裤”对于增加活动能力很有帮助。 “Zhǐniàokù” duìyú zēngjiā huódòng nénglì hěn yǒu bāngzhù.
6.
你咀嚼得越多，你的身体和大脑就会变得越有活力。Nǐ jǔjué dé yuè duō, nǐ de shēntǐ hé dànǎo jiù huì biàn dé yuè yǒu huólì.
7.
记忆力下降不是因为年龄，而是因为长期不用脑。Jìyìlì xiàjiàng bùshì yīnwèi niánlíng, ér shì yīnwèi chángqí bùyòng nǎo.
8.
不需要吃很多药。Bù xūyào chī hěnduō yào.
9.
无需刻意降低血压和血糖值。
Wúxū kèyì jiàngdī xiěyā hé xiětáng zhí.
10.
一个人并不意味着孤独，而是享受轻松的时光。Yīgè rén bìng bù yìwèizhe gūdú, ér shì xiǎngshòu qīngsōng de shíguāng.
11.
懒惰不是一件可耻的事。
Lǎnduò bùshì yī jiàn kěchǐ de shì.
12.
无需交（交）驾照（考虑到老年人驾驶机动车比较危险，日本悄然出现了“请老年人交驾照”）。Wúxū jiāo (jiāo) jiàzhào (kǎolǜ dào lǎonián rén jiàshǐ jī dòngchē bǐjiào wéixiǎn, rìběn qiǎorán chūxiànle “qǐng lǎonián rén jiāo jiàzhào”).
13.
只做自己喜欢做的事，不做自己不喜欢做的事。Zhǐ zuò zìjǐ xǐhuān zuò deshì, bù zuò zìjǐ bù xǐhuān zuò de shì.
14.
年纪大了也可以有性欲。
Niánjì dàle yě kěyǐ yǒu xìngyù.
15.
无论如何，不要呆在家里。
Wúlùn rúhé, bùyào dāi zài jiālǐ.
16.
想吃什么就吃什么，微胖的身材刚刚好。
Xiǎng chī shénme jiù chī shénme, wēi pàng de shēncái gānggāng hǎo.
17.
做每一件事都一丝不苟。Zuò měi yī jiàn shì dōu yīsībùgǒu.
18.
不要和你讨厌的人打交道。
Bùyào hé nǐ tǎoyàn de rén dǎjiāodào.
19.
不要看电视。Bùyào kàn diànshì.
20.
与其与病魔抗争到底，不如与之共存。
Yǔqí yǔ bìngmó kàngzhēng dàodǐ, bùrú yǔ zhī gòngcún.
21.
“车到山前必有路”是一句让老人高兴的魔咒。“Chē dào shān qián bì yǒu lù” shì yījù ràng lǎorén gāoxìng de mó zhòu.
22.
最好吃肉，尤其是便宜的红肉。
Zuì hào chī ròu, yóuqí shì piányí de hóng ròu.
23.
洗澡时间控制在10分钟以内。
Xǐzǎo shíjiān kòngzhì zài 10 fēnzhōng yǐnèi.
24.
不要强迫睡觉。Bùyào qiǎngpò shuìjiào.
25.
做开心的事情最有利于提高大脑的活跃度。Zuò kāixīn de shìqíng zuì yǒu lìyú tígāo dànǎo de huóyuè dù.
26.
想说什么就说什么，别太着急。
Xiǎng shuō shénme jiù shuō shénme, bié tài zhāojí.
27.
尽早找“家庭医生”。Jǐnzǎo zhǎo “jiātíng yīshēng”.
28.
不要过分忍耐，也不要勉强自己，当个“坏老头”没什么不好。Bùyào guòfèn rěnnài, yě bùyào miǎnqiáng zìjǐ, dāng gè “huài lǎotóu” méishénme bù hǎo.
29.
有时候说的一夜之间改过来是没有问题的。Yǒu shíhòu shuō de yīyè zhī jiān gǎi guòlái shì méiyǒu wèntí de.
30.
生命最后阶段的痴呆症是上帝的恩赐。Shēngmìng zuìhòu jiēduàn de chīdāi zhèng shì shàngdì de ēncì.
31.
停止学习，你就会变老。
Tíngzhǐ xuéxí, nǐ jiù huì biàn lǎo.
32.
不要贪图虚荣，拥有现在的一切就好。
Bùyào tāntú xūróng, yǒngyǒu xiànzài de yīqiè jiù hǎo.
33.
天真是老年人的特权。Tiān zhēnshi lǎonián rén de tèquán.
34.
越是麻烦的事情，越是有趣。Yuè shì máfan de shìqíng, yuè shì yǒuqù.
35.
晒太阳让人心情愉悦。Shài tàiyáng ràng rén xīnqíng yúyuè.
36.
做对他人有益的事。Zuò duì tārén yǒuyì de shì.
37.
今天悠闲地生活。Jīntiān yōuxián dì shēnghuó.
38.
欲望是长寿的源泉。Yùwàng shì chángshòu de yuánquán.
39.
以乐观的心态生活。Yǐ lèguān de xīntài shēnghuó.
40.
轻松呼吸。
Qīngsōng hūxī.
41.
生活的规则掌握在自己手中。Shēnghuó de guīzé zhǎngwò zài zìjǐ shǒuzhōng.
42.
坦然接受一切。Tǎnrán jiēshòu yīqiè.
43.
性格开朗的人会很受欢迎。
Xìnggé kāilǎng de rén huì hěn shòu huānyíng.
44.
笑开门，开启祝福。
Xiào kāimén, kāiqǐ zhùfú.
日本人和中国人对这些秘密的看法可能不尽相同。Rìběn rén hé zhōngguó rén duì zhèxiē mìmì de kànfǎ kěnéng bù jìn xiāngtóng.
但我们不得不承认，有很多建议值得参考。Dàn wǒmen bùdé bù chéngrèn, yǒu hěnduō jiànyì zhídé cānkǎo.
最重要的是，“幸运老人”这个新词真是太牛了。Zuì zhòngyào de shì,“xìngyùn lǎorén” zhège xīn cí zhēnshi tài niúle.
( English version)
Dr. Wada summed up the secret of 80-year-old people becoming "lucky people" as "44 sentences".
(Last Update: 2022-10-13)
September 19 is Japan's "Day of Respect for the Elderly".
As the world's leading super-aging country, Japan follows the spirit of Confucianism and establishes this day of the year as a day of respect for the elderly.
It is customary to celebrate the elderly, and the Statistics Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Services of Japan will publish data such as "the number of elderly people in Japan at present" on this day.
The so-called "elderly" refers to the elderly over the age of 65 years.
According to this year's, i.e. 2022, data, the number of elderly people in Japan is as high as 36.27 million, accounting for 29.1% of Japan's total population!
Globally, Japan has always been far ahead in the proportion of the living elderly, and is currently more than 5 percentage points higher than Italy, which is in second place.
If this rate of development is maintained, in another 3 years, this proportion can break through the 30% mark.
In addition, of the 36.27 million elderly, as many as 90,526 are over the age of centenarians.
Japan has become an "experimental country" for mankind to meet the super-aging society.
In response to this situation, my friend and psychiatrist and Hideki Wada published a book called "The Wall of 80" in March this year. In Japanese language, 80-sai no Kabe by author Wada Hideki . 80-sai no Kabe , 8０ー再 の , Hachi chi sai no Kabe, in English translation , 80-year-old wall.
As soon as the book was released, (Release Date: 2022-03-19) sales exceeded 500,000 copies, making it the best-selling book of the moment.
If it continues at this rate, the book will sell more than 1 million copies, making it the best-selling book in Japan this year, 2022.
Dr. Wada, 61, is a doctor specializing in psychiatric disorders in the elderly, and over the past 35 years, he has cumulatively treated about 6,000 patients.
At the same time, as a geriatrician, he has written many books and participated in the recording of many television programs.
To sum up the book "The Wall of 80 Years" in one sentence, that is, "the praise of 80-year-old people".
Specifically, in the context of the era of "One Hundred Years of Life", this book tells 80-year-old people how to live to 100 years of age healthily.
Today, the "average healthy life expectancy" (age of physical and mental independence and remaining healthy) in Japan is 72.68 years for men and 75.38 years for women.
In terms of "average life expectancy", it is 81.64 years for men and 87.74 years for women.
Subtracting "average healthy lifespan" from "average life expectancy", men have about 9 years and women about 12 years of "time needed to be cared for by others".
How to minimize this time is the core content of Dr. Wada's masterpiece.
Dr. Wada advocates referring to people over the age of 80 as "fortunate people" rather than "elderly people."
Because in Japanese, "fortunate" and "elderly" are pronounced the same way, both are "Kōu".
fortunate, elderly
幸運な高齢者
Kōun'na kōrei-sha
Seniors in Japan can enjoy a free medical examination once a year.
The longevity of the Japanese is also believed to benefit from this policy.
But Dr. Wada says that older people over the age of 80 years don't need regular checkups because "health standards" vary from person to person.
He also said: "Don't believe what the doctor said. This is because doctors are exposed to "sick-patients," so they don't understand what health really is.
At the same time, he also opposes the elderly taking a variety of drugs for a long time, advocating that "only necessary medicines can be taken when necessary".
In other words, "taking medicine for what to prevent" makes little sense.
According to this view, the elderly also do not need to take sleeping pills regularly.
Reduced sleep time in old age is a natural phenomenon, and no one dies
of insomnia. 24 hours a day, sleep when you want to sleep, get up when you think of it, this is the privilege of the elderly.
In addition, the cholesterol value that the elderly are generally worried about, even if it is high to a certain extent, do not worry. Because cholesterol is the raw material for the body's production of immune cells.
With more immune cells, the risk of cancer in the elderly will be reduced.
In addition, part of the male hormone is also made up of cholesterol. If cholesterol levels are too low, men's physical and mental health will be unsustainable.
Again, it doesn't matter if your blood pressure is even higher. More than 50 years ago, human beings were generally malnourished. Therefore, when the blood pressure reaches about 150, the blood vessels will rupture. But few people are malnourished these days, so even blood pressure above 200 won't cause blood vessels to rupture.
Dr. Wada summed up the secret of 80-year-old people becoming "lucky people" as "44 sentences", as follows:
1.
Keep walking.
2.
Take a deep breath when you feel irritable.
3.
Exercise so that the body does not feel stiff.
4.
Drink more water when blowing the air conditioner in the summer.
5.
"Diapers" are very helpful for increasing mobility.
6.
The more you chew, the more energetic your body and brain become.
7.
Memory decline is not due to age, but because of the long-term absence of brain use.
8.
There is no need to take a lot of medicine.
9.
There is no need to deliberately lower blood pressure and blood sugar values.
10.
Being alone does not mean loneliness, but enjoying a relaxing time.
11.
Laziness is not a shameful thing.
12.
There is no need to turn in (surrender) a driver's license (considering that it is more dangerous for the elderly to drive a motor vehicle, Japan has quietly emerged a "ask the elderly to turn in their driver's license").
13.
Only do what you like to do, don't do what you hate to do.
14.
You can also have sexual desire when you are old.
15.
In any case, don't stay at home.
16.
Eat what you want, and your slightly fat figure is just right.
17.
Do everything meticulously.
18.
Don't deal with people you hate.
19.
Don't watch TV hard.
20.
Rather than fighting the disease to the end, it is better to coexist with it.
21.
"There will be a road before the car reaches the mountain" is a magic spell that makes the old man happy.
22.
It is best to eat meat, especially cheap red meat.
23.
Keep the bath time within 10 minutes.
24.
Don't be forced to sleep.
25.
Doing happy things is the most conducive to improving the activity of the brain.
26.
Say whatever you want, don't worry too much.
27.
Find a "Family Doctor" as early as possible.
28.
Don't be overly patient or force yourself, there is nothing wrong with being a "bad old man".
29.
Sometimes it is no problem to change what is said overnight.
30.
Dementia in the final stages of life is a gift from God.
31.
Stop learning and you will get old.
32.
Don't covet vanity, it's good to have what you have now.
33.
Naivety is the prerogative of the elderly.
34.
The more troublesome things are, the more interesting they are.
35.
Basking in the sun makes people happy.
36.
Do what is good for others.
37.
Live leisurely today.
38.
Desire is the source of longevity.
39.
Live in an optimistic state of mind.
40.
Breathe easily.
41.
The rules of life are in your own hands.
42.
Accept everything calmly.
43.
People with a cheerful personality will be very popular.
44.
Laugh at the door and open the blessings.
Japanese and Chinese may not have the same view of these secrets.
But we have to admit that there are many suggestions worth referencing.
Most importantly, the new word "lucky old man" is really fantastic.
*Note : According to the Statistical Bureau of Japan, the population of Japan as of May 2022 is at 125.05 million, including foreign residents. The population of Japanese nationals only was 123.8 million in January 2021. As of 2017, Japan was the world's eleventh-most populous country.
The current population of Japan is 125,386,866 as of Sunday, April 30, 2023, based on Worldometer elaboration of the latest United Nations data. Japan 2020 population is estimated at 126,476,461 people at mid year according to UN data. Japan population is equivalent to 1.62% of the total world population.
2 March 2023: The country Japan saw 799,728 births in year 2022, the lowest number on record and the first ever dip below 800,000, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Health on Tuesday.
Japan’s population has fallen for the 12th consecutive year, as deaths rise and the birth rate continues to sink, according to government data released Wednesday.
The population stood at 124.49 million in 2022 – representing a decline of 556,000 from the previous year, figures show.
That figure represents both the natural change in population – meaning deaths and births – and the flow of people entering and exiting the country.
The natural change last year was the biggest on record, with a fall of 731,000 – cushioned by the influx of people entering Japan, which provided an increase of 175,000, said Cabinet Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno in a news conference on Wednesday.
“It is essential to take firm measures to address the declining birthrate, which is a major factor in the decline in population, as one of the top priority issues to be addressed,” said Matsuno.
Japan has one of the lowest birth rates in the world, as well as one of the highest life expectancies; in 2020, nearly one in 1,500 people in Japan were age 100 or older, according to government data.
That means a swelling elderly population, shrinking workforce, and not enough young people to fill in the gaps – posing a demographic crisis decades in the making.
[The Yokobori family photo: Miho, left, Kentaro, center, and Hirohito, right. Kentaro was born almost seven years ago, the first in 25 years in the area in Kamikawa village.]
This community's quarter century without a newborn shows the scale of Japan's population crisis.
The trend is seen across the country, with all of Japan’s 47 prefectures except Tokyo reporting a decline in residents last year, according to the data released Wednesday. One village in central Japan recorded just one newborn child in 25 years – a birth that was heralded as a miracle for the town’s elderly residents.
The situation is so dire that Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida warned lawmakers in January that the country is “on the brink of not being able to maintain social functions” due to the falling birth rate.
He added that child-rearing support was the government’s “most important policy,” and solving the issue “simply cannot wait any longer.”
Trouble ahead
Some researchers and climate scientists argue that population decline could benefit our battered ecosystems and lower emissions as the climate crisis worsens. But it also spells trouble for countries like Japan, with fewer workers to fund pensions and healthcare, and fewer people to look after the elderly.
In April, Japan launched its new Children and Families Agency, which focuses on measures to support parents such as establishing more daycare centers, and provides youth services such as counseling.
Previous similar initiatives, often carried out by local authorities, have so far failed to turn things around.
Busy urban lifestyles and long working hours leave little time for some Japanese to start families, and the rising costs of living that mean having a baby is simply too expensive for many young people.
Japan wants 85% of male workers to take paternity leave. But fathers are too afraid to take it.
In 2022, Japan was ranked one of the world’s most expensive places to raise a child, according to research from financial institution Jefferies. And yet, the country’s economy has stalled since the early 1990s, meaning frustratingly low wages and little upward mobility.
The drop in the number of Japanese nationals in the past year also highlights the government’s deeply conservative views on immigration. Foreigners accounted for just 2.2% of the population in 2021, according to the Japanese government, compared to 13.6% in the United States.
These attitudes are widespread among the public, too; a 2021 study by the Pew Research Center found that about half of Japanese adults say having a diverse society makes their country a worse place to live – though this percentage is lower than in previous years.
