The Japanese population has been, and will surely continue to be, aging at a speed which no other country has ever experienced. The population aged sixty-five and older as of January 1, 1999 was 16.3% and it is predicted that it will reach 22.0% in 2010 and 26.9% in 2020. The total fertility rate (which indicates the number of children borne to a woman throughout her lifetime) had fallen to 1.43 in 1995 from 1.54 in 1990 and 2.13 in 1970. Japan will become the most aged society in the world by the beginning of the 21st century. The policymaker is considering reforms in many areas related to employment law to cope with the so-called 'aged society with fewer children' explained above. This article tries to describe the current and future framework of Japanese laws and policies on older persons' employment, public pensions, and corporate pensions.
International Journal of Comparative Labour Law and Industrial Relations