“Hiromi Yamamuro is doing something that’s relatively rare in Japan. At age 67, he’s still working in the corporate world, where traditionally, the mandatory retirement age has been 60. But Yamamuro keeps going, because he loves his job — which he’s been doing for 18 years — selling environmentally friendly products at Tokyo-based Sato Holdings.

The Japanese government would like to see more older workers like Yamamuro. Japan boasts the world’s second highest life expectancy, 84 years. And with nearly 27 percent of Japanese citizens age 65 or older, the country’s population is not only aging — it’s also shrinking. According to the Japanese government, if nothing changes, a few decades from now, 40 percent of Japan’s population will be over 65 and the workforce will be short some 8.5 million workers.”

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