Social Welfare
Despite a fundamental economic growth witnessed by Japan ensuring to provide high standards of living along with an overall conducive environment, there is an increasing cluster of significant social problems. These problems are aggressive as well as passive in nature. Although every social problem is of a substantial concern for the Japanese people, some of them will be discussed in this paper.
Issue of Pension
The entire working population of Japan has been exclusively covered by a unique public pension system. Historically it has been a feature of Japanese social and economic system to treat their non-employees, for instance self-employed, and the employees differently. One significant issue related to pension is that the ‘Employees’ Pension Insurance’ (EPI) encompasses almost every employee particularly in the private sector, but does not provide coverage to part-time employees.
Pension benefits specifically as a source of income after employees’ retirement is a critical issue. The dependent spouses of workers are not treated equally in the current pension system. The pension benefit has significant negative impacts, directly on labor force participation related to the elderly. Moreover, most pensioners do not make payment of income tax. Even though members of employee pension plan receives the related benefits at the age of sixty and members of mutual aid association at the age of fifty seven, the reduction of forty two percent in pension benefits are taken by those on basic old-age pension provided they receive them only form the age of sixty. (Rosenberger, 10).
Issue of Working Conditions
The Japanese workforce is mostly skilled and well-educated mainly due to the educational system in Japan. The high standard of living in Japan is ensured by setting a minimum wage rate which is appropriate for a decent and respectable living standard for employees and their families. However, there are some significant issues related to working and living conditions of employees.
Japanese labor law provides for a minimum of forty hour workweek. Yet, the law is generally not enforced particularly in the small firms. The role of Japanese workers is significant in the rise of Japan to the status of economic super power. Workers endure and persevere day after day, showing their support and loyalty. Death by overwork is a continuous and increasingly general result of such perseverance. However, the scenario is changing and workers have started demanding extra time for recreation and also for them. The overwork and its grave consequences are mostly the result of corporate governance existing in Japan in which managers have autonomy to pressurize employees into accepting overtime. Moreover, manages emphasize that sacrifice and hard work are essential for personal growth and promotion, resulting in overwork.
The overall living conditions are acceptable and admirable; however the scenario is not the same in case of homeless people. The public aid particularly to the poor has remained insignificant in the welfare system of Japan. The scenario for the poor has prevailed for a long period. In the year 1936, almost 83% of facilities caring specifically for the poor were owned and run privately in Japan. (Kasza, 11) Most of the poor, in order to gain living resources; are forced to work either early in the morning or at night to bring meager income.
Works Cited
Rosenberger, Nancy. “Gender and the Japanese State: Pension Benefits Creating Difference.” Anthropological Quarterly. 64(1), 10. 1991.
Kasza, Gregory J. “War and Welfare Policy in Japan.” The Journal of Asian Studies. 61(2),11. 2002.