FANTASTIC VOYAGE: How we care for an aging population

We can calculate life expectancy in several ways, depending on the data we include. But one thing is consistent; any way you calculate it, Japan is always near the top. According to the CIA World Factbook, the life expectancy for females is 87.9 years in Japan and 82.79 years in the U.S. For males, the […]

The spirit of serving the community

The annual Kimochi Spirit Awards, held at the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas in San Francisco’s Japantown May 16, featured an afternoon of recognition and music. Kimochi Inc., which provides culturally sensitive assistance to seniors and their caregivers, honored those who have supported the organization and the greater Japantown community. Kimochi presented its Associate Director Steve Ishii […]

Chinatown death triggers worries about isolated elders

A tragedy happened in San Francisco’s Chinatown in mid-April. Yee-Shui Mar, age 91, fell from a window in her apartment building. The Chinese-language newspaper Sing Tao Daily reported that Mar, who was from Taishan City in Guangdong province, lived alone. She had a married daughter and grandchildren living elsewhere. Mar’s neighbors told Sing Tao that […]

Family of dementia patient files wrongful death suit against conservator, transit agencies

The family of a San Francisco dementia patient who died last year filed a wrongful death suit against transit agencies responsible for his transportation and his conservator for what they call elder abuse and negligence. San Francisco attorney Ingrid Evans announced the litigation in a news conference on Feb. 8 with members of Kenneth Chin’s […]

HEALTHY AGING: Senior services for Japanese Americans in California

The Nikkei community is aging, and as Sansei and even Yonsei enter their 60s, aging issues have become all the more urgent. California, with its high concentration of Japanese Americans, has numerous services and entities dedicated to aiding aging seniors through the concept of “Healthy Aging.” The Administration on Aging (AOA), a part of the […]

RABBIT RAMBLINGS: The Japanese longevity letdown

Another year passes, and at this point, I wonder how many more years I have left. Sheer longevity seems like an absurd goal, and I am not interested in living to be 100. I’m told that natto and macha and seaweed will give me health and long life, but I am dubious about these claims, […]