We are living in the time of so called 100 year-life. That means we can now live almost as long as 100 years. Is this good or bad for those who live a longer retirement life? According to the Health and Welfare Ministry’s report in 2024, more than 95,000 people are centenarians in Japan, and about 88 percent of them are women. This number is the highest in the world, followed by the United States.
Again, is this good or bad for us? I think it depends on how much savings we have and how healthy we can stay. So money and health matter a lot in our retirement. However, that’s not enough. I guess everyone needs a purpose or motivation in life. Without it, life would be quite empty and boring.
I’ve been surprised by an artist, Shinoda Tohkoh who used to be a Japanese calligrapher and then became an abstract artist. She became famous in the United State first then in Japan. She created a lot of works with sumi and other materials for Japanese paintings. She wrote some essays as well, for example, “Power of 100 years old” or “What I learned when I turned 103” or “I’m 105, which causes a little trouble”, etc. All of them are profoundly interesting. She worked until she passed away naturally at the age of 107. She maintained a strong passion for her work until she died. I am not an artist, but I would like to live like her. She is my role model for how to live until I am called to heaven.
