By Yuri Kageyama
TOKYO (AP) – Abe Yoshiko is about to turn 89, but that hasn’t stopped her from going to the gym every day and trying out free makeup courses at her residential complex.
“It really helped,” she said. She felt all the smile and glow after wearing the foundation and pink lipstick that she hadn’t done in years.
Japan is the fastest aging society in the world, with over a quarter of the population over 65 years old, with 36 million people. In about 10 years, the ratio is one-third.
It is no wonder that Young at Heart has achieved Nippon Publishing’s goals, like Prime Minister Abe. The elderly market is estimated to grow to over 100 trillion yen ($650 billion) this year. bank.
And the business takes advantage of solid consumerism, not just the relief of sick and elderly people’s homes. The growth of artificial intelligence and robotics also provides the promise of such services and gadgets.
Akira Shimizu, a business professor at Keio University, calls her “cool grandpa and cute grandma” who remain sensitive to trends, including the latest luxury and health products.
“They think about clothes and makeup that express their style,” he said.
From luxury cruises and “oldies” rock concerts, businesses are taking advantage of the fact that seniors have been active recently and are on dates with friends, so they dress up and look good.
According to Miwa Hiraku, a transformation class instructor at Japanese cosmetics company Shiseido, maintaining the appearance requires the acuity of the hands to open the cosmetic tube and massage the face, and by massaging the face, The salivary glands move.
Shiseido Co., which began as a pharmacy in 1872, said that makeup is good for your soul as well as your physical happiness. The company offers free makeup courses for seniors across the country.
“Working with makeup acts as a switch to turn on energy at the beginning of the day,” said Hiraku, who vows to wear makeup even at 100 years old.
“It doesn’t just look beautiful, it’s about living a long, healthy life,” she said.
Yoshihiko, 85, the only man in his class of about 30, hadn’t tried out the rouge, but was happy to wear the hand cream and went with all his exercise routines.
He declared with conviction, admitting that he felt the effects of aging, such as foot pain: “I don’t think age is related.”
Yuri Kageyama is in the thread: https://www.threads.net/@yurikageyama
Original release: Until 1:30pm on February 19, 2025
