I am a 62-year-old man living in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. Until the age of 61, I worked as a regular office worker and retired from my job. Last year, I lost my wife, who had been my partner for many years, and my two children have also moved out and become independent. As a result, I now live alone. While I have grown accustomed to living by myself, there are times when I feel lonely or bored. Although I enjoy the freedom that retirement has brought, I’ve also realized that my connections with others have diminished.
About a year ago, I experienced an illness and was hospitalized. While my health has not yet fully recovered, I am gradually regaining a sense of normalcy in my daily life. In my retirement, I’ve noticed the paradox of having more free time but fewer social interactions and human connections. I feel strongly that staying connected with people is crucial in life, but I’ve also found it challenging to build new relationships after retirement.
This realization led me to the idea of starting a blog. While it might seem like a simple approach, I felt hopeful that blogging might help me create new connections. I thought, “It’s better to try than not to try,” and so I decided to take the first step. While pondering the theme for my blog, I became curious about how people around the world live after retirement. I can picture what retirement life in Japan looks like to some extent, but I wondered—how do people in other countries spend this stage of life? What are their lifestyles and values like? With this curiosity, I chose this theme for my blog.
In this blog, I aim to research and share insights into post-retirement life and values in different countries, incorporating my own perspective. I hope to explore the differences between retirement life in Japan and abroad and reflect on what can be learned from these comparisons. Of course, I also hope that this blog will lead to new encounters and exchanges. My wish is that this endeavor will make both your life and mine more meaningful. If this topic interests you, I would be delighted if you would join me on this journey.
