Tokyo - November 27, 2006 - Hakuhodo's Elder Business Development Division (http://www.h-hope.net/english/) continuously studies elder sei-katsu-sha (people aged 50 and over) through a variety of surveys and research. This time, we took responses from HOPE Survey 2006, which questioned 2,036 elders aged 50-64 nationwide, and shone the spotlight on those from the baby-boom generation born 1947-1949 (458 respondents aged 56-58) as they take stock of their lives as they approach their 60th birthdays. Key findings of this study are presented below.
According to our data, close to 70% of the baby-boom generation see turning 60 as a turning point in their lives. Also, looking back over the years, men gave their lives an average score of 66.6 points, while women gave an average 72.7. Overall, around 60% of men and around 80% of women gave their lives high scores of at least 70 points.
When we asked them whether they agreed with various statements concerning their lives as they look back over the years, having a place at home (92.8%) came out on top, followed by having someone who needed them (89.5%) and being blessed with a good spouse/partner(72.5%). Being blessed in one's family situation appears to be the most significant factor in determining happiness for the baby-boom generation. Following family, being blessed with good health (70.0%), having good relations with the neighbors (68.3%) and having someone to whom they can tell anything (59.6%) were also high. Notably, in each of these three, the figures for women are higher than those for men, hinting that baby-boom men may have some concerns about their health, and few relations with people outside their workplaces.
When we asked when they were happiest, most men and women said in their 20s (men 76.6%, women 81.7%). However, compared with men, whose happiness peaks and goes into steady decline after their 20s, women's happiness lives picks up again after they hit their 50s.
In generational awareness, responses focused on competition and music. Japanese baby-boomers see themselves as the generation that lived though Japan's high-growth period (50.0%), the Beatles generation (45.0%) and the generation that experienced cut-throat competition for university places (44.3%).
At the same time, the top three appellations they are happy to be known as are "the Beatles generation" (22.9%), "the folk song/new music generation" (19.0%) and "the generation that values freedom" (18.6%). However, for some 36.0% of respondents, there were no monikers given that they are happy to be known by.
