Japan has one of the world’s longest life expectancies, but its “super-ageing“ society is also shaped by low birth rates.
In 1963, the government presented each citizen turning 100 years old with a commemorative silver sake cup.
This took place on a bank holiday, Respect for the Aged Day.
In its first year, 153 people turned 100 years old, so 153 sake cups were given out.
It became a yearly tradition, and in 2014 guess how many people turned 100 years old? 29,000 people, each receiving a sake cup.
But it cost a pricey £1.2 million. So the government decided to stop the scheme.
The public were outraged, and so the government decided to carry on the tradition. But instead of using silver, they swapped to cheaper nickel-alloy cups.
This raises questions about balancing the importance of respect with the cost of resources.
Do we value a 100-year life differently when it is increasingly common?