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For this issue, we spoke to Dr. Shigeaki Hinohara, who still practices medicine despite turning 91 this October. While remaining in day-to-day contact with his patients, he still finds time to publish numerous writings on the subject of life in old age (such as the million seller "Ikikata Jozu" or "Good At Living"). His many activities outside the realm of medicine also include making TV appearances, giving lectures, and adapting the picture book "Happa no Freddy" ("Freddy the Leaf") as a stage musical. His attitude of always challenging the new has also won him the support of young people in Japan. Amid his frenetically busy schedule, he found a few moments to talk to us just before giving a speech. Gathering healthy people over 75 for a "New Old People's Movement". What image does the phrase "old people" conjure up? It's usually one of "people who need nursing". But only a tiny proportion of people over 65 actually need nursing. Some of them are bed-ridden. And that's the image that's applied to old people. So even people who are healthy now assume they'll need nursing when they're old. They're convinced that everything will get worse for them, both financially and physically. A lot of people give up the idea of starting a new life at 65. But this definition that "old age begins at 65" was coined more than half a century ago. Then, the average life expectancy was only 65 or so. But now, people live to over 80. So the idea of retiring at 65 just doesn't make sense! (laughs) What I want to say is that the definition of "old people" should be raised to the age of 75. Until then, people should be included in the working population and do something productive. Salaries aside, it should be possible to work as actively over 75 as before, provided we use our own strength to do some job or apply our energies to voluntary work. To let everyone know about this, in autumn 2000 I launched a "New Old People's Movement" in which I gathered people who still felt healthy at 75 or over. Of course, some of those taking part are suffering from heart disease or diabetes. But means of transport are better today, and so are medicines. We can control illness by taking medicines. I want people to be fully active, rather than giving in to their illness. Now, in our bodies, we have 36,000 genes that we inherit from our parents. And although some of these are negative genes, many of them are good. What a waste to just die without using them all! When we reach 75 we should start something new in order to discover those unused genes and develop them. It could be painting, or making music, writing poetry, sports or volunteer activities. One of my patients in his 60's had been admitted to St. Luke's with cancer, and was getting neurotic with anxiety over the disease. So I suggested he try to find something he enjoyed, like painting. He tried to avoid the issue, saying he was too clumsy with things. But once he took up the brush, his talent came out, and 10 years later he was holding his own one-man exhibitions and winning awards. He must have had an artistic gene all along, but just wasn't in that kind of environment when he was younger. Everyone must have good genes that haven't come to the surface yet. What I'm saying is that we should set about finding them. People over 75 should be involved in activities for preserving peace.
It vexes me to see how quickly the traditional "family" is disappearing today. Families eat meals together less frequently now. This disappearance of the family will be Japan's downfall in future. Fifty years from now, the population of Japan will be about 60 million, and more than half of them will be over 65. If things stay as they are, Japan will be ruined. To stop that happening, we have to make it easier to raise children, and thereby increase the number of children. That's why it's important to have families in which the first generation - the grandparents - talk to their grandchildren. Another thing is that people over 75 have experienced war. If they've lived through that awful time, they can do just about anything. People say the 21st century is an era of peace. But look what's happened already. Peace in the world today should be upheld by people who know what war is, people who lived through the atom bombs. That's the kind of movement we should be promoting. And it should be developed further by the children of today. It is the mission of people who experienced war to convey the spirit of peace to the younger generation. For it's in the family that we can pass on the value of peace and human life to future generations. Japan has a lot of good traditions, and I would like to share them with the rest of the world. If all the countries in the world could only bring out their good traditions and none of their bad ones, it would lead to world peace. Wouldn't it be good if we could start such a movement here in Japan? Keep challenging new things! So far, our "New Old People's Movement" has about 2,000 members. Recently, I suggested we play softball instead of croquet (an activity traditionally associated with old people in Japan). Fifteen people turned up - and I was one of them! Although I'm the only one in my 90's, we do have some octogenarians. The other day I had a go at pitching, and was surprised how hard I could throw the ball. I even got a "strike"! It was the first time I'd tried softball, but I did all right. I've developed my own exercises for keeping my body in shape. One day I'll show them to the public. I'll have a TV exercise program backed my music I composed myself! (laughs) I was 88 when I adapted "Freddy the Leaf". It was something I'd never done before, but when I tried, I found I could do it. I've already been asked to do another one - an American lullaby called "Love you forever", all about the love between parents and their children. The other day, I tried conducting an orchestra for the first time. A first adventure at age 90! And I've been asked if I could publish an anthology of poems. There are still so many things I can do. The secret of my good health is that I have a lot of opportunities for contact with young people. They range from elementary school children to nursing and medical students. Many students ask me to tell them my rounds, want to shake my hand or ask me to sign my books. Because they extend their hands to me, I do the same to them. I get "energy" from these young people. It's fun to have contact with them. I'm not like the usual image of old people, am I. My example can give people hope. They can feel that they too have potential, however old they get. I get letters from people who have read my books, saying "You gave me the strength to stand on my own two feet". So far, I've had more than 8,000 fan letters like this. "22nd Research Conference of the Japan Academy of Nursing Science" to be held at the Tokyo International Forum. There are still a lot of things I think need changing in the field of medicine. One of them is the style of nursing in Japan. In December, the "22nd Research Conference of the Japan Academy of Nursing Science" will be held at the Tokyo International Forum. In the coming age, it won't be enough for nurses to do things the way they've always done them. If they go on a home visit, for example, they will need to know what condition the patient is in. A visiting nurse these days needs to be proficient in ophthalmics and cardiograms. Nurses from now on will need to have ability on a par with doctors. I think they should also be able to diagnose patients. Also, medicine and nursing need art and science. Their aim should not be merely to extend human life. They should also improve the quality of people. That's why I've started talking about things like hospice activities. But it will take 20 or 30 years for things to change in the way I've mentioned. So I'll be about 110 when all this becomes reality! (laughs) I hope things change long before that. I enjoy going to the Tokyo International Forum. I've been there several times already, to give talks and so on. At first it seemed so huge and maze-like, but now I'm quite used to it. I think its Halls are quite beyond compare. I'd like to come here for plays or concerts, or other events outside the field of medicine some time.
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