JSTAR First Results 2009 Report

This paper provides an overview of the first wave of the Japanese Study of Ageing and Retirement (hereafter "JSTAR"). Using this rich and unique dataset, we describe in detail how middle-aged and elderly Japanese live in terms of economic, social, health, and family status. In this project, our intention is to zoom in to paint a picture of the lives of individuals and zoom out to also provide a panorama view of society, while extracting scientific findings which we hope are innovative and insightful regarding life in Japan as well as other countries in the world. Moreover, we try to connect these new scientific findings to efforts toward enhancing the effectiveness of policymaking.