1. Brief History of the Societal Efforts for the Welfare of the Elderly in Japan before Meiji Restoration
Societal efforts for the welfare of the elderly in Japan can be traced back to charitable work by Buddhist temples in the old days. These provided relief to poor older persons without family to support and care for them.
Since in ancient times Buddhism was in effect the national religion in Japan, it might be said that at that time the state was providing relief to poor elderly persons.
In feudal times, however, societal efforts for relief almost disappeared because of incessant wars between feudal lords throughout Japan. The Age of Civil Wars came to an end when Japan was unified once again by the Tokugawa regime approximately four hundred years ago. The Tokugawa regime promoted, among other things, mutual assistance between relatives as well as neighbors. At the same time it gave protection and encouragement to Confucianism, Buddhism, and Shintoism (Japanese folk religion with a basic philosophy of ancestor worship) in order to maintain social order. Thus, filial piety, respect for the elderly, and ancestor worship became the basic moral laws of Japanese society.
Owing to the peace and prosperity of the Tokugawa Era, many Buddhist temples were engaged in charity as one of the most important parts of their activities. Needless to say, older persons were the main recipients, as the Tokugawa regime placed a special emphasis on the virtue of respect for the elderly. It should be pointed out, however, that relief was neither the responsibility of the central regime nor of the local feudal lords. In other words, in the Tokugawa Era, relief was essentially charity to be performed by Buddhist temples or charitable individual persons, though some feudal lords immortalized their names with their sincere relief efforts.
A. From Meiji Restoration in 1868 to the End of the Second World War
In 1874, the new Meiji Government issued the famous administrative order called "Jutsukyu Kisoku" (the Relief Order of 1874), which stipulated that an elderly sick person of 70 or more who had no relatives to support him/her could be given public relief. Other targets of public relief were
