Nowhere is the rapid aging of Japan more visible than in rural towns such as Kamikatsu, where 51 percent of local residents are over the age of 65.

During a trip to the mountainous town in Tokushima prefecture on Shikoku Island, I found that the town has mobilized its elderly population to work as a way to keep them healthy and away from hospitals.

Japan, where the labor force participation rates for older people are among the highest in the industrialized world, is eager to improve labor market opportunities for the older population.