Older Japanese people are more willing to work but have fewer friends compared with those in other developed countries, according to a government survey.
The government released its Annual Report on the Aging Society on Friday, with results indicating Japanese people age 60 or older may be feeling more lonely than their counterparts in three other surveyed countries — the United States, Germany and Sweden — as the pandemic takes away opportunities to socialize.
Asked whether they had close friends other than their family members, 31.3% of the Japanese respondents said they did not. That compares with a ratio of 14.2%, 13.5% and 9.9% in the United States, Germany and Sweden, respectively.