Significance of Monetary Remuneration in the Ikigai Shugyo of Users of Long-term Care Insurance

Abstract

Ikigai Shugyo is a system in Japan where the elderly work to find ikigai (motivation). This study examines the ways in which monetary remuneration for ikigai shugyo can contribute to the motivation to live in users of long-term care insurance. The results reveal that monetary remuneration can trigger the following in the elderly: recognizing the tasks performed as “work” because they are compensated for performing these tasks, performing tasks with greater confidence and responsibility, receiving a positive kind of stress while performing their tasks, self-initiated trial and error attempts through which obtained knowledge and skills are passed on, expanding the range of their day-to-day behavior and actions, reflecting on the tasks they have performed and recognizing what they have achieved, and garnering attention from society that allows them to demonstrate that they are a part of society. This suggests that monetary remuneration can have positive effects on the users’ motivation to live in two aspects, namely, finding the motivation to live through one’s own actions and contributing to the common good of society.