A Preliminary Study of Successful Aging among Japanese Migrants:

A Life History Analysis of Elderly Japanese Residents in Hong Kong

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore how elderly Japanese migrants residing in Hong Kong narrate and make meaning of successful aging. Previous research on aging migrants has focused primarily on retirement migrants, with particular attention to post-retirement life satisfaction, health, and well-being. In contrast, relatively little research has examined Japanese migrants who have continued working or managing businesses over a long period of time and have entered old age while maintaining active occupational roles. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with two long-term Japanese migrants living in Hong Kong, one in his mid-70s and the other in his late 70s, both of whom remained actively engaged in work. The interview data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using Thematic Analysis. The findings revealed two core themes. For Participant A, the central theme was “successful aging through expanding social ties while continuing to be useful to others.” For Participant B, the central theme was “successful aging through remaining active while passing a business on to the next generation.” In Participant A’s narrative, en (chance encounter) and contribution to others were the primary sources of meaning, whereas in Participant B’s narrative, succession and responsibility as an entrepreneur occupied a central position. Despite these differences, both participants shared a common orientation toward aging. Neither endorsed the conventional image of retirement as a leisurely and carefree stage of life. Instead, they emphasized continuing their work and social roles for as long as their health allowed. These findings suggest that successful aging among the participants was constructed as a process of self-realization through maintaining socially meaningful roles. Furthermore, two distinct narrative patterns of successful aging were identified: a “relationship-and-contribution type” and a “management-and-succession type”.