抄録
Japan adopted a high economic growth policy and developed rapid industrialization since the 1960s. Consequently, Japanese have gotten various positive influences and negative influences. In this paper, we describe various positive influences and also we describe the "real life" of aged persons living alone in depopulated areas as one of the typical negative influences. For the purpose of investigating the actual lives of aged person living alone in depopulated areas, we carried out repeated interviews, research and direct observations of their work and lives in Village A. Village A is located in a mountain area 20 kilometers from Nagano City. The total population of the village was 3, 294 in 1993, while it was 6, 312 in 1960. The ratio is increasing rapidly year by year. In the village, the number of aged persons over 65 years old living alone, without any family, was 116 in 1994. The highest age is 94 years old. The number is increasing year by year. Through our study, it is made clear that aged persons over 65 years old living alone in the village have to manage everything in their daily lives by themselves to maintain their own safety, while accepting the influences of economic and industrial developments.
