With more than 34 million people over the age of 65, Japan is the oldest country in the world, and it already feels the effects that many countries will experience in the upcoming decades. In this episode, I spoke with Debbie Howard from the Carter JMRN group which specializes in market research in Japan. Tune in to learn about some unique aspects of their aging population and culture, as well as some of the challenges and opportunities that come with an aging society. We’ll also take a look at what it takes for foreign entrepreneurs to bring their agetech solutions to the Japanese market. So if you’re curious about aging and agetech in Japan, stay tuned!
Debbie Howard is the chairperson of The Carter Group, Japan Market Resource Network. Debbie has lived and worked in Japan for over 35 years and founded Japan Market Resource Network (JMRN) in 1989. This company was merged to form Carter JMRN in 2012.
Debbie translates qualitative research into clear strategic direction for international clients, and over her career has worked with most major brands that have entered Japan. Previously, she served as president and chairperson of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan and continues to serve as president Emeritis.
She’s also a former caregiver on a mission to change the way the world looks at caregiving so that the impacts are not so devastating.
Her work is focused on providing corporate programs that support working caregivers so that companies can minimize their related risks of absenteeism, employee turnover and escalated healthcare costs. With the launch of AMI and The Caregiving Journey in 2016, Debbie brought her market research acumen to the world of caregiving. Her first book, The Caregiving Journey, targets individuals, and goes far beyond the basics of logistics, wills, and funeral plans.
Her second book, The Caregiving Crisis is due in December, 2021 and targets companies with practical ways forward in terms of supporting their employees who also serve as caregivers.
You can watch/ listen to the podcast, or download a transcript of our conversation, edited for clarity and brevity.
Big in Japan – Perspective from 35 Years of Living in an Aging Country (Transcript)
Originally Published on The Gerontechnologist, 8th December 2021