2. Video: “Aging in Japan” Wednesday, September 27, 2000

3. Being distributed: n Study questions for next week n Topic questions for section on Japan

4. Point of clarification: the ofuro bath n Japanese tradition of relaxing in the bathtub n Careful, thorough washing before getting into the bath, careful to keep water clean n Bath sometimes has special herbs and salts n Preference tends to be given to the eldest in family to go first n Not a custom of all Japanese

5. Pressures on the Japanese system of home-care for the elderly n Since 1980, a decline from 70 - 50% of elderly living with adult children n Forces for decline (to be elaborated on Monday): –demographic –changing roles of women –economic

6. Things to look for in the film n Some of the old people at the bath-house, such as the 100-year-old “Granpa Greenfingers”, are clearly there because they enjoy being there. But the reasons of others are more complicated. n Why, for example, are Mrs. Kito and Mr. Nakiyama at the bath-house? Does their presence there suggest that the values of family care-giving in Japan may be changing? How?