Japan Well-Aging Association (WAJ)

Name:
Japan Well-Aging Association (WAJ)

Established in:
April, 1953

Representative:  
Yoko Abe  


Goal:  

Since its inception in 1953, WAJ has been 
- implementing comprehensive research and analysis in the area of the people’s aging;  
-making practical proposals to help well-aging of the people ; and thus -contributing to the development of the quality of life.

Mission:  

WAJ recognizes that the elderly people, with their vast experiences, skills and wisdom, are the precious assets of the society.  WAJ, with this recognition in mind and working together with the people from all age groups and all strata of life, makes its utmost to realize well-aging, which enables the people to maintain quality of life (QOL) and continue their contributions to the society throughout their life.  


International Activities:  

WAJ is the only Japanese organization on aging admitted as a United Nations’ NGO affiliated with the UN Department of Public Information (DPI).  Also, WAJ’s officer is on the Board of Directors of the International Federation on Aging (IFA).  Being affiliated with the United Nations and the IFA, WAJ is instrumental in communicating Japanese views and opinions to the international community outside Japan, and vice versa. 


Domestic Activities:  

In launching the International Year of Older Persons in Japan, in October 1998, Japanese NGOs working on aging jointly formed an umbrella organization, “Japan NGO Conference on Aging for 1999”.  WAJ played a key role in this process.  In April 2000, the Conference was reorganized as “Japan NGO Council on Aging”.  WAJ, as its active member, cooperates and works with other Japanese NPOs, NGOs as well as with private corporations, government agencies and academic institutions, thus promoting the network of the industry, governments, academics and private sectors in the field of aging.  


Well-Aging Seminars:  

WAJ organizes seminars on gerontology and aging for its members and the public in general.  First-class foreign and Japanese guests are invited to give lectures at the seminars.  The contents are compiled and published in the WAJ’s periodical and distributed to the members and other interested readers. 


Workshop of “Through Other Eyes” Program:  

WAJ conducts workshops of “Through Other Eyes” program, originally developed by the government of Ontario, Canada.  WAJ has been given an exclusive permission to use the program in Japan.  The program is designed for the younger people to temporarily experience various aging-related physical and mental changes and helps them to deepen their understanding of the elderly.  The program provides a useful base, on which both software and hardware improvements could be developed such as the improvements in the environment, product designs for and the treatment of the elderly people. 

Since 1992 when the workshop was introduced, WAJ trained and certified 280 program instructors.  Approximately 60,000 individuals from 2,600 groups and institutions took part in the workshop.




FOR MORE DETAILS, PLEASE CONTACT:  

Well-Aging Association (WAJ)  
302 Plaza Edogawabashi
1-23-6, Sekiguch, Bunkyo-ku
Tokyo, Japan. 112-0014

Tel.  81-3-3268-5211  
Fax  81-3-3268-5214  
E-mail:  waj@wellaging.ne.jp  
URL :  http:www.wellaging.ne.jp