[UNESP 2002] TEXTO 1Appropriate for all agesJapa...

76 UNESP 2002 - Inglês

TEXTO 1

Appropriate for all ages

Japanese toymakers are focusing on senior citizens

by Hideko Takayama

Much has been made in Japan of the clout of teenage girls, the arbiters of taste and uncrowned queens of the fashion industry. But when it comes to toys, a radically different demographic is beginning to call the shots.

Japanese toymakers now see senior citizens as their most dynamic market. Nearly 22 million Japanese — 17.4 percent of the population — are over 65, and that number is expected to top 25 percent by 2020. Three million senior citizens live alone, and 1.55 million Japanese are senile (their numbers are also expected to grow rapidly). This aging population presents a huge “silver market" — estimated at 50 trillion yen ( $416 bi ll i o n) — f ore v ery t hin g f ro mb e d s t ocos m e t i cs t o h o m e - c a re n u rses an d h e lp ers . < / s p an > M aj or in d u s t r i ess u c ha se l ec t ro ni cs, co n s t r u c t i o nan df oo d s t u ff s ha v e a l re a d y b e gu n d e v e l o p in g p ro d u c t s t ai l ore d t oo l df o l k s : ro b o t s t o h e lp o u t a ro u n d t h e h o u se, h o m es t ha t ha v e n os t e p sors t ai rs an d h e a lt h yo i l - f ree f oo d s . T h e t oy in d u s t ry w an t s a p i eceo f t h e a c t i o n .“ T h ere i s a g re a tp o t e n t ia l ", s a ys Y os hin or i H a g a, an o ff i c ia l a tB an d ai, t h e bi gg es tt oy mak er in J a p an .“ T oysc anb e u se df ore n t er t ainm e n t, t o g i v e t h eo l d p eo pl e n os t a l g i c f ee l in g sor t o b e a co m p ani o n f or t h ose w h o l i v e a l o n e ." (...) I n d ee d, pl a y t hin g s a re n o t j u s t f or f u nan y m ore . T os himi t s u M u s ha, p res i d e n t o f t h e B r ain F u n c t i o n s L abn e a r T o k yo, a r gu es t ha tpl a y in g w i t h t oysc anh e lp h u manb r ain ss t a y a c t i v e an d s ha r p . Whi l erese a rc hin g A l z h e im er ’ s d i se a se, M u s ha f o u n d t ha t a r tt h er a p ys u c ha s p ain t in g an d c l a y w or kh e lp e d t o p re v e n tt h e b r ain so f A l z h e im er ’ s p a t i e n t s f ro m d e t er i or a t in g “ Wha tw or k s b es t f or t h ee l d er l y i sso m e t hin g t ha tt h eye nj oy, w h ere t h ey ha v e t o u se t h e i r b r ainan d w hi c h re q u i resco n ce n t r a t i o n f ro m 30 min u t es t oo n e h o u r, " h es a ys . T oy mak erss t i ll f a ce a cr i t i c a lp ro b l e m, t h o ug h : t h e a v er a g e h o u se h o l d s a v in g am o n g se ni ors i s 24 mi ll i o n ye n ($ $$200,000), almost double that of a working household, but they are far more cautious about what they buy than teens. The key may be appealing to a younger generation, who every year are stumped for gift ideas before September’s Respect for the Aged Day. In the end, teens may have to jump start this trend, too.

(Newsweek. August 6, 2001, p.48.)

Yoshinori Haga said that ________ a great potential and that, among other reasons, toys _________ used for entertainment.