japanese lessons by elderly japanese volunteers by kan yasuma from japan

1.TARGET USER
(a) Elderly people and retirees living in Japan
and
(b) Young foreign people who wish to learn Japanese

2.VALUE FOR THE USERS
(a) Elderly people and retirees can enjoy the sense of fulfillment that comes from contributing to society.
(b) Young foreign people can study Japanese and Japanese culture.

This is a service for international communication. It connects, via videophone,
those who wish to study Japanese and those who are elderly or retired in Japan.

As the labor force in Japan continues to shrink due to the falling birthrate and
the aging population, the Japanese government is looking to increase foreign
laborers, students and visitors.

However, regrettably, the opportunity to learn Japanese in Asian countries such
as Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines is very limited. Japanese language
schools are rare and expensive, particularly in rural areas. Especially, it is
very difficult for young people who are interested in working in Japan or
working for Japanese companies to get the education needed to obtain special
qualifications, such as those needed to become a clinical nurse or care staff.

On the other hand, in Japan, retired and elderly people are increasingly
becoming isolated, as nuclear families increase and local ties fade. These
people, however, have rich life experiences, polite speaking manners, and
excellent communication skills, and such qualities can be very helpful for
foreign people.

This system will give Japanese elderly people fulfillment and young foreign
people interested in Japan an opportunity to learn Japanese. Furthermore,
We think this system could work in other foreign countries, as well.