Comment for Japan Times on seniors & finance?

[Tokyo123]

Hi folks,
My name is Tim Hornyak and I'm a contributing writer for The Japan Times (https://muckrack.com/tim-hornyak). I'm working on an article about the financial challenges facing foreign retirees/seniors in Japan and I'm looking for people who live here in Japan who are willing to talk about their experiences a bit. It doesn't have to be too detailed, just describing any personal difficulties (or successes) you may have had, lessons learned, etc. I would need to use your real name. Unfortunately I need this today or tomorrow (Sept 8, 2023). If you're willing please email me at fuzzyplanet@gmail.com
Thanks for your time!
Tim

[TokyoBoglehead]

Hi folks,
My name is Tim Hornyak and I'm a contributing writer for The Japan Times (https://muckrack.com/tim-hornyak). I'm working on an article about the financial challenges facing foreign retirees/seniors in Japan and I'm looking for people who live here in Japan who are willing to talk about their experiences a bit. It doesn't have to be too detailed, just describing any personal difficulties (or successes) you may have had, lessons learned, etc. I would need to use your real name. Unfortunately I need this today or tomorrow (Sept 8, 2023). If you're willing please email me at fuzzyplanet@gmail.com
Thanks for your time!
Tim

Japan Times gives a lead time of 24-48 hours on a fairly evergreen topic? Yikes. That being said, have you asked Ben? (The website administrator).

[RetireJapan]

Hi folks,
My name is Tim Hornyak and I'm a contributing writer for The Japan Times (https://muckrack.com/tim-hornyak). I'm working on an article about the financial challenges facing foreign retirees/seniors in Japan and I'm looking for people who live here in Japan who are willing to talk about their experiences a bit. It doesn't have to be too detailed, just describing any personal difficulties (or successes) you may have had, lessons learned, etc. I would need to use your real name. Unfortunately I need this today or tomorrow (Sept 8, 2023). If you're willing please email me at fuzzyplanet@gmail.com
Thanks for your time!
Tim

Japan Times gives a lead time of 24-48 hours on a fairly evergreen topic? Yikes. That being said, have you asked Ben? (The website administrator).

Yep. I think Tim is looking for more voices from people who have retired in Japan -successes and challenges they have experienced.

[captainspoke]

Life is a game of days...

(author unknown, an old blues lyric)

[captainspoke]

Actually, one nice thing that happened today--or that started happening--was a hospital visit that was completely free.

Blood work (eight separate vials), so that testing, also a urine test (PSA, effectively zero), then a CT scan (with 造影剤). Then wait, wait, and wait, saw one doc, then up to a different department and after more waiting, saw another doc.

Then to that departmental 会計 counter (as usual), no waiting, and the only paperwork they gave me was a couple slips marking future appointments. I did ask, "So I don't have to go pay anything at the 会計 window downstairs?" Their answer, "No, that's all."

**

I sort of knew this a month or so ago, in July, when I'd gotten my new health card (actually cards) along with an explanation sheet saying my healthcare would be free. So today was the test of that--and it was pretty much the same kind of testing/doc visits that cost ~¥11,000 back in March, when I was on the healthcare-consumer-pays-30% plan.

Yes, I'm 71, approaching 72, and 障害者一級, which are the qualifiers. It seems health care at hospitals/clinics won't cost anything from now on, apart from the usual monthly assessments/contributions (based on last year's income).

Of course I would prefer not to have any health history and be bouncing around like a genki 50-60yr old, but this is something that was sent to me unannounced as a qualifying person--and not something that I had to submit any paperwork, or make sure to apply for. No deadlines for application (or you won't get it!), nothing to stamp or send in or return.

It just happened, as in, "here you go, here it is, this is your situation now."

[jane doe]

I'd have had a thing or two to say about that!
But we old folks need a bit of a longer timeframe to respond...