Thursday, 23 February 2017, 18.30h – 20.00h
Who pays for whom? Intergenerational transfers in Japan and Germany
Naohiro Ogawa, The University of Tokyo
Gerhard Naegele, Technical University of Dortmund

Population ageing tends to increase the share of financially dependent
members in a given society, which is why it is often assumed to be a
trigger for generational conflict. The data on this question paint an
ambivalent picture. On the one hand, in many post-industrial economies,
today’s younger birth cohorts are put at a disadvantage in the labour
market and also in terms of public sector spending compared to older
cohorts. On the other hand, there is a tendency of private transfers
inside the family to flow downwards – from old to young. It appears that
a potential generational conflict in the public domain (welfare state,
labour market) is at least partly balanced in the family domain. To what
extent this is the case will be analysed by using data from National
Transfer Accounts, an internationally harmonized macro-level database of
financial intergenerational transfers.

Naohiro Ogawa is a population economist who specializes in studying the
effects of demographic change on economic growth and social security
systems. Aside from economic impacts of low fertility and rapid
population aging, his research has included a variety of other
population-related issues, such as family organization and values shifts,
assessment of policies regarding employment, marriage, retirement and
care for the elderly. Professor Emeritus at the Nihon University College
of Economics and Project Professor at the The University of Tokyo
Graduate School of Economics, Ogawa has published numerous academic
papers in internationally recognized journals and has edited and
authored a large number of books. Currently, aside from his professorial
duties in Japan, he serves as the Chair Holder at the Social Security
Research Center, the University of Malaya and a member of the BlackRock
Retirement Institute Advisory Council.

Gerhard Naegele has been a professor of gerontology at the Technical
University of Dortmund, Institute of Gerontology since 1992. From this
angle, his main research fields include migration and integration,
family and children, society and solidarity, health, working life.
Regarding Japan, he is especially interested in the role of
municipalities and local communities in the response to demographic
ageing as well as practises of retirement in intercultural comparison.

The talk by Professor Ogawa focusing on Japan will be followed by
comments from Professor Naegele introducing the German perspective,
before the floor will be opened to the audience for a Q&A session. The
event will be held in English. It will be followed by a small reception.
Admission is free, registration is required at forum@dijtokyo.org or
Deutsches Institut für Japanstudien – German Institute for Japanese
Studies
Tel: 03 - 3222 5198, Fax: 03 3222 5420
www.dijtokyo.org