5 signs the Japanese are more old than young

You thought America's baby boomers were a big crowd?

In Japan, those 65 and older now account for more than one in five of the population, making it the world's most elderly. And their numbers continue to grow.

Aside from the obvious metrics of population decline and labor force changes, here are five societal signs that show Japan’s age.

1) There's old, and there's old

The Kyotango mayor visits Jiroemon Kimura, once the world's oldest person, on his 116th birthday. (Getty Images)

The Japanese don’t just live beyond 65; they live far beyond 65. This “island of old people” has more than 600 centenarians, and its people on average outlast Americans by more than 5 years.

Last month, Jiroemon Kimura — recognized by Guinness World Records as the oldest living person — passed away of natural causes. He was 116, making him the oldest man ever on record. Japan is also the home to the new oldest person alive, Misao Okawa. She is 115 years old.

2. The porn industry's golden years

Pornographic video actor Shigeo Tokuda shows off a poster for his video. (Yoshikazu Tsuno/Getty Images)

In Japan, porn is no longer a young man’s game. There’s a growing market for a genre of pornography known as “elder porn.” The boom was born of Japan's rapidly aging population and its heavy pornography consumption (only the United States outpaces it). The films feature elderly performers, such as Shigeo Tokuda, 76, and make up about one-fifth of the billion-dollar porn industry's annual earnings. 

3. Shoplifters are more often elderly

Elderly people stroll down a shopping precinct in Tokyo on Oct. 28, 2011. (Yoshikazu Tsuno/Getty Images)

It’s not thieving teenagers worrying storekeepers in Japan anymore. The elderly now shoplift more frequently than teens in Tokyo.

For the first time in the history of such record-keeping, a quarter of those arrested on suspicion of shoplifting are now over 65. New statistics show that the 65-and-older crowd account for about 24.5 percent of total shoplifting incidents, compared to 23.6 percent for those under 19. A common excuse among the elderly accused? Loneliness and lack of hobbies.

4. Adult diaper sales surpass baby diaper sales

Japanese models wear the latest style of adult diapers during a fashion show in Tokyo. (Yoshikazu Tsuno/Getty Images)

The sale of adult diapers in Japan is beginning to surpass the sale of baby diapers. In an industry that’s worth $1.4 billion, each adult diaper sells for more than twice the price of a child’s. Sales are expected to grow even more as the population continues to age and demand for incontinence products increases. Due to the more expensive pricing, as one diaper company executive said, “We perceive this as a golden opportunity for growth.”

5. “Respect for the Aged Day”

Elderly people work out with wooden dumbbells in the grounds of a temple in Tokyo. (Yoshikazu Tsuno/Getty Images)

On the third Monday in September, Japan celebrates “Respect for the Aged Day.” On the holiday, which dates back to 1947, Japan’s over-60 population is treated to performances by the younger generation. But recently, in one community at least, traditions are being altered in light of an ever-older population: the qualifying age was raised to 65.