Japanese elderly care is in dire need of more workers, and it has been known for quite some time that
the growing elderly population is placing an increasing burden on the economic mechanics of the
Japanese welfare structure.1 Government initiatives are abundant, and technological development is
central tenet of current Prime Minister Abe’s policy objectives, although technological innovations can
take many different shapes.2 These technologies frequently differ significantly in practical functionality,
and the innovations presented to readers in white papers and policy documents clearly symbolize tech-
nology as grand solutions for pressing social problems.3 Japanese print media also reflect this idealistic
imagination, yet do not necessarily regurgitate the ‘positive image’ the government is putting forward.
Hurdles such as high prices are addressed consistently when covering care technologies. Newspapers
are thus at the crossroads of attempting to portray the idealism of innovation promoted in official dis-
course versus the practical application of technology and its market realities. Read the whole paper.