I worked all through Golden Week. It was terrible. Now I'm thinking about my retirement. Reuters says that a happy retirement for a man depends more on his marriage, mental outlook, and physical health than on his pension.
This country's view of itself was once captured in the phrase "100 million people, all middle class" but now people are categorized harshly into "winners" and "losers" and Japan is described as a "society of widening disparities".
It seems that a relatively high level of satisfaction with retirement is often attained by men who had reported many risk factors for a poor childhood and midlife development but who in later life were found to have some positive resources, such as a good marriage and easy-going attitude. I think that satisfaction is not only found among those free from physical disabilities or with large pension funds. Love is more important than money at the end of life.