TOKYO - Starting a business after retirement or later in life has been gaining traction among Japanese seniors, as they leverage their experiences and extensive personal networks to build a second career.
Research by Teikoku Databank Ltd. showed that the percentage of newly established companies headed by people aged 60 and older rose to 20.5 percent in 2025, up 3.2 percentage points from the previous year and topping 20 percent for the first time.
A range of support from free consultations with experts and networking events to public sector support such as subsidies is being offered to aspiring senior entrepreneurs in a country known for its rapidly graying society.
As an example, the Tokyo Metropolitan Small and Medium Enterprise Support Center, an affiliated organization of the Tokyo city government, is holding a competition for people aged 55 and older to showcase their business plans. Nara Prefecture, meanwhile, is offering subsidies of up to 2 million yen ($12,800).
"There are (now) fewer hurdles to starting a business thanks to stronger support from the central and local governments," said Mio Katagiri, president of Ginza Second Life Corp., noting that it had been much more difficult for people to set up a business in the past.
The company has been helping senior entrepreneurs by providing consulting and rental office services as well as support in clerical work.
Unlike younger entrepreneurs, who often aim to commercialize innovative services or products, seniors are encouraged to pursue businesses that they would be able to handle, she said.
"The strength of seniors lies in the wealth of experience they can draw on when starting a business," said Chizuko Fukatsu, who founded apparel company Fukufuku-Ya LLC in her 60s.
The idea of a business came from her experience of buying clothes for her mother who was living in a nursing home at that time but did not like the clothes Fukatsu chose for her.
After realizing that there were very few choices of clothes for her mother and her peers, she decided to create such products herself for women in their 80s and older combining style and functionality.
Having never worked in the apparel industry, Fukatsu said she had to learn everything from scratch.
"The connection I built through support provided by local governments became the foundation of my business. The key is not to try to do everything on your own," she said.
