"Support for sustainable decision-making and arrangements that preserve dignity for everyone during and after lifeThe project is considering the issue of tidying up, with the catchphrase "What is a happy way to end your life?" In this article, we will introduce two types of tidying up that have emerged from the research.
Introduction
What are your thoughts on how to wrap up your life? We have collected ideas about how to wrap up your life from television and newspapers, and have spoken to various people at public discussion meetings. Organizing the information we have gathered, it seems that there are roughly two types of people when it comes to preparing for old age. One type is best described by the phrase "A bird that flies away leaves no trace behind," and the other is best described by the phrase "The rest is up to the wind." In this project, we will refer to these two types as "Tatsutori-san" and "Notonare-san," respectively.
What are "Tatsutori-san" and "Notonare-san"?
Tatsutori is the type of person who proactively prepares for his own demise, motivated by thoughts like "I want to make the necessary preparations so I can enjoy life without worries" and "I don't want to be a burden to my family." For example, he organizes important documents and tells his family where they are kept, writes an end-of-life note in case of an emergency, and even thinks about what will happen after his death, consulting with a funeral company and making funeral arrangements before he dies. In addition to preparing for his family, some people prepare for their own demise out of a desire to protect the things they hold dear, such as giving away hobby collections to people they think will cherish them.
On the other hand, Notonare is the type of person who thinks, "If something happens, I'll just enjoy the present without worrying too much about the future," or, "I've lived my life the way I wanted until now, so when the time comes, I'll just do what's best for everyone," or, "I know it's important to be prepared, but I don't know where to start... I'll do it next time," and so doesn't settle things. When asked about a will, one rock musician said, "I probably won't write one. Who cares about what happens after I die," which is also one of Notonare's ways of thinking. People of this type tend to be rather passive about settling things down, or feel that it's a hurdle to actually get started. (*1)
Here, I'd like to add an important point about Notonare. Saying "Let the mountains be what they will" might give a negative impression, suggesting a completely irresponsible person. However, that's not necessarily the case. Some people who believe "Let the mountains be what they will" may be accepting the prospect of becoming a mountain or a field in their old age or after death precisely because they don't want to be a burden to their family. The more important something is, the more likely it is that expressing your wishes in words can have a restrictive effect. It's possible that a desire to avoid this leads to a "Let the mountains be what they will" mentality. Others may be Notonare for reasons such as a lack of time or money. These people may wish to become Tatsutori if they could receive support from those around them.
(*1) The dictionary definition of the phrase "Let the mountains be what they will" is that it means "As long as the immediate problem is resolved, it doesn't matter what happens after that," but nowadays it is sometimes used to mean "I've done all I could, so I don't want to worry about the results." However, in this project, we use the phrase "Let the mountains be what they will" in the dictionary sense, without including the meaning of "I've done all I could."
In future research, we will conduct further research into what values some Tatsutori and Notonare people hold, and what kind of support they need in preparing for their own demise.
In the next issue, we will use the results of a questionnaire survey conducted in 2024 to introduce the characteristics of Tatsutori and Notonare, as well as their hopes and concerns regarding their retirement.
