IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LIFE HISTORY SURVEY

Our project has just begun implementing the "Life History Survey" (LHS), complementary survey aimed at gathering additional data from the respondents of the Japanese Survey on Aging and Retirement (JSTAR).

The "Life History Survey" will be conducted in the following ten communities (cities or municipalities) in Japan, stretching from south to north: Naha, Tosu, Tondabayashi, Hiroshima, Shirakawa, Kanazawa, Chofu, Adachi, Sendai and Takikawa.
The economic and health status of subjects aged between 50 and 75 has been observed continually since 2007 in five of the above communities (Shirakawa, Kanazawa, Adachi, Sendai and Takikawa) through five rounds of JSTAR, while the rest joined in 2009 (Naha and Tosu) and 2011 (Tondabayashi, Hiroshima and Chofu). In the LHS, the respondents are asked to recall their past experiences from early childhood onwards in order to complement the data regarding their present economic, familial and health status already gathered by JSTAR. The goal of the LHS, therefore, is to help interpret the data obtained by JSTAR and, ultimately, facilitate policy making (especially regarding pensions, health and nursing care) through the collection of nationally representative data on residence, education, work, health etc., while tracing back major events in the life of the respondents.
The sample size of the LHS is 3,800 persons. The survey will, in effect, mark the end of the follow up of the sample of subjects who have participated in JSTAR since its inception.
The Tokyo based survey company "RJC Research" is tasked with the distribution and collection of LHS questionnaires on our behalf.