This article provides an overview of Japanese women in the role of caregivers of older famil,, members. Cultural influence on women? identity, sign$cance of the caregiver? role, and the stru&es and reward of being caregivers are discussed. Finally, ideas are providedfor the use of arts in counseling and implications of their use are discussed.
Challenges that Japanese women experience in being caregivers to older individuals (age 65 and over) are ever present in today's Japanese society.
The number of older adults in Japan is increasing rapidly and is becoming one of the primary concerns for this society (Yamamoto-Mitani, Tamura, Deguchi, Ito, & Sugishita, 2000). According to the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare, cited in the Statistical Handbook of Japan (Ministry of International Affairs and Communications, 2004), the Japanese population 65 years of age or older continues to show a significant increase. In 1970, 7.1% of the total population consisted of older adults, and this number had more than doubled (to 14.5%) in 1995. In 2003, the number reached 19% of the total population, and it is predicted to exceed 30% in 2040. A review of the literature suggests that the majority of participants in existing studies of caregivers were female adults who were in their 50s (Abe, Kashiwagi,