Fear of growing old alone without a solid pension besets Japanese women

A female character in a Japanese comic has struck a chord with her readers. Su-chan was born and raised in Japan's provinces. At 35 she is managing a Tokyo coffee shop and worrying about her future. She's single without a boyfriend. Her savings are two million yen. Will they create a pension to support her old age?

Her friend Sawako is a 40-year-old office clerk, living with her aging mother and a grandmother who's bedridden and senile. Today is tough, but tomorrow could be tougher, depending on how her pensions scheme works out. Both are comic book characters by illustrator Miri Masuda. “Su-chan no ashita” (Su-chan's Tomorrow) sold 53,000 copies in six months.

Su-chan enjoys her freedom, but dreads growing old alone. She would not mind marrying, but rejects the sacrifices she would have to make. Many women write in to the publisher, Gentosha, to say that this resonates with them. The writers are single and married, full-time workers and part-timers. Some are housewives, some unemployed. Given the economic inequities that continue to beset women, their fears are not unfounded. A Japanese government survey cited by Yomiuri Weekly finds 54% of female employees work part-time. This means low salaries and, later on, low pensions.