Japanese using their noodle to solve driving problem

As Japan’s population gets steadily older, there are more elderly drivers on the road - leading to more accidents. But one local government has come up with a unique solution to the problem.

Ramen - and barber shop discounts - are encouraging safer driving. Source: Flickr / Yusuke Kawasaki

This year, the Japanese census revealed a record high percentage of elderly people living in the country - more than 26 per cent of Japanese people are now aged 65 or older.

While we could wax lyrical about the Japanese diet and its promise of longevity, one of the drawbacks of an ageing population is that the number of motor vehicle accidents has dramatically increased. 17 million senior citizens hold a licence in Japan, and accidents involving the elderly are at crisis point, with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe scheduling an emergency meeting to discuss the problem in November.  

But a new scheme in Aichi prefecture, which is located toward the centre of Japan, could change all that. There, the government is offering senior citizens who voluntarily hand over their licenses a 15 per cent lifetime discount at ramen chain Sugakiya. There are 176 Sugakiya franchises across the prefecture, so even without cars, it should be easy to find one. The scheme also offers discounts at public bathhouses and barber shops… but we’re far more interested in the cheap ramen.

Since the program was launched, more than 12,000 drivers have handed back their licences, suggesting there’s quite a bit of interest in the discounted ramen. 

 

Lead image by Yusuke Kawasaki via Flickr.