We face the certainty of becoming a society with very many elderly people. However, trust in the social security system guaranteeing people's lives and a secure society is declining.

To maintain a stable and secure society, we must deepen our discussions of the comprehensive reform of the social security and taxation systems. In addition, it is essential that the working population be centrally involved in these discussions. They are the ones who support the current system and are the driving force of society. At the same time, they will be its future beneficiaries. Therefore, the discussions cannot proceed without including their opinions.

However, it is difficult for young people to have their opinions reach politicians. The voter turnout of individuals in their twenties in national elections is extremely low, being at the thirty-percent level, compared with over 70% for the elderly. Moreover, in regular House of Councilor elections in 2010, the number of voters in their twenties was only about 8% of the total. Consequently, it is no wonder that politicians tend to focus on the elderly.

Nevertheless, the proportion of young people will decline even more, while that of the elderly will continue to increase. Therefore, greater participation of young people in politics has been the subject of various discussions on reform, including lowering the voting age and introducing Internet voting. Recently, there have also been new proposals, such as a "constituency system based on age," which would select representatives for each age group. Such discussions need to be promoted to implement reforms of the social security system with the active participation of the young.

In Scandinavian countries with advanced welfare systems, the working population receives strong support in areas such as child-raising and employment. In contrast, Japan's social security benefits are geared toward the retired, including pensions, healthcare, and long-term care. As a result, many young people may feel that discussions on social security reform do not pertain to them. The fact that the systems are complicated also has an impact on this situation. However, the most important thing is for young people to be aware that these discussions are in fact closely related to them.

The passage of a set of bills in August 2012 for the "comprehensive reform of social security and taxation systems" was the first step toward securing financial resources. However, discussions on social security reform, such as on the efficiency and concentration of benefits and ensuring fairness between generations, are yet to come. Thus, now is an excellent time for the young to talk more about their dreams and hopes for the future, such as what kind of country they wish Japan to be and what type of society they would like to live in. My generation must closely listen to their opinions so that, together, we can build a new Japan.