Lonely Japanese Elderly Commits Crimes To Stay In Prison For Free

In an incident that highlights the ageing population crisis in Japan, an elderly woman deliberately committed crimes to secure a place in prison so that she could live for free, having been abandoned. The 81-year-old woman, identified as Akiyo, as per a report in South China Morning Post, has been jailed twice for theft after first stealing food while she was in her 60s and later repeating it when survival on a pension became difficult.

Akiyo was lodged in Tochigi Women's Prison, Japan's largest women's prison, located north of Tokyo. It houses nearly 500 inmates, the majority of whom are elderly.

"I made a poor decision and shoplifted, thinking it would be a minor issue. If I had been financially stable and had a comfortable lifestyle, I definitely would not have done it," Akiyo said, reflecting on her incarceration.

"There are very good people in this prison. Perhaps this life is the most stable for me," she added.

Prior to her prison sentence, Akiyo lived with her 43-year-old son who did not want her to stay and often told her to leave. After being released in October 2024 she struggled with shame and fear of her son's judgment.

"I am afraid of how he might perceive me. Being alone is a very difficult thing, and I feel ashamed that I ended up in this situation. I really feel that if I had a stronger will, I could have led a different life, but I am too old to do anything about it now," she said.

Takayoshi Shiranaga, an officer at the prison highlighted that for elderly inmates, staying at prison was preferable to dying alone outside with many willing to pay Rs 11,200 to Rs 16,800 (20,000 to 30,000 yen) monthly to stay in prison if they could.

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Japan's ageing population

As per government data, the number of people in Japan aged 65 or older hit a record high of 36.25 million in 2024, making it one of the world's fastest-ageing societies. The elderly now account for 29.3 per cent of Japan's total population, also a new high.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications added that the proportion of elderly residents put Japan at the top of the list of 200 countries and regions with a population of over 100,000.