Japan’s Gen Z Macho Caregivers Reframe Senior Care
Published 18 November 2025
With nearly a third (29.4%) of Japan’s population aged over 65, the country is experiencing a massive caregiver shortage (Japan Times, 2025). By 2040, when 2.72 million caregivers will be needed, the shortfall could reach 570,000, up from 250,000 in 2025 (Asahi, 2024). In response, Japanese care facility Visionary is leveraging bodybuilders to rebrand caregiving as a desirable, strength-driven career for young men.
Whilst robots and tech are often pointed to as solutions for Japan’s (and other ageing nations) care crisis, Visionary’s approach focuses on getting more people interested in care work, especially young men. Historically, low wages and gender stereotypes have deterred young Japanese men from such roles, leaving women aged 40 or over to fill more than 70% of positions (Japan Times, 2025).
Visionary aims to make senior care a desirable career by employing male bodybuilders, reimagining the role as that of a ‘macho caregiver’ who uses muscles to lift, feed, and dress seniors. These bodybuilders are drawn in by benefits targeting fitness enthusiasts – all of Visionary’s employees receive free gym access, while its bodybuilder staff (dubbed the 7Seas) enjoy two hours of daily paid weight training and protein shake subsidies.
In the future, countries with ageing populations will have to find creative ways to increase their caregiving forces. Reframing how care work is perceived could be a vital strategy for doing so.
See Shrinking Households for more on solo-living seniors with care needs, and Seizing the Senior Years for insight into seniors’ lifestyles.