高齢者の生きがいと仕事を生み出す取り組みを行っている大熊 充さん。以前からボランティア活動を続ける中で、生きがいを持てない高齢女性が多くいることを知り、それをきっかけに75歳以上の女性“ばあちゃん”たちの主導でメニューや働き方を決めて運営する喫茶店をオープン。高齢者自らが収入を得て生きがいを持てる仕組みとして、日本の超高齢化社会を明るく照らすインフラへと成長させたいと語る大熊さんの思い描く未来とは？
Mr. Mitsuru Ookuma is dedicated to creating work opportunities and a sense of purpose for the elderly. Through his long-standing volunteer work, he noticed that many older women lacked a sense of purpose in life； this realization inspired him to open a cafe managed by women aged 75 and older, who take the lead in deciding the menu and how work tasks are completed. Mr. Ookuma says he seeks to grow this initiative that enables seniors to earn an income and find fulfillment into a vital part of the social infrastructure that brightens Japan’s aging society. What kind of future does he envision?
