“Ikeoji” for Positive Ageing
Saori Yasumoto
Associate Professor

The University of Osaka (Graduate School of Human Sciences), Japan

Sep 2025

In Japan, there is a word called “ikeoji.” It is an abbreviation of “iketeru ojisan” (cool old man). In English, “zaddy” seems to share a similar definition, which is “an attractive man who is fashionable and full of confidence.” Under Japan’s capitalist culture, “ikeoji” is used to sell men’s fashion products, advertising that "ikeoji" should have this type of shoe and that kind of bag, and so on.  “Ikeoji” is also a part of popular culture, where the media would take a poll to rank who are Japan’s “ikeoji.” In the ranking, Japanese actors, Yutaka Takenouchi and Hidetoshi Nishijima, are often at the top two. By a strange coincidence, I was asked to manage “ikeoji jyuku” (a preparatory school for men who want to become “ikeoji”) by a group of older men in a local community. Yes, I was designated to become the principal of “ikeoji jyuku” despite being a family sociologist who conducts research on ageing families. Moreover, I am a middle-aged woman. Why me? What do I know about “ikeoji? Are older men willing to learn about “ikeoji” from me? I was confused at first. At the same time, becoming the principal of “ikeoji jyuku” sounded interesting, so I visited the community center to hear what they had in mind for me to do. 

In the room of the local community centre, several men in their late 60s and early 70s were waiting for me. They began expressing their concerns about the low social participation rate among older men in their community. They also discussed the fact that the current form of the local events are not very appealing to older men. Halfway through the meeting, they began discussing the helplessness of older men. For example, one said that he was planning to ask his wife if she wants to go out for lunch more often or go on a trip with him after his retirement, but his wife was not so excited about his offer. According to him, his wife was not happy going out with him because of his outdated fashion sense. Another man mentioned that he is afraid his daughter might dislike him because he does not know much about younger people’s culture. Toward the end of the meeting, they began discussing the desire to become an “ikeoji.” Their eyes sparkled while they talked about “ikeoji.” Seeing their sparkling eyes, I knew that “ikeoji jyuku” is vital not only for them but also for their community. At the same time, many questions arose in my mind. What is an ikeoji? Are we focusing on the face? Posture? Fashion? Hobby? Personality? Financial resources? Are men’s ideas of “ikeoji” the same as women’s ideas? How about age differences? Do their daughters’ generation share the exact definition of “ikeoji” with their fathers’ generation? So, I created an opportunity to discuss “ikeoji” with students in my sociology class. Among male students, the keywords for “ikeoji” are having a hobby, confidence, and a strong will; whereas female students emphasised neatness in appearance and understanding the needs of other people. Seemingly, gender differences existed in the opinions of students. 

Now I have a question for readers of this blog. Why am I talking about “ikeoji” in this blog? In fact, I have some thoughts as a researcher. Do you know the stereotype embodiment theory (Levy 2009)? Stereotype embodiment theory suggests that images of ageing are indeed essential because they affect our physical and psychological well-being. Many researchers worldwide have supported the idea that individuals with positive images of ageing tend to maintain their health, and ultimately, they are more likely to live longer than those who do not. To quote this theory, the attitude of aiming to become “ikeoji” can be beneficial for the well-being of men. So, I decided to take the role of principal of “ikeoji jyuku” seriously. There will be multiple versions of “ikeoji” definitions depending on age, gender, sexuality, socio-economic status, and so on. I will first ask students of “ikeoji jyuku” and what their definition of “ikeoji” is, as well as for whom they want to be “ikeoji.” I hope they can find the definition of “ikeoji” that supports them to look forward to ageing.