Woman who got back nursing home 'deposit' a rarity in aging Japan

Victorious: Makino sits in her apartment room during an interview in Tokyo. — AP

TOKYO: When her stay at the gla­morous Grancreer residence turned into a nightmare of disrupted sleep and difficulties with the staff, retired harpist Yumi Makino opted out, and after a two-year legal battle got her deposit money back in a rare victory over a big real estate company.

Makino’s experience reflects the challenges faced by many older Japanese in finding suitable care and accommodations in “super-­aging” Japan. Many assisted-living facilities demand hefty up-front pay­­ments on top of the usual rent and other fees – payments that are customary in Japan although they have been banned in other wealthy nations.