Abstract: Retirement is a major turning point in the life of an office worker. As employees approach retirement age, anxiety about the future begins to set in. Among the factors that contribute to this anxiety, the most significant is the economic issue, in other words, money. In Japan, office workers receive a retirement allowance upon reaching retirement age, but due to concerns about financial insecurity in old age, some choose to delay the start of their pension benefits. Under such circumstances, it is not easy to declare retirement and embrace a “second life” after leaving work.

According to <Table 1>, it is as follows. Therefore, fewer Japanese office workers are choosing to retire completely at the official retirement age. According to a survey by the Recruit Works Institute, the number of people who continue working after retirement through reemployment, career change, or starting their own business is increasing. Accordingly, their ways of working and values about work are also changing. As shown in the differences in work values before and after retirement are summarized. Values above zero indicate what people after retirement consider important while those below zero represent what people before retirement value more. It shows that while workers in their active years prioritize (high income), (promotion opportunities), and (job stability), those after retirement place greater importance on (personal responsibility for their work), (opportunities for social interaction), (maintaining a daily rhythm through work), and (staying physically active). After retirement, many people tend to become socially isolated as their human relationships weaken. The absence of commuting can also lead to a loss of daily structure and tension, which may negatively affect health.

Therefore, this paper takes a multifaceted look at the two major sources of anxiety after retirement: economic issues and physical and mental well-being. It also explores technical aspects related to alleviating these anxieties and examines strategies for living a fulfilling life after retirement. It should be noted that this study focuses primarily on cases from Japan.

Keywords: Retirement, anxiety, economic issues, re-employment, start-up, retirement rewarding