Cultural pathways to well-being in aging Japan: Exploring the meaning of “Good to Have Been Alive” through generativity, nature, and intergenerational connection

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the cultural and psychosocial foundations of well-being among older Japanese adults by focusing on the sentiment "good to have been alive," a culturally embedded expression of life affirmation. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 382 community-dwelling older adults in rural Japan. The main outcome, "good to have been alive," was analyzed as an ordinal variable (1-5). Measures included generativity, perceived connections to nature, ancestors, and future generations, social support, depressive symptoms, subjective health, financial satisfaction, and life satisfaction. Ordinal logistic regression models were used to identify independent correlates. RESULTS: Responses were highly skewed toward life affirmation, with 84 % selecting 4 or 5. In fully adjusted models, stronger perceived connections-to nature (OR = 1.44, 95 % CI 1.03-2.00), ancestors (OR = 1.74, 95 % CI 1.09-2.78), and future generations (OR = 1.52, 95 % CI 1.01-2.30)-were independently associated with higher life affirmation. Social support (OR = 1.38, 95 % CI 1.20-1.58) and subjective health and financial satisfaction were also significant. Parallel ordinal models for life satisfaction and subjective happiness showed consistent patterns. CONCLUSION: The expression "good to have been alive" reflects a multidimensional sense of well-being rooted in vertical (generational) and holistic (natural) connections. It complements global indicators by capturing culturally embedded sources of fulfillment in later life. Incorporating such expressions may enhance well-being assessment and policy design in aging societies. Further cross-cultural and qualitative research is needed to clarify how this sentiment resonates across different sociocultural contexts.