Nowhere are the effects of societal aging more pronounced than in Japan -- the world's oldest society. It is the only developed country where annual deaths outpace annual births. They also have the highest old age dependency rate. Within the next two decades, almost 50% of the Japanese population will be dependent on the younger half to support its retirement needs.

Complicating the issue is Japan's historical resistance to immigration, which means in the future there will be fewer workers to take care of their growing senior population.

Other nations will be watching closely to see how this efficient society deals with the issues associated with longevity.

According to the International Herald Tribune, one possible solution is being explored by the Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry. They are promoting robots.

In 2006, the Ministry conducted its first "Robot of the Year" competition which garnered 152 entries, including a feeding devise for the elderly called "My Spoon." They hope that robots will increase productivity by 50% in the next five years.

The winner was RFS-1, developed by Fuji Heavy Industries, to clean office and apartment buildings.

Leave it to the Japanese to develop an innovative (and electronic) response to their shrinking workforce. Who knows? Maybe robots will be the ones to take care of the world's aging baby boomers. After all, they can work 24 hours a day and they never complain about their health.