The Job Card (which may be seen as a counselling tool) and the Japanese Dual System (which in the case of commission-type training provides one month of relevant work experience after three months in public vocational training) do not represent a radical break from the past structure of public vocational training measures. However, these measures, along with the introduction of “life security” benefits for participants without an El entitlement, seem designed to reverse the earlier decline in training participation, which is a welcome change. Older-worker policies are mainly focused on those aged 60-64, with a policy objective of increasing actual ages of retirement to at least the minimum age for a public pension, which is being progressively increased to reach age 65 in 2013. However, MHLW seems unwilling or unable to enforce further increases in the mandatory retirement age.