Overcoming the Socioeconomic Challenges Caused by Populations Ageing: Transforming Ageing from an Economic Burden into Social Capital Through Culturally Adapted, Multigenerational Dance Programmes

The socioeconomic challenges posed by population ageing represent one of the most pressing issues facing developed nations, with Japan experiencing particularly acute pressures, including dementia-related costs of 14.5 trillion yen annually and projected caregiver shortages. This article develops a new theoretical concept, the "Cultural Capital Transformation Model" (CCTM), designed to reframe ageing from an economic burden into social capital through culturally adapted intergenerational dance programmes. The CCTM integrates three theoretical pillars: cultural embodiment theory, the ikigai-driven purpose framework, and intergenerational reciprocity mechanisms, proposing that elderly individuals can transition from costly care recipients to valuable cultural transmitters. Unlike Western-centric intervention models, this framework uniquely leverages indigenous cultural assets, specifically Japanese bon-odori, min'yo, and Showa-era music, to create multi-domain interventions that simultaneously address cognitive, physical, and psychosocial determinants of healthy ageing. The application of CCTM offers significant advantages for overcoming socioeconomic challenges, including potential healthcare cost reductions of 27-33% through prevention, restoration of elderly individuals' productive social roles, and creation of sustainable community support networks that reduce formal care dependencies. This theoretical framework provides a replicable model for transforming the socioeconomic challenges of ageing societies globally.