Introduction to Special Issue of Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology on Leisure and Older Adults in Asia

This article introduces the special issue “ Leisure and older adults in Asia. ” Although the study of older adults’ participation in leisure has gained traction over the last decade, there is need to consider in greater depth the central role that leisure activities may play in the construction of identities and lifestyles in later life. The collection of articles in this special issue contributes to the emerging literature on the intersection of leisure and aging by presenting diverse contexts and methodologies to build a comprehensive understanding of leisure participation among older adults in China, India, Sri Lanka, Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Singapore. They reveal a common thread highlighting the close relationship between leisure participation and various quantitative and qualitative markers of well-being and quality of life in old age, such as health, social participation, and sense of self. The papers also highlight the importance of leisure as a socio-cultural resource through which older adults can negotiate their experiences in later life. Through the different case studies and discussion, the special issue contributes to critical Asian perspective regarding the place of leisure within discourses of ‘productive’/‘successful’/‘active’ aging.