A117　 I The term dankai-sedai was first used in the title of a novel published in 1976 by Taichi Sakaiya and has since become a well-established expression. The baby-boomers are people born berween 1947 and 1949, shortly after the Second World War.

There are about 6.8 million of these individuals, so the correct answer is (c). The high quality skill sets and the working know-how of this generation helped maintain Japan's industrial activities, but over a three year period starting in 2007, this generation will be reaching retirement age. Many companies will need to ensure that they fill the resultant staffing gaps if their industrial operations and activities are not to suffer.