A traditional Japanese festival is being adapted for poodles and Pomeranians, amid a booming pet industry and a dearth of children.

© Kentaro Takahashi for The New York Times

A traditional Japanese festival is being adapted for poodles and Pomeranians, amid a booming pet industry and a dearth of children.

© Kentaro Takahashi for The New York Times

The standard advice is to hold off, but most retirees claim the benefit as soon as they can, at age 62. Here’s what to know when you’re planning the unplannable.

© Richard Beaven for The New York Times

Ken Stern on why Americans should stop classifying 65 as “old.”

Longevity labs, “immortality islands” and grapeseed pills are part of China’s national project to conquer aging, despite sometimes shaky science and extravagant claims.