This book describes a novel method for mortality modeling applying the shifting feature of the
mortality curve. In Japan the increase and pace of the extension in life expectancy have been
quite remarkable. Therefore existing mortality models often cannot capture the peculiarities
of Japanese mortality nor can the Lee-Carter model which is now regarded internationally as a
standard model. One of the important concepts to model recent Japanese mortality is a shifting
feature. In this book the linear difference model which has many advantages for modeling and
analyzing Japanese mortality is introduced. The book shows applications of the model to
mortality projection with a tangent vector field approach and decomposition of the change of
modal age at death. The models introduced here are useful tools for modeling mortality with
strong shifting features as in Japan.
