Fureai (ふれあい) is a Japanese term to refer to the formation of emotional connection between people of different age group and/or profession within the community.
The word "Fureai" is composed of fure from fureru (触れる to touch/make contact) and ai (合い mutuality/both sides/together).
[1] The acceptance of Fureai reflects Japan's socioeconomic transformation, particularly the collapse of traditional communities.
Most Japanese had been living, since its economic growth in 1950s and 1960s, in their rural community with agriculture, fishing and/or forestry as its main industry, with their own extended family where the elderly lived together with their offspring, but the popularization of nuclear family and individualism made some people, especially the elderly, suffer from social exclusion.
"Fureai" is somewhat similar to "solidarity", which refers to the union of people in order to achieve a common social goal.