THIS village has replaced youth with mannequins, the reason is…

Image Source: X/@MorganInternet

The quiet Japanese village of Ichinono is taking a creative approach to solving the problem of loneliness. With fewer than 60 residents, mostly elderly, the village has begun using realistic mannequins to fill in the gaps left by those who have moved away. Many young people have left Ichinono to seek opportunities in the cities, leaving behind an aging population. To bring life back to the village, local residents began making dolls from old clothes, fabrics and mannequins.

These lifelike dolls are now scattered throughout Ichinono, symbolizing the once thriving community. They depict children playing and adults performing daily activities. One puppet, a girl on a swing, wears a hat, and next to him a smiling boy on a scooter. Other mannequins depict people collecting firewood or riding bicycles, adding warmth to otherwise empty spaces.

Bucking this trend, young couple Rie and Toshiki Kato recently moved to Ichinono from Osaka with their two-year-old son Kuranosuke. His birth marked the village’s first child in 20 years, bringing hope to the community.

Japan’s aging population is a growing problem. In 2023, 36.25 million people in Japan were aged 65 years or older, accounting for 29.3% of the population. The birth rate is also at a record low, with just 730,000 newborns born last year, while deaths peaked at 1.58 million. This demographic problem is a concern for many developed countries, as Japan has one of the oldest populations in the world.