In the quiet Japanese village of Ichinono, a creative approach is being used to address loneliness. With fewer than 60 residents, mostly elderly, the village has started using life-like mannequins to fill the gaps left by those who moved away. Many young people left Ichinono for opportunities in cities, leaving behind an ageing population. To bring life back to the village, locals began making puppets out of old clothes, fabrics, and mannequins.
These realistic puppets are now scattered around Ichinono, symbolising the once-thriving community. They depict children playing and adults doing everyday tasks. One puppet, a girl on a swing, wears a beanie, while a boy with a scooter smiles nearby. Other mannequins show people gathering firewood or riding bikes, adding a touch of warmth to the empty spaces.
Breaking the trend, a young couple, Rie and Toshiki Kato, recently moved to Ichinono from Osaka, along with their two-year-old son, Kuranosuke. His birth marked the village’s first baby in 20 years, bringing hope to the community.
Japan’s ageing population is a growing issue. In 2023, 36.25 million people in Japan were aged 65 and older, making up 29.3% of the population. Birth rates are also at a record low, with only 730,000 newborns last year, while deaths hit a high of 1.58 million. This demographic challenge is a concern for many developed nations, with Japan having one of the world’s oldest populations.
