Ichinono, a tiny community about an hour northwest of Kyoto, has only 60 residents, including just one child. The community has tried to mimic the feeling of a buzzing population by creating life-sized puppets that do everyday things.
“We’re probably outnumbered by puppets,” 88-year-old resident Hisayo Yamazaki told AFP.
Yamazaki told AFP that older residents who had children there had encouraged them to attend university away from the town.
“We were afraid they would become unmarriageable if they remained stuck in a remote place like this,” she told the outlet.
“Out they went, and they never came back, getting jobs elsewhere. We’re now paying the price.”
Image: Getty
