In the rural Japanese village of Ichinono, a unique solution has emerged to combat loneliness and emptiness. With fewer than 60 residents, mostly elderly, the village is now using life-like mannequins to replace those who have left the area. According to Sky News, many younger residents had migrated to cities for education and employment, leaving behind an ageing community. To address this void, villagers creatively crafted puppets from old clothes, fabrics, and mannequins.

These realistic puppets now inhabit the village, providing companionship and vitality. The lifelike mannequins, depicting children at play and adults going about their daily routines, stand as a tribute to the vibrant community that once thrived in Ichinono. Among the many mannequins is a girl on a swing wearing a beanie hat, while a smiling boy stands ready on a scooter. Another puppet girl sits on a bike, wearing a red helmet. Elsewhere, adult and child puppets engage in daily activities, like gathering firewood.

New photos out of Japan’s “puppet village,” where puppets created to mimic the presence of children now outnumber the dwindling number of mostly elderly residents. Nothing captures loneliness quite like a silent, motionless puppet-child.

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“We’re probably outnumbered by puppets,” Hisayo Yamazaki, an 88-year-old widow told AFP.

She added that most families in Ichinono used to have children who were encouraged to go somewhere else. “We’re now paying the price,” she added.

However, Rie Kato, 33, and Toshiki Kato, 31, defied the trend by relocating from Osaka to the rural village. Their two-year-old son, Kuranosuke Kato, made history as Ichinono’s first baby in 20 years, according to Japan’s internal affairs ministry.

“Just by being born here, our son benefits from the love, support and hope of so many people – even though he has achieved absolutely nothing in life yet,” his father said.

Notably, Japan’s ageing population has reached a record high, with 36.25 million citizens aged 65 and above, comprising a staggering 29.3% of the total population. Meanwhile, Japan’s overall population continues to decline, marking the 15th consecutive year of contraction in 2023.

The demographic shift is further accentuated by a record-low birth rate, with only 730,000 newborns in 2023, and an all-time high death rate of 1.58 million. Many developed nations are facing the same demographic timebomb, but Japan, which allows relatively low levels of immigration, already has the world’s second-oldest population after Monaco.