Models and horror movies are two things that get along particularly well. The mediocre “Tourist Trap” comes to mind, a 1979 movie that you can watch on YouTube but is definitely forgettable. Inside there are mannequins following a group of young people. A town with more dolls than there are people might seem like something reserved only for movies, but in one small town in Japan, it’s a real thing. It’s very real.

Japan has a serious demographic problem. It doesn’t reach the alarm level of countries like Taiwan or South Korea, but they have been experiencing a demographic winter for years that has changed society for two reasons: there is no generational change and, moreover, there are no workers. Worse, as in many other countries, there was a rural exodus of people seeking opportunities in the cities and never returning to their hometowns.

Ichinono is one of these cases. With only 60 people living in this small town, not only is its population small, Most of them are retired and have a child who is only two years old. For a very simple reason: After the pandemic, his family wanted to get away from the busy life of Osaka and move to the town where they could work. That two-year-old’s friends are…models.

These father and son, wearing real clothes and looking at what appears to be an information sign, are two examples of such puppets. It’s an interesting exercise to wander around Ichinono using Street View to discover the spots where residents place different dolls.

Are these kids models too? Below you will see the figures in front of the house and other figures illustrating this article. Hisayo Yamazaki, 88, who lives in Ichinono, says she was one of those who started making models a few years ago.

“We are probably less than puppets” The woman who rejects the incentives given to young people to study and live in cities confirms this. “Now we’re paying the price for it,” says Yamazaki.

These mannequins are placed all over the city to perform daily activities such as working on the farm or simply having fun on a tricycle, on a swing, or with their stuffed animals. They are all dressed in old clothes, most of them are children and The reason is as sad as it is sensitive.: Residents made these with their own hands to make the town feel less lonely.

The government is taking measures to revitalize these small, aging towns. In addition to working remotely, the administration has begun offering couples from major cities with children aged 18 or younger one million yen (about 6,300 euros) per child to move to less populated rural areas. They contacted people through Vice who could benefit from help, and they weren’t very interested.

As sad as it may seem, this is a problem that does not only concern Japan. We cannot talk about an evacuated Spain, but rather an evacuated Europe, where the population has migrated to big cities in recent years. Governments are taking measures to mitigate this population decline and reverse the situation. And yes, measures such as remote working, infrastructure improvements and free housing are important incentives, but there is still work to be done.

Will local people’s efforts and government incentives be enough to reverse population decline, or are we doomed to see more villages turn into little Ichinono?

Pictures | Google Maps

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