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In a world teetering on the edge of total population collapse, Japan is facing a uniquely bleak future:

And believe me, it shows:

A Japanese village struggling with a low population created life-sized dolls to mimic the feeling of a bustling society.

The hamlet of Ichinono, which has less than 60 residents and only one child, is trying to fill the void with stuffed mannequins, which they dress up and place around the community — and even pose on swings and bicycles.

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

“Less than 60 residents … only one child…”

A town that is emptying itself of its human inhabitants is rough enough. But this attempt to cope with it makes the whole thing worse:

Can’t imagine what it must be like to sleep in that town, knowing all those things are out there.

And yes, the town boasts exactly one child:

The crisis is apparently being driven in part because, though some residents had children, they were “encouraged … to attend college away from the tiny community,” after which they never came back.

Ichinono is “just one of more than 20,000 communities in Japan where most residents are 65 and above.”

The solution, of course, is for the Japanese to start having more babies. Think they’ll do it?

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