The village has only one child

The two-year-old boy is the first child born in Ichinono village, 60 kilometers (37 miles) from Osaka, in two decades. "We thought only death awaited us in the village," said village chief Ichiro Sawayama, 74, whose population is now around 60.

They are one of 20,000 elderly communities in Japan, according to the Internal Affairs Ministry. Revitalizing rural areas was one of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's key campaign pledges.

Japan is facing a demographic "bomb" with low immigration rates and the second-oldest population in the world, after Monaco.

The village is full of old people, so it is quiet all year round. The silence is so heavy that the people of Ichinono have resorted to sewing stuffed mannequins, placing them on ferris wheels and firewood carts to ease the feeling of loneliness. They dream of the bustling life of the past.

"There are fewer people in the village than there are puppets," said 88-year-old Hisayo Yamazaki.

In the past, people in Ichinono village mainly worked in agriculture, rice harvesting and sake brewing. Most families in the village had children. However, parents were afraid that if they left their children in the remote village, they would not be able to get married. Therefore, the younger generation was encouraged to go to university in the city.

“They find work elsewhere and never come back,” she said. “We are paying the price for that.”

The family of Rie Kato, 33, and her husband Toshiki Kato, 31, is unique. They moved from Osaka to Ichinono in 2021. They decided to leave urban life behind for the countryside because the pandemic created opportunities for remote work.

Then, Kuranosuke was born. He was the youngest resident and was loved by the villagers. They brought him food and took turns taking care of him.

"He is our pride," said Mr. Sawayama, while Ms. Yamazaki considered him a great-grandson and said Kuranosuke was always sweet.

They say Kato is wonderful for letting their children grow up in the Ichinono community instead of the anonymity of an apartment in Osaka.

"Our child has received love, support and hope from so many people," Toshiki said. "Even though he has not achieved anything in this life."

Rie Kato was often invited by her neighbors to play sports or harvest beans. She felt her self-worth was recognized there and wanted her children to feel the same way when they grew up.

However, Ichinono’s seclusion is also explained. They have long-standing regulations such as those who want to join the village must have at least three long-time residents to sponsor them, and pay rice or cash. Now, Mr. Sawayama has removed the regulations to avoid scaring immigrants.

"Rural depopulation is a global phenomenon but it is severe in Japan," said community development professor Taro Taguchi at Tokushima University.

Japan's mountainous regions are prone to natural disasters, and people are concentrated in the plains for farming. Prime Minister Ishiba has pledged to "reinvent" Japan with policies such as doubling subsidies for disadvantaged areas.

Meanwhile, IT worker Toshiki Kato is also thinking about a project to renovate century-old houses in Japan.

"I want to bring new life and keep Ichinono's decline behind for another year," he said.