Akita Prefecture has Japan's most aged population, lowest birthrate and fastest declining population. Rigid gender roles are ...

I recently watched Only Yesterday at the Cornell Cinema (highly recommend it!) and the show really got me thinking about the role of rural settings in Japanese popular culture. Note that I didn’t just ...

Despite its rich history and beautiful landscapes, most settlements in rural Japan suffer from outmigration, aging, and depopulation. Known as chiiki okoshi kyouryoukutai, the LRC promises three years ...