Ageing Japanese village turns to Peru in search of new residents

In an isolated mountain village in Japan, residents recently welcomed unexpected visitors from a Peruvian district by the Amazon River, seeking a solution to their dwindling population. The mayor of Belen, a Peruvian city with a median age of 27, and two young women traveled to Nanmoku, a village of just 1,300 people in Gunma Prefecture, greeted the elderly warmly as some showed confusion.

Wendy Sangama, a 19-year-old student, expressed her admiration for the village during her week-long tour of Japan following the signing of a sister-city agreement between her hometown and Nanmoku. She revealed that the town's charm made her consider settling there.

The village, the oldest municipality in Japan, is 70 percent elderly, with a rapidly aging population facing potential extinction. The main street along the Nanmoku River, lined with abandoned houses and shops, appeared deserted during the AFP visit.

Nanmoku Mayor Saijo Hasegawa attributed the agreement to a chance meeting with a Japanese-Peruvian businessman, but the village was eager to attract more residents, regardless of their origin. Despite growing opposition to immigration within Japan, Hasegawa insisted that without newcomers, the village risked losing public transportation and other essential services.

Belen, in contrast, is a young district with a median age of 27, home to over 60,000 residents. Residents rely on informal trade and agriculture, growing crops such as yuca, rice, and corn. However, the economic situation in Belen has left many residents without work.

The Peruvian student Ketsi Yahuarcani called her visit to Nanmoku "incredible," while another student expressed that moving to the Japanese village could offer a better future for her family.

Unlike municipalities near Nanmoku that have accepted foreign workers primarily for short-term programs, Hasegawa envisions welcoming long-term residents from Belen. Potential newcomers would face challenges such as the language barrier, but Yuki Wanibuchi, a 34-year-old resident of Nanmoku, believed that a diverse community would bring more interest to the village.

Hiroshi Ihara, an 87-year-old villager, lamented the aging of his community, hoping for younger people to move in and help sustain the village. He emphasized that Japan's shrinking population necessitated support from residents both within and outside the country.