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Page 16 TH E A S IAN R EPOR T ER AS IA / PAC IF IC Decembe r 15 , 2014 Sca rec row s ou tnumbe r peop le in dy ing Japan town SCARECROWS AS STAND - INS .T s u k im i A y a n o s p e a k s a s s h e s t i t c h e s a s c a r e c r ow g i r l b y a n o u t d o o r h e a r t h a t h e r h om e i n t h e m o u n t a i n o u s v i l l a g e o f N a g o r o , T o k u s h im a p r e f e c t u r e , s o u t h e r n J a p a n . T h e v i l l a g e d e e p i n t h e r u g g e d m o u n t a i n s o f s o u t h e r n J a p a n o n c e w a s h om e t o h u n d r e d s o f f am i l i e s . N ow , o n l y 3 5 p e o p l e r em a i n , o u t n um b e r e d t h r e e - t o - o n e b y s c a r e c r ow s t h a t A y a n o c r a f t e d t o h e l p f i l l t h e d a y s a n d r e p l a c e n e i g h b o r s w h o d i e d o r m o v e d aw a y . ( A P P h o t o / E l a i n e K u r t e n b a c h ) B y E la in e Ku r t enba ch AP Bu s in e s s W r i t e r N AGORO , Japan — A v i l lag e d e ep in the rugged m oun ta in s o f sou the rn Japan on c e wa s h om e t o hund r ed s o f fam i l ie s . Now , on ly 35 p e op l e r ema in , ou tnumbe red th r e e - t o - on e by s ca r e c r ow s tha t T suk im i Ayan o c ra f t ed t o h e lp f i l l the day s and r ep la c e n e ighb o r s wh o d i ed o r moved away . A t ag e 65 , Ayano i s on e o f th e y oung e r r e s id en t s o f Nago ro . She m ov ed ba ck f r om O saka t o look a f te r he r 85 -y ea r - o ld fa th e r a f t e r d e cade s away . “Th ey b r ing ba ck mem o r i e s , ” Ayan o sa id o f th e l i fe - s i zed do l l s c rowd ed in t o c o rn e r s o f h e r fa rmhou se home , p e r ch ed on f en c e s and t r ee s , hudd led s id e -by - s id e a t a p r odu c e s ta l l , the bu s s t op — anywh e r e a l iv ing p e r son m igh t s top t o tak e a r e s t . “Tha t o ld lady u sed to c om e and cha t and d r ink t ea . Tha t o ld man u s ed t o l ov e t o d r ink saké and te l l s to r i e s . I t r em ind s m e o f th e o ld t ime s , when th ey w e r e s t i l l a l iv e and w e l l , ” she sa id . Ev en mo re than i t s fad ing s ta tu s a s an exp o r t supe rpowe r , Japan ’ s dw ind l ing p opu la t ion may be i t s b igg e s t cha l l eng e . M o r e than 10 ,000 town s and v i l lag e s in Japan a re depopu la ted , th e h om e s and in f ra s t ru c tu re c rumb l ing a s th e c oun t ry s ide emp t ie s thank s t o th e fa l l ing b i r th ra t e and rap id ag ing . F i r s t the job s go . Th en th e s ch o o l s . Ev en tua l ly , the e le c t r i c i ty m e t e r s s t op . N e i th e r P r ime M in i s t e r Sh in z o Ab e ’ s ru l ing L ibe ra l Demo c ra t i c Pa r ty n o r any o f i t s r iva l s have f igu red ou t h ow t o “ r ev iv e l o ca l i t i e s , ” an i s sue tha t ha s p e rp l ex ed Japan e se leade r s fo r de cad e s . Bu t lo ca l commun i t i e s a r e t ry ing va r i ou s s t ra teg ie s fo r a t t ra c t ing y oung e r r e s id en t s , s low ing i f n o t r ev e r s ing th e i r d e c l in e . In Kam iyama , a fa rm ing c ommun i ty c lo se r to th e r eg i ona l cap i ta l , c ommun i ty o rgan i ze r s hav e mapp ed ou t p lan s f o r a t t ra c t ing a r t i s t s and h igh - t e ch c ompan ie s . Nag o r o i s m o r e typ i ca l o f th e th ou sand s o f c ommun i t i e s tha t a r e tu rn ing in t o gh o s t t own s o r a t b e s t , op en -a i r mu s eum s , f r o z en in t im e . Th e on e - s t r e e t t own i s m o s t ly aband on ed , i t s sh op s and h om e s p e rman en t ly shu t t e r ed . Th e c l o su r e o f th e l o ca l e l em en ta ry s ch o o l tw o y ea r s ag o wa s th e la s t s t raw . Ayan o un l o ck s th e d o o r and gu id e s v i s i t o r s th r ough sp o t l e s s c la s s r o om s p opu la t ed w i th s ca r e c r ow s tud en t s and t ea ch e r s . Wh en sh e r e tu rn ed t o h e r h om e t own 13 y ea r s ag o , Ayan o t r i ed fa rm ing . Th ink ing h e r rad i sh s e ed s may hav e b e en ea t en by c r ow s , sh e d e c id ed t o mak e s om e s ca r e c r ow s . N ow th e r e a r e m o r e than 100 s ca t t e r ed a r ound Nag o r o and n ea rby t own s . L ik e hand ca rv ed Buddh i s t s cu lp tu r e s , ea ch ha s i t s own wh im s i ca l exp r e s s i on . S om e s l e ep , th e i r ey e l id s p e rman en t ly shu t . O th e r s cudd l e t odd l e r s ca r e c r ow s o r man th e p l ow s and h o e s . Ayan o b r ing s on e a l ong f o r c ompany on h e r 90 -m inu t e d r iv e t o buy g r o c e r i e s in th e n ea r e s t b ig t own . Bu t m o s t r ema in b eh ind , t o b e ph o t og raph ed and ma rv e l l ed a t by t ou r i s t s wh o d e t ou r th r ough th e w ind ing m oun ta in r oad s . “ I f I hadn ’ t mad e th e s e s ca r e c r ow s , p e op l e w ou ld ju s t d r iv e r igh t by , ” sa id Ayan o . Th e p l igh t o f Japan ’ s c oun t ry s id e i s pa r t ly a c on s equ en c e o f th e c oun t ry ’ s e c on om i c su c c e s s . A s Japan g r ew in c r ea s ing ly a f f lu en t a f t e r W o r ld Wa r I I , y oung e r Japan e s e f l o od ed in t o th e c i t i e s t o f i l l j ob s in fa c t o r i e s and s e rv i c e indu s t r i e s , l eav ing th e i r e ld e r s t o t end sma l l fa rm s . G r ea t e r T oky o , w i th m o r e than 37 m i l l i on p e op l e , and O saka -K ob e , w i th 11 .5 m i l l i on , a c c oun t f o r n ea r ly 40 p e r c en t o f th e c oun t ry ’ s 127 m i l l i on p e op l e . “Th e r e ’ s b e en th i s hug e su ck ing s ound a s th e c oun t ry s id e i s emp t i ed ou t , ” sa id J o e l C oh en , a p r o f e s s o r a t C o lumb ia Un iv e r s i ty ’ s Lab o ra t o ry o f P opu la t i on s . Japan ’ s p opu la t i on b egan t o d e c l in e in 2010 f r om a p eak o f 128 m i l l i on . W i th ou t a d ra s t i c in c r ea s e in th e b i r th ra t e o r a l o o s en ing o f th e s taun ch Japan e s e r e s i s tan c e t o imm ig ra t i on , i t i s f o r e ca s t t o fa l l t o 108 m i l l i on by 2050 and t o 87 m i l l i on by 2060 . By th en , f ou r in 10 Japan e s e w i l l b e m o r e than 65 y ea r s o ld . Sou th Ko rea re jec t s idea o f Th e p opu la t i on o f M iy o sh i , wh i ch i s th e sha r ing O lymp ic s w i th Japan t own c l o s e s t t o Nag o r o , f e l l f r om 45 ,340 in SEOUL , S ou th K o r ea (AP ) — A S ou th 1985 t o ab ou t 27 ,000 la s t y ea r . A qua r t e r o f K o r e a n g o v e r n o r h a s r e j e c t e d a n i t s p opu la t i on i s m o r e than 75 y ea r s o ld . T o In t e rna t i ona l O lymp i c C omm i t t e e ( IOC ) p r op o sa l t o m ov e th e b ob s l ed and lug e en t s f o r th e 2018 W in t e r Gam e s in OCCUPAT ION ENDS .A w om a n i n a S a n t a c o s - ev P y e o n g c h a n g t o a n o t h e r c o u n t r y t o s av e t um e d e l i v e r s s h o p p i n g l e a f l e t s i n t h e C a u s ew a y B a y m on ey . s h o p p i n g d i s t r i c t o u t s i d e a n o c c u p i e d a r e a b y p r o - d em o c r a c y p r o t e s t e r s i n H o n g K o n g o n F r i d a y , D e - R e l o ca t ing th e ev en t s t o o th e r c em b e r 1 2 , 2 0 1 4 . T r a f f i c w a s b a c k t o n o rm a l i n H o n g d e s t ina t i on s w ou ldn ’ t h e lp sav e c o s t s K o n g ’ s f i n a n c i a l d i s t r i c t a f t e r a u t h o r i t i e s d em o l i s h e d a b e cau s e Py e ong chang ha s a l r eady b egun p r o t e s t c am p a t t h e h e a r t o f t h e c i t y ’ s tw o - a n d - a - h a l f bu i ld ing i t s v enu e f o r s l id ing sp o r t s , m o n t h p r o - d em o c r a c y m o v em e n t . ( A P P h o t o / K i n Gangw on p r ov in c e g ov e rn o r Ch o i C h e u n g ) M o on - s o on sa id in a t e l ev i s ed n ew s c o n f e r e n c e . s e em ed m o r e op en t o r e sum ing ta lk s a s th e “Sha r ing th e c omp e t i t i on w i th an o th e r m ov em en t d r ew t o a c l o s e , bu t th e chan c e s c i t y i s n o t a n o p t i o n w e c a n c o n s i d e r . T h e o f a b r eak th r ough a r e s l im g iv en th e w id e ou th K o r ean p e op l e w ou ld n ev e r a c c ep t d i f f e r en c e s b e tw e en th e tw o s id e s . Ch i e f S i t , ” C h o i s a i d . s e c r e ta ry Ca r r i e Lam , th e N o . 2 o f f i c ia l , Gangw on p r ov in c e g ov e rn s Py e ong - sa id sh e i s op en t o d i s cu s s i on s w i th th e c h a n g , a s k i r e s o r t t o w n n e a r S o u t h s tud en t s . K o r e a ’ s e a s t e r n c o a s t . P r o t e s t e r Andy Chu , wh o wa s am ong Th e IOC , wh i ch i s t ry ing t o cu t c o s t s f o r th o s e wa i t ing t o b e a r r e s t ed , sa id th e h o s t s , h a d r e q u e s t e d t h a t S o u t h K o r e a n m ov em en t “w i l l m ov e on t o th e n ex t s tag e . o r g a n i z e r s m o v e t h e s p o r t s t o a n o t h e r c i t y I t ’ s n o t ab ou t o c cupy ing th e s t r e e t s t o p r e v e n t l e a v i n g P y e o n g c h a n g w i t h a anym o r e . I t can b e ab ou t pay ing a t t en t i on v e n u e t h a t w i l l h a v e l i t t l e u s e a f t e r t h e t o o th e r p o l i t i ca l i s su e s su ch a s s o c ia l gam e s . w e l fa r e and h ou s ing i s su e s . ” A c c o rd ing t o th e IOC , r e l o ca t ing th e Th e c l ea r ing op e ra t i on b egan th e ob s l ed , lug e , and sk e l e t on ev en t s w ou ld m o rn ing o f D e c emb e r 11 wh en w o rk e r s b e $120 m i l l i on in c on s t ru c t i on c o s t s and en f o r c ing a c ou r t o rd e r r em ov ed s om e sav .5 m i l l i on in y ea r ly ma in t enan c e c o s t s . ba r r i cad e s on th e edg e o f th e p r o t e s t s i t e . $3 Th e IOC sa id a d o z en d i f f e r en t b ob s l ed P o l i c e th en s ea l ed o f f th e a r ea and m ov ed and lug e t ra ck s a r ound th e w o r ld c ou ld in t o c l ea r ou t th e r e s t o f i t . t ep in t o h o s t th e s l id ing c omp e t i t i on s f o r Th ey t o r e d own hund r ed s o f t en t s and s e 2018 Gam e s i f th ey a r e m ov ed ou t o f can op i e s tha t s e rv ed a s supp ly s ta t i on s , th e ong chang . l eav ing th em in mang l ed h eap s am ong Py On e op t i on i s Nagan o , Japan , wh i ch d i s ca rd ed n ew spap e r s , f l ip - f l op s , ca rd - h o s t ed th e 1998 W in t e r Gam e s , a l th ough b oa rd b ox e s , and umb r e l la s . ov ing th e c omp e t i t i on s th e r e w ou ld ra i s e P o l i c e a l s o ra z ed a s tudy a r ea mad e up o f m r i t i c i sm b e cau s e o f th e d i f f i cu l t r e la t i on s tab l e s and cha i r s and r ipp ed d own c e tw e en th e n e ighb o r s ov e r th e i r h i s t o ry . m e s sag e s o f supp o r t pa s t ed t o a n ea rby b S ou th K o r ea ’ s M in i s t ry o f Cu l tu r e , wa l l . A t l ea s t 20 dump t ru ck s w i th Sp o r t s , and T ou r i sm exp e c t s th e t o ta l c o s t g rapp l e r a rm s p i ck ed up th e d eb r i s . f th e Py e ong chang O lymp i c s t o ex c e ed 11 A s s o c i a t e d P r e s s j o u r n a l i s t W e n d y o T a n g c o n t r i b u t e d t o t h i s r e p o r t . t r i l l i on w on ($10 b i l l i on ) . Hong Kong po l ice a r re s t 209 p ro te s te r s , demo l i sh ma in camp C o n t i n u e d f r om p a g e 3 p o l i c e wa rn ing s to leave th e p r o t e s t z on e t o av o id be ing a r re s ted , bu t d o z en s o f s tud en t s , p ro -demo c ra cy lawmak e r s , and o th e r s , in c lud ing m idd le -ag ed and e ld e r ly supp o r t e r s , rema ined s i t t ing on th e s t r e e t . Th ey chan ted “ I wan t t ru e d em o c ra cy ” and “W e w i l l be ba ck , ” bu t o f f e r ed n o r e s i s tan c e a s th ey we re taken away on e by on e , many l i f t ed o f f the g round . Am ong tho se a r re s t ed w e r e p r o - d em o c ra cy med ia mogu l J immy La i , p op s ing e r Den i se Ho , ve te ran p r o -d em o c ra cy a c t iv i s t Ma r t in Lee , and p r o -d em o c ra cy l eg i s la t o r s in c lud ing A lb e r t H o . L ead e r s f r om the Hong Kong F ed e ra t i on o f S tud en t s and S cho la r i sm , tw o s tud en t g r oup s tha t have p lay ed k ey r o l e s in o rgan i z ing the p ro te s t s , w e r e a l s o tak en t o p o l i c e s ta t ion s . P o l i c e a l so a r re s ted fou r a c t iv i s t s f r om rad i ca l po l i t i ca l pa r t ie s and a s tud en t g r oup a t the i r home s De c emb e r 10 and 11 on su sp i c ion o f in c i t ing o th e r s t o j o in unau th o r i zed a s semb l ie s . Th e sp raw l ing en campm en t in H ong K ong ’ s Adm i ra l ty se c t i on , n ex t t o c i ty g ov e rnmen t headqua r te r s , wa s th e f o ca l p o in t o f wha t be came kn own a s th e “Umb r e l la Movemen t ” b e cau s e o f th e p r o t e s t e r s ’ u se o f umb r e l la s t o f end o f f p o l i c e p eppe r sp ray . P o l i c e had c lea red ou t a s e c ond p r o t e s t s i t e in the b lue - co l la r M ong K ok n e igh - b o rh o od la te la s t mon th in an agg r e s s iv e tw o -day ope ra t ion tha t spa rk ed s ev e ra l n igh t s o f c la she s and saw ab ou t 160 p e op l e a r r e s t ed . A sma l le r p r o t e s t s i t e in th e Cau s eway Bay d i s t r i c t r ema in s un - t ou ch ed , bu t po l i ce have v ow ed t o m ov e on i t s o on . Th e p r o t e s t e r s r e j e c t B e i j ing ’ s r e s t r i c t i on s on th e e l e c t i on o f th e c i ty ’ s t op l ead e r s ch edu l ed f o r 2017 , bu t fa i l ed t o w in any c on c e s s i on s f r om H ong K ong ’ s g ov e rn - m en t . P r o t e s t e r s p r om i s ed t o k e ep up th e i r c iv i l d i s ob ed i en c e campa ign aga in s t th e g ov e rnm en t u s ing n ew ta c t i c s . Many sa id th e m ov em en t ha s spa rk ed an awak en ing am ong th e w id e r p opu la t i on . “P e op l e w i l l c om e ba ck aga in , th ey w i l l c om e ba ck w i th s t r ong e r f o r c e , ” sa id A l ex Ch ow , s e c r e ta ry g en e ra l o f th e H ong K ong F ed e ra t i on o f S tud en t s , wh o wa s a r r e s t ed . P r o -d em o c ra cy lawmak e r s sa id th ey w ou ld p r e s su r e th e g ov e rnm en t in th e l eg i s la tu r e by b l o ck ing fund ing r equ e s t s and th e g ov e rnm en t ’ s e l e c t o ra l r e f o rm s . “A d ia l ogu e can on ly happ en wh en w e v o t e d own th e c om ing p o l i t i ca l r e f o rm pa ckag e , ” sa id p r o -d em o c ra cy lawmak e r L e e Ch euk -yan , wh o wa s th e la s t t o b e a r r e s t ed . H ong K ong g ov e rnm en t o f f i c ia l s hav e en t i c e r e s id en t s t o hav e m o r e ch i ld r en , th e t own b egan o f f e r ing f r e e nu r s e ry ca r e f o r th i rd ch i ld r en , f r e e d iap e r s and f o rmu la t o ag e tw o , and f r e e h ea l th ca r e th r ough jun i o r h igh s ch o o l . “Th e way t o s t op th i s i s t o g e t p e op l e t o hav e m o r e bab i e s , ” sa id may o r S e i i ch i Ku r okawa . “Apa r t f r om tha t , w e n e ed f o r p e op l e t o r e tu rn h e r e o r m ov e h e r e . ” Bu t i t ’ s n o t an ea sy s e l l , d e sp i t e th e f r e sh a i r and abundan t spa c e . “Y ou can ’ t ju s t g rab p e op l e by th e n e ck s l ik e k i t t en s and d rag th em h e r e , ” Ku r okawa sa id . G e t t ing r e s id en t s o f ha l f - emp ty t own s t o a c c ep t n ew c om e r s can a l s o b e a cha l l eng e . In Kam iyama , t o th e ea s t , th e t own s t i l l s t rugg l e s t o c onv in c e own e r s wh o a r e o f t en r e la t iv e s l iv ing in d i s tan t c i t i e s t o op en up aband on ed h om e s f o r r en t o r r en ova t i on , sa id Sh inya Om inam i , cha i rman o f a c iv i c g r oup tha t ha s l ed e f f o r t s t o r ev iv e th e t own . In a b r i e f ing f o r p o t en t ia l inv e s t o r s and v i s i t ing o f f i c ia l s , Om inam i sh ow s a s l id e o f th e t own ’ s sh opp ing s t r e e t , d o t t ed w i th h ou s e s tha t a r e emp ty , and th en an o th e r w i th s om e o f th e bu i ld ing s f i l l ed w i th n ew bu s in e s s e s — a b i s t r o , a d e s ign s tud i o , an IT in cuba t i on hub . “On c e w e a c c ep t th i s i s th e r ea l i ty , w e can f igu r e ou t h ow t o c op e w i th i t , ” Om inam i sa id .