Blimey that was a sombre read. I thoroughly like Japan, the impeccable cleanliness and politeness, stiff and formal on the outside, but on the inside quite cari

Blimey that was a sombre read. I thoroughly like Japan, the impeccable cleanliness and politeness, stiff and formal on the outside, but on the inside quite caring. I haven't spent nearly as much time there as I'd like. 3 weeks/year or so for the last 10-15 years. But this article is not wrong on at least some accounts. The one super obvious thing is their aging population, and shrinking farming life. Towns are shadows of their former selves, and outside of tourism, you ask what people do, and you get mumbles about "not much", vague gestures towards the farms, or simple silence.