“The last children were born in the remote mountain village of Nagoro 18 years ago. Now, just over two dozen adults live in this outpost straddling a river on the Japanese island of Shikoku. The elementary school closed its doors in 2012, shortly after the last two students completed sixth grade. But on a recent bright autumn Sunday, Tsukimi Ayano brought the school back to life.” NYT: “As Japan’s population shrinks and ages, rural areas are emptying out. In one childless village, two dozen adults compensate for the absence with the company of hundreds of giant handmade dolls.” (It’s nice not to be the only one who’s dealing with the aging process this way…)