Inside eerie town where hundreds of life-sized dolls have replaced real residents

Life-sized puppets 'probably outnumber' people in a small village in Japan and it's a sight to see.

There's a lot of things on this planet we'd probably prefer didn't turn human-sized anytime soon - worms, ants and well, the idea of human-sized dolls certainly sparks the idea of horrors Annabelle or Chucky rather than something out of Barbie in my mind.

Inside Ichinono, Japan

It's reported less than 60 people currently live in the southern village of Ichinono in Japan and where there aren't human residents, there are life-sized dolls instead.

Images of Ichinono show puppets made up to look like a family, with two adults and a child with a trolley full of logs.

Another shows a young puppet on a bike, there's a young girl puppet positioned on a swing and others positioned right on the steps of some people's homes.

A resident of the town called Hisayo Yamazaki told Agence France-Presse news agency (via Sky News): "We’re probably outnumbered by puppets."

But why?

Puppets 'probably outnumber' the people left in Ichinono (PHILIP FONG/AFP via Getty Images)

Well, the low population number of the town is a result of young people growing up and leaving to pursue their education, careers or simply a busier pace of life in a city.

Left behind are those who have grown old in the village and retired, who decided to remain rather than leave despite being encouraged to go elsewhere.

And it's those past retirement age who are 'now paying the price,' widow Yamazaki explained, many battling feelings of isolation and loneliness in the small village.

And the solution the village came up with?

Well, rather than moving out or inviting more people to join the area, the villagers came up with a slightly more out-of-the-box solution - making life-sized puppets.

Puppets can benefit older generations' mental health (PHILIP FONG/AFP via Getty Images)

Why puppets can benefit mental health

A staff newsletter from Ciusss West-Central Montreal details a 'Puppet Hour' scheme which was launched by Coordinator of Therapeutic Leisure and Recreology for SAPA, Josie Di Benedetto, and external consultant Janice Greenberg.

Arguing why puppets aren't solely for children, Di Benedetto cites studies which have shown puppets can alleviate symptoms of loneliness and depression in older generations.

Not only this, but puppets offer a 'stimulating visual experience' which can be beneficial for older people who are experiencing 'social and cognitive decline'.

Drama therapist Dannielle Jackson echoed to ABC News: "In the ageing process where things like memory or speech might decrease, the imagination doesn't seem to."

Puppets can also be made to trigger certain memories of people or experiences.

Jackson resolved: "It's not childish, or child's play. Puppets allow you to project in a way that is safe [...] Puppets, or empathetic puppets, allow social engagement and expression."

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