Men clad in loincloths vie for a hemp sack containing charms during the Somin Festival, a traditional event held at Kokusekiji temple in the city of Oshu, Iwate Prefecture, from Sunday night to Monday morning.

Japan will become a "super-gray" society in 2060, as people aged 65 or over will account for 39.9 percent of the population that year, according to a survey conducted by a Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry institution. (Jan.31) [More...]

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