Japan's population began to decline in 2010 from a peak of 128 million. Without a drastic increase in the birthrate or a loosening of the staunch Japanese resistance to immigration, it is forecast to fall to about 108 million by 2050 and to 87 million by 2060.

日本人口在2010年開始從1.28億的高峰下降。若沒有出現大幅增長的出生率，或放松人口移民，日本人口預計到2050年將下降到1.08億，到2060年將下降到8700萬。

By then, four in 10 Japanese will be over 65 years old.

到那時，40%的日本人將會是年齡超過65歲的老人。

When Ms Tsukimi returned to her hometown 13 years ago, she initially tried farming. Thinking her radish seeds may have been eaten by crows, she decided to make some scarecrows.

13年前，當月見綾野返回家鄉時，她最初嘗試務農。考慮到她的蘿卜籽可能會被烏鴉吃掉，她決定做些稻草人。

Now there are more 100 scattered around Nagoro and other towns in Shikoku.

目前，已經有100多個稻草人分散在Nagoro和四國島城鎮的各處。

Like handcarved Buddhist sculptures, each has its own whimsical expression. Some sleep, their eyelids permanently shut. Others cuddle toddler scarecrows, or man ploughs and hoes.

像手工雕刻的佛教雕塑一樣，每一個稻草人都擁有自己古怪表情。有的在睡覺，眼瞼永久地闔著。但大多數都“清醒著”，等待遠道而來的游客觀賞拍照。

'If I hadn't made these scarecrows, people would just drive right by,' she said.

“如果我沒有做這些稻草人，人們就不會繞道來參觀了。”月見綾野說。