Yubari: The town Japan is going to let go

The World

It was once a thriving coal mining town with a population of over 100,000 people. But today, Yubari, located in Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido, is a ghost of its former self — with fewer than 8,000 residents, most of whom are over the age of 65. Rebecca Rosman takes us to Yubari to explore how the city has become a microcosm for the challenges facing Japan.

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