Nishikawa, Yamagata Pref. ¨C The color of the cherry blossom hovers between pink and white. The blooms peak briefly. It¡¯s hard to explain why Japanese love the cherry blossoms, called sakura. But they do, deeply.
Robots do not appreciate the soft evanescence of the sakura. Nor do they understand why a snowbound town in northern Japan has dedicated itself to the cultivation of a winter variety.
But the residents of Nishikawa have discovered ¡ª at least, they thought they had discovered ¡ª that they need robots for their sakura. There are not enough workers in town. The average age of a Nishikawa farmer is 73. Who else will work in the most depopulated town in one of the most depopulated prefectures in one of the most depopulated nations on Earth, if not for an amalgamation of aluminum, steel and hard plastic?
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