‘Don’t want to die alone’: Japan grandma breaks law to get free medical care, support in jail
Despairing grandmother who lives on meagre pension says she would rather take ‘stability’ of prison than life on outside
A Japanese grandmother who deliberately broke the law so she could live for free in prison has cast a spotlight on the country’s ageing problem while sparking a lively discussion on Chinese social media.
The story emerged from Tochigi Women’s Prison, Japan’s largest women’s prison, north of Tokyo, a facility which houses about 500 inmates, one in five of whom are elderly.
Staff at the penitentiary offer its elderly population assistance with basic activities like bathing and eating, making it resemble a nursing home.
The facility’s daily routine is strictly regimented, with inmates waking up at 6am and lights out at 9pm.
An 81-year-old woman, known only as Akiyo, who has been jailed twice for theft, found an unexpected sense of stability behind bars.
