AGING TOGETHER

Single Japanese women help sustain each other as they grow old

Editor's note: In this weekly feature China Daily gives voice to Asia and its people. The stories presented come mainly from the Asia News Network (ANN), of which China Daily is among its 20 leading titles.

In Amagasaki of Japan's Hyogo Prefecture, a group of seven elderly women have been practicing a "Friends Living Nearby" lifestyle — generating much interest in their community and beyond.

The "Koko Seven" or "Individual Seven" group of single women who wanted to maintain their habit of "friends living close to each other" is based in a condominium in the city.