"In sparsely populated areas across Japan, the withdrawal of supermarkets and other businesses has jeopardized essential services vital to the daily lives of residents."

"To address this problem, some local governments are turning to resident-run non-profit organizations, known as 'worker cooperatives,' as new local service providers."

"In these cooperatives, the residents themselves plan, develop, and manage the services their communities need, with the support of local government subsidies to cover initial and operating costs. The Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry is also working to create a framework that will make it easier for these organizations to obtain financial assistance and other forms of support."