Japanese grannies are back in business at start-up where age is just a number

A Japanese start-up is expanding a “granny business” that turns seniors’ lifetime skills into paid work through cafes, food stalls and community festivals, placing elderly women – including those with dementia – at the centre of local economies.

Based in the Fukuoka prefecture city of Ukiha, Ukiha no Takara, or Ukiha’s Treasure, draws on cooking, hospitality and fashion skills accumulated over decades, offering paid employment rather than volunteer roles.

The initiative aims to reduce isolation among seniors while keeping money circulating within local communities.

“When seniors earn money and spend it locally, it helps create vibrant regional communities,” said Mitsuru Okuma, 45, president and CEO of the company behind the project.

Every Thursday at 10am, about five women in their eighties and nineties living with dementia gather at Grandma’s Tearoom in Fukuoka. After tying on aprons, they set to work pounding pork cutlets and shredding cabbage.

Mitsuru Okuma (right) poses for a photo with Ukiha no Takara employees outside Grandma’s Tearoom. Photo: Kyodo

Masako Taniguchi, 85, serves as the cafe’s main dish cook and “pin-up girl”. She previously worked in restaurants and snack bars – experience she now applies to both cooking and customer service. As customers leave, she sees them off with a smile.