Images: Grocery Store on Wheels: A Lifeline for Shopping-Challenged Seniors in Japan

The headwaters of the Hino River are in Okuizumo—a land steeped in myth and legend. (© Ōnishi Naruaki)

Takada harvesting spring onions from his neatly tended field (© Ōnishi Naruaki)

There is usually little traffic along the street in front of Takada’s shop. (© Ōnishi Naruaki)

Takada with his wife and kids. Miki oversees both in-store and mobile operations. (© Ōnishi Naruaki)

Takada has great trust in Miseki, saying, “He’s the reason we were able to keep the store going.” (© Ōnishi Naruaki)

Takada thinks about the preferences of the customers he will be visiting that day in choosing the products to load in the grocery truck. (© Ōnishi Naruaki)

Shiitake is a Hino specialty, and Takada’s truck is decorated with an illustration of a smiling mushroom mascot. (© Ōnishi Naruaki)

The arrival of the truck to each home along the route is signaled by loudspeakers playing a 2003 song about the famous sand dunes along the Tottori coast. (© Ōnishi Naruaki)

A 90-year-old woman is happy with her purchases, saying, “I’m going to have simmered squid tonight.” (© Ōnishi Naruaki)

A man places pack after pack of sashimi into his basket, saying, “I always look forward to visits by the food truck.” (© Ōnishi Naruaki)

Takada helps a woman carry her shopping bag to the front door. (© Ōnishi Naruaki)

“I’m looking for a big bottle of vinegar,” a woman asks. “I’ll be sure to bring it next time,” Takada replies, jotting down the customer’s request to make sure people’s needs are met. (© Ōnishi Naruaki)

The list of residents under the senior watch program is updated every month. (© Ōnishi Naruaki)

The Numatas are old friends who are now both 90. They are not solo dwellers but are subject to senior watch because of their advanced age. (© Ōnishi Naruaki)