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Bodybuilders, sumo wrestlers, MMA fighters recruited as care workers in Japan
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Being hired as caregivers has given steady work to athletes, who typically have short careers and struggle to find high-paying jobs.
PHOTO: UNSPLASH
Javier C. Hernandez and Hisako Ueno
Japan’s nursing homes and care centres face a daunting crisis: an ongoing influx of elderly patients and a dearth of workers to care for them.
Some are turning to an unconventional solution: recruiting bodybuilders, mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters and sumo wrestlers to take on roles as caregivers in an industry where men have long been scarce.
