Japan is starting to embrace a new genre of manga featuring elderly people as the leading characters.
"Sanju Mariko" is a story about Mariko, a widow and writer who at the age of sanju, Japanese for 80, sets out from the home she has shared with her son, his wife and extended family, including her great-grandchild. Her new life begins as an "internet cafe refugee" after she is unable to secure other accommodations.
The decision to leave home is prompted by a feeling of alienation brought on by disagreements with her family over a plan to rebuild the house she had thought would be her final home, as well as a sense of loneliness after learning that a friend has died alone. She even ponders whether her family is hoping that she'll die soon.