There is a mythical custom in Japanese folklore called 'ubasute,' which refers to the practice of abandoning an elderly relative on a mountain, where they are left to die. In the stories, food was scarce in the community and old people were seen as an unnecessary burden. In one Buddhist allegory, a man who was carrying his mother on his back during the journey noticed that she kept snapping twigs and dropping them on the ground. When he inquired what she was doing, his mother replied, 'To make sure you can easily find your way back.

https://opinion.inquirer.net/161821/what-is-ageism-and-why-should-we-care

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