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Masako Wakamiya - An Octogenarian App Developer

Most 81-year-olds struggle to use a computer at all, let alone able to produce their very own iPhone app, but Masako Wakamiya is far from being a run-of-the-mill senior.

 

The Japanese lady used everything she had learned over the previous 20 years about code to produce an iPhone app called Hinadan inspired by a traditional Japanese holiday known as Girls’ Day. The game is simple – players must arrange a series of dolls in a specific order, and the app beeps in approval or disapproval depending on the player’s inputs.

Masako’s journey to tech-savviness began when she turned 60. She had worked in a bank for the previous 43 years, but was forced to retire. She purchased a computer and set it up all by herself. She soon began chatting online and discovering the world of possibilities on the internet.

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Here’s what the game’s interface looks like. The dolls must be arranged in a specific order, beeping according to whether the order they are placed in is correct or incorrect.
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The game took inspiration from Girls’ Day, a traditional Japanese holiday that involves dolls being dressed up.
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Masako told her amazing story at the 2014 edition of TEDxTokyo. Watch this inspiring video in which she encourages seniors to embrace technology and never stop learning:

 

Content and image source: BoredPanda

 

 

Content and image source: BoredPanda

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