With his broad smile, Tatsumi Hokuto helps an elderly woman in a Japanese care home almost effortlessly to her feet and makes sure she is steady.

At first glance, Hokuto cuts an unlikely figure for a carer role: a powerfully built 27-year-old in tight leggings and a black singlet, with the physique of a dedicated bodybuilder.

But for Nagoya-based Visionary, a company that operates nursing and care facilities across Japan, that contrast is precisely the point.

Visionary’s “macho carers” like Hokuto are core to its effort to bring strength, confidence and a brighter image to a sector struggling to meet the demands of Japan’s rapidly ageing population.

“I enjoy my job because it allows me to balance what I love, strength training, along with my job,” said Hokuto, who previously served for seven years in the Maritime Self-Defence Force.

“Doing this makes me feel that my muscles are benefiting people and society,” said Hokuto, who works with a team of similarly toned young men from Visionary.