The Wind Phone

In December 2010, following the death of his cousin,  garden designer Itaru Sasaki, of Ōtsuchi, Japan) set up an old phone booth in his garden.  The phone inside was not connected, but Itaru could go to the phone, dial his cousins number and speak to him.  It helped him feel connected to his cousin.   This  unconnected phone allowed him to find solace and grief support.
Itaru said,  “Because my thoughts couldn’t be relayed over a regular phone line, I wanted them to be carried on the wind.”  And so his idea became known as The Wind Telephone.

A place where grief can speak and love can be heard. 

Originally this poignant, cathartic idea to help with his grief, was purely to help him heal.  But a few months later the Tōhoku earthquake struck, this, alongside the resultant tsunamis, killed 19,759 people, 1,200 of whom were from Ōtsuchi.

Itaru opened his wind phone to the public.  And it remains open to them.  To date, over 30,00 people have visited to speak to their loved ones.

When Hubby came across this idea last week, it touched his soul and stirred something in his heart.  He immediately ran with it. Using my old pink dial phone which has finally found its true purpose.

Today he installed it under a tree at the far end of the garden.  A shelter and sign will be added soon.

Anyone is welcome to just rock up and use it.  there is no need to announce yourself.  It is an open drop in.  Working harmoniously alongside our monthly Fireside Reflections where people are welcome to come along, light a candle, sit in companionable silence or talk about their person.  There’s always a cuppa available and (in the winter) a mug of hot soup.

The Wind Will Take Your Words To Your loved Ones

It seems that since 2011, this idea has spread.  Wind Phones can be found all over the world.  I looked, there were currently 4 listed in the UK, with one of them being in Wales.  Now there are five.  I listed ours today.

Yes there is a network!

Thanks to a lady called Amy Dawson, who tragically lost her daughter, Emily, at the tender age of 25 to a terminal illness.  In her grief, Amy looked for support and solutions.  Like us she came across Itaru.  She dreamed of visiting his little phone booth and dialling Emily.  On researching further, she discovered a few in America.  To date (7th August 2025) she has mapped 445 phones (plus one this afternoon!).  Her directory, My Wind Phone, enables you to find a phone in any country, meaning you can call your loved one  from wherever you are in the world