Yodoe Project Episode 01 Prologue
Yoko’s father, the key person in the stories of the Yodoe Project, has passed away, and his house has become vacant. Yoko and her brother Shu started sorting out their parents’ belongings. They even found several love letters their parents sent each other before their marriage.
There were so many things they needed to decide. The biggest question was who would inherit this house and what they would do with it.
The future was unclear, but some signs started appearing about the beginning of the Yodoe Project.
Father’s Death and Vacant Home
On September 23rd, 2017, Yoko’s father, Shigeru, passed away at the age of 89 years old. It had been eight years since his wife, Keiko, passed away on February 24th, 2009. He kept saying how much he missed her and finally left this world to join his true love.
Yoko, the owner of Yodoe Inn - Imazu Tanakaya, was born and raised in the town of Yodoe and lived there until she was 18 years old. After graduating from high school, she moved to Yamaguchi Prefecture to study at university. Four years later, she got a job in Osaka and moved there. She had lived there since then.
Her younger brother, Shu, also left Yodoe when he was 19 years old. After his four years of life in Fukuoka, he started working for a trading company. Due to the company’s order, he transferred and lived in various places, such as Tokyo, Yokohama, Perth(Australia), London, Wuhan (China), and Nagoya Prefecture.
After his wife passed away, Shigeru lived alone in the house, and it became vacant after his death.
Found Parents’ Love Letters!
After the funeral, Shu found a bunch of love letters in his father’s drawer.
Their parents met each other for the first time at an arranged marriage event in August 1958 and had a marriage ceremony in October of the same year. After living apart for another two months in their hometowns (father was from Hamada, Shimane Prefecture and mother was from Saihaku Town (currently called Nambu Town), Tottori Prefecture), they started living together in December.
For those four months, they exchanged love letters to let each other know about their feelings.
Neither Yoko nor Shu knew anything about their parents' courtship, which made them reflect on their childhood memories.
Yoko told Shu that she would take them back to Osaka, sort through them, and chronologically arrange them in her spare time.
A Faint Sign That Leads to the Yodoe Project
In the end, Yoko, Shu, and Kuniyoshi (Yoko’s son) decide what to do with the house in Yodoe.
Shu said to Yoko, “I own a house in Yokohama (located in Kanagawa Prefecture, which is quite far away from Yodoe) and have no intention of moving back here. My kids will never move and live here. Why don’t you inherit this house and live here?”
Yoko said, “Yeah, that may be a good idea. Dad always wished that I would move back and live here with him. I was already considering about doing so when I turn 65.”
Kuniyoshi didn’t 100% agree with their idea.
He was born in Osaka, went to university in Kyoto, and was studying at a graduate school in Tokyo. He didn’t have much attachment to the house in Yodoe.
He said, “Yodoe is pretty far away from Tokyo. I would visit you (Yoko) a lot in Osaka because of the convenient transportation. I have a lot of friends over there, too. I cannot visit you in Yodoe so often. Why don’t you sell this house?”
Yoko replied to her son, “Don’t worry about visiting me here often. I would rather see you following your dream and doing good in the world. Even if I decide to live here, we can always chat on Zoom or something. I will invite people here and have a fun life.”
It was just casual talk. It’s not like Yoko had any idea what would happen in the future when she said this.
However, these words foreshadowed the encounter that occurred a year later.
Next Story: Episode 02 No One will Buy Unless the Old House is Demolished?
Family and relatives gathered again at Yoko’s father’s house because of the his 49th-day memorial service. After many discussions, they decided to sell the house. There are many questions to ask. How much is this 90-year-old house worth? How difficult is it to sell? What can we do with the fields and lands? What was the reply from the real estate agents?
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