Shoko Kanazawa:"Genius calligrapher with Down's syndrome" has grown a lot since living alone, learned to cook on her own, and goes to the gym in the evenings

Kanazawa Shoko, known as the "genius calligrapher with Down's syndrome," appeared with her mother Yasuko on Kuroyanagi Tetsuko's long-running talk show "Tetsuko's Room" (TV Asahi) on March 26th for the first time in 15 years. Yasuko spoke about what it was like for Shoko, who turns 40 this year, to have been living alone for the past nine years.

"Living alone was a big help. It helped Shoko grow up a lot. She always made meals by herself. She's good at cooking," Yasuko said, narrowing her eyes. Shoko learned how to cook by watching TV and YouTube.

The footage shows Shoko cooking in the kitchen, saying, "My specialties are curry rice and hamburger steak," and making tandoori chicken, to which she says, "I've never made tandoori chicken, but it's delicious."

Yasuko is impressed, saying, "The only problem was whether she could survive after I was gone. Shoko is very perceptive, so she seemed to have sensed the thoughts I had been raising her with and wanted to do it on her own. Even though I never taught her how to cook, she became good at it on her own."

Yasuko was also a calligrapher, so Shoko started calligraphy at the age of 5. At the age of 20, she suddenly declared, "When I turn 30, I'll live alone." When she actually turned 30, she thought she couldn't do it, but she had no choice but to rent a room and make arrangements to live alone. When she moved out of the house, she said, "Have a nice trip, Shoko," but she turned around and said, "Mom, that's not "have a nice trip." It's "goodbye."

"Since that day, he hasn't come back (to his parents' house). He really loves being alone, and I wonder why having his own room is so good for him. Even when I invite him (to his parents' house) for work, he comes reluctantly and then leaves straight away." "I wanted to raise my child to be able to handle being alone, so I came here with that thought in mind, and it turns out living alone is what suited him."

Shoko works as a waitress at a coffee shop from 11am to 6pm, and after work she goes to the gym for 30 minutes. "She's the kind of girl who can create a proper routine," said Yasuko proudly. "She lives alone and keeps a strict routine, living a regular life. It's wonderful."