"A House Alone" (ABC TV/TV Asahi, Sundays) is a variety show that uses satellite photos to find a remote house. The September 7th episode will air from 7:54 PM, and will follow the life of a couple who have renovated and repurposed a closed elementary school building in the mountains of Yamagata Prefecture. The guests are actors Shigeru Muroi and Kazunari Ninomiya.
A search team discovered a building with an impressive round roof deep in the mountains of Yamagata Prefecture on satellite images. The site also contained a building with a hipped roof and what appeared to be a playground, and Ninomiya imagined, "It looks like horses and cows are being pastured there." The search team headed to the nearest settlement and began making inquiries. They discovered that no one was living there. However, they received information that there was a house beyond the mountains, so the search team headed to the settlement closest to the house.
However, when they spoke to a local man there, they received the surprising reply, "No one lives in that house anymore." As they continued their research, they came across some highly anticipated information: "On the outskirts of the village, there is a closed elementary school where a couple, both potters, live, and the wife runs a cafe." The search team headed for the now-closed elementary school on the outskirts of the village.
When they arrived at their destination, the search team saw an unusual circular school building. They were greeted by a 54-year-old craftsman who makes bathtubs out of Shigaraki ware. He said that he and his wife have been living there for about 15 years, using it as both a home and studio. They also have a pottery studio and a café that uses locally produced ingredients, and Ninomiya, who was watching from the studio, commented with emotion, "They lived an ingenious life and had a stylish lifestyle."
