"A House Alone" (ABC TV/TV Asahi, Sundays 7:54 PM) is a variety show that uses satellite photos to find a remote house. The November 23rd broadcast follows an 83-year-old woman living deep in the mountains of Nara Prefecture. The guests are freelance announcer Noriko Baba and dance and vocal group GENERATIONS from EXILE TRIBE's Hayato Komori.
The house is located deep in the mountains of Nara Prefecture. There is only one road leading to it, and no fields or rice paddies are to be seen in the surrounding area. During the search, I met a man (65) who looked at satellite photos, and when I asked him to look at the location, he said, "This might be a shrine." He seemed to have some idea. Even though he was on his way to mow the grass, the man guided me to the shrine in his light truck.
During the tour, the man driving the light truck stopped the vehicle and escorted another man (77). After asking the man to check the satellite image, he gave a clear answer: "This is the house where a woman in her 80s lives with her son and daughter-in-law." The two men acted as guides and headed for the house they were looking for. Eventually, the road became steep, and it was just barely passable even for a light truck. For safety reasons, they decided to continue up the mountain path on foot.
Soon, a Japanese house with a black gabled roof appeared on the open grounds, and we were greeted with smiles by an 83-year-old woman and her eldest son and his wife. The woman married into the local family 50 years ago, but her husband passed away 31 years ago at the age of 60. She now lives with her eldest son and his wife. The woman has been riding for 60 years and still travels up and down the mountain roads on her motorbike, sometimes even going shopping in the village at the foot of the mountain. "Motorcycles are fun. I'm in a good mood when I drive," she said with a smile that never faded.
Guest Baba said with emotion, "I felt the generosity of accepting all the things in life as they are, and the warmth of family."
