"A House Alone" (ABC TV/TV Asahi, Sundays 7:54 p.m.) is a variety show that uses satellite photos to find a remote house. The December 7th broadcast follows a couple in their 80s who live in the mountains of Tokushima Prefecture and contribute to their community by using land that has been passed down from their ancestors.
The land shown in the satellite photo appears to be a large cleared area, but not a rice field. Several buildings stand in one area of the site. The search team's vehicle drives along a steep, winding mountain road. Here and there, there are traces of trees having been cut down, but the road leading up the mountain is quite rough. At the end of the deep mountains, the view opens up and five buildings, both large and small, come into view on a plaza-like site.
The search team had received information about the manager in advance, so they returned to the village at the foot of the mountain and met the couple who manage the plaza. When they asked the 86-year-old husband about the plaza, he gave a surprising answer: "It's a ground golf course. I built it myself over the course of 10 years." He explained with a smile, "I thought I'd create a place where local residents could interact, with huts and gazebos where people could take a break, and provide a place for everyone to socialize. I find these activities fun and not at all difficult," he said. He and his 81-year-old wife showed us around the area.
A few days later, the search team heard that local elderly people were gathering at the square to socialize, so they headed there again. After enjoying a game of ground golf, they also cooked a local dish, "buckwheat rice porridge," a "longevity food," in a homemade hearth and rice cooker. The search team also tried ground golf for the first time...
The guests are actor Takeshi Tsuruno and singer-songwriter Fujiwara Sakura.
