The long-running variety show "Welcome, Newlyweds!" (ABC TV/TV Asahi network, Sundays at 12:55 PM), hosted by Takashi Fujii and Sakura Inoue, will feature a couple who run a sheep farm in Obihiro City, Hokkaido, appearing in fluffy wool costumes on June 28th. The show will introduce the current life of the two, who were brought together by their love of sheep.
The farm run by the couple is "Aiji Ranch" (Obihiro City, Hokkaido), which boasts an area roughly the size of two Tokyo Domes. They raise about 300 sheep, and their busy days include feeding them at 8 a.m., health checks, annual shearing, cleaning the sheep pens, and selecting the wool. They don't get home until 7:30 p.m. They are with their sheep 365 days a year.
The husband's father, who oversees the farm, says that you can't raise sheep unless you're crazy about them. For the couple, the time they spend relaxing surrounded by sheep, eating bagels made by the wife, or singing and playing the guitar and ukulele, is their greatest source of relaxation.
A sheep also played Cupid in their love story. The wife, originally from Hiroshima Prefecture, decided during her university years that she wanted to live a self-sufficient life and embarked on a journey across Japan that lasted about eight months. Along the way, she was invited to move to Hokkaido by a shepherd she met there, and as she lived with sheep, she became captivated by their fluffy form and slightly goofy charm.
Later, on the recommendation of a sheep-loving friend, she visited "Aiji Farm" and met her husband. Her first impression of him was that he was a bit quiet and "like a samurai." However, after seeing the sheep that he had carefully raised, she realized that "he really cares about sheep," and she was the one who asked to exchange Instagram accounts.
The husband was also captivated by his wife's mysterious charm. Before he knew it, his wife was standing there smiling among a flock of sheep, looking as if she were part of the group. What touched his wife even more was a post on his Instagram. He had posted a photo of a sheep inside a shelf with the hashtags "#riddle", "#there's a sheep inside the shelf", and "#what's this", and Fujii shouted "Go back to Hokkaido!" at the ridiculous answer, but it struck a chord with his wife, and her opinion of her husband instantly improved.
Each time she visited the farm, the wife was drawn to her husband's knowledge and sincerity towards the sheep. He could even tell if a sheep was in good health just by looking at its expression. Her respect for him grew as she watched him earnestly teach her about the sheep, and eventually, the two shared a dream of creating a place where both sheep and people could smile. The husband proposed to her with the intention of marriage.
The program also featured a wedding party themed around sheep. The venue was a meadow where sheep roamed freely. The bride and groom entered in a pickup truck and performed a "first shearing" ceremony instead of a cake cutting. Instead of a flower shower, they had a "wool shower" using wool from the farm's sheep. For the ring exchange, a sheep carrying a small box on its back was supposed to deliver the rings, but the bride's makeup was so heavy that the sheep couldn't recognize her. Nevertheless, the rings were delivered safely, making it a truly unique wedding party.
My wife's beloved grandmother also attended the party. Despite having difficulty walking, she came using a cane, and even now, every time they meet, she cries tears of joy and says, "It was so wonderful." My wife reflects that it was also a way to show her filial piety to her grandmother.
In the latter half of the program, the couple also introduced "Verda's Inn," a lodging facility they operate on their farm. It's a place where guests can stay on the farm, help care for the sheep by feeding them milk, and enjoy a special experience of being surrounded by nature. The dream the couple had spoken of is slowly beginning to take shape.
Furthermore, there was a surprise for the wife in the studio. A real sheep appeared to deliver a letter entrusted to her by her grandmother. The sheep was brought out by her husband, and the letter was taken out of a box on its back. It contained the grandmother's thoughts and feelings of support for the wife, who had always been friendly and pursued her dreams by trying various things since she was a child, and who had always worried about her but supported her.
Guided by sheep, they met, grew closer through their shared love of sheep, and became husband and wife at a sheep-themed wedding party. This is the story of their newlywed life, where they nurture their dreams together with sheep amidst the vast nature of Hokkaido.
