In a fast-moving world where emotions are often buried under daily routines, some stories gently remind us to pause and feel. Siasat.com brings to you one such heartwarming story from Japan about a simple telephone booth that has helped thousands cope with loss, grief, and memories.
In a time filled with constant calls, messages, and notifications, this telephone works very differently. It does not ring. It is not connected to any network. Yet, it has helped people speak their hearts out. This is The Wind Phone, a deeply emotional space where people talk to loved ones they have lost and let the wind listen. Though it has no connection, it has created the deepest connections of all.
Kaze No Denwa, meaning “Phone of the Wind,” was created in 2010 by Itaru Sasaki in the coastal town of Ōtsuchi. Grieving the loss of his cousin to cancer, Sasaki placed an unconnected black rotary phone inside a white booth in his garden, believing his words would travel through the wind. Speaking into the silent receiver brought him comfort and became his way of staying connected.
What began as a personal way to cope with loss took on a much deeper meaning after March 2011, when the devastating Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami struck Japan. The natural disaster claimed thousands of lives and left entire communities in mourning, especially in coastal towns like Otsuchi.
Moved by the scale of grief around him, Sasaki opened Kaze No Denwa to the public. People who had lost parents, children, spouses, and friends began visiting the booth. One by one, they lifted the receiver and spoke, sharing love, anger, regret, apologies, and everyday updates they never got the chance to say. Around 30,000 people have visited this wind phone.
There is no response on the other end, yet many visitors say they feel lighter after the call. The Wind Phone does not promise answers or closure. It simply offers space. In a quiet booth, surrounded by nature, people are free to speak honestly, without being rushed or judged.
The emotional power of Kaze No Denwa soon travelled beyond Japan. Inspired by Sasaki’s idea, similar Wind Phones have been created in different parts of the world in parks, memorial gardens, and forests each offering people a place to talk to loved ones they miss.
