The Phone Of The Wind

We just love this simple idea…

In Japan there is a phone box that lets people communicate with the dead and is for those dealing with grief following the loss of loved ones in the 2011 Tsunami. The glass-paned box contains a simple, disconnected rotary phone for those dealing with grief. Every morning creator Itaru Sasaki heads to the box to sweep leaves from the floor and remove any cobwebs. News of the box has spread so much that it has been the subject of a TV documentary.

There is also a notepad on the table so guests can write down any messages or thoughts they have during their time.

Around 10,000 people visited the box in the three years after the 2011 Tsunami. Of course in this times of ‘lockdown’, there are no visitors.

Its incredible timing that just a few days ago, ‘This American Life’ featured this on their podcast. Its SUCH a moving piece, Go listen to it!

At Children for Health we look for simple ways that support children’s physical and mental health and ones that they themselves can replicate. I wonder if this idea could be adapted with the use of a simple cardboard mobile?

One of our story books talks about the use of a simple stone that comforts a child who has lost their mother to Ebola. You can download A Stone Is A Strange Thing here.