Where We Call Home

Preserving a Village and Its Traditions (2x17)

Air date: Aug 30, 2021

Like in many other small villages in Japan, the population of Sasama in Shizuoka Prefecture is declining due to aging. But US-native Shelley Clarke is determined to change that. To attract tourists, she's turned an old house into a cafe cum lodging facility. She's also learning a local traditional dance to help preserve it. We follow her in her efforts to reinvigorate her beloved village of adoption. We also meet Korean Kim Eun-young, whose online cooking lessons are drawing in students from all over Japan.