Hometown Stories

Facing steady decline through aging and depopulation, one Japanese island community chose to tackle the risk of disappearance by reopening its only school. We follow the progress over the project's first year, and see children return fun and purpose to the lives of the island's elderly residents. Changes in the community as a whole are mirrored by the fortunes of one young family striving to make a success of their move from the mainland and embrace the charms of island living.

Southeast of Osaka Airport runs a river embankment where airplanes swoop less than 100 meters overhead. Sleek, thundering jets that pass with a rush of wind make for a heart-pounding sight. Regulars come every day to this spot: a man fighting cancer; a woman who lost custody of her children as she suffered depression; people with complex troubles. As they look up at the sky together watching the planes, they form a community that gives them the courage to move forward in their lives.