Brightening their Twilight Years: The Story of a Country Doctor

Hey there!

Time to go to work.

OK.

Time's up!

Oh, my phone's ringing.

Yes, that's me calling.

She's telling me it's time for the clinic.

So I'll have to stop this.

You're the doctor, right?

You spotted me! I sure am.

This is one of my youngest patients.

Meeting the doc makes coming here a pleasure.

In this remote highland village,

the clinic is always the most cheerful spot.

This doctor doesn't just look after the physical health of his patients.

He keeps a kindly eye on every aspect of the villagers' lives.

You need to know your patient, not just their disease.

Everyone has their own worries,

but people won't open up unless you get close to them.

Taking photos helps me win their trust.

This is the story of a doctor,

himself getting on in years, and his elderly patients.

Brightening their Twilight Years - The Story of a Country Doctor

These are the Handa Highlands,

in Japan's southern island of Kyushu.

Around 1,700 people live in this village,

where the population has long been declining.

Will you open the clinic now?

Yes, it's time.

This is the village's only medical facility.

And Dr. Nose Yoshiaki is the only doctor living here.

Come in.

You're looking well.

I don't feel so good.

I had side effects from the vaccine.

How?

Diarrhea and wanting to throw up.

But you're OK now?

Yes.

I wish I could have helped.

It felt like I might not pull through.

You thought your time was up?

Live a long life, then die suddenly.

That's the way to go, right?

I'm ready to go now.

Dr. Nose always makes time to listen

to whatever his patients need to say.

You told me you didn't want to live with your son.

I don't.

Why is that?

I'm too proud.

You always need to be in control, eh?

He's great.

He listens to everyone's complaints.

Sometimes people go on for half an hour.

Keeping everyone waiting?

Yes. And the nurses too.

Dr. Nose loves to talk.

Dr. Nose was a professor of medicine at a leading national university.

He was a pioneer in the field of medical informatics,

collecting and analyzing clinical data to improve health care.

I was still a kid when I decided to be a doctor.

I planned my whole career in primary school.

First I'd devote myself to medical research.

Then after I retired,

I'd go and work in some remote community that didn't have a doctor.

Twelve years ago, after retiring from his university position,

Dr. Nose came to this village to become its doctor.

Dr. Nose took up photography in middle age.

After he came here,

he delighted in taking pictures of the magnificent scenery.

But gradually, his focus began to change.

Anyone home?

What do people round here call you?

Me?

- "Sat-chan."
- "Sat-chan." Right.

She keeps sneezing.

And blood comes from her nose.

- She has nosebleeds?
- Yes.

She's weak.

She was just fine before.

I'm afraid I'm not a cat doctor.

Do you have any idea what's wrong?

Cats and humans get similar diseases.

It might be something like diabetes.

You could be right. She gets very thirsty.

Drinking and urinating a lot are symptoms of diabetes.

My husband says he's always thirsty, too.

Really? I'd better give him a check-up.

Hello! Good to see you. I want to get some shots of you eating.

When it's just us two, we don't talk.

The villagers he met began to seem an even more rewarding subject

to photograph than the beautiful landscape.

You said you really liked this photo.

It's a good one!

What do you like about it?

Her smile.

For my funeral.

Good choice.

I'll tell my children to use it.

He doesn't just take these photos for himself.

Do you still have that photobook?

The one you made?

She's my patient.

That's the one.

He gave her this photobook six years earlier.

This beautiful lady is you!

You took photos of everything.

But it's good to have them now, isn't it?

Her husband was such a kind man.

Photos can bring back vivid memories of lost loved ones.

I used to visit all the time.

Every day. But you never come now.

You'd never miss a day.

It doesn't seem proper - a lady living alone.

That's all the more reason to visit!

So far, he's given over 20 of these photobooks to his villager patients.

The photos show them unselfconsciously going about their daily routines.

I began to see that my photos were

capturing the essence of these people's lives.

So it seemed right to make them into photobooks.

The books I give them become family treasures.

Treating his villagers and taking their photos

gave Dr. Nose fresh insights into life and death.

Time for lunch.

As I care for these elderly people, I see they all worry about three main things.

They fear getting weak with age,

suffering from illness, and a painful death.

Our twilight years should be more than just a lonely waiting for death.

It's best to stay active, enjoy life to the full,

and then suddenly one day your time comes.

I try to help people approach death like that.

Dr. Nose is going to see a patient

who's still a mainstay of this community despite his advanced age.

Good morning.

Mr. Abe comes to my clinic because of his high blood pressure.

Abe Takemi is the village's most successful businessman.

His operations include a farm and a ski slope.

My employees are all over 70.

Our work day is from nine to four, so people that age can handle it.

For people who are getting on, but still want to keep working.

Get a bit closer and check the fruit.

That's right!

Now Dr. Nose is on his way

to see a farmer whose way of life fascinates him.

Hello!

Sorry to bother you on your lunch break.

That's a lot of washing.

It's been ages since we had some sun.

I've come to interrupt your nap!

Nobody else ever visits.

This is the farmer, Tokimatsu Kazuhiro.

What Dr. Nose likes about Tokimatsu is his effort

to keep up the village's traditional ways of farming.

Dr. Nose has recently started

recording the villagers' lives on video, too.

In spring, Tokimatsu sets a flock of ducklings loose in his paddy field.

They eat insect pests and weeds,

so he can grow rice without using chemicals.

What difference does it make, using ducks instead of weedkiller?

The soil is softer and smoother.

It feels quite different under your feet.

In early spring, the soil is full of wormholes.

That's the way you want it, right?

We have the village's most upstream field,

so it's our responsibility to keep the water pure.

We ensure they get clean water,

and they support us by buying our rice.

Every time Dr. Nose visits Tokimatsu, he learns something new.

Wow!

Today he's helping to harvest plums.

This year, there are really too many plums.

But if we leave them on the tree, it will stop producing.

If I don't pick them, the tree will complain.

"You didn't need me?"

"Okay, don't expect my help next year."

Thank you so much. See you next year.

They pickle the plums in salt to preserve them.

Next, Dr. Nose is going to check on a patient he's been worrying about.

Mizuta san's house is down here.

I always drop by when I'm doing my rounds.

I wonder if she's come back yet?

Ah, it's all locked up.

The curtains are closed, too.

She must still be at her son's place in the city.

She kept saying she could look after herself.

I'm amazed you're doing all this by yourself.

This video is from a visit to Mizuta by Dr. Nose in 2019.

You had a fall and broke a bone, didn't you?

I'm glad you've recovered and are farming again.

It's reassuring to know there's a doctor nearby.

Dr. Nose has taken many photos of Mizuta.

After my husband died, I told my children I could look after myself.

I have my vegetable plot and my rice paddy. That keeps me busy.

In October 2020,

Mizuta had to leave the village to get treatment in hospital.

This is where she grew her onions,

but it's all overgrown with weeds now.

It doesn't look like a vegetable plot anymore.

(Looking forward to seeing you when you return.)

(Be sure to call me.)

This brings back so many memories.

Everyone in the area says this spot has the best view.

For me, it's always been a place to relax.

I never get tired of coming here.

Dr. Nose decided to buy this hill.

His goal was to make a place for the villagers to relax

and just hang out together.

He also built this log cabin

so people could enjoy the hill any time of the year.

This hill is a wonderful spot. Anytime, any day.

We called it "Hinemosu Hill."

"Hinemosu" is an old word meaning "always."

A place to come, whenever you like.

Dr. Nose comes out here every day to look after the hill,

ensuring it's always a welcoming spot for his villagers.

OK, got it!

Who was that?

My wife, asking about lunch.

(Enjoying their twilight years)

(Dr. Nose's photos on display in hotels and coffee shops)

In this season,

these highlands are chilly at the start and end of the day.

Sit here and I'll take your blood pressure.

Just remove your jacket.

130/80. That's very good.

This is another of Dr. Nose's patients.

There are still frogs here. Green ones.

Even at her age, Ishizaki Akemi still works her 1.5-hectare field.

She's lived alone for 25 years, ever since her husband died.

Her two sons left the area long ago.

I only had them at home until the end of junior high.

They had to leave home for high school.

I told my kids, don't become farmers.

This life is really too hard, and I don't want you to follow me.

Try this.

Too salty?

It's delicious!

Ishizaki helps to support herself

by selling her vegetables from a roadside stand.

My son made this sign.

And my grandchildren painted the vegetables

when they were only five or so.

They loved to paint.

Oh, you've got lots today!

No, it's the same as always.

Really? I must usually come by after you've sold most of them.

I'll get some great photos of your customers from this angle.

One cabbage, please.

The daikon radishes are good too. Take a couple for free.

Can I have this big one?

Take any you like.

Don't be so choosy when it's free!

OK, thank you!

These two were free.

Are you going back to Osaka?

Yes, tomorrow.

Shall we take ten and sell them back home?

What made you stop here?

The vegetables looked so fresh.

Thank you.

Lucky vegetables! They get to go to Osaka!

It's warm in the sun, isn't it.

Yes, it's much warmer over here.

How old are you now?

I'll soon be 79.

Coming up to 80.

The customers keep coming, and that keeps me going.

We all need something to live for, don't we?

Yes, or I'd go dotty.

Here, I brought a photo for you.

- My hands are dirty.
- That's OK.

A photo you took?...

- Oh, it's me!
- Right!

I'm embarrassed.

Who's that beauty?

I remember this.

That time the cabbages had gone rotten?

It was really early in the morning.

It's embarrassing looking at myself.

Will you join me for dinner?

That will be great.

It's all vegetables.

You grew these? That's your daikon radish, right?

I just eat what I've got.

The broccoli's good.

Yes, it's delicious.

"(A town resident) died on October 24th.

We offer our deepest condolences."

It's an announcement that someone local passed away.

Hearing something like that makes you sad.

It's autumn,

and the rice from Tokimatsu's duck paddy is ready to harvest.

He's assisted by a group of young helpers.

Wanting to teach people about traditional farming life,

Tokimatsu provides food and accommodation

in exchange for help with the crops.

In the 20 years he's been doing this,

he's introduced over 600 people to life on the farm.

Lots of people come here.

Almost every day there's someone here to help.

They say it gives them peace of mind.

Those tiny ducklings have now grown into large ducks.

I'm over 60 now,

and I wonder how much longer I can continue this kind of farming.

Would I be able to care for the ducks when I'm 80?

Thinking about it makes me realize

I'll have to call it a day at some point.

But right now I really don't know.

His three children have all left home and have their own lives.

Our lives and nature depend on each other.

If too many people move away, nature will return to its wild state.

That's not ideal.

My way of farming keeps things in balance

but I wonder how long I can keep going.

I must make up my mind at some point.

Then I'll have to talk it over with my family,

but I don't want to put pressure on them.

Good evening.

Oh, it's you, Doctor!

- Good evening.
- Oh, you speak Japanese!

- Only "good evening."
- It's a good start.

Shivani Barto is an American living in Okinawa.

She's here for a week to experience farm life.

It's cold, you'll need this futon.

Thank you.

They decide Dr. Nose will photograph Shivani working on the farm.

You're going to chase one into a corner?

First I need to decide which to catch.

It's part of life, right?

If you want the meat, you have to know that you're killing an animal.

Everything tastes better fresh off the grill.

This duck ate the weeds so the rice could grow.

Eating it, we thank it for its work.

It's delicious.

How about the duck sashimi? Can you eat it?

My coming here has helped the community,

but I think I'm the one who's benefited most.

As they say here, live with nature, grow with nature,

then you die and return to nature.

Live like that and you can die with no regrets.

Living in the city, I never saw it like that.

Being here has changed my perspective on life.

(Mikomai: A traditional dance for the gods)

(The village women teach it to their daughters)

Do you know the meaning of this dance?

We live in a world of disasters, disease and wars.

This dance is a prayer for peace.

Keep that thought in mind as you dance,

and it will come out in your performance.

(This custom died out, but the village revived it)

New Year will soon be here,

and the villagers are preparing to celebrate.

(Dr. Nose has made traditional decorations for the entrance to his home)

Not very neat, but I like it that way.

Dr. Nose is now going to pay his regards to Tokimatsu,

the farmer with the ducks.

Hello!

- What's that?
- It's a present for you.

Fish!

A New Year gift to bring good luck.

Thank you so much!

These are plums I pickled in the spring.

Really nice color, aren't they?

These are the same plums Dr. Nose helped to pick.

Very sour.

As long as we have miso and pickled plums,

we're OK.

Plenty of dried persimmons, pickles, and dried fish.

With that, we feel rich even if we don't have much money.

Will you keep farming with ducks?

Ah, yes.

Have you made a decision?

I want to keep it going in some form.

I still think it produces the best rice.

It's tough work, though.

Maybe we can't continue on the same scale, but we'll do our best.

It's become our life.

I hope there'll be somebody willing to help us.

Put your hands together. Let's eat!

Ishizaki is out working in her field by herself as always.

I don't want to live to be too old.

I'd like to just pass away suddenly one night.

I'm too tough, though.

My kids tell me I'll probably still be going strong after they die.

(Special mochi rice cakes to celebrate the arrival of another year)

The doctor and the village old folks visit their local shrine.

Their prayer is for the twilight of their lives

to be their golden years.

Good morning.

Happy New Year.

Was everything fine over New Year?

Yes, thank you. I spent it with my family.

I plan to keep serving this community

for as long as my mind and body allow.

One more day, or another ten years.

As long as I'm healthy I'll keep working.

And when it's my turn to pass on,

I'll be happy to quietly return to nature.