Fourteen years ago, Motoyama Saho left the big city and bought an abandoned farm. She built a house using scrap wood and has been trying to become self-sufficient. Fate brought her and her husband Kiyoshi together and they now have three children. Together, they harvest wild vegetables in the morning dew and eat fresh eggs from their chickens. They even make their own slippers using wool from their sheep. We follow this family in early spring as they seek joy in everyday tasks.
Stories about people, stories about life.
Hometown stories.
Steady steps each day.
Adorable.
There you go.
We'll take good care of them.
In the lush countryside of Saga Prefecture, a house sits on a hilltop.
The family that lives here tries to be self-sufficient.
They lovingly produce everything they need.
We got one.
They strive to embrace imperfection and enjoy everyday tasks.
Somehow, things always work out.
It all started over 14 years ago,
when Motoyama Saho moved here from the city and began building a house by herself.
She eventually married Kiyoshi, the carpenter who helped her.
They had twin sons, and later a daughter came into their lives.
Now they are a family of five.
This story is set in early spring, when nature bursts back to life.
The Motoyama family shows us how even difficult tasks can foster joy.
We went out to pick wild vegetables
this morning. - Saho.
Saho and her children are exploring the woodlands behind their house.
Right leg.
Who can spot the butterbur?
We picked some the other day.
Do you remember
What the leaves look like?
Found them.
That's it.
I got one too.
They reap gifts from nature.
Freshly picked plants make for delicious meals.
Amazing.
Breakfast, please.
You all picked these?
They're huge!
They harvested butterbur
and Japanese parsley.
Looks good.
- Wonder how it tastes.
- Let's try.
Breakfast is ready.
Breakfast everyone.
Ready?
Thank you for this meal.
You like it?
Saho has a background in architecture.
It took her a decade to build this house.
Two floors,six rooms
and a swimming pool.
The interior is punctuated with personal touches.
Earthen wall made with soil,
straw and rice husks.
Children's room door
made with scrap wood.
9 AM. We all found ourselves in the field,
unplanned. It's a familiar sight. - Saho.
They're raising about
15 chickens.
You want to see them from there?
These eggs have a thick texture
and rich flavor.
You're feeding them.
They are digging up taro root
planted the previous year.
Where are they?
I can't find them.
Maybe they're gone?
Strange...where could they be?
I see something.
Do you? Hold on.
There it is.
We found it.
So many and heavy.
Simmered taro root tastes delicious.
Press the soil hard.
There are more here.
Once again, the family shows us that it's okay to embrace imperfection.
Everyday tasks can be fun.
Saho was born and raised in the city of Fukuoka.
She worked hard to earn money and bought whatever she wanted, but it left her feeling unfulfilled.
Back then I was into fashion and
surrounded myself with material things.
But I just ended up feeling burnt out.
At the age of 30, she left the city for this rural area.
She used her savings to buy a piece of land and began building a house.
That's when she met Kiyoshi.
I expected to see a muscular woman
building the house,
but instead, I found this pretty, slender lady.
I doubted that she could even
carry the building materials on her own.
I realized how strong she was when
she effortlessly lifted heavy materials.
Kiyoshi graduated from a technical school and began working.
However, continuous overtime work began putting a strain on his health and he eventually quit.
He returned to his hometown and became a carpenter.
Kiyoshi and Saho fell in love and got married.
When Kiyoshi proposed, Saho suggested that he quit his job and move in with her.
We had a house, so I figured
we'd manage to survive somehow.
I knew I was in good hands.
Of course it was going to be fine.
We could live off the land.
This piece of land was once an abandoned orchard.
The couple gave it new life as a farm.
They approached it with the spirit of embracing imperfection and making routine chores enjoyable.
They grow 55 kinds of vegetables
and 30 kinds of fruit.
These sweet brussels sprouts
are delicious stir-fried.
The onions grown here
can be eaten raw.
These are apple blossoms.
The kids love picking apples in August.
The last few days have been warm.
It's time to shear our sheep - Saho.
They shear their sheep once a year.
Their sheep Cream has curly wool.
Each sheep yields
about 3 kg of wool.
Eat plenty of grass, Cream.
Cream.
The wool is made into felt
or yarn for pillows and hats.
Good morning.
We're heading to
a local bamboo grove today. - Saho.
Sakamoto Michihiko is a local farmer.
He shares his wisdom concerning the bounties of the countryside with Saho and her kids.
There are bamboo shoots aplenty
this time of the year.
Wow. It's huge.
More of them there?
You're so good at finding them.
Amazing.
More come up every day.
Found one.
Here's one.
Let's dig it up together.
I'll do it after you're done.
I'm not good at this.
I broke it.
There's a story about a princess
who lives in a thick bamboo stalk?
I think so.
A deity chose the best stalk for her.
I used to look for bamboo shoots
with my real mom too.
Is that so?
Nana is adopted.
We'll be there soon.
This is your new home.
Saho became unwell after having twins at the age of 38, but she still wanted another child.
Are you OK, Nana?
Raising Nana came with a series of challenges.
Back then, the more affection
I showed her, the more she wanted.
She'd toss her bicycle into the pool,
break doorknobs, things like that.
She threw huge tantrums.
I felt a mix of emotions.
Slow and steady steps.
You're getting along
so well with your Dad.
We went to the supermarket
and sat her on the cart.
She broke into a big smile.
I found it adorable and
it made me so happy.
It's been tough,
but Nana is a source of joy.
Our beehive is full.
We'll be extracting honey today. - Kiyoshi.
It's packed with honey.
Very heavy.
Time to strain!
So heavy.
It's coming out.
I see it.
Just a little more.
Almost there.
It's coming.
It's out.
Like a waterfall.
- I want to try it.
- Hold on.
It's dripping.
Don't waste it.
It spilled on me.
Here you go, Nana.
- How is it?
- Yummy.
- What does it taste like?
- Like all kinds of flowers.
It's time to make yarn
from the sheep's wool.
We're visiting our regular craft workshop
in Fukuoka. - Kiyoshi.
The instructor will show us how to repair
the wool slippers we made last year. - Kiyoshi.
The holes are so big.
A special needle is used to pierce the wool,
The fibers are then tangled up to fill the hole.
Should've made the soles thicker.
It's all about learning.
My son was always lifting up his shoes
to show us the holes.
He wanted them mended.
Everything works out when you embrace imperfection and enjoy doing things that can be a hassle.
Nature, our planet...
It's all full of wonders.
We wouldn't be able to
create wool from scratch.
But the sheep transform grass into wool.
It's a marvel.
Our land produces so many things
that were not there before.
Our land was once just soil and weeds.
But when we planted seeds,
vegetables started growing.
The chickens eat the weeds
and create eggs out of nowhere.
It brings us so much joy
to live off the gifts of the land.
It took them a day to
mend these slippers by hand.
Hey, Maaya.
You fixed these today?
They're so small.
Small and fluffy.
They won't fit.
They will. Just try them on.
So small.
OK. They're in.
It's starting.
You can see
the queen bee in the middle.
The honeybees have come
to build a new nest.
I was worried they wouldn't come this year,
so it's a relief to see them.
I'm happy that our farm
will be bustling with activity again. - Kiyoshi.
- They won't sting now, right?
- They won't.
Sorry bees.
This honey will be ready next year.
Ready? Hang on.