Stories about people. Stories about life.

Hometown Stories.

Many Japanese people think
Korean food is spicy.

But quite a few Korean dishes
are not spicy.

This woman runs a Korean restaurant in northeastern Japan.

- Are you from South Korea?
- Yes! Hello.

People fondly call her "Sun-chan."

- You had a haircut?
- Cute, isn't it?

So, you want to look younger.

It's been more than 30 years since Sun-chan moved to a farming village to marry a Japanese man.

Since then, life for her there has not always been easy.

I hated living in this village.
I wanted to go back home.

Once, she even packed her bags.

But for some reason, Sun-chan became a magnet for people with worries.

Like this man — a newcomer finding it hard to settle in the village.

As an outsider, I wasn't always
invited to local gatherings at first.

And this woman, who's hesitant about taking a new step in her life.

- I think I'm too old.
- Age doesn't matter.

What is it about Sun-chan's Korean restaurant that attracts so many people?

Tozawa Village, in Yamagata Prefecture, is a small community in northeastern Japan with a population of about 4,000 people.

Sun-chan's restaurant stands on the bank of the Mogami river.

Otomo Sunho, or Sun-chan, is 61 years old.

She starts her day at 10 o'clock in the morning.

Here you go.

Sit down and eat.

Her restaurant is called Nikkan Hiroba, or "Japan-Korea Plaza."

She proudly serves home-style dishes that she learned back in her native land of South Korea.

Here you go.

Delicious!

Sunho's cooking is the best.
It's super-delicious.

Sunho regularly goes from table to table.

She gets to know her customers by explaining the best way to eat the dishes.

Stir it gently with the back of the spoon.

Then flip half of the rice.
See - nicely browned!

- Mix it, like face makeup.
- I don't wear any makeup.

After closing the restaurant, she doesn't slow down.

Instead, she goes straight to her nearby vegetable patch.

You can eat these raw.
They're tasty with "miso" soybean paste.

Chili peppers...

...and cucumbers.

She grows more than 20 kinds of vegetables that are staples of Korean cuisine.

She learned how to work in the fields after moving to this village.

I find it soothing to see fresh things.
It's relaxing to look at vegetables.

They warm my heart.

Cheers! Time to call it a day.

It's been hot today.

At the end of each day, Sunho loves to enjoy a drink with her husband, Yoshio, over dinner.

Yoshio was born and raised in Tozawa Village.

He has come to love kimchi, or Korean-style pickled vegetables, even more than Sunho does.

I like the sour kind with
napa cabbage and daikon radish.

I never knew my wife had it in her
to run a restaurant.

Really? I'm glad to hear that.

Let's stay happy!

Sunho and Yoshio married 34 years ago.

After Sunho graduated from university,

she was working in South Korea's capital, Seoul, enjoying life as a single woman.

But...

At family gatherings, people always
asked, "Aren't you married yet?"

I really hated that.
I felt like running away.

Sunho was 27 when someone she knew asked her if she'd be interested in an arranged marriage with a Japanese man.

They said, "In Japan, you can do
what you want. No one will complain."

Back then,
I was still thinking like a child.

The arranged marriage project was launched by Japanese local governments.

The aim was to help farming villages struggling with a lack of children to take over their parents' farms.

Despite strong objections from her family, Sunho came to Japan and married Yoshio.

But it wasn't what she expected.

It was so cold.

Korean houses are warm even in winter.
I'd wear a short-sleeved shirt at home.

But in Yamagata, it's cold even indoors.

After having a baby, she started working in the village.

Being a foreigner,
I had a hard time with people.

They'd look me up and down
before they talked to me.

I was from a different country,
and spoke a different language.

I would get angry when someone said,
"You don't know this?" and ignored me.

I hated living in this village.
I wanted to go back home.

There's something Sunho has been doing for 30 years.

Who knows Sun-chan?

I'm so happy!

At the request of some local people, she started teaching people how to make kimchi pickled vegetables.

You add ginger, garlic, chili peppers.
So, this is spicy at first.

But wait for about a week,
and the spiciness will go away.

It'll be mild.

No problem?
You want some more?

Every year, the lessons attracted more than 100 people.

This inspired Sunho to open a Korean restaurant, which she called Nikkan Hiroba.

Making kimchi together
connected me to all kinds of people.

From children to grandparents,
they were all like, "Hi Sun-chan!"

I have hundreds of friends in Japan.
I really treasure them.

Oh, wow!

Just a second!

A married couple come to see Sunho.

We're finally here.
Apologies for not visiting sooner.

This is Sunho.

Please call me "Sun-chan."
Nice to meet you!

The husband, Suzuki Eisaku, moved here from Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo.

Right before our kid was born,
we came here together to eat.

We said we'd come again with our baby.
We've finally made it today.

When I didn't know many people,
I'd come here to talk to Sunho.

I was here almost every week.

Eisaku moved to Tozawa Village eight years ago, as part of a government-backed local revitalization effort.

But...

At first, people didn't always invite me
to gatherings. I wasn't one of them.

Some people asked me,
"Do you really want to come?"

Eisaku was having a difficult time. But Sunho would talk to him.

She'd ask me, "How are things?"
or "Are you having any trouble?"

So, I'd talk to her over a meal.
And she'd give me advice.

She'd encourage me to enjoy living here,
now that I'd moved to this village.

She hoped I'd end up liking this place,
both its good and bad sides.

After finishing with the revitalization team,
he got a job at a local hot-spring facility.

He decided to stay permanently.

Now, he advises people who have
relocated to Tozawa Village.

Sunho gave me emotional support without
forcing her views on me. I want to be like her.

- Hi there!
- Long time no see! How are you?

Lately, Sunho has been trying to help a woman named Tanaka Hyeseon. She's 67 years old.

Have a seat.

Hyeseon is from Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in China.

She also moved to Japan to marry a Japanese man.

She's brought some gyoza dumplings made with rice flour — a taste of family cooking from her hometown.

Hyeseon has a dream - she wants to open a restaurant, just like Sunho did.

- What's inside?
- Vegetable. "Daikon"-radish leaves.

How's the taste?

This may taste like what you ate
when you were small. But...

Instead of "daikon" leaves, maybe cabbage
or garlic chives. Something in season.

Yes, sure.

Or things like "adzuki" beans.
Then people would buy your dumplings.

But for this filling,
I don't think they'd pay money.

You need to be observant and
figure out what local people like.

How long have you been here?
Maybe 20 years?

It's been 23 years.

Then, I bet you know
most of the people around here.

Sunho came up with an idea.

She'll be running a food stall during the village's summer festival in three weeks.

So, she suggests that Hyeseon sell her gyoza dumplings at her stall.

If you make a dish on festival day,
you can bring it to my stall.

We'll all support you.

I wish I was as strong as Sunho.

- I think I'm too old.
- Age doesn't matter.

Please bring your dish along.

- OK.
- I'll be looking forward to it.

My mother often made this.

At New Year's or family gatherings,
we'd make "gyoza" dumplings together.

While in China, Hyeseon had tried running various businesses, like a restaurant and a beauty parlor.

But none of them went well.

She was having difficulty making ends meet when she heard about arranged marriages.

I was told, "Japan is heaven.
There's a lot of money there."

That sounded fascinating.

Everyone I knew wanted to come to Japan.

At age 45, she married her husband.
He was 12 years older.

Living in a foreign country made her
think about how to live her life.

I came to Japan, expecting heaven.
I'd never imagined it was so rural.

Unlike other people, I have no
special skills or attractive qualities.

As I lived here,
my thoughts kept changing.

It's been 23 years since Hyeseon came to Japan.

She still works at a welfare facility, while caring for her aging husband.

She is no closer to her dream of opening her own restaurant.

Now that I think about it,
I'll be 70 years old soon.

I've never seen anything through.
There's nothing worthwhile left.

That's my weakest point.
I can't make up my mind.

Such beautiful blossoms again today.

There are some flowers that Sunho looks at every day.

The rose of Sharon is South Korea's national flower.

She planted it right after she moved to Japan.

She's taken good care of it ever since.

Look at these pretty flowers.
They soothe my heart.

These flowers melt a frozen heart.

The summer festival is getting closer.
But still no word from Hyeseon.

Everyone has worries.

I hope Hyeseon will have the courage
to take part in the festival.

It's up to her whether she comes or not.
But I hope she will.

The day of the summer festival.

Cheers!

It's the first time in four years that the event has been held.

It's been a while since the village has been so lively.

In the end, Hyeseon didn't contact Sunho.

Wow, it's hot!
So scary!

Hi there! You're all so cute!

Which countries are you from?

- I'm from Myanmar.
- I'm from Vietnam.

- Was that a Vietnamese dance?
- No, a Japanese one -- Hanagasa Ondo!

Someone is standing a little way behind the foreign trainees...

It's Hyeseon.

- Hello!
- Hi there.

- Are you busy?
- Very busy.

I can't make enough "chijimi" pancakes.

Didn't you bring any food you made?

Can I help with anything?

First, watch me do it.

- Stir the batter well first.
- 2 scoops for 1 pancake?

I thought she'd come sooner.
We only have an hour left.

I guess she's not ready.

I'll go check on her.
I'm strict!

This one is done, right?

Not yet.
It's not fried enough.

- It's not brown enough.
- I see.

Sunho has had her share of hardship.

She can't leave her friend to do it alone.

Sunho is honest, a straight shooter.
She says what's on her mind.

Not many people can do that.
I'm grateful to her.

We all work hard, but we have different
personalities and ways of thinking.

I want her to be more confident,
look ahead and do her best.

With love and care, the rose of Sharon
bears many blossoms.

Hyeseon is now writing her
23-year history of living in Japan.

"The power to change struggle into joy."

I'd like to write down
what I've kept inside.

I'll keep going until the end.
No more half measures!

Long time no see!

People can't live alone.

We all need a place where
we can open up our hearts and talk.