Yoshihito Sasaki's grief over the loss of his wife and second son has given rise to a facility, established last year, that supports social recluses.
Sasaki's wife, Mikiko, then 57, and their 28-year-old son, who had shut himself in at home for years, were among those killed when a massive tsunami engulfed Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, following a magnitude 9.0 earthquake on March 11, 2011.
Sasaki, 74, regrets having been so preoccupied by his work as an elementary school teacher that he could not spend more time with his family. To fulfill his late wife's wish of providing a safe space for those suffering from severe social withdrawal, he set up Nijikko no Ie.
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