Hometown Stories
Stories about people, stories about life. Intimate portraits of people from around Japan, each leading diverse lives while enriching lives of others.
24. Follow Your Heart: The Green-haired Gardener
0.0Dec 20, 2020
Aoki Mariko, from northeast Japan, shot to fame after winning one of Japan's prestigious gardening contests in 2018 while still in her 20's. Her gardens have soothed the hearts of many people stressed from the coronavirus pandemic. Plants in her gardens grow without the need for elaborate human maintenance and create beautiful seasonal vistas. She is often late to work, shuts herself away in winter, and works only in spring and autumn. How can she make such beautiful gardens while living just as she pleases? We follow her over a year to find out the answer.