The variety show "Potsun to Ikkenya" (ABC TV/TV Asahi, Sundays at 7:54 PM) searches for isolated houses in remote areas using satellite photos as clues. The May 24th episode will focus on the life of an 88-year-old woman living with her cats deep in the mountains of Oita Prefecture. The guests will be rakugo performer Harunosuke Tachikawa and actor Yuki Katayama.
Satellite images show a single house standing quietly, almost buried in trees. There are no fields or even a road leading to the building, suggesting it's in a very remote, mountainous area. The search party headed to the nearest settlement and asked the residents to check the satellite images, but they replied, "We know the location, but we've never been there, and we don't remember there being a house around here."
The search party, having been given directions to the house, crossed the beautiful, clear waters of the river and proceeded along a mountain path. Soon, they saw an old house surrounded by mountains. They were greeted by an 88-year-old woman and her 59-year-old son, both with cheerful smiles.
The woman, who lives alone in this area, actually suffered a serious illness six years ago and nearly died. She considered moving to the village, but it seems she has a strong desire not to leave the place where she was born and raised. "Soon the mountains will be covered in green leaves. In the fall they will turn red and yellow. I've been working here my whole life," she says, surrounded by many cats.
The studio is filled with a heartwarming atmosphere as the woman and her adorable cats go about their daily lives with smiles on their faces. The preview video shows the search team being surprised when they find a bus stop in front of a house that says "In front of Mr./Ms. XX's house," and the cats that have become attached to the woman.
