The original Telephone of the Wind was designed and created by Itaru Sasaki of Otsuchi, Japan. He wanted to create a way to continue to talk to his beloved cousin who had recently died. When the 2011 tsunami struck that town, ten percent of the local population were killed or disappeared. In grief, people began to make pilgrimages to the Wind Telephone seeking solace by communicating with those they had lost.

Inspired by his example, our Wind Telephone is situated in a discrete corner of El Refugio. It is fabricated from a sustainable, local, tropical, hard wood and hand crafted by a local carpenter. Its non-connected rotary telephone is a portal to access loved ones who have departed from our physical lives.

As Mr. Sasaki explains, "You pick up the phone and your brain has readied your mouth to speak. It's wired. We do it all the time. You don't think what it is you want to say, you just say it. Out loud. Into the phone, which is connected to nothing. From there, there is nothing for your words to do but follow the directives of the thing itself - be carried on the wind."

You are welcome and encouraged to use the Wind Telephone. Please contact Laurel Patrick to organize your private time and options for access. el.refugio.potosi@outlook.com

For more insights into the genesis of the 'Phone of the Wind' look on line for the NHK documentary or listen to the segment produced for the NPR program 'This American Life'.