【埼玉県小鹿野町】天空集落で出会ったおばあさんから聞いた街の未来

Ogano Town, Saitama Prefecture. I took a stroll through the high-altitude village. I came across an old lady standing in a spot with a great view. The old lady has lived in this area all her life. The number of vacant houses has increased, and the population has decreased significantly. There are no children left at all. The village used to have overgrown cedar trees, which blocked out the light and gave it a dark atmosphere. So a few years ago, the cedars were cut down. To bring life back to the town, people began planting cherry trees. In 20 years the cherry trees will have grown beautifully and will bloom with beautiful flowers. However, the old lady told me sadly that by then the old lady would no longer be around. I hope to go back in 20 years to see the beautiful cherry blossoms.