The Peace Wind Phone
A Symbolic Practice
A Wind Phone is not a way of communicating with those who have died, nor is it based on any mystical belief. Rather, it is a symbolic practice that recognizes something deeply human: sometimes we simply need to say things out loud. We may want to express gratitude that was never spoken, ask forgiveness, share news, say, "I miss you," or simply speak a loved one's name. Putting these thoughts into words can help us acknowledge our grief instead of carrying it silently.
Your Retreat Experience
At the Peace & Spirituality Center, the Wind Phone is offered as a personal, self-guided retreat. It is simply one invitation among many. There is no expectation that every visitor will use the telephone, nor is there a "right" way to experience the retreat. Some may spend only a few moments with the phone. Others may choose instead to walk the labyrinth, spend time in the chapel, pray in the meditation garden, or simply enjoy the quiet beauty of the grounds.
The idea of the Wind Phone began in Japan with a man named Itaru Sasaki. In 2010, after the death of a close relative, he placed an old, disconnected telephone in his garden. He knew no one would answer, but he found that speaking aloud helped him express the thoughts and emotions he was still carrying. He later said that, because his loved one could no longer hear him through ordinary means, he imagined his words being carried away by the wind.
A year later, the devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami claimed the lives of thousands of people in Japan. As news of the telephone spread, many grieving individuals began visiting the garden. They picked up the receiver and spoke to parents, spouses, children, siblings, and friends they had lost. Over time, the Wind Phone became a place of remembrance, love, gratitude, forgiveness, and hope.
Since then, Wind Phones have been created in many countries around the world. While each one is unique, they all share the same purpose: to offer a quiet place where people can give voice to what remains in their hearts.
Finding Your Own Way Through Grief
Grief is a deeply personal journey, and there is no single way to experience it. Some people find comfort in writing letters, visiting a gravesite, praying, or talking with trusted friends. Others discover that speaking aloud—even when no one is physically listening—helps them process emotions that have been difficult to express. Naming our thoughts and feelings can bring greater clarity, lessen the sense of isolation, and create space for healing.
A Time to Pause
This retreat is not about finding quick answers or making grief disappear. Loss cannot be hurried. Instead, it offers something that is often difficult to find in everyday life: uninterrupted time, peaceful surroundings, and permission to pause.
Whether your loss is recent or many years old, you are invited to spend this time in whatever way your heart needs. Sometimes healing begins not by finding the right words, but by finally allowing ourselves the time and space to speak them.