Mr.Takamatsu Profile View at Hospital (Photography by Jon Chan)
About the Book
On the 11th of March 2011, Yasuo Takamatsu lost his wife to the Great East Japan earthquake. Since that fateful day, he has been diving in the sea every week in search for her. Compelled and inspired to share his story, “I Want To Go Home” is a journey from Singapore to Onagawa through the lens of the intrigued to meet him. Of unlikely friendships across borders and languages; to share a man’s loss, recovery and determination to reunite with his wife.
The title “I Want To Go Home” refers to the last SMS that Yasuo Takamatsu received from his wife who saw the impending tsunami. Since then Mr. Takamatsu hopes to fulfil his wife’s last request.
Mr. Takamatsu in the Search (Photography by Jon Chan)
“I Want To Go Home” is a dual-language singular publication in both Japanese and English, published by Math Paper Press, that will launch in late September 2017. It will be available at BooksActually.
About the Author
Wesley Leon Aroozoo is a lecturer from LASALLE College of the Arts and a filmmaker from 13 Little Pictures. A graduate with a Master of Fine Arts from New York University Tisch Asia and a Bachelor of Fime Arts with Honours from Nanyang Technological University. His previous literary works include Bedok Reservoir (2012, Math Paper Press).
About 4 years ago, I read an article published in the New York Times about an amazing man in Onagawa, Japan. This man inspired me tremendously. His name is Yasuo Takamatsu and he sadly lost his wife to the tsunami that hit Onagawa in 2011. Since that fateful day, he has been diving in the sea every week in search for her.
I felt an urge to meet him, hear from him and it took me months to find a way to locate and reach out to him successfully. Eventually I managed and I had the chance to spend time with this lovely man in Onagawa in the summer of 2015. I didn’t want his inspiring story to be an article that came and go and wanted to share more of his story in a novel.
Mr. Takamatsu’s Wedding Photograph (Photography by Jon Chan)
Mr. Takamatsu at 77 Bank Memorial Shrine (Photography by Jon Chan)
Wet Suit Out to Dry (Photography by Jon Chan)
Casual Group Photo: L-R Miki Hawkinson, Yasuo Takamatsu, Wesley Leon Aroozoo, Jonathan Chan (Photography by Jon Chan)
