In 2010, Itaru Sasaki, a garden designer from Ōtsuchi, learned that his cousin had cancer and had three months to live. After his cousin died, Sasaki built an old telephone booth in his garden in December 2010, so that he could feel a connection to his cousin by "talking" to him on the phone. He said that the wind phone was not related to religion, but helped him deal with the loss. He also said that he wanted his thoughs to be "carried on the wind".