Man’s romantic gift to his blind wife is so spectacular it draws visitors
When his wife suddenly lost her eyesight, a retired farmer found the best smelling flower he could find and planted thousands of them around their home to lure her out of the house and out of depression.
Now it’s a tourist attraction.
After 30 years of marriage and hard work on their dairy farm in Japan Mr. and Mrs. Kuroki had planned to enjoy their retirement by touring the country.
But Mrs. Kuroki suddenly lost her eyesight due to complications from diabetes.
Devastated from her loss of sight and not being able to travel, she became withdrawn and spent most of her time shut in the house.
One day, Mr. Kuroki noticed an intensely fragrant flower called a shibazakura growing on the farm and got an idea.
The smell of the flower might cheer up his wife and the sight of it might attract visitors.
He spent the next two years planting thousands of them, until his former dairy farm was converted to a spectacular field of fuchsia.
In time, the beautiful aroma did lure Mrs. Kuroki out of the house and made her smile again.
It also drew visitors, thousands of them, which also helped cheer her up.
Nearly 30 years, after the fields were sown, they now attract 7000 visitors a day in March and April.
An old cow barn is now a museum housing the flowers and story behind them.
As tourists walk through the blanket of pink they hope to catch a glimpse of the couple, now in their 80s, in the garden built by love.
