Telephone of the Wind

The Wind Phone is a space for anyone who feels a need to connect with loved ones who have passed on. Set in a quiet area of Darden Towe Park in Charlottesville, this installation is a phone without a line, a place where words and memories can be spoken aloud in peace, as if carried away by the wind. Created to help individuals process their grief, it provides a way to share messages, memories, or even unspoken goodbyes.

Hospice of the Piedmont is honored to bring this unique space to our community. With this Wind Phone, we hope to offer a place for reflection, remembrance, and healing, inviting all who visit to find comfort in speaking to those they have lost. Whether it’s a moment of solitude or a chance to reconnect with loved ones in spirit, the Wind Phone is here for you.

The idea of the Wind Phone originated in Japan with a man named Itaru Sasaki, who was grieving the loss of his cousin. In a secluded spot in his garden, he placed a rotary phone with no connection, using it as a way to “speak” to his loved one. The phone offered him comfort, imagining his words carried away on the wind.

Following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan, Sasaki opened the Wind Phone to the public, inviting others to find peace through spoken memories and goodbyes. The Wind Phone became a place of comfort for many, drawing over 30,000 people seeking solace.

Today, the Wind Phone concept has traveled worldwide, offering a way for individuals to reflect and find healing. By bringing the Wind Phone to Charlottesville, we hope it can offer the same solace here in our community. To learn more about the original Wind Phone in Japan and see how people in an Olympia, Washington park are using it, please watch this story from CBS Sunday Morning.

The Wind Phone is located at near the entrance to Darden Towe Park in Charlottesville, nestled in a peaceful area to provide privacy and quiet. We welcome everyone to visit the Wind Phone whenever they feel called to do so. It is open to all members of the community, at no cost, as a place for reflection and connection.

If you are walking along the Rivanna River Trail or in the park, use this GPS location to navigate to the Wind Phone.

If you are driving, please follow these instructions:

• From Stony Point Road (Rt 20) turn East on Elk Drive towards the park
• Just before the grassy median, turn left on Free Bridge Lane
• Pull into the small parking lot on the right
• After parking, follow the small trail south along the river (the river will be on your right as you’re walking)
• Cross Free Bridge Lane and head up the hill towards the condominiums about 10 yards
• The Wind Phone is in a clearing to your right

Note that if using the GPS location above, Google Maps will direct you to park in a nearby condominiums. Please do not park here, download this map instead:

Using the Wind Phone is simple and open-ended—there’s no “right” or “wrong” way to experience it. Here are a few gentle guidelines:

• Pick up the phone receiver: Imagine that it connects you to the person you wish to speak to.
• Take a moment: Whether you share a memory, speak a message, or sit in silence, allow yourself to feel whatever you need to.
• Let your words be carried by the wind: Speak freely, knowing your words will travel as far as you wish.

Each experience with the Wind Phone is unique. Some come to say things they never had the chance to say, while others simply find comfort in holding the receiver. However you use it, the Wind Phone is here for you.

At Hospice of the Piedmont, we understand that everyone experiences grief differently. We’re here to offer support, whether through quiet spaces like the Wind Phone or other resources designed to help you on your journey.

We invite you to explore our Grief and Healing and Kids Grief and Healing pages for information on our upcoming support groups, workshops, and additional resources that may provide comfort and guidance. Visit these pages to learn more about ways to find support, connect with others, and process grief in a caring environment.