ABSTRACT
Just as each musical instrument has its own voice in an orchestral performance, each elderly person in Kotobuki has his/her unique life story and view of institutional life. At the individual level, each resident spoke only for himself or herself and did not claim to represent all the residents in Kotobuki. Yet, the three common features of age, declining energy and institutionalisation had brought them all to the same situation in life. Thus they also had a great deal in common with their peers in terms of how they felt about and dealt with life and social interaction in the institution. In this chapter, Mrs Matsumoto, Mr Gotō, Mrs Sugiyama, Mr Aoki and Mrs Yamaguchi recount their past life trajectories. Drawing on their memories and their own words, each brings a unique feeling to the discourse about what it is like to spend one’s residual life in Sazanka, Akashia and Aoba.
