I built a virtual wind phone for the things we never got to say.

Hi everyone,

I've been working on a small project called Words for the Wind, and I'd really value this community's honest feedback before I share it more widely.

The idea: In 2010, a garden designer in Ōtsuchi, Japan, put a disconnected phone in a phone booth in his garden so he could "call" his cousin who had died. After the 2011 tsunami, people who had lost loved ones began visiting to speak to the people they could no longer reach. The belief is that the wind carries your words to them. It's called a wind phone (kaze no denwa).

I wanted to make a version anyone could use without traveling: you write what you never got to say, press release, and your words blur and fade away. The page forgets. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.

Some decisions I made on purpose:

• Nothing is stored. No accounts, no database, no analytics. The message only exists in the browser until it's released.

• No reply. It listens and doesn't answer. I avoided anything that simulates the person you've lost.

• Calm over clever. One text box, a soft meadow, optional quiet music, and no notifications, streaks or gamification.

• Accessible. It works with a keyboard and screen readers, respects reduced-motion settings, and doesn't depend on sound.

You can try it here: https://wordsforthewind.com/

It's free, and there's an optional donation link if it helps you.