Japanese Couple Didn’t Speak a Word to Each Other for 20 YEARS, and the Reason Is Shocking

The key to a long and successful marriage has been debated time and time again. While good communication might be one of the common denominators in most cases, a Japanese couple managed to stay married for 2 decades without speaking to each other. And the reason behind their silent marriage is even more surprising.

A Japanese husband took the “silent treatment” to a whole new level.

The silent treatment involves refusing to engage in verbal communication with an individual attempting to communicate and prompt a response. It is not uncommon to take a communication break following an argument.

But can you envision the challenge of being married to a partner who consistently withholds conversation? Such was the case for a Japanese couple from the Nara region. Otou Katayama and his wife Yumi’s relationship went through a rough patch that lasted 2 decades.

The man stopped speaking to his wife for decades, despite living in the same house.

Otou Katayama persisted in cohabiting with his children and wife. Despite Yumi Katayama’s efforts to engage in conversation with her spouse, she consistently encountered a lack of genuine responses. Instead, her husband conveyed approval or disapproval through non-verbal signals, such as grunts and nods.

Shockingly, it never occurred to the wife to ask for a divorce or a separation. The couple even went on to welcome a third child despite Otou Katayama not speaking a word to his wife.

The reason behind Katayama’s silence is even more surprising.

Several years later, the father and husband clarified the motivations behind subjecting his wife to a 20-year silent treatment. Katayama believed that he wasn’t receiving sufficient attention from his wife. The man felt like all his wife’s care was directed towards their children.

At first, he was just sulking about the situation. But this later turned into jealousy of his kids and wife who was very involved in raising their offspring. Maybe a bit too involved for Katayama’s liking.

Thanks to a TV show, husband and wife finally exchanged words after 20 years.

After 20 years of radio silence, the Japanese couple’s now adult children decided to finally do something about the situation at home. They reached out to a TV show to help them solve the conflict between their parents. TV Hokkaido decided to help the children finally hear Katayama speak to his wife.

The kids admitted that they couldn’t remember ever hearing a conversation between their parents. TV Hokkaiod arranged a meeting between Otou and Yumi at a park where they had their first date many years ago. Unknown to the spouses, their children were also watching them, along with the audience, moved by what was finally unfolding in front of their eyes.

After some hesitation, Otou Katayama finally managed to address a few words to his wife, Yumi. The husband felt more apologetic and understanding of the situation than ever before. Katayama explained to his wife that he knew that his silence has hurt her and put her through hardship. But the regretful dad also expressed gratitude to Yumi for sticking beside him during 2 decades of silence from his part, which finally came to an end that day.

Recently we covered another unique story from Japan: a man who decided to defy ageism by staying 28 years old forever.