Sankei Shimbun Author interview Alone Again 

This book chronicles the 33-year marriage between Pete Hamill, an American writer and journalist known in Japan as the author of the movie "The Yellow Handkerchief" (in Japanese this was known as The Yellow Handkerchief of Happiness) and his wife, Fukiko Aoki. Pete Hamill passed away in 2020 at the age of 85.

The title Alone Again conveys a deep sense of loss. "Losing someone you love is painful. But it's important to carry that sorrow while recognizing that you are now alone and moving forward. Writing this book helped me come to terms with it and take a new step forward. I want to share this message with others who have lost their partners or parents," says Fukiko Aoki.

They met in Tokyo in 1984 when Pete was visiting Japan. Fukiko interviewed him for a monthly magazine. The next day, by a stroke of luck, she received an offer to work in his hometown of New York. She moved to the U.S. the same year, and after three years of dating, they got married.

As fellow writers, there were concerns about the potential for conflict and competition. However, Pete was so busy at the time that he couldn’t even write his columns satisfactorily. Despite this, Fukiko supported him, recognizing his abundant talent and encouraging him to take the time and energy to produce good work. Pete wrote columns, novels, and essays that spoke for the common people. On their 30th wedding anniversary, Pete gave her a letter saying, "You have made me a better person and a better writer."

Pete’s core belief was that "the world must be fair” Aoki said “He grew up in a large, poor family and knew the pain of discrimination. This understanding fueled his writing about the injustices and arrogance in the world”. Despite his desire to work more, his health often stood in the way. Pete struggled with complications from diabetes, facing multiple hospitalizations and even miraculous recoveries from comas, but ultimately, he did not return. "I believe we loved each other deeply and were happy together. We had a relationship where we truly respected each other," Fukiko reflects.

Fukiko Aoki was born in Tokyo in 1948. She debuted in 1981 with "Goodbye with a Leica." From 1984, she served as the New York bureau chief for "Newsweek Japan" for three years before continuing her writing career as a freelancer. She currently resides in New York.