Are those little ones really “old enough” to run errands? — Perhaps you have been charmed, like me, by Netflix’s recent show, “Old Enough,” called “My First Errand” in Japanese, a show already popular for 30 years in Japan. Although clearly staged, with its not-so-hidden cameramen, I think it speaks to the inherent honesty and collectivist culture of the Japanese that…

Was all that sacrifice really worth it? — I recently read an article from a woman who claims she would regret having children for all the fun she would have to give up. That gave me pause to reflect. I do not regret motherhood I have made many mistakes in my life, but one thing I do not regret is having 8 children. …

Enabling you to reconnect with the natural world — and boost your body’s killer cell activity at the same time. — Greater Tokyo is the most densely populated land mass in the world. In 2019, its population peaked at 37.468 million. This was more than the entire population of Canada. Life in Tokyo can be stressful, with famously long working hours and a frenetic pace of life. Japanese words have been…

Beauty and History are Everywhere in Japan — Growing up in northern Virginia, my life revolved around my Catholic school and the Fort Myers’ Officers’ swimming pool. When I tired of swimming on long summer days, I would walk under big shady trees through the old section of Arlington National Cemetery. Each unique 19th century gravestone held such…

Critically endangered adorable little horses — After climbing over the Jizo Pass, my guests and I hike uphill, through swaying pampas grass and sasa bamboo, to the Kiso Uma no Sato, Kiso Horse Conservation Center, on the refreshingly cool Kaida Plateau of Nagano Prefecture. The pleasant aroma of hay and horses reaches us as we near…

The Largest and Most Diverse Migration Ground in Japan — Cranes have long been considered auspicious in Japan, symbolizing good luck and longevity. The most famous cranes are, without a doubt, the elegant red-crowned cranes of Hokkaido, known for their graceful courtship dance. But down south in a quiet corner of southern Kyushu, a little-known yet cacophonous yearly crane party…

For more than 300 years, belief in Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism was punishable by death — Kakure Nenbutsu For many years, believers in Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism, the True Pure Land sect, quietly climbed into the deep recesses of remote mountains to pray in hidden caves where their images and other ritual items were safely stored. If caught, these believers faced torture and death. …

A tragic woman and her cat, now Shinto deities — Down a narrow road beside the Naka River in rural Tokushima Prefecture, a two-meter-tall Maneki Neko cat statue beckons all passersby to visit the Omatsu Daigongen Shrine, お松大権現. I was one of those beckoned. I followed cat footprints up the steps…

Bonfires blaze across the countryside of Japan in early to mid-January each year — Dondoyaki, どんど焼き, sometimes called Sagichō, 左義長, are great bonfires where communities gather to burn their New Year’s pine and bamboo decorations while sending the Toshi-kami, the God of the New Year, back to the realm of the spirits. This event marks the end of the New Year’s festivities. This custom…