Onomichi, luck in motion.
A note: I'm already home from Japan, and have been for the last 24 days! It's been busy and hard to get time to get the last of these letters out, but I want to make sure to finish the story. There are two more left
Tsuwano, a Japanese village.
A little man wearing a gentle smile, shuffling through his morning, making tea for his neighbor, sweeping the porch, seeding the bird feeder. A pair of school-aged girls venturing out into their village with a few saved up coins, and a wealth of gumption. Authentic Meiji era homes with a
Kumamoto & Aso Kuju
I left Fukuoka in the early morning after I slipped into a little laundromat to clean my sweat-drenched clothing, and do a little writing. As I entered the laundromat, a very little and very old man, took one look at my foreign self, and bustled over saying “service, service!” and
Itoshima, Shiraito Falls, and Couple’s Rock
Leaving Fukuoka, and the city pace, was an exhale I was looking for. It was well worth the minor anxieties of renting and driving a car in a foreign country. There’s a rhythm you only find when the scenery flips from dense city blocks to farmland, seaside, and open
Wandering Fukuoka
On my second full day in Fukuoka I sat with my laptop editing photos in the cozy cafe in the downstairs of Mei Hotel, the boutique spot I'd picked. Editing can be enjoyable, adjusting light, trimming edges, making choices. But it's also another place perfectionism can
Tokyo Station → Fukuoka
I'm a bit behind in my writing as it's been one very full day after another, and a stack of stories and experiences I'll never forget. The next few newsletters I'll release in quick succession to catch up a bit. There'
Okutama & Hatonosu Canyon
Here in Japan, jetlag has me waking early. On Okutama day my eyes opened at gozen yonji gojuu ppun (4:50 a.m.), probably excitement from the thought of escaping the city heat. Teeth brushed, clothes on, pack checked. I felt like I was off to claim lottery winnings, grin
34 days in Japan
Welcome. I'm traveling through Japan for 34 days. It's my third trip, and I'm pushing into new territory geographically and personally. Let's get started. I landed in Tokyo around 4:30pm on Friday, August 29. My body was barely upright after the