1

20
19
SHOSHI

Lauren Aquino
Shoshin Dialogue
 3

TOKYO
2
 5

Tokyo is a city rife with harmo-

ny—that of quiet streets and
bustling sidewalks; a sense of ur-
gency and a prevailing serenity. In
a city of glass and concrete, life
finds its way through the cracks
and towards the rising sun. Green
is saturated against the muted
Through it all, an undeniable
tones of steel. Geometry is dis-
sense of respect for one another
rupted by organic and fre e - f l o w -
and their own humble place in the
ing forms. This juxtaposition is
world makes itself known. Tokyo
paralleled by the people who
is not only lively school children
w a l k t h e s t re e t s : w i s e o b a a s a n
or ivy crawling across a building,
w a t c h o v e r l a u g h i n g c h i l d re n a s
a lone fisherman or power lines
trains speed above them, clean
stretching over the sky. It is all
a n d b e a u t i f u l i n t h e i r efficiency.
of these things existing, thriving,


being.

// Ginza, Sophia University

Day 1: May 20, 2019
平
和
4

清
い
Today it rained. A small monsoon.
Water flooded the streets, small
rivers trickling along gutters and
pouring from storm drains. The
water purified as it flowed, a
cleansing ritual perfected by
time. The narrow sidewinders and
vast streets welcomed the down-
6
RAIN
pour, bouncing smells and light
within the droplets with aimless
abandon. The people of Japan
took up their umbrellas, a sea
of plastic under the sprawling
fog. They bumped and jostled
across the behemoth crosswalks
of Shibuya, a hexagonal garden
watered by the rain. Hems were
Day 2: May 21, 2019
// Shinjuku
7
soaked, a gradient reaching
for knees. Soles squeaked and
hair dripped. We took refuge in
storefronts, tile floors slippery,
but clean. Cool strawberry sweet
cream was a blessing in the
muggy heat, a complement to
syrupy streets.
雨

YEL–
LOW Pops of yellow are fitting for the
country of the rising sun. The
palette of Tokyo is that of muted
concrete and shiny blue glass,
dotted with greenery. The people
of Japan have added their own
accents to the rainbow, some-
万 thing to brighten their day.
華
teamLab’s Borderless Museum
was its own kaleidoscope of
鏡
8
9
Day 3: May 22, 2019
Borderless Museum
// Sophia University,
color. Projectors dashed every
hue of the rainbow, which floated
in balloons and upon the backs
of whales. Lanterns speckled a
mirrored room, lights dangling
from the ceiling. Looking into
my reflection, I was transported
into a new world—the underbelly
of Tokyo.
 11

CALLI–
GRAPH
Japan’s culture is closely
intertwined with its religious and
historical relations to China, and
this is clearly mirrored through
the art of calligraphy, a precise
practice of hooks, fades, and
stops. We watched a gentle
woman, graceful in her yukaata,
as she carefully made her
strokes, the movement traveling
along her arm. She was firm in gate with a large lantern dangling
her intention, but the result was from its beams. Crimson dusted
one of elegance. Our clumsy the surrounding shops, creating a
attempts were a scratch on the festival-like atmosphere. The en-
surface of an art that some ergy was amplified by the vendors
dedicate their lives learning. hawking their wares, the rich aro-
Afterwards, we visited a torii mas of street food, the raucous
laughter of schoolchildren.

浴
衣

Day 4: May 23, 2019

// Asakusa

10

LOCAL ART
Day 5: May 24, 2019
// Harajuku, Design Festa Gallery,
Keio University Hospital
Harajuku is a hub of name brands
and expensive designer items. Unap-
proachable leather purses and intimi-
dating price tags line the main street,
taunting through the crystalline glass.
Hiding in the back alleys are smaller,
independent businesses, doing their
best to compete with the gargantuan
12
13
skyscrapers looming above them. Yet,
the people of Japan are not so easily
enamored by these behemoths—thrift
stores are crowded with people, tiny
restaurants have lines around the
back. In the maze of stores and
brands, Design Festa Gallery quietly
thrives, embracing the unknown,
supporting the underdogs. Talented
and unrecognized artists line the
walls with masterpieces, their work
speaking loudly despite their quiet
presence. It is a blend of styles and
voices and moods and things to say.
Together these people bring their 奥
worlds into a single space, creating
深
い
a voice that is more profound than a
corporation will ever know.
 15

Kamakura is a day trip that is

common for many city-dwellers to
take after their hectic workweeks.
礼
拝
Kamakura is a small, touristy
town reminiscent of the sunny
streets of SoCal. Pricey shops
cater to tourists and restaurants
are blatant and gaudy in their ad-
vertisements. Even more obvious
are the shrines and temples with
their English signs and countless

Day 6: May 25, 2019

photo-ops. Each temple we

光
visited was flooded with different
languages as people crowded to
take pictures of a giant Buddha
or tall bamboo. Here and there,
// Kamakura

a reverent visitor bowed their

head and carefully wrote their
wishes on prayer votives. It was
the authenticity of people like
this that refined these spots for
generations. Genuine worship
and care cultivated refuge for
serenity and self-reflection. The
beauty of nature was a light that

LIGHT.
guided their ancestors to build
their places of respect on land
that made people remember why
they were grateful and what life
had to offer them.

14

Ikebana is the art of arranging
flowers. It is an art of subtrac-
tion, removing pieces to empha-
size negative space. In a way,
this empty space becomes more
full than what is occupied by
bright flowers. It is an understat-
ed kind of beauty—the outline of
a branch, the feathered edges of
a leaf. A potential for what could
be and a provocation of thought
for what is not. Ikebana is not
symmetrical but it holds a certain
kind of balance. Like life, things
must be absent in order to gauge
16
17
the true value of everything else.
Disney, although seemingly
nothing like ikebana, holds more
in common with it than one might
think. Life is a tangle of emotions
and events and feelings. Disney
嬉
し
is all of those things, but only
the positive ones. It is the space
い
THE ART OF
that is empty of negativity and
hatred and prejudice. It is a nice
reprieve, but if there were no
real life then Disney would not be
so happy.
SUBTRACTION
Day 7: May 26, 2019
// Disney Tokyo sea
 19

ANOTHER TRY
Day 8: May 27, 2019
// Harajuku

Another day at school. The sun

beat on us relentlessly, and
exhaustion set in early. Tokyo is
tireless, but we are not. I pushed
through class and found myself
in an animal cafe in Harajuku.
On the way, I passed the place
where the ambulance picked
me up–an unpleasant reminder,
accompanied by a sense of relief
and a measure of wisdom. The
afternoon passed without event,
except for the clatter of chinchilla
paws and the squeaking of otters.
Now that the glamor has faded
a bit, I am noticing the small
pangs of not belonging in this big

軽 city far away from home. Stares

presence. Despite its size and

蔑
on the subway, disapproving
its overflowing population, the
glances toward my uncovered
streets of Tokyo are strangely
legs, a slight disdain for my
quiet. There is no honking, no
lack of etiquette. The Japanese
loud screaming, barely even a
are respectful almost to a
whisper from passers-by. It is so
fault—they are closed off from
unlike the constant chatter in the
this world in expression if not in
heart of Boston, the liveliness I
have taken for granted.

18
 CLARITY
Today was a day of quiet drizzles
and damp concrete. The world
was dewy and a pinkish haze
hung over our heads, clouds
thick and heavy. The rain was
Day 9: May 28, 2019
strange in that it brought about
a sense of clarity while also
obscuring what was out of reach.
Gazes met with sharp details,
Tokyo Tower
// Ad Museum,
20
21
遷
移
guided there by tendrils of fog
and the sharp, clean scent of
water in the cracks of asphalt. It
was a startling transition from
the anachronism of old ads into
a world that felt clean and new.
Each tiny raindrop was a prickly
reminder to be present. They
grounded me.
 23

Day 10: May 29, 2019 Tokyo is a different city at night.

// Andaz, As high noon dips into dusk and
Tokyo Station the moon makes her way into the
light, children retreat into their
beds while old men go to smoke
out on the back porch. Buildings
become skeletons, visible only by
the bones of their lights stretch-
ing up into inky nothingness. An
elevator to the top is a leap of nowhere to land and no stars to
faith—will we still be in this world grab a hold of?

階
when the apex approaches? Are

段
we stepping into a place that Tokyo is a different city at night.
humans can tread? Or will the And we wear masks trying to fool
doors open up to the sky, with the moon that we are too.

NIGHT
22
SKELETONS
 25

GI
NZ
A6 Image. To some people it’s
everything. A white T-shirt from
Target? No. A white T-shirt from
Gucci? Better.

Ginza is an image. A facade, an

illusion, a way of life. Glass-front
shops hiding the truth behind un-
ethical sourcing. Child labor. Price

錯
jacking. Miserable employees…
High fashion! Innovative design!

Day 11: May 30, 2019 覚

// Ginza

24
RELIEF
Day 12: May 31, 2019
// Akihabara
Tokyo is a different city at night.
And we wear masks trying to fool
the moon that we are too.
What happens at night can be
magic—after all, it is a different
world. It is a place where disso-
nant voices can echo in a lonely
karaoke bar. A place where the
unlikeliest of people can clumsily
reach across barriers to become
friends, if only for a moment.
26
27
It is a place where the masks we
wear can really turn us into differ-
ent people. The moon makes us
rowdy and unnerved, with outlets
that are only available where
lights don’t shine.
In the morning, it is a relief to
shed the masks. With them: our
memories. Our disappointments.
Our actions, our reactions.
仮
We don them again the next night.
 29

KYOTO
28

Kyoto is open streets while Tokyo
is packed with people I’d rather
not know. It’s a breath of fresh
air while Tokyo has learned to
suffocate me. It is all too easy
to forget about that last night
when I am here. My bed supports
保
me when in Tokyo it dragged me
護
to the ground. Life feels new.
Reborn. Signs of it are all around
者 protector. I am here, I am safe.
30
31
me, in the flowers basking in the
sun and the sky coloring itself
for the simple purpose of making
me smile. There is room here for
ORN
REB
me to work and grow and live
and thrive. Forested hills live in
the distance, reminding me of
home. It should feel constricting,
this mountain rising to one side.
Instead it is a comfort and a
Day 13: June 1, 2019
// Kyoto
 33
Day 14: June 2, 2019
// Kamogawa River

The first full day in Kyoto is a

bit overcast, but it is under this
kind of sky that I feel most at
home. The mountains rising in
the distance are tinged with teal,
their forests dripping with dew.
There is a smell that reminds me
of rain but in a different way than
I am used to. It is clean. Cycling
through the city is the most

自
enjoyable form of transportation,

転
and everywhere little bike bells

I E
are ringing as pedestrians jump

車 to avoid a collision. Hidden

streets twist and turn, back

K
B
alleys leading nowhere and some
pouring into the river. Wires
and power lines parallel the
streets, and little bridges echo
underneath them. Water runs
languidly, carving a lazy path for
me to follow.

32
 35

COTTON–
Today is a zen day. An itchy
fifteen minutes are spent in silent
contemplation, but my head nods
forward as my body struggles
to stay upright. My thoughts run

CANDY–
wild at times, but sometimes
they stop completely. A sharp
wooden clack startles me out of
this strange state of reverie. I

MAN
am back on earth, a fact that I am continually reminded of by
the sky that keeps me grounded.
Clouds bloom with infinite
abandon, fluffy and ripe to eat.
They are pure spun sugar that a
cotton-candy man is still working
on—he wraps the paper cone
of Japan with a bit too much
patience. The sky is painted or-
咲 ange and he still has not finished,

く though not for lack of trying.

Day 15: June 3, 2019
// Shinkoin Temple

34
 桜
37

BLOSSOM
Day 16: June 4, 2019
// Junsei

Liquid soy congeals to form

something that some people
enjoy eating, or so they claim.
They are drawn to its squishy tex-
ture, its total submission to any
pressure. I am not. Tofu is gross,
I don’t care how it’s cooked. Milk
skin, soy tofu, liquid milk tofu…
Luckily, the tofu restaurant is
nestled in a beautiful garden sees them. They are cherry
that makes up for what is inside. blossoms year-round, gentle

恋
Koi swish gently in the streams,
shaded by a plethora of pink
trees. They aren’t actually pink,
but this is how my imagination
and rosy and fragrant. The sky,
too, reflects these colors in the
garden of the tofu restaurant. A
pink day, tinged with violet and
moss green. I can also make it a
blue day if I choose.

36
 GORI– 39

LLAND

A day at the zoo is childhood where they had once belonged.

reincarnated. I am not sent back
to days of my youth, but rather,
innocence is restored to who
I am now—at least, for a little
while. The tigers yawn lazily and
the elephants are languid with
their trunks. Monkeys are the
only playful ones, energetic even
in the scorching afternoon sun.
They run laps around their enclo-
A tiger basking on a rock,
unfettered; a penguin splashing,
buoyant without plastic around
its wings. Selfishly though, I am
glad that they are here, because
I get to feel like a little girl again,
awed by her own smallness.

動
sure, stopping every few seconds
to make sure that we are still
watching. It makes me sad that 物
such creatures are trapped in
園
too-small cages, when in another
life they could be doing the same
thing, but more, out in the wild

Day 17: June 5, 2019

// Kyoto City Zoo

38
 The manga museum is both
41
something familiar and something
completely foreign. My soul is Day 18: June 6, 2019
紙 // International Manga
familiar with the walls of paper,
the smell of old ink and cracked Museum
spines. My fingers know how to
find my page, how to guide my
imagination. This is new though,
and my eyes struggle to travel
from right to left. It is hard to
absorb flashy illustration and
chaotic dialogue and intense that belongs so completely in
action all at once. It is strange to their arms. I can appreciate it,
think that this is second nature but never fully understand.　 It
to some people, a form of art is the work of centuries that has
developed something that can so
fully attribute its origins. Years of
tradition combined with a hint of
something new continue to evolve
it every day, but the essence

WELL-
always remains.

READ

40
 43

FO
The first rainy day in Kyoto
was a relief. The sun had been
beating relentlessly for the past
few days, and a bit of water was
much needed. Plants sighed a
OD Day 19: June 7, 2019
bit, releasing their tension and // Aeon Mall
dripping into the streets. Clouds back. Customer service got the

shed their burden, sharing with restaurant business done, but not

the thirsty ground below. much else. The food, however,

completely betrayed the lack-

Dinner was in a dingy little luster facade. It was incredibly

building, restaurant tables thrown delicious, a perfect balance of

結 in only as an afterthought. umami, fresh ingredients, and a

果
Boxes lined metal shelves along gentle touch. Whoever had made

the wall, nude photos were our food cared immensely about

論 pinned to a cork board in the their work.

42
 45

AT THE
STATION
Day 20: June 8, 2019

Today was for lazing around, staircases manifesting where

eyes closed until past midday. you least expect them. There are
I did homework and watched layers and facets only accessible
Avatar—Levi was there too. It through certain hallways that you
// Kyoto Station

怠
was already night when we de- must be lucky enough to stumble
cided to venture out, but only as upon. Am I describing Hogwarts?
け far as Kyoto Station. It is more Perhaps. But it clearly got its

る labyrinthine than it appears, with inspiration from Kyoto Station.

44
 47

ATAGOYAM
Day 21: June 9, 2019
// Atagoyama

Today was an early morning

kind of day. I rose on my own,
trepidation slowing me limbs and
souring my stomach. My mind
was made up to visit Atagoyama,
the highest mountain in Kyoto.
It would be a challenging climb,
and one done in solitude. I was
unused to my own initiative, and
I was surprised by its boldness.
After what seemed like hours of
travel (in reality it was an hour
and a half), the bus stopped at
the village near the trail head. I so that steps passed more
had made it, cashless and hoping quickly. Upon reaching the shrine
that I had bought enough food. at the top, I was greeted by a
The trail wasted no time stealing hungry falcon. Its wings whistled
my breath. Somewhere along the a hairsbreadth from my ear as
way it had slipped my mind that it snatched the food I had been
I was going to climb a mountain, so looking forward to. Stolen
and despite its absence from chicken and all, the hike brought

一 my thoughts, I still had to do it. me back to myself. High above

人
Fortunately, the hike was the me
time that I had so desperately
needed. I focused on each breath
the city and lost in the trees, my
presence returned. The alone-
ness was familiar, and I knew how
to act in that space.

46
 49

HIGASHIYAMA

48

Day 22: June 10, 2019
// Kyoto Shrine Tour
There are hundreds of shrines
dotted among the forests of
Kyoto—some are sheltered on
obscure mountaintops while
others bask in constant tourism.
We visited the latter, losing
ourselves among the masses
as we took in their grand
精
symmetry. The structures were
painted vermillion, with elaborate
神 shingles and gold-leaf sculptures
50
51
to adorn their roofs. They are
massive buildings, stacked
perfectly as if a giant Buddha
had carefully placed each layer
on top of the other, legos for the
enlightened. There are trees and
moats to keep them protected,
cozy cocoons for heady incense.
My favorite part comes in the
unexpected pleasure of dry,
bare feet on the smooth planks
of each temple. Despite their
physical separations, this feeling
links each one together. A similar
sense of spiritualism permeates
through the wood and acts as a
gateway to an elevated state. I
don’t consider myself religious,
but for the first time in a while
I’ve been in a place where I feel
more in touch with myself and
the world around me. In the
space of a temple, it’s almost
second-nature to relax into
myself as little nodes inside of
me open, wispy tendrils of spirit
reaching out, tentatively finding
their place in the world.
 53

Day 23: June 11, 2019

// Piece Hostel

Today was a day of drawing, of

losing track of time in bed as
the sun set outside. Hours lost
meaning as I focused all of my

月
energy into making each line
perfect. By the time my stomach
caught up with my brain, it was
dark outside as I made my way
to dinner. The meal was chewed
hurriedly so I could return to
my work.

52
MOONLIGHT

Exploring Nishiki Market is a
barrage of scents and shouts
and jostles. The narrow path is
packed with tourists and locals
alike, all wide-eyed at the wares
of each stall. Shoulders greet
each other without friction,
smooth understanding as they
// Nishiki Market, Shibori Dyeing Class
Day 24: June 12, 2019
54
55
pass by. The easy exchange
of coins clinks at regular
intervals, hands greased by the
overwhelming sensory appeal.
Money seemed to lose value in
the market—a couple hundred
yen became a small price to pay
for the plethora of flavors and
novelty. Honey dripped over
maple ice cream, freshly-peeled
shrimp was peppered with exotic
蜂
spice. Adventurous souls plucked
small octopi from skewers. I was
not one of them. 蜜
DYEING
NOWHERE 57

DAY
Today was a nowhere day. Class
dragged on, our beds called. I
guess Wednesdays are good at
following this pattern, at not
quite belonging. It is too late
to be the weekend, but too
early to be the weekend. It is a
caught-between time with drag
and pull on each side so that
it is just neutral. Nowhere Day
Nowhere Day Nowhere Day No-
where Day Nowhere Day Nowhere
Day Nowhere Day Nowhere Day
Nowhere Day Nowhere Day No-
where Day Nowhere Day Nowhere
Day Nowhere Day Nowhere Day
Nowhere Day Nowhere Day No- Day 25: June 13, 2019
// Nowhere, really
where Day Nowhere Day Nowhere
Day Nowhere Day Nowhere Day
Nowhere Day Nowhere Day No-
where Day Nowhere Day Nowhere
Day Nowhere Day Nowhere Day
Nowhere Day Nowhere Day No-
where Day Nowhere Day Nowhere
Day Nowhere Day Nowhere Day
Nowhere Day Nowhere Day No-
where Day Nowhere Day Nowhere
Day Nowhere Day Nowhere Day
Nowhere Day Nowhere Day No-
ど where Day Nowhere Day Nowhere

こ Day Nowhere Day Nowhere Day

に
Nowhere Day Nowhere Day No-
where Day Nowhere Day Nowhere
も Day Nowhere Day Nowhere Day
Nowhere

56

The tea ceremony began with
poise and grace, on the part of
Seiko if not ours. She carefully
laid out each piece of the cer-
emony, and they settled easily
in their place, knowing exactly
where they belonged. Our clumsy
attempts marred the tradition
of the ceremony, but Seiko was
Day 26: June 14, 2019
KYOTO
// Kyoto Tower
TOWER
58
59
amused by our enthusiastic mis-
pronunciations. It was a time to
feel closer to one another, to sit
as equals and enjoy the simple
pleasure of frothy matcha. Loud
slurps marked our satisfaction, 温
the warm fuzzy feelings that
か
い
traveled through our bodies.
 61

Returning to Nishiki Market on

Day 27: June 15, 2019

a Saturday is quite a different
experience from its weekday
presence. It is everything it
COFFEE

was before, but even more

COFFEE

// Nishiki, again
intense. Honey ice cream is
almost as good the second

ぼ
time, but downed by a milk-only,
brown-sugar boba, my stomach

ー rioted against me. This bled

バ into dinner as well when I bit

into a delicious cashew-filled
curry. The rest of the day
was as pleasant as could be
expected, especially before the
allergen experience. I sacrificed
cash for a mis-priced skirt, a
purchase that was long-time
coming. It was a day of long
walking and perfectly timed
rain. There were ups and downs
and zig-zags in between. An
experience, for sure.

60
 63

Day 28: June 16, 2019

// Ayabe: Kurotani Washi

Visiting Kurotani—Black Valley—

黒 was an endeavor in culture and

谷 tradition that opened my eyes

口 to a process both delicate and

hardened. Making washi paper
is an infinite process: as soon
as the paper has been pressed
and dried, it is time to harvest
the kouzo once again. It cracks
hands and dries feet, it sculpts
muscle and hardens bones. Our
paper-making was only a fraction
of a procedure that generations
have passed down, mother to son
to daughter to son. The valley
is quiet and remote, its people
dedicated to its long-held art.

The movie theater was much the

same as it is back home. Buttery
popcorn came in large plastic
trays, Japanese danced across
the bottom of the screen. Every-
one was quiet, sitting through
even to the ends of the credits.

WISH–
62
WASH

PRESSUR
DEER
Day 29: June 17, 2019
// Nara Deer Park
Nara is incredibly playful, with
deer dotting every street corner,
every nook and every cranny.
They bask in the sun and roll
around on the warm concrete.
They bow gracefully when
approached, a silent nod that is
really just their way of asking
for food. After a small taste
64
65
of the rice cakes they become
completely obsessed creatures,
and will follow you relentlessly
until the remainder of your food
is in their belly. Herds of them
will gather around a single per-
son who shows any indication of
鹿
giving into their deer pressure.
 67

Today is a day for work and not a

small amount of panic. Deadlines
are looming, a mountain of work
that I haven’t begun to climb. My
overeager ambition is coming
back to bite me in the ass. I have
only a couple days until my entire
product is due, a giant brand that
is not meant to be created in a
matter of weeks.

The plants bring me a sense of 庭

calm, a reminder that life goes
on outside of me. They thrive,
even when I do not.

BUDDING.
Day 30: June 18, 2019
//Kyoto International

66

Day 31: June 19, 2019
It’s been five months since
Levi and I started on our journey
together. Not a lot of time has
passed, and yet it feels like
we’ve seen everything. We’ve
experienced a lot of new and ex-
citing places together, from New
York to Boston to Tokyo to Kyoto.
We came into each other’s lives
at a time that was a bit emptier—
we were in a new place, without
family and without familiarity. In
68
69
//Nishiki
五
a way, the emptiness that Jamal
was describing to us was what
enabled us to see ourselves ヶ
with the other person. There
月
FIVE !
were some rough spots along
the way, but there’s no one I’d
rather be exploring Japan with.
It’s strange to think that I won’t
be seeing him for a while after
this, because his presence can
sometimes feel like an extension
of my own.

/Fushimi Inari Temple
Day 32: June20, 2019
神 The shrine at Inari is not some-
社
thing that presents itself easily.
Tourists may gather at its gates,
admiring the long rows of vermil-
lion columns. Very few make it
beyond the first couple hundred of
feet. After about twenty minutes of
walking, the path suddenly cleared
70
71
and we were alone as we walked
through the forest. The gates felt
like a red carpet of the gods, a
holy tunnel with an ancient soul.
It was peaceful, and reaching the
EATHERING
top felt well-earned.
Then came long work and
okonomiyaki. I spent hours on my
computer, fine-tuning and re-tun-
ing. My eyes were bloodshot and
my vision blurred. The lobby was
bustling, something of a comfort
because I was not alone for my
work. Okonomiyaki came as a
godsend—the smells and sounds
and tastes were sharp enough to
cut through what was becoming a
bleak night. Its flavor was able to
evoke some life within me, and it
gave me the energy I needed to
get the job done.

It’s a bittersweet last night in Kyoto.
The train back to Tokyo doesn’t feel
like part of the trip—it feels like
the end. There is a sense of relief,
though, too. I am glad to be done
with my interventions project. I felt
that I’ve spent too long worrying
about it, and seeing it over ad over
and over has desensitized me to its
needs. I am ready to go back home.
I miss the pizza shops and the loud
chatter of the city. I miss the comfort
of familiar food and a familiar bed.
I need space to reflect upon what
I’ve learned and how I’ve grown. My
time in Japan was a once-in-a-lifetime
experience, these moments were one-
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time encounters, and that’s what
makes it so special. I know I’ll be
back one day, but there’s no time
like the first. I can’t wait to take
what I know and bring it back to
share with my family and friends.
My life will look a little different
now, and I’m glad it’s Japan that
has shaped me this way. I’ll carry
with me the serenity of temples
and the vastness of the forest.
The sprawling cities and unassum-
ing countrysides and rolling hills
and flowing rivers are something
unique: unique to this place, to
this time, and to this me.
Day 33: June210,
// Last day in Kyoto