Japan. Through My Eyes.

My neighbors collecting carrots.

Shibuya Crossing hours before 2020.

Descending into Kyoto station.

360 degrees of mountain.

Have you ever seen the rain inside a mall?

A peaceful garden in the heart of the city.

Art on a rainy night.

A plane on a sunny day.

My Kakamigahara commute.

Those tiny dots are houses.

-J.S

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Take Your Time

I arrived at the bottom of Mt. Fuji at 7am. Before starting, a man said that I had 12 hours to complete the trail, in order to catch the final bus home for the night. Otherwise, I would have to sleep on the mountain. I thought 12 hours was a sufficient amount of time, but it caused me to rush at first. After a half-hour, I was exhausted and contemplated quitting. The ground felt like sinking rocks the size of tennis balls. The trail was steep. What should I do? I asked myself. Go back down? Rest? Go only half-way up? Then it occurred to me, go slowly. A motto for life, perhaps. Life may feel fast, but if one takes their time, slowly and steadily, they can enjoy it more. Moving forward, the next 4 hours consisted of a slow ascent up the mountain. I was literally stepping about 6 inches at a time. This allowed me to keep my breath, something I lost at the beginning. Eventually, I found myself at the 8th station, the final stop before the summit. It was 1pm. 6 hours befo...

Learnings

This month, Mother Nature showed her teeth by shocking me awake with an earthquake. Other than that, life has been rather smooth. My work travels have taken me throughout Chiba, Yokohama, and Saitama. Each day has been a world on its own. It has been months since I've spent more than two days in a row in the same town. This has allowed me to encounter the hidden corners of a unique country. And often times, I cannot recognize what is written or spoken around me, which may seem frantic, but has actually made my internal dialogue crystal clear. Like an awakened inner soul that can now be heard. On an opposite note, I stand in front of hundreds of students each week, thus spotlighting my outer self. My chosen words. My body language and expressions. I have learned to take up space with my presence, for this is necessary to hold 30 peoples attention at once. This combination, simultaneously learning about my inner soul and outer self, has been a good learning so far. Perhaps our inner...

Nourishment

I have been reflecting on the gift of Nourishment that living in Japan has given me. Rarely have I been very hungry over the last two years. Or thirsty. Or in lack of a home appliance. Vending machines full of varying temperatures of beverages. Convenient stores stocked with healthy snacks. 100 yen shops with home appliances for the price of a dollar. Affordable restaurants to satisfy dinner desires. Whatever I have needed, I have been able to find it. Here in Japan. Thankful that this society has taken care of my basic needs and then some. It planted the question. How can I nourish myself so I can give the best version of myself to other people? More than just eating fruits and vegetables. What if to be truly nourished, not just physically, but mentally nourished as well, one must embrace the mix of challenging and easy tasks in a day. Sort of like a mental work-out. Both exhausting work and refreshing serenity. Not shying away from the difficulty an...

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