Japanese culture
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Dear friends, We are living in a world that often feels shallow and disconnected. We are craving and looking for something that reminds us of who we are. We are looking for love, from someone else. But there is a profound human need for Musubi—the sacred act of weaving connections. In Japan, this concept is Read more
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Dear friends, It’s a rainy day in Tokyo. I’ve been suffering the worst kind of headache for more than a week. Rain always brings me memories, which I thought I lost during my time that has been used to just survive. The song “Renaissance” by Paolo Buonvino suddenly hits hard. “Sometimes I justify the words Read more
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Dear friends, You know, I’ve been so burnt out lately. Maybe it’s just an excuse for my laziness. Or not? All at once it seems like a bad excuse because I’m not productive at all. I do feel guilty. May be? You know that feeling when you’re already running late, but you keep delaying because Read more
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Dear friends, Lately, it’s been tough. My life in Japan, my study, my job hunt, my mind, my thoughts, my heart, my love. All of them suddenly become so difficult to explain. I thought I could make it like I always do, but I burn out. Hard to admit it. I need a reset, restart, Read more
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Dear friends, Lately I decided to take a break from everything. I want more myself time, to review, to reflect, to redefine what I’ve been doing. I reread some old books like Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto, Pride and Prejudice, even Dalai Lama’s Mind of Clear light. Then I thought about my path as a spiritualist Read more
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Dear friends, This is not an article about Taiyaki, even though I love Taiyaki and any Japanese treats. It’s summer, I’m craving some soft serve ice creams and a good bowl of matcha kakigori. Today, we’ll talk about Kata – 型. For me it’s an unseen blueprint that shapes everything in our daily life. In Read more
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Dear friends, Let’s go back to our normal theme, which is Buddhism. So, what do we have today? It’s 求道 – Gudou, a term, or concept, that deeply rooted in Buddhist philosophy. Gudou means “seeking after truth”, often refers to the pursuit of the path of enlightenment. It’s a journey of self-discovery, spiritual growth. Gudou Read more
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Dear friends, Allow me to borrow Murakami’s book title “What I talk about when I talk about running”. Because when it comes to 面目-Menboku, we have a lot to talk about. So, let’s talk about it. “Menboku” can be translated to “face” or “countenance”, but it’s far more than just reputation or appearance. “Menboku” means Read more
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Dear friends, I’ve been away for few days. Lately I think I need more time for myself so I turn on the hermit mode. Gotta say, the pain of being apart from Yosuke still aches sometimes. But I come back, surely stronger than the 90s trend. Let’s talk about the “Moral code” – Jingi 仁義 Read more
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Dear friendsI’m back to school. I have a lot to tell you today because we talked about kotowaza during class. My teacher asked me if I liked any Japanese idiom and I told her I like “Wabi-sabi”. Then suddenly I feel like I need to talk about the part “Sabi” itself in this article. What Read more
Letters from Hio 