Letters from Hio

A gentle journey through Japan's heart and healing.

Japanese travel

  • a healing journey through atami:shrines, sea and my sadness

    Dear friends, Thank you again for taking your time to visit my blog. I really do appreciate you and love you! I decided to go to Atami just a week before JLPT and after my breakup. Atami found me at a time when I needed stillness and healing. Lately my life in Tokyo had become… Read more

  • A Friendly Guide to Shinto Rituals and Shrine Etiquette

    Dear friends,I can proudly say that I love Japanese culture and religion to the point that I want to study Shinto in Kokugakuin. It’s a dream I want to make it come true and it’s my life purpose. In this article, I will share with you my knowing about Shinto etiquette – a guide to… Read more

  • The Complexity of Love in ‘Nana’: Lessons on Happiness

    Dear friends, I’m taking a short break from study, then I decide to write about my beloved Nana, Osaki Nana. If you know her then, I love you! Nana is a Japanese manga serie written and illustrated by Ai Yazawa and first published as a two-part prologue in Shueisha’s monthly shojo manga magazine in 1999. Nana was later serialized in… Read more

  • Omamori – a divine blessing from God

    Dear friends, I’ve got to say that I’m a collector. I can never resist anything cute or unique related to spirituality. Japan is such a paradise for my guilty pleasure. So that, I’ve decided to write this article, to share to you about my hobby as a Goshuin and Omamori addict! 1. What is an… Read more

  • jindaiji on a rainy day

    Dear you, Rainy season has started in Tokyo. It also marks my one year moving to Japan. So that I decided to enjoy a rainy day at Jindaiji Temple. This place offers a unique atmosphere with many interesting experiences. Jindaiji is one of the oldest Buddhism temples in Tokyo, and from the 8th century, it… Read more

  • Hakone : nature, silence and the Kami

    Dear you, my belove friends! This is the story about my trip. Please enjoy! I decided to go to Hakone before New Year’s Eve, perfect time for a reset and refresh after a year of trying nonstop. When most people think of Hakone, onsen always comes first in mind, then the views of Mt Fuji,… Read more