Letters from Hio

A gentle journey through Japan's heart and healing.

life

  • the quiet despair

    Dear friends,As I keep digging into the depth of my soul and my existence. There is an almost aching beauty in the Japanese concept of Hansei (反省). It is simply meant “self-reflection” or “introspection,” but such direct words fail to capture its true weight and the real beauty. Hansei is not just an intellectual exercise. Read more

  • Dear friends, Have you found your mountain? If not yet then, have you tried to start building yours? Chiri mo tsumoreba yama to naru 塵も積もれば山となる It means “Even dust, if piled up, becomes a mountain.” This is a beautiful serene and powerful concept, suggesting that monumental achievements and significant changes rarely happen in a single, Read more

  • Dear friends, Maybe you’ve heard about this profound Japanese concept Gaman 我慢. Gaman means perseverance and self-control. It’s the inner strength that keeps you calm and composed when everything around you is so not ok at all. Gaman is a virtue in my opinion. Gaman is also a silent scream. Does it sounds noble or Read more

  • a pause

    Dear friends,How have you been lately? I guess everything is working out for you. As, I hope everything will soon work out for me. Life often feels like a relentless forward march. We’re constantly chasing goals, responding to demands, and planning for the next big thing. Life is always moving forward, isn’t it? But what Read more

  • Dear friends,I’m back. The last 2 weeks I was lost in the feeling of “What if”. It’s a mix of sadness, regret and definitely maybe something could happen instead of those things that happened. 世界は残酷だ それでも君を愛すよThis world is so cruel and yet I still love you. If your were in Tokyo last Autumn, you know Read more

  • Karma is a cat

    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