On a summer night in 2004, I was standing on the roadside in Tokyo to hitch. In hindsight, I think I was too naïve to believe a woman in her early 20s can hitch to travel more than 500 kilometres (300 miles). But back then I really wanted to try something out of ordinary, to …
It is difficult for me to write about him. We have never been that close, though we never argued or had a fight. I can't easily describe the relationship we had. He wasn't really what I would call 'family'. We weren't friends nor flatmates. He was my mother's partner after she divorced my dad. They …
It was the early summer of 1995. I was 13 years old, and one rock band blew my mind. In the first semester of my freshman year of junior high school, I was assigned as the “School Broadcaster”. That position was a privilege. I felt like a DJ at a radio station. My role was …
What is your first memory? My sister says she remembers things from the age of 2. I, on the other hand, don’t remember anything earlier than kindergarten. I think my earliest memory would be from when I was around 5 years old. I was standing at the bottom of the staircase in my house, looking …
"So you have travelled to quite a lot of places. Which country did you like the most?" One day, my friend who was planning her next summer trip asked me. That's such a difficult question, I stunned. I loved every single place I've ever been to, and it seemed to make no sense to compare …
When I was a kid, there was a small supermarket in my neighbourhood. Though it was called "supermarket", the shop was more of a grocery store. It was a very ordinary store. It had nothing special. On the first floor, they had fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, fish and such. I would be stuck in the …
I don't like waking up early in the mornings. It may be because it reminds me of the fact that he is no longer sleeping by my side. We lived together for about a year. He usually woke up first. On occasions when I woke up before him, I would turn my head to the …
I was furious. I was desperate. I was full of anger, frustration and craving. It was the last straw: there were no bagels at any of the three bakeries in my neighborhood. I was devastated to realize no decent bagel was available near my home. I looked at the sky and lamented. Yes, I knew it. …
It was five years ago when I went to Australia for a working holiday. Since I have not been able to decide which city to go first, I just booked a one-way ticket to the centre of Australia: Uluru. I left my job on March 27th, departed Japan on March 30th, and then arrived at …
Cherry blossoms are very popular in my country Japan. It is considered a symbol of Japanese beauty. Every year when spring approaches, every newspaper, every radio and television station start to forecast a prospective flowering day. When I say I’m Japanese, people instantly assume that I adore cherry blossoms like most Japanese do. Well, I …
A Thousand Years 