Hello reader, thanks for being here! I’m Kana and this is Tending Gardens, which you can read about here. If you like it and want more like it in your inbox, consider subscribing.
I’m back! Tending Gardens took a month-long (unexpected and unplanned) hiatus—call it a summer holiday if you will. This past month I’ve turned another year older and birthdays are such wonderful moments to pause and reflect!
another year older
At the end of September in 2020, I moved to Japan and made myself a home in the deep Japanese countryside of Shikoku Island in Kamikatsu. Surrounded by mountains on all sides, the village is known for its recycling efforts known as Zero Waste. I integrated so quickly and well that I can’t believe I’m nearing a year of living in Japan.
One year ago (August 2020), I was at home in Vancouver celebrating my birthday. My birthday was celebrated nearly the same way my family celebrates any special occasion (including birthdays, New Year, Christmas and almost all other holidays)—we stay home, order takeout Japanese food, and pick up a simple cake that’s dividable by four (we nailed the “stay at home” concept long before the pandemic). Our family never had big celebrations but made it special in our own subtle way.
This year in Kamiakatsu I’m far away from my family and I’ve built a close community of people that equally feel like family. Celebrating my birthday in Kamikatsu was unlike my usual family celebrations—I’m not used to having attention on my birthday, the day usually comes and goes like a gentle soft wind on a summer’s day, but this year there was so much more energy and laughter and all of it felt both unfamiliar and heartwarming.
Growing older is honestly wonderful—life seriously gets better with the years. Do you feel the same? The concept of self and identity are nuanced and intricate; day-by-day so few things change but looking back I see so much growth in myself.
I don’t recognize the person I was 10+ years ago (I’m grateful for that) and I hope I say the same years later—all the while keeping in mind that growth isn’t a straight path and there is no need to compare your journey with anyone else's. This year, attributed mostly to making a home in Japan, I've learned to appreciate, accept and love my mixed roots identity more than I ever have in the past. I’ve learned to embrace all the different pieces that make me whole.
This year, I’ve really decided to focus on being present. I want to find a deep and true acceptance of each present moment and let go of how things could be. I want to feel more at ease when I think about the future and know that what’s meant to be, will be.
INOW also celebrated a birthday!
INOW is officially 1 year old! We (a small team of 3 women) created an educational tourism program called INOW. INOW or イノウ (pronounced ee-nou) means ‘let’s go home’ in the local dialect. The program is a homestay program that welcomes guests to Kamikatsu.
A couple of months ago, I wrote about INOW and shared how INOW is a personal passion project. Build INOW gave me this unique opportunity to combine things I really care about: education, sustainability, community development, and tourism. It’s been a tough year to enter the tourism industry (obviously) and start a small business during a pandemic, but the challenges have made me much more aware of how to navigate uncertainty and the need to continuously adapt to changing situations.
I’m so proud that INOW has created a space for so many people to feel at home in Kamikatsu. Although all our guests have been based in Japan, they represent countries from all over the world including Japan, the US, South Africa, Canada, Mexico, France, the UK and Malaysia. We have hosted solo travellers, couples, families, university professors, and research students. Even though I’m aware that Kamikatsu isn’t a destination for everyone, I’m so grateful that we’ve connected with such diverse people.
INOW is working on exciting things like branding (new logo!); serious things like redefining our vision and long term plans; fun things like discussing the possibility of farming our own vegetables; and important things like fostering and creating new relationships with local people in the community. I feel like as INOW grows, I grow. When you create something it inevitably becomes tied to you and your identity (for better and worse). I’m bound to INOW and I hope that as it grows, I grow alongside it.
updates from Kamikatsu
I danced a happy dance when the rainy season ended at the end of July. The rainy season was a breeding ground for mould—it found a way into every crevasse of the home (on utensils, in clothes, and practically anything made of wood). Although Japanese summers are notoriously hot and humid, I was relieved when the end of the rainy season marked the beginning of summer.
Nearly a month of sun and summer flew by and the rain is back (but this time because of the typhoon). Typhoons rain is much more intense and in bursts. This year we’re having an unusual typhoon season, with locals telling me that this is the earliest they’ve seen typhoon and the rain was particularly drawn out and heavy. There’s a lot of flooding warning across Tokushima so there are concerns of landslides and fallen debris on the roads.
I have been helping farmers with tea leaf picking, which will end at the end of this month. Picking leaves (lately in the rain) is hard work but it truly nurtures community spirit with all sorts of people coming together and spending time talking while working.
Plastic-free vegetables are being offered at the local farmer’s market! While it’s not a big deal for many European/North Americans who can purchase most produce plastic-free, still the majority of Japan (including Kamikatsu) wraps individual portions of vegetables and fruit in plastic. Seeing a simple, small change makes me think about how society at large is so reluctant to change (we’re creatures of habit) but once in a while, you have people who challenge the status quo and, through their actions, say ‘it doesn’t have to be done the way it’s always been done, this is okay (too)’.
That’s it for this week! I’ll be (hopefully) writing more regularly moving into the new month. Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead.
Take care,
Kana
I’d love for you to think of me as your penpal—sharing a note from a tiny village in Japan. With Tending Gardens, I want to bring you a small joy in the form of a newsletter. If you like it and want more like it in your inbox, consider subscribing.