Tag: Growth

The Sands of Time

December 24, 2024

As the number of years I spend in Japan increases, I sometimes find myself thinking about the effect that living in other countries has on those who emigrate. . . . What cultural beliefs and customs do they bring with them or leave behind when they settle in a new place? How do they adapt and utilise the ideas of their new home to forge fresh identities for themselves? I also wonder how those who migrate influence their surrogate societies in the long term. Humans have been crossing borders and settling in foreign lands for thousands of years. … More The Sands of Time

Red Mountain – An Autumnal Antidote

December 15, 2023

Japan’s summer is very hot. It is also extremely humid. The discomfort begins in June, when rising temperatures coincide with the onslaught of the rainy season. By the time the one-month mini-monsoon wraps up in July, Tokyo has been transformed into a torturous concrete cauldron that bakes and broils its inhabitants as they scurry from one air-conditioned refuge to another. 2023 was the hottest summer on record and led to one of the highest amounts of heatstroke-related deaths in recent years. … More Red Mountain – An Autumnal Antidote

Clearing the Wall

April 30, 2022

There it stands, solemn and resolute, towering towards the sky. . . . Welcome to the wall! It’s this image that comes to mind when I think about any big challenge that must be overcome during a journey towards a personal goal. Perhaps a different mental picture forms during your testing times; you might imagine yourself at the bottom of a deep pit or faced with some other equally formidable obstruction. Whatever shape they take, such impasses are often places where the flickering flames of aspiration and hope are extinguished—never to be relit. … More Clearing the Wall

Magical Moments

February 28, 2022

As a writer based in the world’s most populous urban conurbation, occasionally, I find my clarity of thought overwhelmed by a variety of superfluous sensory stimuli that pollute both the environment and my mind. Fortunately, Tokyo provides easy access to some fantastic national parks and natural habitats that serve as refuges from the chaotic miasma. It is to these places that I regularly try to escape, not only for a quick fix of adventure but also to refocus and seek out moments of balance, comprehension and insight. … More Magical Moments

First Light, Last Light

September 12, 2021

Every morning is marked by the appearance of the sun when it climbs out of the darkness of the preceding night and up over the horizon. It radiates warmth, providing all living things with energy. It has been a symbol of birth and renewal for civilisations since as far back as we know, and without it, there would be no life at all. Rising in a silent and stately manner, it carries all the possibilities of a new day. As its power intensifies, we continue ahead on our personal journeys—taking on challenges, surmounting obstacles and striving for our goals. … More First Light, Last Light

Local Life

August 13, 2021

On the path of adventure, we veer away from what we have always regarded as normal. Seeing and experiencing something different can result in both positive and negative reactions, but regardless of this, new encounters help us to develop and grow. One thing that makes any journey interesting is observing how the communities we come across live. Learning about local culture through traditions, customs, dress, food, drink and typical lifestyle practices leads to more empathy, knowledge and broader cultural horizons. … More Local Life

Pathways

July 27, 2021

Every journey and every adventure begins with a single step along some kind of path. We may not know where they will take us or what trials and rewards they will present us with, but we can be certain that starting out along one of them will open up a myriad of possibilities. Some of them are solitary and straight, heading off into the distance on their determined lonely course. Some are winding and carry the traveller around corners to hidden things, while others lead to unexpected destinations via serendipitous intersections. … More Pathways

Sources of Inspiration – Adventure Stories

February 28, 2021

The need for escapism has been a constant throughout all ages of recorded human history. Adventure stories cater to this by serving as vehicles that allow us to make enjoyable mental forays into the mysterious and exciting unknown. Some of the oldest myths and folk tales we are aware of have been passed down over centuries or, in some cases, millennia. One can imagine the children of ancient Egypt gazing at the stars while they listened to elders recount the myth of Osiris. … More Sources of Inspiration – Adventure Stories