5 Years in Rural Japan (Introduction)

How did I end up here? What am I doing now? What's... next?

Jan 13 • Kana Chan

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Kufū for 2026

My Japanese word of the year, kufū 工夫, leans into creativity and resourcefulness

Jan 1 • Kana Chan

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December 2025

An Anti–Gift Guide for a Season of Too Much Stuff

Seeking inconvenience & a more mindful approach to gift-giving

Dec 15, 2025 • Kana Chan

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North Wind Sweeps the Leaves and Citrus Ripen

Transitioning into the winter season

Dec 3, 2025 • Kana Chan

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October 2025

Reflections from 4 years of Rice Farming

Tripling our yield & cooking rice over fire

Oct 30, 2025 • Kana Chan

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The Month Without Gods

Saving a matsuri from the brink of disappearing

Oct 15, 2025 • Kana Chan

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September 2025

How I Accidentally Became a Tea Maker

How to Make Awa Bancha, A Rare Lacto-Fermented Tea (Part 2!)

Sep 22, 2025 • Kana Chan

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August 2025

A Japanese Fermented Tea

Move over matcha, it's Awa Bancha season in Kamikatsu!

Aug 12, 2025 • Kana Chan

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July 2025

How Community Nurtures Our Well-being

How a life in rural Japan aligns with 15 everyday practices for mental health

Jul 30, 2025 • Kana Chan

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Grief, Beauty, and Other Things That Bloom

Welcoming the lotus flowers

Jul 20, 2025 • Kana Chan

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Rain Ends and Summer Begins

Picking plums & appreciating seasonal flowers

Jul 1, 2025 • Kana Chan

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June 2025

Shiwa-Shiwa: A Japanese Vocabulary for Slow Living

Japanese Words You've Likely Never Heard Of

Jun 3, 2025 • Kana Chan

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