I was recently asked to share some of my experiences as a Rotary Peace Fellow in Japan with my local district in the UK – here is the result! “What does peace mean?” is one of the first questions I was asked as I sat nervously in my first seminar at International Christian University (ICU)…
A Trip to Mount Fuji
Dan and I have been lucky enough to enjoy many trips to Mount Fuji since we moved to Japan. In the unrelenting wet season and during the Covid pandemic of 2020, we had a physically isolated trip to this natural wonder once more. Although Fuji-san was shy and did not often peak out from her…
Dan’s Birthday 2020
This year was not a “big birthday” and it was one Dan celebrated during the Covid pandemic physical distancing, but still, I wanted to make sure it was one to remember. Dan deserves a celebration and I wanted to provide it in a socially responsible and physically distanced way. So, I took to Google to…
Mum Visits Japan and Spring Break 2020
In March 2020 mum visited us in Japan. It was her first trip to Japan, and I wanted to make it one to remember! Mum’s visit was part of our spring break plans in 2020; a couple of weeks jam-packed with mini-breaks and enjoyable hikes. We had six days together with mum and I wanted…
Spring to Summer to Autumn 2020
The Covid-19 pandemic has caused the world to ‘pause’, often referred to as the Great Pause for more dramatic effect. This isn’t a blog about the Covid pandemic though, but rather a blog to excuse me for such an absence in sharing the experiences of life in Japan over the past six months. Firstly, due…
Wow, it is April
Wow…my last post was in January, and now it is (almost) April. What have I been doing with myself?! Oh yaaahhhh…second term, three thesis chapters, the mother visiting Japan for the first time, organising summer field research only to have that unravel at the hands of a casual global pandemic. Wow, what a first three…
Christmas 2019: The UK Chapter
This year finally had my winter holiday in the UK! This was the first time I had arrived back in the UK since I left in August 2016. My first observation, nothing much has changed – the motorway leaving Heathrow Airport quickly instructed us it was 50 miles an hour for the next 100 miles…yep,…
Takezawa, Saitama
For my birthday, I turned 25 for the 7th year in a row (I know, it’s a miracle…) Dan and I went to Takezawa in Saitama. Now, this was a trip I had very little hand in planning (alarm bells). So imagine my delight when we arrive in Takezawa area at the local train station…
UNLEASH Innovation Lab, Shenzhen, November 2019
UNLEASH Innovation Lab 2019 was hosted by Shenzhen city in China. From the 5th to the 14th November over 1,000 UNLEASH Talents, from 162 countries, met in Shenzhen to innovate and work collectively on the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The week was both challenging and transformative, as groups spent four days working…
Term One – Learning About Peace
Poor Our Japan Story has taken a back-seat this term. This is reflective of almost everything, other than studying, taking a back seat. I knew graduate school would be difficult, but I had no idea how all-consuming it would be! Firstly, the sheer amount of reading required has been overwhelming. An academic article that is…