How it all began

I was about ten when I saw my first anime. It was, of course, Sailor Moon. I didn’t know what the heck was going on culturally — but I fell in love. With the style. The feeling. The softness. Then came Howl’s Moving Castle, and something deep inside me just clicked: I have to go there. One day. Somehow.

Not just as a tourist. But as a soul who wants to breathe Japan. To feel its rhythm, to walk quietly through its temples, to lose myself in it and find parts of me I haven’t met yet.

Here’s what I dream of doing:

— Walking through the Arashiyama bamboo grove, where the wind sounds like ancient whispers.
— Waking up at dawn just to see Mount Fuji wrapped in morning fog.
— Wearing a real kimono. Feeling silk against my skin, smelling the past in its folds.
— Eating ramen in a tiny shop on the outskirts of Tokyo, where the old chef doesn’t speak a word of English but smiles like sunshine.
— Crying in a capsule hotel because the dream finally came true.
— Buying a ridiculous amount of stationery (yes, I’m that girl).
— Getting lost in backstreets and finding a hidden shrine not listed on any travel blog.

I don’t want just photos. I want moments. I don’t want “Instagram spots.” I want secret gardens, sleepy cats on temple stairs, and quiet evenings under paper lanterns.

How I’m getting ready

I’m learning the language. Slowly, clumsily, but steadily. I can now read food labels — which is HUGE if you’ve ever accidentally bought squid-flavored chips.
I’m watching dramas. Even the ones where people stare sadly out of rainy windows for 45 minutes (love those!).
I’ve made a special notebook — my “Japan List.” Every place I want to go, every tea I want to drink, every season I want to feel. It’s already got over 70 entries.

When will I go?

Maybe next year. Maybe the year after. I’m not setting a harsh deadline. But it will happen. I just know it.
Maybe I’ll go in spring to see the sakura snow.
Or in autumn to walk through golden maple leaves.
What matters is — I believe in it.

Why Japan?

Because the culture values simplicity, quiet, and kindness.
Because the tea ceremony is not about tea — it’s about presence.
Because there’s beauty in silence, and I’m craving silence.
Because their way of seeing the world — slow, intentional, mindful — is something I deeply admire.

What I feel right now

Excitement. Longing. A little bit of fear, too.
What if it doesn’t live up to the dream?
What if I get lost or overwhelmed or homesick?

But then I close my eyes, and I see her — the future me, holding a cup of matcha, smiling on a Tokyo side street. And I whisper to myself:
“You did it, girl. You made it happen.”

Right now, between me and Japan, there’s distance. Oceans. Time zones.
But also — connection.
Because I already carry it inside me.
In my playlists. In my planner. In my hopes.

This dream is real. It’s alive.

And someday, I’ll write to you from Kyoto. Or from a hot spring inn in Hakone. Maybe I’ll take you with me through reels and voice notes and blurry 3AM photos from a ramen shop.

But until then — I’m dreaming. And that’s already beautiful.

With love and a sprinkle of wasabi,
Your Mommy❤️❤️🥵😏

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