Hello everyone, and happy spring!
I write this on an unusually chilly spring day, mixed with some of the typical erratic spring rain showers, but it hasn’t dampened my excitement for this new season.
My latest video is a true celebration of springtime in the Japanese countryside – an extravaganza built entirely on the top requests suggested by viewers in my video’s comment section.
It turned into a symphonic ode to spring, unlike anything I’ve created before.
If you’re keen on getting swept away into the springtime vibe, check out my video below.
This Video’s Main Topics
Inside, you’ll find a deep dive into the sights and sounds of spring: from identifying local birds (with both English and Japanese names) to the anticipation of sakura season with our neighbor’s hanami sakura viewing event, making sakura mochi, exploring vibrant countryside gardens, and even some wild vegetable cooking and foraging adventures.
It was a labour of love, and I am quite proud of it. I am already planning to do the rest of the seasons later this year.
A Friend Visits from Tokyo
On a different note, I was so happy to host my friend Kristina from Tokyo for three days last week. Kristina, a fellow content creator I admire, shares my appreciation for the Japanese countryside, always seeking out those less-traveled paths of Japan (which she highlights in her website, inner-japan.com).
Our connection began over two years ago on Instagram. We quickly connected over our shared work in inbound tourism marketing and exchanged portfolios. Our first face-to-face was during an incredible coverage trip to Hiroshima with two other creators.
That trip, one of my most significant and most cherished, also marked the beginning of a wonderful friendship with Kristina.
Fast forward a couple of work collaborations and two years, and she finally made the dedicated seven-hour journey from Tokyo by train and bus to visit our neck of the woods.
What followed was simply lovely: lots of walking, exploring, and catching up. Pancake enjoyed extra-long walks, we took a relaxing boat ride on the Shimanto River, finally visited some local cafes I had been eyeing (yet another reason to be a tourist in your own city), and even braved a (freezing!) dip in a couple of local swimming holes.
It was a refreshing visit that left me energized and full of new ideas for sharing our Japanese experiences. I’m already trying to convince her to come back in the summer, at least so we can fully enjoy the swimming hole as it is meant to be.
I’ll write another post about it soon, but here are some pictures as a sneak peek for you.
That’s all for this time! More soon.
-Mika
