TRAVEL

Unspoken Lessons in Botany and Belonging

Finding myself in Japan’s quietest corners

Photo by on

Each time I go for a holiday, I come home emotionally damaged. My maiden trip to Japan last year has caused a catastrophic level of such things. It sounds dramatic, but I couldn’t get enough of the country despite most parts of it making no sense to me. Not yet. And that’s the problem. I need to return. Some countries aren’t made for one visit. On my flight home to Kuala Lumpur, I asked myself, How many more visits would I need?

But one trip was enough to imprint a new philosophy — one that reshaped how I see myself and my connection to the world.

As I am writing this, my brother is in Japan for a second time with his family. The first time was as a newly wedded couple; this round with my four-year-old niece. The plan is to bring her to Tokyo Disneyland in Chiba Prefecture and Super Nintendo World in Osaka. Both sites I’m not all too excited about. I’m more old-school, preferring arts and crafts museums, parks, and culinary experiences. Throw in a private onsen and I’m sorted in my version of heaven.

You can imagine when the family gets together, we all have different stories to share. It can be a struggle to organize a family trip anywhere because all four of my siblings have diverse…