“Children are our future.” This is a statement that I’m sure everyone has said or has heard said at least once. Children not only represent a hope for the future, they are the very building blocks that that future rests upon. It can be seen in the importance that every government places on education. Education isn’t limited to a classroom; it’s the lessons we’re taught by our families, communities, through after-school activities, and by life itself. Each lesson molds, s

Japan has a way of transforming its seasons into something meaningful. A change in weather, a flower blooming, or even a clear night sky can become part of a larger tradition. This is something I have noticed more since being in Japan. Festivals are not just events here. They often feel connected to nature, memory, folklore, and everyday life. Tanabata (七夕祭り) is one of the clearest examples of this.

What was life like in the Showa area? How did people have fun when they didn’t have the internet, computer, and cell phones like we do now? It might be hard to know unless you actually talk to someone who lived in that era, or visit museums that show you what life was like. To celebrate this year's Showa no Hi, the day to remember the past, let’s put the two together where I was able to listen and see little bits of a day in the life of someone who lived in the Showa era. Th

“When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot manifest, strength cannot fight, wealth becomes useless, and intelligence cannot be applied.” – Herophilus Health is so easy to forget in the hustle and bustle of life, and we often take it for granted. Yet it is the very thing we have that allows us to do all that we do and love to do. Today, we celebrate World Health Day and the ways science and health can go hand in hand to advance medicine and eradicate di

Wars. Famine. Water shortages. There are so many issues in the world today that are beyond our control. However, there is one issue that we all can begin to tackle today: food waste. “Households across all continents wasted over 1 billion meals a day in 2022, while 783 million people were affected by hunger, and a third of humanity faced food insecurity. Food waste continues to hurt the global economy and fuel climate change, nature loss, and pollution” (United Nations E

The winter cold melts away and spring peaks its way through to welcome new life and a new year for Japan. Out with the old and in with the new. To welcome spring, Japan celebrates Shunbun no Hi (春分の日) also known as Vernal Equinox, or even simpler, Spring Equinox.

Since 2014, World Wildlife Day has been celebrated on March 3rd with the goal to “celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild fauna and flora”(United Nations). In simple terms, the goal is for us to see the beauty and importance of the animals and plants that make up our ecosystem. Every animal, reptile, amphibian, and sea creature has a unique role to play, as do the plants that are necessary for their survival and ours.

Social justice is a term that we have all heard when discussing politics and humanitarian efforts. A word used so often, yet its meaning tends to be lost in the sea of other important issues impacting society today. What is social justice, and why is it so important? “Social justice is the idea that all people should have the same rights and opportunities and that a country's wealth and resources should benefit everyone in that country” (Cambridge Dictionary). Today, as w