A Moment of Reconnection

About five hundred years ago, my ancestor—once samurai—laid down his sword, wandered in search of a place to settle, and eventually arrived in a rural corner of Japan, where he began to cultivate this land from nothing.

Centuries later, that same corner become the place where I was born and raised—a place where my roots run deep, and where I recently returned to reconnect with them once again.

An old house, and a storehouse holding the traces of generations.


Trees and wild plants that have lived here long before the house was built surround them, as if in quiet protection.


Life is everywhere—felt in the presence of all living things that share this space.

The ocean wind, the gentle sunlight—everything blends together, as if it were a single living being.

There is no clear boundary.


People, the presence of those who came before me, plants, animals, insects, even the microorganisms and fungi beneath the soil— all living together, simply being here.

It’s something I’ve felt since I was a child.

Just as the human body is made up of trillions of cells and microbes, a place, too, exists through the intricate relationships of countless forms of life—like a family, quietly intertwined.

Science may call this a holobiont.
 But to me, it’s something I’ve always known.

What is true value?


Growing up here, I was shown the answer—not in words, but through feeling.

Perhaps that’s why, wherever I go, I find myself in quiet conversation with the land.

This time again, I listened, and I responded.

Even from afar, I feel protected. I feel connected.

I offer my gratitude, and gently receive love in return.