Edit 46: The Return
Jackson said it first, somewhere between the airport and our home in Minamiazabu, the city sliding past our van’s windows in the gray evening of early June.
"It doesn't feel like we're back in Japan."
I didn't say anything right away. But because I understood, I did think: that's because a part of us never really left.
We're at the beginning of rainy season—overcast skies, cool mornings, the humidity still a bit away. It’s not the Japan of postcards or itineraries. It’s Tokyo in June, kind of moody, but lush and green, popping with the color of the many ajisai.
And knowing this is exactly how it’s supposed to be sits with a certain kind of rightness.
We're back for a month. Back to familiar streets and train stations. Back to favorite meals and old friends. Back to the neighborhood (and country) where so many ordinary days became some of our most cherished memories.
Japan has never felt like a destination to us. It's a chapter of our story—as a family and individuals—and one we get to return to again and again.
But this visit feels different. Not because Japan has changed, but because we have. Our children are older. Their interests have evolved. So alongside the comfort of returning, there is the excitement of discovery—of experiencing parts of this culture together that we hadn't explored before and seeing familiar places through new eyes.
There are places I won't share. Small corners that deserve to remain discovered rather than consumed. Places that taught me that some of the best parts of Japan are found serendipitously—not on an itinerary, but in the space between destinations. A family stationery shop discovered while searching for coffee. A neighborhood festival stumbled upon by accident. A wedding procession emerging from a shrine just as you happen to pass by. Some of the most meaningful moments here are the ones you never plan for.
But there is so much I will share.
The celebrations. The beauty. The everyday moments. The wonder of seeing this place through familiar eyes and new ones at the same time.
We're home for a little while.
And already, my heart is very full.
