Moments Become Memories

A Weekend Filled with Sunshine: Picking Blueberries and Learning Something New

Friends and I went blueberry picking at a nearby farm, then spent the afternoon at my community garden plot. Watching tomatoes, water spinach, and long beans ripen, I also picked up new tips on pest and disease control and vegetable growing from a friend studying at an agricultural university.

Growing Chinese Fragrant Taro in Tokyo

Chinese fragrant taro — the large, floury taro used across southern Chinese cooking — is surprisingly hard to find fresh in Tokyo. Last year I grew it myself at a community garden allotment: from choosing seedlings in spring to managing a Tokyo summer, harvesting in late November, and saving small tubers for the following year.

New Year Flowers

A New Year flower arrangement shared by an old classmate on social media. Bright but calm, it quietly reminded me how fast time passes.

Wagashi Near Home

A few wagashi from a small shop near my place. Nothing special, but they made an ordinary day feel calmer.

Purple Sweet Potato Mont Blanc

A purple sweet potato Mont Blanc from 7-Eleven, a collaboration with “21ji ni Ice.” Recommended by a friend, and better than expected.

Apple Cider from Hirosaki

An apple cider from Hirosaki, Aomori that I picked up at a Santoku supermarket. Clean, refreshing, and gone too soon.

Christmas Lights in Roppongi

Christmas night in 2025. The streets of Roppongi were filled with blue lights, and walking there with friends and family felt calm and comforting.

Christmas Shaved Ice in Winter

On December 24th in Kichijoji, I was surprised to see red maple leaves still on the ground. Sitting inside a warm shaved ice shop and eating a Christmas-limited matcha shaved ice became a small winter happiness.

Musashi-Seki Boroichi, 2025

The Musashi-Seki Boroichi in 2025 was lively as always. I walked around with family and friends, enjoyed the atmosphere, and finally got to eat the meat cutlet I had been craving. It was a really happy day.