Rice, Leaving Japan & Adulthood

Do you know how rice is grown?

My family grows rice for our own consumption, and every May, we sprout seedlings from rice we harvested the previous year and plant them in our small rice fields.

Our natural farming involves no tilling, pesticides, or herbicides, which means that … all the work is done by hand, without tractors. Although it is physically demanding, we genuinely enjoy spending time with frogs, newts, and all the other little creatures that live alongside us!

Tomorrow, I’m leaving my home country to begin a new life with my husband in the Netherlands.

As I turn 26 this year, I feel like stepping into the next chapter of my 20s.

In the manga/anime Jujutsu Kaisen (JJK),” a man called Nanami said as follows:

“Finding more fallen hair on your pillow… Your favorite stuffed bread disappearing from the convenience store…”

“The accumulation of little despairs… That’s what makes people adults.“our

This quote reminds me that growing older is, in many ways, about learning how to cope with those despairs ― from the smallest disappointments to the overwhelming ones ― and learning to embrace what lies beyond our control instead of exhausting ourselves trying to resist it.

Maybe we are not so different from the tiny creatures in nature after all.

Musu

Japanese Blogger

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A Japanese flexitarian, based in Japan and the Netherlands.
Centered around well-being, I share Japanese plant-based recipes, cross-cultural stories, and ideas for a wholesome, peaceful, intentional life.
Mainly writing in English and Dutch.