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Hi, I'm Kaki!

I teach about health inspired by simple Japanese philosophies and lifestyle practices, so you can learn to find peace, fulfillment, strength, and health in your own body. Sign up for my newsletter to receive all my writing and exclusive resources!

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What is the most peaceful season in Japan?

Dear Reader, I went to go picking tulips today— something that I was looking forward to for weeks— and I was feeling kind of bummed when I realized it was going to rain all morning. On my way to the tulip farm I was staring out the car window thinking about the mud and how my pictures were going to turn out grayish. But when I got there and exited my car, I realized the rain may have been a gift. Some of the tulips I saw While some people might think the rainy season evokes feelings of gloom,...

6 days ago • 3 min read

Dear Reader, I was at the train station on my way home when my mom sent me a text about dinner — everyone else was out, and it seemed like it was just going to be the two of us. What are you in the mood for? We can go out for dinner! It didn’t take long for me to reply — we decided to go to one of my favorite restaurants in Shinjuku for fresh tonkatsu, or Japanese pork cutlet. I hadn’t had one in a while but was craving it after seeing an ad for it in our mailbox. “Served with fresh spring...

13 days ago • 3 min read

Dear Reader, I'm going to see the solar eclipse on Monday! It'll be my first one, wish me luck. Hopefully there are no clouds 😊 Reading more about the eclipse has got me thinking about just.. my existence in general? How small and insignificant I am relative to the universe, but also how my existence -- and all the love I've experienced in my life so far -- is one giant miracle. Nature is beautiful. And it's got me thinking about a Japanese concept called "mono no aware", or the bittersweet...

20 days ago • 2 min read

Dear Reader, When I was young and lived in the U.S., I really disliked vegetables. I thought they were either bitter, sour, or bland, and compared their consumption to taking medicine. I would always force them down by covering them in ranch, or refusing them unless they were steamed into mush and covered with butter and salt. So it seemed odd to me when I was watching Ghibli’s My Neighbor Totoro that there was a scene where the main characters sat down to eat some raw cucumbers, seasoned...

27 days ago • 2 min read

Dear Reader, The menu is a wooden board hanging out in front of the restaurant, with just three options scrawled in black marker: a) Seared tuna donburi b) Minced toro with grated yam donburi c) Grilled salmon teishoku As I stood there thinking about what I wanted to order, I noticed there were crates and boxes still stacked in front. I peered inside to find a load of daikon, yams, and empty styrofoam boxes that still smelled slightly of seafood. “Did you go to the Toyosu fish market for...

about 1 month ago • 2 min read

Dear Reader, To some, the idea of using sea vegetables in food can seem intimidating, foreign, and frankly sometimes unappealing. I first made this realization when I was in second grade, attending a public school in New York. Everyone around me began pulling out their peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and chicken nuggets, when one of the girls sitting next to me scrunched her nose at my lunch — what is that? She was referring to my shiso-wakame rice ball wrapped in nori. Needless to say, I...

about 1 month ago • 3 min read

Dear Reader, I had my annual physical at the doctor’s a few days ago– I went to a new doctor because I didn’t like my old one (Note: Yes, if you don’t like your doctor you should switch! They are providing a service, and especially when it comes to your health, you should be working with individuals that care for you, and that you trust). She was asking me a few routine questions about my lifestyle habits, and the topic of drinking came up. I told her I didn’t drink much and she was like,...

about 2 months ago • 2 min read

Dear Reader, We forgot to go grocery shopping and our fridge was looking sparse. We didn’t have many vegetables at home, besides some eggplants and a nub of ginger. Can you even cook anything good with just that? But turns out my mom had a plan — she took the eggplants and put it on our toaster's grill, cooked for about 20 minutes on high heat. Then she grated the ginger, served it with the cooked eggplants, and dressed it in a noodle soup base. A delicious vegetable dish, done. Recipe:...

about 2 months ago • 3 min read

Dear Reader, The weather was beautiful this weekend so I went for a little drive out of the city, and came across a small farmer's market. We arrived late so most of the stands were wrapping up, but we stopped by in one that didn't seem to be in a rush to leave. Reminded that I didn't have dinner plans yet, I scanned the offerings and my mind immediately went to work: Potatoes, carrots, garlic, some greens-- hmm, maybe a stew? I looked at their menu of meats available, and most were crossed...

2 months ago • 3 min read

Dear Reader, Shoku-iku (食育) refers to food and nutrition education in Japan, but it is quite different from the food education you might receive in the United States or other western nations. While western eating guidelines tend to focus on diet science–technical calculations on when to eat, how to eat, and what not to eat–, Japanese shoku-iku takes a more nature-based philosophy on how to adopt a sustainable, well-balanced lifestyle. 💡 Shoku-iku takes a more nature-based philosophy on how to...

2 months ago • 2 min read
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