Yohaku Biyori | A magazine that gently stays close to your everyday lifehttps://yohakubiyori.com/enhttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/looking-up/todays-sky/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/looking-up/todays-sky/One day, my daughter looked up and smiled. “Not exactly a picture-perfect sky,” she said. She wasn’t wrong…Tue, 21 Jul 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/words/a-quiet-purpose/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/words/a-quiet-purpose/A high school student once shared something that quietly stayed with me. “I feel like I’ve reached a point…Tue, 14 Jul 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/doing-nothing/perfect-days/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/doing-nothing/perfect-days/I recently watched the Japanese film PERFECT DAYS. Nothing extraordinary happens. No dramatic twists. Just…Tue, 07 Jul 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/looking-up/just-after-the-rain/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/looking-up/just-after-the-rain/For days, the sky carried a quiet shade of gray. Even stepping outside felt heavier than usual. Without…Tue, 30 Jun 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/unforced/maybe-you-can-leave-it-there/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/unforced/maybe-you-can-leave-it-there/Listening to someone speak, I felt a quiet sadness. Not because of what had happened, but because the anger…Thu, 25 Jun 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/gentle-lives/after-he-left/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/gentle-lives/after-he-left/After he left, his room suddenly felt larger. Even our dog seemed unsettled, stopping her meals for a while…Wed, 17 Jun 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/unforced/a-small-beginning/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/unforced/a-small-beginning/I had always wanted to try. To do something with those small green plums that appear like a quiet promise…Tue, 09 Jun 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/from-space/maybe-there-was-never-just-one-answer/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/from-space/maybe-there-was-never-just-one-answer/For a long time, I spent so much time wondering— What’s the right choice? What’s the correct answer? I wanted…Tue, 02 Jun 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/looking-up/the-morning-felt-a-little-different/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/looking-up/the-morning-felt-a-little-different/Recently, I moved things around at home. Just a small change— a different room, a different direction for the…Tue, 26 May 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/gentle-lives/a-beautiful-way-to-be/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/gentle-lives/a-beautiful-way-to-be/One day, I was sitting in a café, lost in conversation. A cup slipped, coffee spilled, and for a moment…Sun, 24 May 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/looking-up/beyond-the-window-a-blue-sky/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/looking-up/beyond-the-window-a-blue-sky/For a while after being taken to the hospital, I didn’t even have the energy to look outside. The pain was…Tue, 19 May 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/words/the-day-something-shifted/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/words/the-day-something-shifted/There was a quiet moment during my stay in the hospital. A patient nearby murmured softly, “I’ve had so many…Sat, 16 May 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/gentle-lives/the-words-that-softened-the-air/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/gentle-lives/the-words-that-softened-the-air/During my stay in the hospital, there were moments that stayed with me. One day, the elderly woman in the…Tue, 12 May 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/doing-nothing/i-chose-not-to-go-back-just-yet/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/doing-nothing/i-chose-not-to-go-back-just-yet/Since coming home, life has slowly begun to return. Mornings come, things to do appear, and the familiar…Sun, 10 May 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/unforced/back-in-the-rhythm-of-everyday-life/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/unforced/back-in-the-rhythm-of-everyday-life/The day I came home from the hospital, Everything looked gently familiar, and yet, slightly new. While I was…Tue, 05 May 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/doing-nothing/the-night-i-had-no-choice-but-to-stop/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/doing-nothing/the-night-i-had-no-choice-but-to-stop/There was so much to do. I thought, if I could just get through this, things would finally settle down. That…Sat, 02 May 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/from-space/when-i-let-the-breeze-in/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/from-space/when-i-let-the-breeze-in/One day, a quiet thought passed through me— Maybe I don’t have to try so hard. Until then, I had been holding…Tue, 21 Apr 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/from-space/what-quietly-changed-that-day/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/from-space/what-quietly-changed-that-day/I don’t think I’ll ever forget that day. But what stayed with me wasn’t only the fear. Back then, I was…Sat, 18 Apr 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/words/aprila-day-to-feel-a-beginning/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/words/aprila-day-to-feel-a-beginning/Here, there is a day that lets you truly feel a beginning. April. Soft winds, and cherry blossoms in full…Tue, 14 Apr 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/gentle-lives/the-day-we-didnt-walk-together/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/gentle-lives/the-day-we-didnt-walk-together/Yesterday was my son’s high school entrance ceremony. In elementary school and junior high, we always went…Sat, 11 Apr 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/doing-nothing/the-ordinary-seen-a-little-more-gently/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/doing-nothing/the-ordinary-seen-a-little-more-gently/After coming home, I noticed something. Nothing had really changed, and yet, everything felt softer. The…Tue, 07 Apr 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/looking-up/gently-welcomed-back-by-the-sky/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/looking-up/gently-welcomed-back-by-the-sky/The moment I arrived at Kumamoto Airport, the first thing I noticed was the light. The sky felt wide— bright…Sat, 04 Apr 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/unforced/maybe-i-dont-have-to-rush-today/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/unforced/maybe-i-dont-have-to-rush-today/April 1st. The beginning of a new season. The air in the city feels a little more crisp than usual. A new…Tue, 31 Mar 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/doing-nothing/salt-was-enough/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/doing-nothing/salt-was-enough/Sometimes, I find myself wanting to add more. A little extra seasoning. Another plan. Another effort. Another…Sat, 28 Mar 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/gentle-lives/let-your-strength-lean-toward-kindness/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/gentle-lives/let-your-strength-lean-toward-kindness/Some time ago, I listened to a commencement speech given at the University of Tokyo in 2019. The words were…Tue, 24 Mar 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/from-space/quietly-something-returned/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/from-space/quietly-something-returned/I went to see Frozen, a musical by the Shiki Theatre Company. Back in college, I used to watch plays and…Sat, 21 Mar 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/looking-up/the-day-the-sky-looked-wider/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/looking-up/the-day-the-sky-looked-wider/Nothing special had happened. I walked the usual path, waited at the light, passed beneath the wires. The…Tue, 17 Mar 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/words/is-that-really-my-responsibility/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/words/is-that-really-my-responsibility/When someone’s expression clouded, something inside me tightened. Did I say the wrong thing? Was I not good…Sat, 14 Mar 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/unforced/i-wasnt-really-choosing/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/unforced/i-wasnt-really-choosing/I once emptied my closet, piece by piece. “I don’t wear this anymore.” “I don’t need this.” And one by one, I…Tue, 10 Mar 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/doing-nothing/a-spring-spent-simply-doing-nothing/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/doing-nothing/a-spring-spent-simply-doing-nothing/After the graduation ceremony, spring comes to us a little early. We haven’t made any special plans— no…Sat, 07 Mar 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/gentle-lives/because-i-love-her-i-said-yes/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/gentle-lives/because-i-love-her-i-said-yes/Every now and then, my dog walks with one leg lifted. Just a moment. But in that moment, she seems a little…Wed, 04 Mar 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/from-space/a-museum-that-simply-lets-you-be/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/from-space/a-museum-that-simply-lets-you-be/When I visited Paris, I stopped by the Musée de l’Orangerie, nestled by the Seine. I came to see Monet’s…Sat, 28 Feb 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/looking-up/looking-up-at-the-sky-at-the-end-of-the-trip/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/looking-up/looking-up-at-the-sky-at-the-end-of-the-trip/From the backseat of the taxi heading to the airport, I looked up at the sky— a soft shade of dusk stretching…Thu, 26 Feb 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/words/to-be-like-the-wind/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/words/to-be-like-the-wind/There was a time when I couldn’t quite put it into words— a quiet kind of heaviness settling in my chest. I…Mon, 23 Feb 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/unforced/trying-hard-doesnt-have-to-feel-so-heavy/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/unforced/trying-hard-doesnt-have-to-feel-so-heavy/Last winter, the air felt tight, as if I’d been holding my breath too long. My child was preparing for exams…Thu, 19 Feb 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/doing-nothing/a-chair-in-the-afternoon/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/doing-nothing/a-chair-in-the-afternoon/Afternoon light spilled gently across the floor, and I simply sat there. To the side of the window, I brought…Mon, 16 Feb 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/gentle-lives/a-quiet-light-that-never-turned-away/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/gentle-lives/a-quiet-light-that-never-turned-away/She’s always been steady— unassuming, kind, and full of quiet light. But more than anything, she walks her…Tue, 10 Feb 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/from-space/to-pack-is-to-prepare-the-heart/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/from-space/to-pack-is-to-prepare-the-heart/As the trip draws near, a quieter version of me gently wakes up. Where will we go? What will we see? What…Sat, 07 Feb 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/looking-up/sky-water-and-days-in-kumamoto/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/looking-up/sky-water-and-days-in-kumamoto/I once heard— “Kumamoto’s tap water comes entirely from underground springs.” Something about that made the…Tue, 03 Feb 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/words/finding-life-in-the-quiet-moments/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/words/finding-life-in-the-quiet-moments/There are days when you feel small and out of place— like you’ve lost your shape, your sense of belonging in…Sat, 31 Jan 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/from-space/the-lines-that-wouldnt-listen/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/from-space/the-lines-that-wouldnt-listen/I looked at the model, brush in hand. A character I’d written so many times, but today, it wouldn’t take…Wed, 28 Jan 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/unforced/adapting-my-day-to-how-i-feel/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/unforced/adapting-my-day-to-how-i-feel/Some days go smoothly. Other days feel a little heavier, even when I’m doing all the same things. Yesterday’s…Tue, 27 Jan 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/doing-nothing/the-richness-of-doing-nothing/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/doing-nothing/the-richness-of-doing-nothing/Doing nothing— wasn’t really doing nothing. I had planned to do something. But today, I didn’t. I just sat…Sat, 24 Jan 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/gentle-lives/the-quiet-kindness-of-simply-being-there/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/gentle-lives/the-quiet-kindness-of-simply-being-there/It wasn’t the words. It was the way they landed. Soft. Certain. Like rain that doesn’t ask permission. I used…Tue, 20 Jan 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/looking-up/the-sky-was-so-high-my-heart-let-go/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/looking-up/the-sky-was-so-high-my-heart-let-go/A quiet afternoon. I looked up— and something in me softened. The wind brushed gently across my cheek, clouds…Tue, 13 Jan 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/words/i-want-to-be-someone-who-feels-the-warmth-of-words/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/words/i-want-to-be-someone-who-feels-the-warmth-of-words/There are words that warm your heart just by the way they’re said. And there are words that feel cold, even…Wed, 07 Jan 2026 15:00:00 GMThttps://yohakubiyori.com/en/unforced/i-decided-to-plan-ahead-for-days-when-i-let-myself-rest/https://yohakubiyori.com/en/unforced/i-decided-to-plan-ahead-for-days-when-i-let-myself-rest/A Day for Not Trying I often tell myself: “I want to live more gently.” But before I know it, my schedule is…Wed, 31 Dec 2025 15:00:00 GMT