Beau's Blog

I’ve been in Japan a month now and have heard this reasonable question a handful of times. I don’t have a crisp response. I don’t need a thoughtful clean story. Despite this, it’s something I wish to work towards.

There is no single powerful reason. I view the answer as the result of many lesser reasons. My mentor Brian taught me that a single strong piece of evidence is persuasive as is many pieces of weak evidence.

Here are my pieces of weak evidence:

• Spending an extending period of time in Japan is something I’ve wanted to do since I was a little kid.
• I’ve learned some Japanese language and want to be better. This is my stubborn completion-ist nature manifesting itself.
• I wish to get closer with my roots. I’m a quarter Japanese and have largely spent my life far away from Japan. I feel drawn to the area I was born – Tokyo.
• I predict spending time halfway across the world from what I’ve known as home will become more difficult as I get older.
• I’m curious to learn more about a culture that is clearly different than what I’m familiar with.
• Trains were the first love of my life and I love Japanese food.
• Climbing Mt. Fuji is on my bucket list.

This is my current thinking. I could spend more time now reflecting and refining but that will come later.

I plan to come back to this question. I expect my answer will evolve over time. I intend to revisit the question of “why am I living where I am living?”. I suppose on a broader level, I intend to check myself on my actions versus my intentions.

June 2, 2023
Café de Crie, Ikebukuro, Tokyo