Entry #012:

2021 September 12

This month, I launched a podcast called “Roots to Fruit”. A space where I can have the type of conversations that really feed my soul. As someone who works alone most of the day, I was feeling an ache, a longing to share. And not necessarily with those who are located near me, nor with those who are in the same field. I was hungry for dialogue. To speak about our unique trials and tribulations, and explore whether there were any similarities in our journeys. So I set out tto create a space to speak with friends who reside all over the world, and play in carrying arenas, but who are all diving into their ancestral roots. And through this process, are bringing to life the grams in all shapes and forms that we know and love them for. As I traverse Japan, I love knowing that I have allies in every corner of the globe, who nurture their curiosity and life force to connect with the tastes, textures, experiences, and dreams of their roots. Trees are said to have a vast communication network with one another through their roots. So it only makes sense that the same goes for humans. If this isn’t world peace, I’m not sure what is.

♡ momoko

Microseasonal Stars

September 12 - 17

Autumn > White Dew > Wagtail Sing

During these clear Autumn days, with whom are you communicating, sharing stories?

Entry #011:

2021 September 7

Today is the new moon. The beginning. An opportunity to change where you are standing and look at the same picture but from a different perspective. Recently, I’ve taken the habit of rising at around 5am with the sun and taking an extremely leisurely walk. It’s the same neighborhood, with the same buildings as always, but at 5am they all look different somehow. The lines of the tiled facades on the homes are somehow clearer, the newspaper delivery motorcycles are louder, there are more dragonflies, and the air feels more empathetic as I breathe it in. While we enter mid-Autumn here in Japan, I am beginning to let go of the relics of Summer, the tomatoes, zucchinis, and cucumbers, for next season’s “delicious” pears, sweet potato, and mushrooms too. I’m loving this new line-up of friends in my kitchen.

♡ momoko

Microseasonal Stars

September 7 - 11

Autumn > White Dew > Dewy Flora

From one angle, the days may seem similar, nearly the same, even. But from another angle, the entire landscape is glistening. How can  you shift your perspective? 

Entry #010:

2021 September 2

Several years ago, just this time of year, I was sharing with a friend the growth pattern of rice. Seedlings are carefully prepared in late Winter, and planted in Spring once the frost melts. As the temperature rises, so do the flora that enjoy the same space as the young rice. Through the rainy season mid-year, and the extreme heat and humidity mid-Summer, the rice plant preserves with the help of a loving human hand. And just as typhoons rear their heads, it’s harvest time, before the winds knock the heavily ripened grains to the ground. “Ah! Rice is the breast milk of the earth!” my special friend exclaimed. This was the best analogy I had ever heard. It’s true, the entire process takes about 9-10 months of love, great care, and entrusting the natural world.

♡ momoko

Microseasonal Stars

September 2-6

Autumn > First of Autumn > Grains Ripen

What did you plant in Spring that you’re harvesting this Autumn?