The Beginning of a New Year

Reflections on 2025 and intentions for the year ahead

Happy New Year. How have you welcomed the new year?

For me, 2025 was a truly special year. More than anything, it was because I was able to meet all of you through the Spiritual Japan Journal.

To be honest, for about a year before I started this Substack in July 2025, I was in a state of lethargy. I had left the job I had held since graduation, and I had moved to a new place. Because of these overlapping changes, I think I lost my daily rhythm and my sense of where I belonged.

It was a state similar to burnout. It was a time when I kept some distance not only from writing, but also from myself.

Discovering Substack and taking the plunge to start writing here changed my daily life. Publishing articles, exchanging words, and receiving your comments and messages—through these interactions, I was able to gradually regain my sense of self.

Now that 2026 has arrived, I feel a distinct vitality in my heart for the first time in a long while. What I feel now is not just the reassurance that I can keep going. It is a strong desire to write more and to share the charm of Japan with you.

What drives me now is a positive energy—a desire to look ahead and continue expressing myself through words.

This year, I will not simply introduce Japanese culture and daily life. I intend to look more carefully than ever at the philosophies behind them, the choices people make, and the layers of history that have built up over time.

I will value sincerity over flashiness or easy answers. And I will weave my words with care, cherishing the passion that wells up within me.

The Spiritual Japan Journal does not belong to me alone; it is a space created between myself and all of you who read it. In 2026, I will continue to share the allure of Japan while cherishing this connection we have.

Finally, I sincerely hope that this new year brings you warm light and abundant joy. May your days be filled with wonderful moments.

Thank you for your continued support this year.

—Written by Sumire