Christmas has a way of slowing everything down.
The year pauses for a moment. The noise fades a bit. There’s more quiet time — the kind that lets your mind wander whether you want it to or not. And this Christmas, no matter where my thoughts start, they keep ending up in Japan.
It hasn’t even been that long since I was there. Just over a month ago, I wrapped up my longest trip to Japan yet — a stretch of time that felt less like a vacation and more like temporarily stepping into another version of life. Even now, each day from that trip still floats around in my head. Certain walks. Certain train rides. Certain moments that felt ordinary at the time but refuse to fade.
Being home during the holidays only sharpens that feeling for me.
There’s something about Christmas that naturally pushes you toward reflection. You look back on the year, on where you’ve been, and on the places that left a mark. For me, Japan sits at the center of that reflection. It isn’t nostalgia in the traditional sense — it’s more like a quiet pull. A steady reminder of how present I felt there.
That feeling shows up in small, unexpected ways.
I’ve already received a few Christmas gifts this year, and one of them was a Suica card luggage tag. It’s a simple thing, really. Something you’d probably overlook if you didn’t know what it meant. But every time I see it, I’m instantly transported back — tapping through train gates, navigating sprawling stations, the soft electronic chime that still plays in my head without warning.
Japan has a way of doing that. It attaches itself to your senses and never leaves you.
I catch myself scrolling through photos late at night, seeing images of Tokyo dressed up for the season. The lights in Roppongi look especially festive this time of year — glowing streets, illuminated trees, the city somehow feeling both alive and calm at the same time. Part of me wishes I were there, wandering those streets, letting the lights guide the night the way they always seem to.
But there’s another part of me — the quieter, more grounded part — that feels grateful.
Grateful that I was able to return to Japan this year at all. Grateful that I had the chance to stay longer than ever before. Grateful for the slow mornings, the late nights, and the moments in between that didn’t make it into photos but stayed with me anyway.
That last trip didn’t feel rushed. It didn’t feel like I was chasing highlights or ticking boxes. Instead, it felt like I was learning how to exist there — even briefly. Riding trains without thinking. Walking familiar routes. Finding comfort in repetition. Those are the moments that linger now, especially during a season that naturally encourages stillness.
Christmas doesn’t feel loud to me this year. It feels reflective. And in that reflection, Japan keeps resurfacing — not as an escape, but as a reminder of what it feels like to slow down and pay attention.
I don’t know exactly when I’ll be back. I don’t know what the next trip will look like or how long it will be. But I do know this: Japan isn’t something I visit and leave behind. It stays with me, quietly shaping how I see the world long after I’ve returned home.
So this Christmas, while I’m here in Florida and not there, I’m choosing gratitude over longing. Gratitude for the memories that are still fresh. Gratitude for a place that continues to inspire curiosity and calm in equal measure. And gratitude for knowing that whenever I do return, Japan will meet me exactly where I left off.
For now, that’s enough.
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