Experienced by Kimatni D. Rawlins
Reflection on the blessings of life during the last day of the year is a must, and at the moment, I am doing so from “The Land of the Rising Sun.” I return to Japan annually to absorb its spiritual energy, natural wellness tenets, and disciplined teachings from ancient oracles, as well as its simplistic, minimalist lifestyles. Although we do participate in X-mas shopping a bit when visiting Tokyo.
A few family highlights included cultural awareness at the Imperial Palace and Hibiya Park; stocking up on healthy snacks at 7-11 which has everything you need for jetlag survival like soba noodles, fruits and nuts, and real smoothies; dropping in Sanrio World Ginza for Hello Kitty gifts; honoring an array of Temples; and window shopping at some of the most prestigious brands in the world from Panerai to LV.
Yet, the main objective was to research Katana (Japanese swords) to find an authentic blade that matched my spiritual energy. Many of these handmade art pieces are centuries old and were mastered by true Samurai warriors. The process continues because purchasing and bringing home a Katana is a tactical procedure. I grew up studying martial arts and Japanese culture for decades, thus I will accomplish the task at hand.
We had lunch at our favorite vegan restaurant in Tokyo, aka Ain Soph Ginza. The heavenly pancakes are amazing, and the bento boxes and curry are delicious and full of flavor. This is also a whole-food vegan restaurant, so every bite is healthy and guilt-free. In fact, vegans will never go unsatisfied in Japan because the culinary experience is omnipresent.
More importantly, we recorded 20,000 steps and 8 miles between our morning run and the Ginza tour, which started from the AC Hotel Ginza.
In 2025 continue to treat your brothers and sisters with respect, live truthfully and honestly, give unto others, but pay homage to SELF first, and allow wisdom and selflessness to take precedence over selfishness, anger, greed, and lust.
Happy New Year and One Love!!!
