14,295 as of today — The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the whole world. According to WHO, over 6.5 million people died. Everybody’s lives have been disrupted. The news in every media is full of tragedy. Here I dare focus on the silver lining. How many can I find in my life? The fear of death…

Continuing my Life ver.2.0 — Hi, I’m Akemi Sagawa. Nice to meet you! My Life version 1.0 I was born and grew up in Japan, and moved to the US in August of 1994. Remember a product called Microsoft Windows 95? I was transferred from Japan to Seattle to be part of the product launch group for the Asian…

My weekly reading review — Every week I encounter many Medium articles that teach me something new, inspire me, think, and give me different perspectives. These articles are nutrients, very important for my growth. Here is the list of such articles this week, so I can revisit them when I need them. Out of 10…

My travel wish list for 2023 — Our trip to Vienna last Thanksgiving was a special reunion. After over 10 years of interval, my husband and I got together with our old-time Austrian friend and had a wonderful time together. The Magic of Christmas Market in Vienna It was the best place to catch up with our old friendmedium.com She was a great host. She showed us around the town, introduced us to her local friends…

Celebrating the Centennial anniversary of Japan-America Society of Washington State — Japan-America Society of Washington State (JASSW) is celebrating its centennial anniversary this year. JASSW was established in 1923 to promote mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples of Japan and Washington State by providing a forum for the exchange of ideas and information. New Year’s party was held yesterday and…

First principle: Harmony — There are four principles that each tea practitioner has to have in mind whenever we practice the Japanese tea ceremony. 和(wa) “Wa” means harmony. Over a bowl of tea, the host and the guests collaborate to create a harmonious experience together. In order to best serve the guests, the host carefully…

Try Ikebana at home! — In my previous post, I introduced to you what Ikebana is. Originating in Japan, Ikebana is the art of flower arrangement. Also in my previous post, I listed 5 benefits of practicing Ikebana. Does it make you feel like trying it at home? Great! …

The joy of cooking vegetables to serve our friends — I belong to, not a book club, but a TED talk club. Instead of reading a book, a host for the month picks one TED talk video and shares it with the rest of the group. Everybody watches the video, and we discuss what we learned at the meeting. The…

How reliable is your inner clock? — For the last several days I had special events back-to-back. A private Ikebana workshop for employees of a major IT company, the Ikebana International New Year party, and Hatsugama (初釜) — the first formal tea gathering this year. Each event requires preparation from the night before till late and early…