Recently I went to Shizutani School for the first time. Like many other places across Japan, it is famous for it’s autumn leaves. While there are places in NZ with beautiful autumn leaves, where I am from in NZ the autumn leaves are…. not so beautiful. The leaves turn brown and simply fall off.

For this reason, I am amazed by the variety of pretty colors that I can see even here in Okayama. What seems normal in Japan, is something special for me. The vibrant red, yellow and oranges leaves are always a sight to enjoy.

Soon it will be winter, and even Japan’s winter season has its own surprises for me. My hometown never snows, but Okayama gets at least a little snowfall every year. I still often feel like a child witnessing snow for the first time. Maybe one day I will get to experience a white Christmas….