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Eight Million Ways to Happiness: Wisdom from the Heart of Japan
'A timely and moving pilgrimage through Japan's spiritual traditions' RUTH OZEKI, Women’s Prize-winning and Booker Prize-shortlisted author
'A fascinating dive through hidden layers of the Japanese worldview' KATHERINE MAY, author of Wintering
Find your way to happiness with this wise, inspiring journey into the spiritual heart of Japan.
In Eight Million Ways to Happiness, Hiroko Yoda invites readers on a transformative journey into the traditions that shape Japanese life. While millions have found inspiration in ideas like ikigai or The Courage to Be Disliked, Hiroko reveals the deeper traditions that quietly infuse Japan’s culture, drawn from Shinto, Buddhism, and the mountain mysticism of Shugendo.
These aren’t abstract philosophies. They are living practices that integrate so seamlessly with modern secular life, even natives can forget they are there. Reconnecting with them helped Hiroko find light after profound loss – and realise that they offer powerful tools for anyone seeking meaning, connection or peace in their own life.
Through vivid storytelling and immersive experiences – dancing at Shinto shrines, climbing sacred peaks, and meeting mystics – Hiroko shows how Japan’s flexible approach to spirituality helps kindle gratitude, connection and kinship with nature. What emerges are practical insights and gentle guidance to spark joy, find balance, and discover what truly matters.
Whether you're grieving, searching, or simply curious, this book is a there are millions of ways to be happy. You just have to find yours.
'A fascinating dive through hidden layers of the Japanese worldview' KATHERINE MAY, author of Wintering
Find your way to happiness with this wise, inspiring journey into the spiritual heart of Japan.
In Eight Million Ways to Happiness, Hiroko Yoda invites readers on a transformative journey into the traditions that shape Japanese life. While millions have found inspiration in ideas like ikigai or The Courage to Be Disliked, Hiroko reveals the deeper traditions that quietly infuse Japan’s culture, drawn from Shinto, Buddhism, and the mountain mysticism of Shugendo.
These aren’t abstract philosophies. They are living practices that integrate so seamlessly with modern secular life, even natives can forget they are there. Reconnecting with them helped Hiroko find light after profound loss – and realise that they offer powerful tools for anyone seeking meaning, connection or peace in their own life.
Through vivid storytelling and immersive experiences – dancing at Shinto shrines, climbing sacred peaks, and meeting mystics – Hiroko shows how Japan’s flexible approach to spirituality helps kindle gratitude, connection and kinship with nature. What emerges are practical insights and gentle guidance to spark joy, find balance, and discover what truly matters.
Whether you're grieving, searching, or simply curious, this book is a there are millions of ways to be happy. You just have to find yours.
Audible Audio
Published January 1, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
November 6, 2025
Eight Million Ways to Happiness is a book about many things. It touches on grief and spirituality. It explores religion and faith in Japan. It also provides an insight into some of Japan's history.
I went into this book with no knowledge or context. I received an eGalley directly from the publisher Dutton | Tiny Reparations Books. As someone who grew up on anime and manga, I was excited to dive into learning more about Japanese culture!
This book is dense. I mean that in a good way though. It's not a book that you can or should speed through. Yoda (not that Yoda) describes her journey through grief by literally traveling throughout Japan to learn more about her culture's spirituality. What she finds is there is no ONE way to describe Japanese spiritual practices. It is all based on YOU and your personal journey.
This is a great read for anyone interested in Japanese culture and history.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton | Tiny Reparations Books for the eGalley!
I went into this book with no knowledge or context. I received an eGalley directly from the publisher Dutton | Tiny Reparations Books. As someone who grew up on anime and manga, I was excited to dive into learning more about Japanese culture!
This book is dense. I mean that in a good way though. It's not a book that you can or should speed through. Yoda (not that Yoda) describes her journey through grief by literally traveling throughout Japan to learn more about her culture's spirituality. What she finds is there is no ONE way to describe Japanese spiritual practices. It is all based on YOU and your personal journey.
This is a great read for anyone interested in Japanese culture and history.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton | Tiny Reparations Books for the eGalley!
January 14, 2026
As the author points out, the Western world often has a hard time understanding Japanese culture. In many ways, our views of the world and of human interaction clash quite noticeably, and miscommunication between our peoples is very common. Hiroko Yoda is Japanese but has spent much of her life in the United States, so she is able to bridge the cultural gap and explain each side's perspective to the other. In this book, her focus is on Japanese spirituality and the many ways it differs from the religious vs anti-religious mindset of most of the rest of the world. I've always been intrigued by Japanese philosophy and often feel like my own philosophy is very similar, so I was excited to read this book.
The author makes it clear that, while very few Japanese people consider themselves to be "religious," spirituality and rituals play a huge part in Japanese culture. To most Japanese people, their spirituality isn't so much about "belief" as it is about respect and gratitude. That can be difficult for many religious or even non-religious Western people to understand. I think the term "agnostic" could apply - the feeling that some higher power probably exists, but not worrying about putting a name or a dogma to it. However, for the purposes of tradition and cultural rituals, most Japanese adopt a sort of hybrid Shinto-Christian-Buddhist blend of observances.
I really enjoyed learning about all of this, especially the more philosophical tangents on Japanese wisdom and how to live in gratitude. It's a beautiful way to live, and I'm definitely taking a lot away from this book that I hope to apply in my own life.
My only problem with this book was how repetitive it was. The author would repeat the same statistics about religion in Japan in pretty much every chapter, and even some of her anecdotes were shared more than once. I guess maybe she expects that people will jump around in it and read a chapter here or there, but that's not how I read, and it made the book feel too long. I ended up skimming a lot of the second half.
Overall, though, I really enjoyed my time with this book. If you're interested in Japanese culture or spirituality in general, I recommend checking it out. It might also offer comfort to anyone experiencing grief.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for providing me the eARC for review consideration.
The author makes it clear that, while very few Japanese people consider themselves to be "religious," spirituality and rituals play a huge part in Japanese culture. To most Japanese people, their spirituality isn't so much about "belief" as it is about respect and gratitude. That can be difficult for many religious or even non-religious Western people to understand. I think the term "agnostic" could apply - the feeling that some higher power probably exists, but not worrying about putting a name or a dogma to it. However, for the purposes of tradition and cultural rituals, most Japanese adopt a sort of hybrid Shinto-Christian-Buddhist blend of observances.
I really enjoyed learning about all of this, especially the more philosophical tangents on Japanese wisdom and how to live in gratitude. It's a beautiful way to live, and I'm definitely taking a lot away from this book that I hope to apply in my own life.
My only problem with this book was how repetitive it was. The author would repeat the same statistics about religion in Japan in pretty much every chapter, and even some of her anecdotes were shared more than once. I guess maybe she expects that people will jump around in it and read a chapter here or there, but that's not how I read, and it made the book feel too long. I ended up skimming a lot of the second half.
Overall, though, I really enjoyed my time with this book. If you're interested in Japanese culture or spirituality in general, I recommend checking it out. It might also offer comfort to anyone experiencing grief.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for providing me the eARC for review consideration.
February 17, 2026
Hiroko Yoda is a Japanese writer and cultural historian. Yoda's 2025 book Eight Million Ways to Happiness is an exploration of Japanese culture and wisdom informed by her own upbringing as well as intentional immersion and study as Yoda's life has progressed. The title refers to the Japanese idiom 'yaoyorozu no kami,' translated in English to 'eight million Shinto gods,' which is meant to represent an uncountably large number of spirits present within nature.
Unfortunately despite very intrigued by this premise, I DNFed the audiobook after 6 hours....which was only 37% of the way through this >14 hour audiobook of a hardcover that spans 368 pages. Generally a ~350 page book becomes an 8-10 hour audiobook, but the excessive length in this case was due to Yoda deciding to narrate her own book in her second language, which was painfully slow to listen to at 1x speed and became very staccato and fragmented when I sped up the pace to the point where I was constantly distracted. Though I can understand why Yoda would've wanted to narrate her own book given that there are many memoiristic elements to this work, this is an audiobook where a professional narrator would have been a better choice. The content of the book is interesting enough, though told in a circuitous, meandering way, where I felt like after 6 hours I had grasped enough of the essence of the book that I could let it go.
I recently read fellow Japanese Marie Kondo's similar reflections in her 2025 book Letter From Japan -- while Kondo's book doesn't meditate on spirituality, specifically the Shinto faith, as much as Yoda's book, I would recommend Kondo's book first and this book second (but preferably a physical copy or Ebook).
My statistics:
Book 42 for 2026
Book 2348 cumulatively
Unfortunately despite very intrigued by this premise, I DNFed the audiobook after 6 hours....which was only 37% of the way through this >14 hour audiobook of a hardcover that spans 368 pages. Generally a ~350 page book becomes an 8-10 hour audiobook, but the excessive length in this case was due to Yoda deciding to narrate her own book in her second language, which was painfully slow to listen to at 1x speed and became very staccato and fragmented when I sped up the pace to the point where I was constantly distracted. Though I can understand why Yoda would've wanted to narrate her own book given that there are many memoiristic elements to this work, this is an audiobook where a professional narrator would have been a better choice. The content of the book is interesting enough, though told in a circuitous, meandering way, where I felt like after 6 hours I had grasped enough of the essence of the book that I could let it go.
I recently read fellow Japanese Marie Kondo's similar reflections in her 2025 book Letter From Japan -- while Kondo's book doesn't meditate on spirituality, specifically the Shinto faith, as much as Yoda's book, I would recommend Kondo's book first and this book second (but preferably a physical copy or Ebook).
My statistics:
Book 42 for 2026
Book 2348 cumulatively
January 8, 2026
Eight Million Ways to Happiness is a touching, reflective, and richly textured book that weaves together memoir, cultural insight, and spiritual exploration in remarkable ways.
The book transforms Yoda’s personal grief into something universally resonant, using loss as a lens to explore how humans find meaning and belonging.
Rather than exoticizing Japanese spirituality, it presents Shinto, Buddhism, and Shugendō as lived traditions that shape everyday experience and worldview.
The wisdom emerges gently from real encounters like dancing at shrines, walking pilgrimages, meeting mystics so readers feel invited into discovery rather than lectured.
Yoda moves seamlessly between personal narrative, cultural history, and philosophical reflection, making complex traditions accessible without oversimplifying them.
This isn’t a self-help manual offering bullet-pointed steps to happiness, which may disappoint readers seeking actionable guides.
Instead, it’s a contemplative journey that lets you feel and think your way toward insight. It’s emotional, story-driven, and experiential, which might not satisfy those wanting scholarly analysis.
Ultimately, this is a moving and enlightening read for anyone drawn to spiritual reflection, cross-cultural perspectives, or narratives about healing after loss. It invites readers to slow down, notice life’s interconnectedness, and reconsider what “happiness” might mean outside modern Western frameworks.
The result is poetic rather than prescriptive, and deeply human.
The book transforms Yoda’s personal grief into something universally resonant, using loss as a lens to explore how humans find meaning and belonging.
Rather than exoticizing Japanese spirituality, it presents Shinto, Buddhism, and Shugendō as lived traditions that shape everyday experience and worldview.
The wisdom emerges gently from real encounters like dancing at shrines, walking pilgrimages, meeting mystics so readers feel invited into discovery rather than lectured.
Yoda moves seamlessly between personal narrative, cultural history, and philosophical reflection, making complex traditions accessible without oversimplifying them.
This isn’t a self-help manual offering bullet-pointed steps to happiness, which may disappoint readers seeking actionable guides.
Instead, it’s a contemplative journey that lets you feel and think your way toward insight. It’s emotional, story-driven, and experiential, which might not satisfy those wanting scholarly analysis.
Ultimately, this is a moving and enlightening read for anyone drawn to spiritual reflection, cross-cultural perspectives, or narratives about healing after loss. It invites readers to slow down, notice life’s interconnectedness, and reconsider what “happiness” might mean outside modern Western frameworks.
The result is poetic rather than prescriptive, and deeply human.
January 29, 2026
The author uses her personal story to explain religion—as a concept—and religions as customs, traditions, and practices in Japan, both in the past and present time.
A truly interesting book that never becomes boring, precisely because, through her words, whether sad or happy, the author shows us a world and a way of life from the inside.
L'autrice utilizza la sua storia personale per spiegarci la religione - come concetto - e le religioni come usi, costumi e tradizioni nel Giappone del passato e contemporaneo.
Un libro veramente interessante, che non diventa mai noioso proprio perché con le sue parole, tristi o felici che siano, l'autrice ci mostra un mondo ed un modo di vivere dall'interno.
A truly interesting book that never becomes boring, precisely because, through her words, whether sad or happy, the author shows us a world and a way of life from the inside.
L'autrice utilizza la sua storia personale per spiegarci la religione - come concetto - e le religioni come usi, costumi e tradizioni nel Giappone del passato e contemporaneo.
Un libro veramente interessante, che non diventa mai noioso proprio perché con le sue parole, tristi o felici che siano, l'autrice ci mostra un mondo ed un modo di vivere dall'interno.
Did Not Finish
March 14, 2026This has a very interesting premise and was the March choice for my book club this year. I have spent time in Japan and am interested in Japanese culture and spirituality, so I really thought I’d enjoy this. Unfortunately, the audiobook was so difficult to listen to. It’s not that long of a book, yet on audio it’s 16+ hours. The narrator, also the author, speaks so slowly and with a lot of pauses. I could not fully pay attention or appropriately process what I was listening to at any speed. I have a hold placed for a physical copy at my library, but it’s only available at a library about 70-miles away, so I think it will be a while before it comes up. I didn’t feel like this was one I could buy, so it’s going on the DNF shelf, sadly.
March 19, 2026
A gentle, easy read with some very accessible & personal accounts of Japanese religion/spirituality. I would have loved some images to things referenced, which I ended up looking up instead- but an image section to refer to & as a reminder would have been a good touch.
February 13, 2026
4.5
Encouraging spirituality in everyday life (years in the making, centuries-old origins, Japan; backstory ten years in America): “The irony is that while few Japanese identify as religious, my nation is a spiritual wonderland,” writes Hiroko Yoda on how Japan’s spiritual culture is essential to “everything that makes life worth living.”
Dispelling preconceived notions and disinformation, Eight Million Ways to Happiness: Wisdom for Inspiration and Healing from the Heart of Japan is also essential to understand a culture unlike anything familiar to Westerners since it’s a “thoroughly non-Judeo-Christian worldview.”
If you’ve been privileged to visit the ancient country up against the modern and avant-garde, you’ll be awestruck, fascinated, and disoriented by what you see since so much is unseen, hard to put into words. Yoda does this for us in this beautiful, inviting book. A beautiful spirit who expresses herself beautifully.
Last year, my family and I took the trip-of-a-lifetime spending six stunning weeks in some of Japan’s biggest and smaller cities, and rural countryside. Bowled-over by nearly everything, trying to understand from our American eyes, getting some things right, much missed and lacking multiple perspectives. Primarily not grasping the complexities of traditional values foundational to the culture called Shinto.
Shinto is not a religion, nor a set of rules to be adhered to. That’s why Yoda calls it “flexibility spirituality.” There’s at least eight million perspectives to view Shinto beliefs – spirits, deities, “avatars” derived from all things natural in the world. Spirits known as kami, endowed with almighty powers that recognize, honor, respect, and celebrate what’s rooted in Japan’s ways of life.
Shinto differs from Buddhism, an ancient religion based on sacred texts. Shinto doesn’t draw from any texts as “every aspect of the natural world” is believed to possess a spirit. Not a one-size-fits-all way of thinking, but a “method for grappling with the never-ending cycles of life, birth, and death, and everything that came before, and everything that will come after.”
Even the title of this unusual book refers to the ancient kami. In Yoda’s clear-eyed, elegant prose, she explains it means there’s least eight million perspectives on what’s happiness as in “there’s always room for more.” Limitless. Adaptable.
The book’s purpose is also made clear. The happiness, wisdom, inspiration, and healing the subtitle implies are takeaways that take into account a Western mindset based on:
Years of studying, researching, travels in Japan, the US (Indiana, Maryland, Washington, DC), and places around the world. Yoda’s credentials earned in Japan as a “certified Shinto cultural historian” (passing the Shinto Cultural Exams in 2012 administered by the Japanese Association of Shinto Shrines). Attending a Midwest elementary school interestingly named for Yoda’s passion, Youth for Understanding. Graduating from the University of Maryland with a majority of its students people of color. Receiving her master’s degree from American University in Washington, DC in International and Peace Resolution studying different religions including visiting other countries. Marrying an American, co-founding a company in Tokyo where they live with a mission quite similar to the one that led to this book: “To research stories, build worlds, bridge business cultures, or educate and inspire.”
For all these reasons, Yoda says she’s one of only a handful who could write this type of book. Having been unable to find anything like it before we left for Japan in 2025, she doesn’t come across as boasting. To the contrary, she’s honest about her learning curve and regrets.
The Prologue reads like a mini-memoir, describing what triggered her quest: grief. Her mother’s death twenty years ago still haunting her, her father’s years later. The contentious relationship she had with her mother, the deep bond with her father, an “unusually forward-thinking man for his time.” Overall, though, it’s the fond, appreciative, nostalgic memories of times spent with her parents that enrich her depictions of Japan’s natural landscape while enlightening us on Shinto, Buddhism, and a third, important practice in the country’s “spiritual toolbox”: Shugendo, “much less talked about but no less influential.”
Described as a “form of spirituality rooted in the mountains,” a combination of Shinto and Buddhism and other beliefs, Shugendo is “more mystical,” folkloric, characterized as “wild gods.” While it’s “incredibly difficult to explain to outsiders,” in “Angry Ghosts: Onryo” made a bit easier in terms of destructive natural disasters and negative, harmful emotions. What also resonates is how impossible it is to truly fathom “things as profound as the mysteries of the universe.” Yoda isn’t claiming to, attesting to the “great unknowables.”
The rest of the “now-me” versus the “then-me” is integrated throughout the chapters. Each introduced by a black-and-white photograph, suggesting symbolically that spirituality is all about seeing the “light.”
The chapter I went looking for was “The Invisibles: Shinto.” Enhanced by “The Harmony of Conflict: Buddhism chapter, described by non-Japanese as Zen, who may think of Japan as a Buddhist country. “In a certain sense, this isn’t wrong – but neither, as I was about to learn, is it right.”
One way to reflect on Shinto is through the concept of forest bathing that’s caught on like wildfire since COVID it seems. Being outdoors in Nature is a balm to de-stress, numerous studies have shown. A way to clear the mind. A form of mental health therapy. Meditation. Find truth in the cliché of seeing the forest through the trees. Or, other benefits depending on your perspective.
An example of a cultural concept more complicated than I thought is Harmony. You sense it in Japan nearly everywhere. Remarkably in its vast, extraordinary transportation system that almost always runs like clockwork. Local, regional, special, and bullet trains speeding at 200 miles an hour, decorated with velvet-like, colorful, ergonomic seats and playful designs. Spotless. Utterly quiet (except for tourists) creating an atmosphere of harmony, whereby the individual traveler defers to the collective good. You’ll experience the same sense of we’re in-this-together at mind-boggling, sacred, bright-orange Shinto shrines, towering Buddhist temples, and the peacefulness of ancient stone gardens, parks, trees, flowers, public places.
Yoda explains Harmony from a different lens, using the metaphor of a choir. Distinct voices welcomed and blended into a harmonic whole. Not meant to suppress, but to be inclusive. No boundaries, hierarchies. Fostering goodwill, a sense of being valued, feeling a part of something bigger than ourselves. Like Shinto. As well as ancient traditions not tossed out for the new and the newest. Instead, continuously “unfolding,” creating anew.
Yoda is a widely-read, independent thinker. Broaching topics others might not go, such as the norm of “Funeral Buddhism” even though most Japanese don’t claim to be religious. (Five out of seven, she says). Other chapters, essay-like, sharpen the whole.
Impressive how willing Yoda wants to walk with us through the grand mysteries of life.
Encouraging spirituality in everyday life (years in the making, centuries-old origins, Japan; backstory ten years in America): “The irony is that while few Japanese identify as religious, my nation is a spiritual wonderland,” writes Hiroko Yoda on how Japan’s spiritual culture is essential to “everything that makes life worth living.”
Dispelling preconceived notions and disinformation, Eight Million Ways to Happiness: Wisdom for Inspiration and Healing from the Heart of Japan is also essential to understand a culture unlike anything familiar to Westerners since it’s a “thoroughly non-Judeo-Christian worldview.”
If you’ve been privileged to visit the ancient country up against the modern and avant-garde, you’ll be awestruck, fascinated, and disoriented by what you see since so much is unseen, hard to put into words. Yoda does this for us in this beautiful, inviting book. A beautiful spirit who expresses herself beautifully.
Last year, my family and I took the trip-of-a-lifetime spending six stunning weeks in some of Japan’s biggest and smaller cities, and rural countryside. Bowled-over by nearly everything, trying to understand from our American eyes, getting some things right, much missed and lacking multiple perspectives. Primarily not grasping the complexities of traditional values foundational to the culture called Shinto.
Shinto is not a religion, nor a set of rules to be adhered to. That’s why Yoda calls it “flexibility spirituality.” There’s at least eight million perspectives to view Shinto beliefs – spirits, deities, “avatars” derived from all things natural in the world. Spirits known as kami, endowed with almighty powers that recognize, honor, respect, and celebrate what’s rooted in Japan’s ways of life.
Shinto differs from Buddhism, an ancient religion based on sacred texts. Shinto doesn’t draw from any texts as “every aspect of the natural world” is believed to possess a spirit. Not a one-size-fits-all way of thinking, but a “method for grappling with the never-ending cycles of life, birth, and death, and everything that came before, and everything that will come after.”
Even the title of this unusual book refers to the ancient kami. In Yoda’s clear-eyed, elegant prose, she explains it means there’s least eight million perspectives on what’s happiness as in “there’s always room for more.” Limitless. Adaptable.
The book’s purpose is also made clear. The happiness, wisdom, inspiration, and healing the subtitle implies are takeaways that take into account a Western mindset based on:
Years of studying, researching, travels in Japan, the US (Indiana, Maryland, Washington, DC), and places around the world. Yoda’s credentials earned in Japan as a “certified Shinto cultural historian” (passing the Shinto Cultural Exams in 2012 administered by the Japanese Association of Shinto Shrines). Attending a Midwest elementary school interestingly named for Yoda’s passion, Youth for Understanding. Graduating from the University of Maryland with a majority of its students people of color. Receiving her master’s degree from American University in Washington, DC in International and Peace Resolution studying different religions including visiting other countries. Marrying an American, co-founding a company in Tokyo where they live with a mission quite similar to the one that led to this book: “To research stories, build worlds, bridge business cultures, or educate and inspire.”
For all these reasons, Yoda says she’s one of only a handful who could write this type of book. Having been unable to find anything like it before we left for Japan in 2025, she doesn’t come across as boasting. To the contrary, she’s honest about her learning curve and regrets.
The Prologue reads like a mini-memoir, describing what triggered her quest: grief. Her mother’s death twenty years ago still haunting her, her father’s years later. The contentious relationship she had with her mother, the deep bond with her father, an “unusually forward-thinking man for his time.” Overall, though, it’s the fond, appreciative, nostalgic memories of times spent with her parents that enrich her depictions of Japan’s natural landscape while enlightening us on Shinto, Buddhism, and a third, important practice in the country’s “spiritual toolbox”: Shugendo, “much less talked about but no less influential.”
Described as a “form of spirituality rooted in the mountains,” a combination of Shinto and Buddhism and other beliefs, Shugendo is “more mystical,” folkloric, characterized as “wild gods.” While it’s “incredibly difficult to explain to outsiders,” in “Angry Ghosts: Onryo” made a bit easier in terms of destructive natural disasters and negative, harmful emotions. What also resonates is how impossible it is to truly fathom “things as profound as the mysteries of the universe.” Yoda isn’t claiming to, attesting to the “great unknowables.”
The rest of the “now-me” versus the “then-me” is integrated throughout the chapters. Each introduced by a black-and-white photograph, suggesting symbolically that spirituality is all about seeing the “light.”
The chapter I went looking for was “The Invisibles: Shinto.” Enhanced by “The Harmony of Conflict: Buddhism chapter, described by non-Japanese as Zen, who may think of Japan as a Buddhist country. “In a certain sense, this isn’t wrong – but neither, as I was about to learn, is it right.”
One way to reflect on Shinto is through the concept of forest bathing that’s caught on like wildfire since COVID it seems. Being outdoors in Nature is a balm to de-stress, numerous studies have shown. A way to clear the mind. A form of mental health therapy. Meditation. Find truth in the cliché of seeing the forest through the trees. Or, other benefits depending on your perspective.
An example of a cultural concept more complicated than I thought is Harmony. You sense it in Japan nearly everywhere. Remarkably in its vast, extraordinary transportation system that almost always runs like clockwork. Local, regional, special, and bullet trains speeding at 200 miles an hour, decorated with velvet-like, colorful, ergonomic seats and playful designs. Spotless. Utterly quiet (except for tourists) creating an atmosphere of harmony, whereby the individual traveler defers to the collective good. You’ll experience the same sense of we’re in-this-together at mind-boggling, sacred, bright-orange Shinto shrines, towering Buddhist temples, and the peacefulness of ancient stone gardens, parks, trees, flowers, public places.
Yoda explains Harmony from a different lens, using the metaphor of a choir. Distinct voices welcomed and blended into a harmonic whole. Not meant to suppress, but to be inclusive. No boundaries, hierarchies. Fostering goodwill, a sense of being valued, feeling a part of something bigger than ourselves. Like Shinto. As well as ancient traditions not tossed out for the new and the newest. Instead, continuously “unfolding,” creating anew.
Yoda is a widely-read, independent thinker. Broaching topics others might not go, such as the norm of “Funeral Buddhism” even though most Japanese don’t claim to be religious. (Five out of seven, she says). Other chapters, essay-like, sharpen the whole.
Impressive how willing Yoda wants to walk with us through the grand mysteries of life.
April 4, 2026
Legend holds that the islands of Japan are home to “yaoyorozu-no-kami,” or “eight million kami.” This idiom, widely used even today, is in fact poetic license, less a concrete accounting than an awed description of an uncountable multitude. Kami are invisible avatars of awesome forces beyond human control. They are the faces of a multifaceted complexity that would otherwise boggle the human imagination. And “eight million” is a gentle shorthand that suggests there’s always room for more.
It was absolute luck that I happened to see the movie Rental Family, which is set in Japan and has gorgeous cinematography, just as I finished this book, completely unintentionally. Seeing some of the sights the author described was amazing. This is a beautiful read, part memoir and part spiritual seeking story that illustrates the cultural and spiritual history of Japan.
I called kami “gods” above, but that was just shorthand. The word kami resists easy interpretation—for Japanese people or otherwise. God—especially when written with that capital G—is so freighted with Western religious, political, and emotional baggage as to render it almost useless as a translation. Kami are kami, products of a thoroughly non-Judeo-Christian worldview.
Acknowledging the kami isn’t a form of enlightenment or life-changing magic. It is like a pause, a reminder that you are part of a bigger web in which you play an important, but by no means solo, part.
In the traditional beliefs of my country, everything has a spirit. The heavens above, the ground below, the trees, the rocks, the rivers, the seas, even the words we speak. That is the fundamental essence of Shinto, the belief system native to the islands of Japan. The kami are the avatars of every aspect of the natural world, and Shinto is a method of interacting with them, which is to say a method for grappling with the never-ending cycles of life, birth, and death, and everything that came before, and everything that will come after.
In the eighteenth century, the philosopher Norinaga Motoori defined kami as “anything whatsoever that is outside the ordinary, that has superior and extraordinary power, provoking awe, but not exclusively, for they also encompass the wicked and the strange.”
But the more time you spend behind a camera’s viewfinder, the more you realize just how quickly the seemingly solid ground beneath our feet is moving. We are spinning through the cosmos on a journey plotted out long before any of us were born, or humans even walked the earth. So when I clicked my shutter in front of the tori’i gates, I was struck by the beauty of it all: not only the image, but the whole of it, the timing, the subject, the framing, the composition, the lighting. A combination of countless variables, a few under my control, a great many more not. The time of day and season, the wind’s caress of the leaves, the subtle wear on the pillars and the checkerboard of light playing across them. Everything aligned for a split second. Then it was gone. As a photographer, I felt lucky to have captured a great shot. But deep inside I realized how much more was at play. That moment wasn’t something I’d captured, not really. It was more like a gift from nature itself.
The sakura is a tree, but it is also a metaphor for the bittersweet impermanence of things. We treasure the cherry precisely because its beauty is as radiant as it is fleeting. It is a living poem that reminds us of ourselves.
But in the end, even the grandest shrine is only a receptacle for what we bring to it. The point is to disengage from the static of the here and now and refocus on what we can’t see or hear or touch but always feel, if we open our hearts. Just as the ancients did with their iwakura rock-seats, just as the modern-day masses jostle for hatsumodé.
It was absolute luck that I happened to see the movie Rental Family, which is set in Japan and has gorgeous cinematography, just as I finished this book, completely unintentionally. Seeing some of the sights the author described was amazing. This is a beautiful read, part memoir and part spiritual seeking story that illustrates the cultural and spiritual history of Japan.
I called kami “gods” above, but that was just shorthand. The word kami resists easy interpretation—for Japanese people or otherwise. God—especially when written with that capital G—is so freighted with Western religious, political, and emotional baggage as to render it almost useless as a translation. Kami are kami, products of a thoroughly non-Judeo-Christian worldview.
Acknowledging the kami isn’t a form of enlightenment or life-changing magic. It is like a pause, a reminder that you are part of a bigger web in which you play an important, but by no means solo, part.
In the traditional beliefs of my country, everything has a spirit. The heavens above, the ground below, the trees, the rocks, the rivers, the seas, even the words we speak. That is the fundamental essence of Shinto, the belief system native to the islands of Japan. The kami are the avatars of every aspect of the natural world, and Shinto is a method of interacting with them, which is to say a method for grappling with the never-ending cycles of life, birth, and death, and everything that came before, and everything that will come after.
In the eighteenth century, the philosopher Norinaga Motoori defined kami as “anything whatsoever that is outside the ordinary, that has superior and extraordinary power, provoking awe, but not exclusively, for they also encompass the wicked and the strange.”
But the more time you spend behind a camera’s viewfinder, the more you realize just how quickly the seemingly solid ground beneath our feet is moving. We are spinning through the cosmos on a journey plotted out long before any of us were born, or humans even walked the earth. So when I clicked my shutter in front of the tori’i gates, I was struck by the beauty of it all: not only the image, but the whole of it, the timing, the subject, the framing, the composition, the lighting. A combination of countless variables, a few under my control, a great many more not. The time of day and season, the wind’s caress of the leaves, the subtle wear on the pillars and the checkerboard of light playing across them. Everything aligned for a split second. Then it was gone. As a photographer, I felt lucky to have captured a great shot. But deep inside I realized how much more was at play. That moment wasn’t something I’d captured, not really. It was more like a gift from nature itself.
The sakura is a tree, but it is also a metaphor for the bittersweet impermanence of things. We treasure the cherry precisely because its beauty is as radiant as it is fleeting. It is a living poem that reminds us of ourselves.
But in the end, even the grandest shrine is only a receptacle for what we bring to it. The point is to disengage from the static of the here and now and refocus on what we can’t see or hear or touch but always feel, if we open our hearts. Just as the ancients did with their iwakura rock-seats, just as the modern-day masses jostle for hatsumodé.
April 2, 2026
Overall Rating: 4⭐️
Format: Hardback
Favourite Quote: “if you want to do something nice for someone, you have to do it while they’re still here,” “ it doesn’t do any good to spread a comforter on a grave.”
Tropes: Journey of Healing, Ancient Traditions in the Modern World, Mindful Observation, Cultural Immersion, Nature-Based Spirituality
its a long review this one simply because I enjoyed the book and also because there was lots about it that made me reflect which is a point I am really starting to enjoy in books - this book first caught my eye with the cover and I was intrigued so I actually bought the book on release day!
It wasn't a book you could rush, it was a book you had to journey through with the author experiencing everything alongside them. Many quotes either resonated with me or intrigued me here are a few that I had to note down!
"There is no sadness greater than the inevitable journey of death," wrote the philosopher Motoori Norinaga
"You know the phrase 'eight million kami? I love that description. It means there are limitless ways to show your gratitude."
"Fortune comes in by a merry gate." Japanese proverb
"The things that terrify us can also liberate us. It's all a matter of context. Susano'o is the proverbial double-edged sword."
"I can feel the kami. When a gentle breeze rustles my hair. When the sunlight warms my skin. When the birds trill and the ravens watch me with eyes of obsidian. When I feel these things, I can feel them."
"EVERYTHING IS PERSPECTIVE.”
I also enjoyed learning different parts and pieces of a culture that fascinates me and how it is compared to western ideologies. Kami especially as well as understanding more about Shinto. Shugendo, Buddhism etc all through another lens but also not pressuring you to accept one over the other. A Kami that I looked into further was Konohana-sakuya-hime, the Blossom-princess, a female kami who is the embodiment of the cherry tree as I have always respected and loved the fragility possessed by the cherry blossom and the symbolism it holds.
I thought the cover was great and the name so reflective of the story inside, the red under the dust jacket was also a good combination. it was all thought out and executed really well. I would be intrigued to see what else this author writes at a later stage also - and encourage people interested in the inner workings of Japanese culture to give this book a chance! *it is not a self help book as the author reminds us at the start.
Some larger passages that resonated with me:
"Their uncountable multitude reminds us that there is always space for something new and different. As I write this, my father's voice is echoing in my head. "Differences are good. If you can respect them, they are the keys to making bigger and better things."
It reminds us that spirituality is ours to take hold of, or to let go; ours to belong in, or choose not to; ours to believe in, or not; ours to interact with through an organized reli-gion, or through a more personal and playful lens. Because there are as many ways to cultivate spirituality as there are people. Each of us carries our own universe in our minds."
"You don't need a shrine to feel these things. You don't need permission. You just need to open your heart enough to hear the "voices." Because I, you, me, all of us, are surrounded by the kami, eight million of them and more, the sun, the earth, our ancestors and family. When I think about that, I'm never alone. And neither are you. Life is full of ups and downs, soaring highs and painful lows. But no matter how hard things get, we don't have to go through them alone. There are so many different ways to heal. There are so many different ways to happiness."
Format: Hardback
Favourite Quote: “if you want to do something nice for someone, you have to do it while they’re still here,” “ it doesn’t do any good to spread a comforter on a grave.”
Tropes: Journey of Healing, Ancient Traditions in the Modern World, Mindful Observation, Cultural Immersion, Nature-Based Spirituality
its a long review this one simply because I enjoyed the book and also because there was lots about it that made me reflect which is a point I am really starting to enjoy in books - this book first caught my eye with the cover and I was intrigued so I actually bought the book on release day!
It wasn't a book you could rush, it was a book you had to journey through with the author experiencing everything alongside them. Many quotes either resonated with me or intrigued me here are a few that I had to note down!
"There is no sadness greater than the inevitable journey of death," wrote the philosopher Motoori Norinaga
"You know the phrase 'eight million kami? I love that description. It means there are limitless ways to show your gratitude."
"Fortune comes in by a merry gate." Japanese proverb
"The things that terrify us can also liberate us. It's all a matter of context. Susano'o is the proverbial double-edged sword."
"I can feel the kami. When a gentle breeze rustles my hair. When the sunlight warms my skin. When the birds trill and the ravens watch me with eyes of obsidian. When I feel these things, I can feel them."
"EVERYTHING IS PERSPECTIVE.”
I also enjoyed learning different parts and pieces of a culture that fascinates me and how it is compared to western ideologies. Kami especially as well as understanding more about Shinto. Shugendo, Buddhism etc all through another lens but also not pressuring you to accept one over the other. A Kami that I looked into further was Konohana-sakuya-hime, the Blossom-princess, a female kami who is the embodiment of the cherry tree as I have always respected and loved the fragility possessed by the cherry blossom and the symbolism it holds.
I thought the cover was great and the name so reflective of the story inside, the red under the dust jacket was also a good combination. it was all thought out and executed really well. I would be intrigued to see what else this author writes at a later stage also - and encourage people interested in the inner workings of Japanese culture to give this book a chance! *it is not a self help book as the author reminds us at the start.
Some larger passages that resonated with me:
"Their uncountable multitude reminds us that there is always space for something new and different. As I write this, my father's voice is echoing in my head. "Differences are good. If you can respect them, they are the keys to making bigger and better things."
It reminds us that spirituality is ours to take hold of, or to let go; ours to belong in, or choose not to; ours to believe in, or not; ours to interact with through an organized reli-gion, or through a more personal and playful lens. Because there are as many ways to cultivate spirituality as there are people. Each of us carries our own universe in our minds."
"You don't need a shrine to feel these things. You don't need permission. You just need to open your heart enough to hear the "voices." Because I, you, me, all of us, are surrounded by the kami, eight million of them and more, the sun, the earth, our ancestors and family. When I think about that, I'm never alone. And neither are you. Life is full of ups and downs, soaring highs and painful lows. But no matter how hard things get, we don't have to go through them alone. There are so many different ways to heal. There are so many different ways to happiness."
November 9, 2025
This book was so unexpected! I've read several personal growth or pop philosophy type books that are aimed at a "Western" audience but being inspiration from various Asian countries. Frequently, Japan. But the earliest I can remember is Tao of Pooh.
Most of them have some small nuggets of wisdom. At the very least, they make a genuine effort to help the reader think about life through a slightly different lens. I expected the same from Eight Million Ways.
I got what I expected but with so much more depth, nuance, history, and insight. I'd say I know a moderate amount about Japanese culture from growing up in an area with a huge Japanese population and several years of Japanese in high school and college. Well... Nothing like a good book to remind you that you know nothing :)
The author does an amazing job introducing an ignorant reader to Shintoism, to spiritualism in Japan, and to the ways that impacts thoughts on the universe and mortality.
This is also a very personal book. It's not a textbook or academic piece. The author shares her own challenges, her grief, her exploration of healing. There's advice offered but not imposed. It all reads as very authentic.
This book is a fantastic cultural peek and just a life affirming read. A hug of a book. Highly recommend and will definitely reread myself. Probably more than once.
Most of them have some small nuggets of wisdom. At the very least, they make a genuine effort to help the reader think about life through a slightly different lens. I expected the same from Eight Million Ways.
I got what I expected but with so much more depth, nuance, history, and insight. I'd say I know a moderate amount about Japanese culture from growing up in an area with a huge Japanese population and several years of Japanese in high school and college. Well... Nothing like a good book to remind you that you know nothing :)
The author does an amazing job introducing an ignorant reader to Shintoism, to spiritualism in Japan, and to the ways that impacts thoughts on the universe and mortality.
This is also a very personal book. It's not a textbook or academic piece. The author shares her own challenges, her grief, her exploration of healing. There's advice offered but not imposed. It all reads as very authentic.
This book is a fantastic cultural peek and just a life affirming read. A hug of a book. Highly recommend and will definitely reread myself. Probably more than once.
February 9, 2026
I started this when I was doing a January in Japan reading challenge and I went in skeptical, expecting a self-help style book with small windows into Japanese culture. This book was so much more and thankfully not at all a 'self-help' book. In style, it's much more akin to Katherine May's 'Wintering', with the author sharing her personal journey with loss and her ever-changing relationship with spirituality. It offers deep insight into Japanese culture and how it intertwines with spirituality without committing to formal religion.
I learnt so much, particularly about Shinto, which the author notes hasn't often been explored well in Western texts. The book also offers an elegant exploration into some of the issues with organised religious practises. In contrast, it showcases how different spiritualities (secular, evangelical or something in-between) can coexist and intertwine. In exploring differences between cultures it had some wonderful psychological insights, such as the exploration of harmony as something that is born out of difference. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't recommend it enough to anyone interested in learning more about Japanese spirituality and/or culture.
I learnt so much, particularly about Shinto, which the author notes hasn't often been explored well in Western texts. The book also offers an elegant exploration into some of the issues with organised religious practises. In contrast, it showcases how different spiritualities (secular, evangelical or something in-between) can coexist and intertwine. In exploring differences between cultures it had some wonderful psychological insights, such as the exploration of harmony as something that is born out of difference. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't recommend it enough to anyone interested in learning more about Japanese spirituality and/or culture.
January 29, 2026
Read this for bookclub and I'm glad I did. I don't know how much will stick with me from it, but overall the messages of adaptability and modifying things to better fit your life and needs are good for anyone to hear. The author provides very interesting insights into the spirituality of Japan and the three main religions that make that up and I found myself constantly sharing tidbits with those around me.
A friend noted that it does feel as if the author is a bit disconnected from the events she describes, as she's telling us what she's learned from events rather than describing how she actually feels about things. It is more of a clinical tone and I think that plus the way the book tended to repeat itself a fair bit made it a bit hard for me to get through, but those are my only main critiques.
A friend noted that it does feel as if the author is a bit disconnected from the events she describes, as she's telling us what she's learned from events rather than describing how she actually feels about things. It is more of a clinical tone and I think that plus the way the book tended to repeat itself a fair bit made it a bit hard for me to get through, but those are my only main critiques.
February 14, 2026
I am someone who has felt a lifelong connection to Japan. This book has brought me closer to understanding some of the more ingrained elements of spirituality of Japan and its culture. The book resonated with me on many levels.
From understanding my own spirituality a little better, to experiencing the connection with a larger humane spirituality, to discovering new ways of finding a deep connection with one’s life, one’s ancestors, one’s world and to being open and grateful for all of it. On a personal level, it has taught me new ways of processing the grief and loss that comes from the passing of a loved one.
The book has created a new hunger to revisit Japan again. To see it in a new light.
I want to take this opportunity to thank the author for all of the above.
Arigato gozaimasu! 🙏🏻
From understanding my own spirituality a little better, to experiencing the connection with a larger humane spirituality, to discovering new ways of finding a deep connection with one’s life, one’s ancestors, one’s world and to being open and grateful for all of it. On a personal level, it has taught me new ways of processing the grief and loss that comes from the passing of a loved one.
The book has created a new hunger to revisit Japan again. To see it in a new light.
I want to take this opportunity to thank the author for all of the above.
Arigato gozaimasu! 🙏🏻
January 27, 2026
On Aspects of a Spiritually-savoured Japanese Cultural Life.
I have read many, many books on Japan - by Japanese writers and by others who have lived in Japan reflecting on their experiences among whom Patrick Smith (aka Patrick Lawrence) and Donald Keene, Herbert Passin, Lafcadio Hearn, Paul Glynn SJ and Frank Gibney for various reasons are standouts. But for clarity of explanation interwoven with deep reflection from her own life - Hiroko Yoda’s book is stunningly outstanding. On many pages - out of my 16+ years living in Japan - I could have - and in many instances did - or which illuminated aspects which had, to a degree, puzzled me - highlight things which had special resonance for me. And I suspect I may have even been ‘a foreigner’ who claimed to be Shintō (though using an ~ist term I thought appropriate) . You might find that aside in your own reading of this exciting and totally trustworthy book destined surely to become a go-to classic on ways to happiness. On ways to understand human spirituality. It’s not just for Japanese people - it’s for all of us.
I have read many, many books on Japan - by Japanese writers and by others who have lived in Japan reflecting on their experiences among whom Patrick Smith (aka Patrick Lawrence) and Donald Keene, Herbert Passin, Lafcadio Hearn, Paul Glynn SJ and Frank Gibney for various reasons are standouts. But for clarity of explanation interwoven with deep reflection from her own life - Hiroko Yoda’s book is stunningly outstanding. On many pages - out of my 16+ years living in Japan - I could have - and in many instances did - or which illuminated aspects which had, to a degree, puzzled me - highlight things which had special resonance for me. And I suspect I may have even been ‘a foreigner’ who claimed to be Shintō (though using an ~ist term I thought appropriate) . You might find that aside in your own reading of this exciting and totally trustworthy book destined surely to become a go-to classic on ways to happiness. On ways to understand human spirituality. It’s not just for Japanese people - it’s for all of us.
March 31, 2026
A delightful insight into Japanese spirituality and culture and its unique, syncretic approach to faith/ religiosity. I began reading the book shortly after embarking on my first trip to Japan and finished it in a remote mountain resort up in Hokkaido. While probably no tourist will get to experience all the facets described in the book, from the bon odori dances to the ykata shamannesses’ communication with the spirits of the deceased, it is definitely worth understanding the way spirituality and gratitude impregnates every aspect of Japanese life, from the way mealtime wishes are passed around to the way Japanese family integrate Shinto, Buddhism, Shugendo and probably several other traditions in their daily lives.
April 10, 2026
This book provided some helpful cultural translation and explanation about Japanese spirituality, that will be much appreciated as I travel to Japan this summer. It has certainly provided a lot of context for sites I will be visiting. The author made a lot of history seem accessible. I enjoyed the first half much more than the second, which felt repetitive and long winded. I did like the way the author wove the genres of memoir, cultural analysis, and history together. I especially appreciate learning about Shinto, as there seems to be limited literature on the subject written for a western audience.
August 10, 2025
Somehow I expected something very different from a Japanese book titled Eight Million Ways to Happiness. Perhaps, something more of an Ikigai theme, but obviously deeper (seeing that the number in itself is big).
But this turned out to be a fascinating exploration of Japanese culture and traditions. It had all the feels and a detailed journey going through various stages of a person's life - in exploration of self and life in general.
It's deeply personal and well researched. It could easily become an academic book as well.
But this turned out to be a fascinating exploration of Japanese culture and traditions. It had all the feels and a detailed journey going through various stages of a person's life - in exploration of self and life in general.
It's deeply personal and well researched. It could easily become an academic book as well.
December 12, 2025
If you are interested in learning more about the Japanese culture, I highly recommend Hiroko Yoda's 8 Million Ways to Happiness.
Hiroko's inviting non-Japanese people into the Japanese culture. She presents a world thrumming in a web of connection. Hiroko encourages people from around the world to appreciate simple joys and how interconnected we all are. When sitting down for a meal, the Japanese say "Itadakimasu" which means “I humbly accept."
Although Japanese spirituality is intertwined with their culture, there isn't a religious requirement to appreciating a moment from the Japanese perspective.
As Hiroko mentioned in our thought echoes podcast interview https://www.bethbonness.com/podcast/h..., the simple act of eating a banana is about more than food, it's about the soil and sun required to grow the banana, the farmers and grocery stores bringing that produce to us. Nothing we experience is in a vacuum and 8 Million Ways to Happiness offers a broader lens to look at the world.
Thank you Hiroko for sharing in English so those outside of Japan can gain a glimpse of what you experience every day.
Hiroko's inviting non-Japanese people into the Japanese culture. She presents a world thrumming in a web of connection. Hiroko encourages people from around the world to appreciate simple joys and how interconnected we all are. When sitting down for a meal, the Japanese say "Itadakimasu" which means “I humbly accept."
Although Japanese spirituality is intertwined with their culture, there isn't a religious requirement to appreciating a moment from the Japanese perspective.
As Hiroko mentioned in our thought echoes podcast interview https://www.bethbonness.com/podcast/h..., the simple act of eating a banana is about more than food, it's about the soil and sun required to grow the banana, the farmers and grocery stores bringing that produce to us. Nothing we experience is in a vacuum and 8 Million Ways to Happiness offers a broader lens to look at the world.
Thank you Hiroko for sharing in English so those outside of Japan can gain a glimpse of what you experience every day.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4 stars - thank you to Dutton and Tiny Reparations Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for a review. All opinions in this review are my own.
I've never read a book in the Spirituality category before, and I'm so glad I decided to make this one my first one! Hiroko Yoda does such a great job explaining Japan's view around religion & spirituality while interweaving her own personal experiences. Even though I am not super familiar with the practices of Shinto and Buddhism, she made me really appreciate both of these practices and how those who do honor these religions view the world. I have visited several Japanese temples, and this book gave me a much deeper appreciation for having visited those sites while I was in Japan.
There were several things from this book that I will use as takeaways for how I navigate the world going forward - I don't often highlight passages in books, but this one had me highlighting a lot!
I've never read a book in the Spirituality category before, and I'm so glad I decided to make this one my first one! Hiroko Yoda does such a great job explaining Japan's view around religion & spirituality while interweaving her own personal experiences. Even though I am not super familiar with the practices of Shinto and Buddhism, she made me really appreciate both of these practices and how those who do honor these religions view the world. I have visited several Japanese temples, and this book gave me a much deeper appreciation for having visited those sites while I was in Japan.
There were several things from this book that I will use as takeaways for how I navigate the world going forward - I don't often highlight passages in books, but this one had me highlighting a lot!
January 11, 2026
I listened to this audiobook on a 21 mile hike and it was very fitting for my journey! It was interesting but not what I expected when I read the title. I would reccomend reading with an open mind and stick with it even when it feels monotonous. Wasn't my favorite read (or listen) but it had some encouraging themes.
March 9, 2026
I enjoyed this enough. I upped it from 3 to 4 stars because I think if I was reading this as research prior to going to Japan or something I would enjoy it more? But also I found the author so likeable. As in, I kid of wish I'd bump into her in real life and have a chat because I think her aura would be really soothing.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Self-help books are not my thing, but wanted to give this a shot, because I do love cultures. I’m glad I did. It talked about grief and spirituality..and having lost my mom recently and knowing my dad is aging, i appreciated the new outlook.
February 7, 2026
Це глибоко особиста історія про те, як смерть матері відкрила авторці шлях до переосмислення духовних традицій власної батьківщини, які, попри їхню всюдисущість, часто залишаються невидимими навіть для самих японців.
March 8, 2026
I had about 100 pages left but just couldn’t go on. It’s a well-written book full of really interesting facts and insights but it’s SO repetitive I didn’t think the remaining pages would have anything mind blowing to offer. If it has been edited down a bit more I probably would’ve given four stars.
March 14, 2026
A beautifully written memoir but also spiritual and cultural exploration of Japan. I wish I’d read this before visiting Japan, and I know it will frame a deeper understanding of the next time I visit!
April 11, 2026
What an incredible book on the diversity and flexibility of Japan’s spirituality - drawn from Shinto, Buddhism and Shugendo. I will keep rereading this for decades and it deeply resonates with me :) a very enjoyable. 5 Stars!
May 10, 2026
Libro que aborda la espiritualidad en Japón. Lo hace de manera ordenada y sencilla para que sea más facil adentrarte en el tema.Combina historia con asuntos personalea de la autora.
Muy recomendable. No es el típico libro de autoayuda, es más bien un ensayo.
Muy recomendable. No es el típico libro de autoayuda, es más bien un ensayo.
February 10, 2026
A lovely, gentle, uplifting book about the spiritual traditions of Japan and their impact on Japanese society today.
February 14, 2026
Very interesting subject matter. The book kept me engaged! Learned so much about Japan culture.
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