Furusato
An essay reflecting on fieldwork in a remote Yamagata mountain village during the pandemic. Written for Komaba Times, it explores daily life, resilience, and the layered meaning of furusato—not just a hometown, but a “home of the heart.”
April 2022
Komaba Times
Furusato
Essay published in Komaba Times Issue 11, 2022
This essay was written for Komaba Times during my fieldwork stay in a mountain village in Yamagata Prefecture. I reflect on the everyday rhythms of rural life, encounters with local residents, and the small details—like cucumbers delivered by neighbors, anime episodes rationed one per day, or visits to aging households—that shaped my understanding of furusato.
In Japanese, furusato literally means “hometown,” but it carries a deeper resonance as the “home of the heart.” Through this piece, I explore how fieldwork and lived experiences in the village reshaped my sense of belonging, memory, and continuity in uncertain times.
Read the full essay here.