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| Calligraphy by Nako Oizumi |
The evolution of a single human neither starts with their birth, nor stops with the end of their childhood. Each of us has been given pieces of the past by previous generations from which we make new meaning and, in turn, hand it on to the young.
In the 10 months that this column has been running, I've profiled people who have experienced life-changing transformations -- that is to say, evolution from what they were, into what they will become. Through their connection with nature, with the Japan of their ancestors and the philosophies of Asia, they have crafted new, more enriching lives for themselves. These new lives are simultaneously a result of their own personal evolution as well as living examples of ways for others to grow and develop.
Not least of the beneficiaries of this rich life they've created are their own children. In my travels all over rural Japan, I have met many of them, and I can say without hesitation that they are all remarkable human beings.