With the 2026 re-release of my memoir, I’m seeing The Same Moon in a new light.

That’s in part because I was asked to do a book talk featuring my book as part of Women’s History Month.

Although my story’s setting is primarily 1990s rural Japan, my first thought was, “Am I even old enough to be historical?“

And then it occurred to me: 2026 marks 40 years since I first went to Japan and fell in love with that culture and its people.

Over the past four decades I’ve taken hundreds of photos and collected many Japanese items — some of which rarely see the light of day. I’m at the age now where I’ve begun to wonder, What is the point of that?

For that book talk in March, I gathered up a crate-full of Japanese things to display and pass around the room.

I watched as people held each of these items and listened to their questions. One woman took a photo of a furoshiki, a cotton square used to wrap gifts and other things. Inspired by its moon-and-rabbit design, she declared, “That moon is going to make it into one of my quilts.”

[Furoshiki photo coming soon]

And then I taught them a Japanese folkdance.

It all encouraged me to share more.

So in the coming days … months … I’ll be adding items mentioned in my book, plus others that I hope will give you a sense of the Japan I love.

Welcome to my work in progress! I’m building this airplane while flying it (per usual).

Here are The Same Moon images by chapter.

Here are general images of Japan and Japanese memorabilia — coming soon.