We sense a dreamlike quality to the way Cheesie speaks about Japan, as though the line between imagination and reality never fully settled. What began as a distant childhood longing has unfolded into something far more immersive, a life built within the very landscape she once believed she could only briefly visit. Back then, the idea of Japan felt impossibly out of reach, shaped by distance and circumstance. Today, seven years into living there, the feeling has not faded. If anything, it has deepened into a quiet disbelief, where each day carries the same sense of wonder as the first.
Her early days in Japan mirrored a familiar narrative, one shaped by the allure of the visually striking and the widely celebrated. Like many drawn to the country’s cultural aesthetic, she found herself immersed in its more visible charms, the vibrant, the picturesque, the instantly shareable. Over time, however, that perspective began to shift. The beauty she came to value was no longer the one that demanded attention, but the kind that revealed itself slowly. It existed in subtle details, in fleeting moments that could easily pass unnoticed. This realisation changed not only how she experienced her surroundings, but also how she chose to document them.
Living in the countryside became a turning point. Removed from the constant stimulation of urban life, her awareness sharpened in quieter ways. The rhythm of her days began to centre around small, often overlooked occurrences, swallows building their nests, the sound of wind moving through trees, vegetables left silently at her door by a neighbour. These moments, though seemingly ordinary, carried a sense of completeness that did not require amplification. Rather than searching for meaning, she found herself simply paying attention, allowing significance to exist without force.
The transition, however, was not without its complexities. While practical challenges were expected, it was the internal shift that proved more difficult to navigate. Moving to Japan offered her the opportunity to begin again, to leave certain aspects of her past behind. In many ways, she felt an immediate sense of belonging, one that contrasted sharply with the experiences of many expatriates. Yet alongside that comfort came an unexpected emotion, guilt. Loving a place so deeply, especially one that was not tied to her by nationality, created a tension that was difficult to articulate. It was a feeling shaped not by doubt, but by the intensity of connection itself.
Her approach to content creation evolved alongside these experiences. What began as an instinctive slowing down gradually became intentional. The fast paced nature of digital content, with its constant demand for output and engagement, began to feel overwhelming. Choosing to step away from that rhythm was less a creative decision and more a personal necessity. Now, her work is guided by a desire to create space rather than fill it, to offer something that feels like a pause rather than another layer of noise. If her audience leaves with a sense of calm or grounding, she considers that enough.
Daily life in Japan has also introduced her to cultural nuances that have quietly reshaped her perspective. There is a deep sense of consideration embedded in everyday interactions, an awareness of how one’s actions affect others, even in the smallest ways. This attentiveness extends beyond behaviour into a broader respect for process, where the manner in which something is done holds as much value as the outcome itself. Practices such as saying itadakimasu before a meal may seem simple, yet over time they cultivate a deeper sense of gratitude and presence. These are not lessons explicitly taught, but ones absorbed gradually, influencing how she moves through the world.
Balancing the act of documenting life while fully experiencing it has required a conscious shift. There was a time when moments were filtered through the lens of how they might be captured, a way of living that felt productive but created a subtle distance from reality. The stillness of the countryside altered that dynamic. Now, experience comes first. Only if a moment lingers, if it continues to resonate beyond its passing, does it find its way into her content. This approach has allowed her to reclaim a sense of immediacy, where not everything needs to be shared in order to hold value.
Interestingly, her work does not aim for universal relatability. In fact, she moves deliberately in the opposite direction, embracing a specificity that may not resonate with everyone. For her, connection is not built through broad appeal or novelty, but through truth. What matters is not how widely something is understood, but how deeply it is felt.
If there is one place where she feels entirely aligned with herself, it is here. Japan, she says, is not just a location but a space where she feels closest to her own heart, in a way that defies logic or explanation. It is a connection that exists beyond language, beyond reasoning, rooted instead in something instinctive and deeply personal.
Looking ahead, she resists the urge to define what comes next. The future, in her view, is not something to be controlled or predicted. Her training in Yamabushi philosophy has reinforced the importance of presence, of fully accepting what is in front of her. She likens life to a game of Tetris, where the pieces arrive without warning and cannot be chosen. The only task is to place them where they fit, to respond rather than anticipate. In that simple act of acceptance, she has found a sense of clarity.
Cheesie’s journey is not one of grand declarations, but of quiet transformation. It is a life shaped by attention, by stillness, and by a willingness to embrace what is, rather than chase what could be.
