P ractically speaking, the wheels of this book were set in motion over steaming bowls of noodles at a rāmen bar in London, with my brilliant agent Caroline Hardman of Hardman & Swainson. I am eternally grateful to Caroline for her unending enthusiasm for this project, and to her colleague Thérèse Coen for getting it into the hands of people all over the world, in many different languages. It is an absolute privilege to share my love of all things Japanese with so many people, and I hope this book inspires you to make your own visit to Japan.

I offer a deep bow to my marvellous editor, Anna Steadman, to Jillian Stewart, Anne Newman, Beth Wright, Aimee Kitson, Bekki Guyatt and the rest of the fantastic team at Piatkus and Little, Brown, for bringing this book to life, getting it out into the world in such a beautiful way, and allowing me to do what I love and call it work. And I would like to say a special thank-you to my friend Hidetoshi Nakata for the beautiful foreword he shared in this book.

The truth is, I have been carrying this book inside me for the best part of two decades, and for that I am deeply grateful to my friends and surrogate families in Japan (the Itōs, the Adachis and Hilary Frank), and my long-suffering teachers at the University of Durham, the University of Bath and the Kyōto Institute of Culture and Language, as well as the many strangers who have shown me extraordinary kindness along the way.

I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Dr Naomi Cross, Kaori Nishizawa, Hiroko Tamaki and Bruce Hamana for their support in checking Japanese language and cultural references and historical facts, and for their incredible patience in the face of my endless questions. Any errors that slipped through the net are solely my responsibility.

This journey has been a treasure hunt. Every conversation held a clue. Throwaway comments led to particular books, or poems or places. A friend of a friend’s introduction to ‘someone you must meet’ has led to unexpected insights, and yet more introductions. It was quite daunting to head out on this journey, truly not knowing where it would take me, but it has been worth the leap of faith.

Outside of the history books, cultural salons, shrines, temples and forests, I found the real truth of wabi sabi in the hearts of people who showed me, without always telling me, what it can teach us. My particular thanks go to: Ai Matsuyama, Atsushi Hioki, Ayumi Nagata, Chikako Hosoya, Daisuke Sanada, Duncan Flett, Hiroko Tayama, Hiroshi Nagashima, Izumi Texidor Hirai, Kazuma Sugimoto, Kao Sōsa, Ken Igarashi, Kumiko Miyazaki, Kyōji Miura, Kyōko Adachi, Louie Miura, Louise Arai, Mai Nishiyama, Makiko Hastings, Master Hoshino, Matthew Claudel, Michiyuki Adachi, Mina Fujita, Mineyo Kanie, Nele Duprix, Norifumi Fujita, Noriko Hara, Pia Jane Bijkerk, Professor Peter Cheyne, Reishi Tayama, Saeko Tsukimi, Sara Kabariti, Sayaka Sanada, Seiko Mabuchi, Setsuko Sakae, Shigeyuki and Hiroko Shimizu, Shōji Maeda, Shōjirō Frank, Shūichi Haruyama, Reverend Takafumi Kawakami, Takashi Okuno, Takayuki Odajima, Dr Teruaki Matsuzaki, Tetsuo Shimizu, Tim Romero, Tina Sakuragi, Tomi Matsuba, Toshinao Iwaki, Wataru Kataoka, Yōko Kurisu, Yoshinao Kanie, Yukako Itō, Yumiko Sekine and Yumiko Tanaka.

I am also grateful to the incredibly helpful staff of the Bodleian Japanese Library (University of Oxford), the SOAS Library (University of London) the Smithsonian Institute (Washington), the Raku Museum, the Forestry and Fisheries Department of the Takashima City Government and the Elderly Welfare Department of the Nagoya City Government.

Warm thanks go to the staff of Shunkō-in Temple, the House of Light, japan-experience.com , Mettricks and the Arvon Foundation who gave me homes for writing. Particular thanks go to Emily, Jayne and Marilyn for that first reading by the wood burner.

Huge thanks go to Lilla Rogers, Rachael Taylor and Kelly Rae Roberts – the most generous and supportive business partners I could hope for. And to our team, without whom there would have been no time to write: Jitna Bhagani, Louise Gale, Vic Dickenson, Holly Wells, Kelly Crossley, Simon Brown, Rachael Hibbert, Mark Burgess, Liam Frost, Fiona Duffy, Rachel Kempton, Nichole Poinski. I also bow deeply to Jonathan Fields and Dr Martin Shaw for their inspiring mentorship.

And to the thousands of people in my wonderful community at www.dowhatyouloveforlife.com and all the female entrepreneurs in our members’ club, www.hellosoulhellobusiness.com , who have shared stories, challenges and celebrations since we began the company almost a decade ago. You have my deepest respect for showing up, opening up and trusting the journey.

There are never enough words to thank my parents for supporting my crazy idea to learn Japanese all those years ago (and all the other crazy ideas I have had since). I am also grateful to them and my parents-in-law, for the generous help that has made it possible to write two books while my children are still under five. Otsukaresama deshita .

And most of all, to Mr K, for holding the fort while I travelled and wrote, for learning Japanese, so you could speak to my friends and for being the best life partner I could have ever hoped for. I have never met anyone with such an enormous heart, and sharing my life with you and our two gorgeous children is my greatest joy. To those daughters, Sienna and Maia, I cannot wait to share my love of Japan with you one day soon.