Back on the Mainland #fieldnotes #sunset #japan
I’m back on the mainland after months on a quiet island in southern Japan.
Rush hour. Trains arriving. A different rhythm of life.
Yet at sunset, something familiar appears.
The same sun that lights a remote island also glows over steel tracks and tangled wires in the city.
Different places. Different rhythms.
The same light.
—
Lowell Sheppard is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and author of Longevity and the Art of Community: Lessons from Japan. Through the Never Too Late Academy Longevity Project, he travels across Japan exploring the secrets of long, healthy, independent lives.
I’m back on the mainland after months on a quiet island in southern Japan.
Rush hour. Trains arriving. A different rhythm of life.
Yet at sunset, something familiar appears.
The same sun that lights a remote island also glows over steel tracks and tangled wires in the city.
Different places. Different rhythms.
The same light.
—
Lowell Sheppard is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and author of Longevity and the Art of Community: Lessons from Japan. Through the Never Too Late Academy Longevity Project, he travels across Japan exploring the secrets of long, healthy, independent lives.
Back on the Mainland #fieldnotes #sunset #japan Locations
- Nagoya (35.1814506,136.9065571)
Pacific Solo
Hi, I`m Lowell, a 67-year-old rookie sailor, and a never-too-later! I preparing myself for the biggest challenge of my life: a solo journey across the North Pacific. I am a Canadian living in Japan, and in 2019, I purchased Wahine, a 1988 Gib Sea 402. I moved on board while she was moored in Tokyo. In March 2021, I terminated my contract with the Marina and have been cruising Japan full time since gaining valuable experience all the while working remotely from the boat. Wahine is my home, my studio, and my lab. Join me on my learning voyage around Japan, trying to prepare myself for Pacific Solo. If you want to see where I am please go to my website and click on the Where`s Wahine Button at https://www.pacificsolo.com Also, if you are a fellow never-too-later check out www.nevertoolateacademy.com PSThe History Channel asked if they follow me into various remote ports for a new series called Dare to Dream. The pilot airs in Japan July 24th at 8pm.
Channel Information:
Social Media Links:
Note of Recognition for Pacific Solo
At WeBoating.com, we profoundly acknowledge the unwavering dedication that Pacific Solo and other creators invests in crafting each and every video. Their passion for delivering exceptional content shines through every frame, and it's a labor of love that deserves your attention.
We invite you to watch their captivating videos and actively engage with their content, including their social media links above. Liking, commenting, and sharing their work goes a long way in fueling their creative fire.
We're also inviting you to explore any sponsorships and partnerships highlighted in the video description of "Back on the Mainland #fieldnotes #sunset #japan", or directly on YouTube. By considering their offerings or purchasing services and items, you not only support Pacific Solo but also the brands and collaborators they're associated with.
If you have any feedback, corrections, or additional information about Pacific Solo or their videos, please use the comment form below to share your thoughts with us.
Thank you for being a part of our community and supporting the creators we cherish. Your time and support truly matter!
Pacific Solo Lastest Videos
Back on the Mainland #fieldnotes #sunset #japan
I’m back on the mainland after months on a quiet island in southern Japan. Rush hour. Trains arriving. A different rhythm of life. Yet at sunset, something familiar appears. The same sun that lights a remote island also glows over steel tracks and tan...
She’s 92 and Wants to Sail With Me #longevity #japan #superagers
I’m flying to the mainland for a conference on aging with the International Academic Forum But when I return to Amami, something special is happening. A 92-year-old woman named Chiharu, who still plays golf and tennis, is coming to sail on my boat. She...
Leaving Wahine for a While / A New Chapter Begins #JapanSolo #healthyaging #IAFOR
This morning I leave Wahine, my boat in Buren Bay on Amami Ōshima, for a few weeks. The next month will take me to an international aging and gerontology conference organized by the International Academic Forum @iaformedia, a birthday gathering with fami...
The Sweet Potato Truck #fieldnotes #superfood #japan
A few minutes ago I heard singing drifting through this tiny village of twenty-nine people. Then a small truck appeared selling roasted sweet potatoes — a favorite food of Japan’s super-agers. Neighbours stepped out of their homes one by one to buy s...
The Morning After the Gale #fieldnotes #sailing
Last night a full gale blew across Buren Bay. From Mitsu’s old house near the shore I listened to the wind roll over the roof and wondered how Wahine was handling it out on the mooring. Boats are strange companions. You care for them… and they carry...
Three Days. Same Bay #fieldnotes #JapanSolo #mindset
Three days in the same bay. Wednesday calm. Thursday rain. Friday wind. Life near the sea offers a simple reminder: The weather keeps us humble and shapes our mindset. Field Notes from Japan`s Longevity Hot Spots Lowell Sheppard is a writer and sailo...
Seeing Things Twice #fieldnotes #agingwell #beautiful
A calm morning in Amami. When the Bay goes still, things appear twice. Above and below. Sometimes a familiar place looks different when you pause long enough to notice. #JapanSolo #FieldNotes #SailingLife #Amami #SlowTravelJapan #beautiful
The One Thing Sailing Teaches You #JapanSolo #sailinglife #writerslife
Waiting day in Amami. The wind is too strong to paddle out to my boat, Wahine, anchored in the bay — so I wait. At the same time, far away in London, my agent is showing my new book, Longevity and the Art of Community: Lessons from Japan, to publishers...
Visitors Pass Through. Community Stays #FieldNotes #JapanSolo #travel
Namba, with its lively Dotonbori area, is one of Osaka's busiest areas. It is filled with visitors from around the world. But places like this only work because of the people who belong here, the cooks, shopkeepers, and workers who show up every day. V...
Longevity`s Trait is Often a Quieter Rhythm. #fieldnotes #longevity #japan
Still water. A quiet harbor. A small boat resting in the breeze. Moments like this remind me that longevity isn’t always about doing more. Sometimes it follows a quieter rhythm. Scenes like this appear often while traveling through Japan’s coastal co...
Japan’s 3-Minute Longevity Habit #fieldnotes #RadioTaiso #Longevity
Every morning across Japan, millions of people begin the day with Radio Taiso — a short series of simple exercises broadcast nationally. It only takes a few minutes, but it reflects something deeper: rhythm, routine, and community. Longevity in Japan m...
While I was visiting Longevity Villages … This Happened #fieldnotes #japan #community
While I’ve been away visiting Japan’s longevity hotspots and gathering field notes for my book, Wahine has been quietly waiting at the dock. But apparently not alone. Some local visitors decided to make themselves at home, so on this trip away, I’v...
Why Rural Japan Doesn’t Feel Lonely #Japan #VillageLife #fieldnotes
Rural Japan is often described as aging, shrinking, or falling behind. But spend time in a small village and you see something else. Less speed. More ritual. Less separation. More belonging. In aging societies, community isn’t sentimental — it’s s...
There Isn’t One Japan | Unlearning Number 1 #fieldnotes #japan #longevity
From a distance, Japan looks uniform. On the ground, it fragments. A fishing village in Okinawa doesn’t move like Osaka. A mountain town in Nagano doesn’t age like Nagoya. Longevity in Japan isn’t national. It’s local. This is the first in a sh...
Everything I Thought About Japan Was Wrong #fieldnotes #slowtravel #japansolo
After years of travelling slowly across Japan — by sailboat, train, and on foot — I realised something unexpected: The hardest lessons weren’t about learning more. They were about unlearning assumptions. Not facts. Narratives. Cultural shortcuts. ...
Japan’s Plastic Conference – A View from the Waterline
Next week, Japan hosts an international conference on plastic pollution. I won’t be in the room, but I live at the waterline. From here, plastic pollution isn’t abstract. It’s mechanical. It’s physical. It can be dangerous. A discarded fishing ne...
Longevity Looks Like This #healthspan #movement #fieldnotes
In Japan’s longevity communities, people don’t chase intensity. They keep moving. Not fast. Not forceful. Slow enough to feel the ground beneath them and the elements around them. Sun. Air. Water. Over time, that rhythm compounds. These are field ...
Quarters Vs Seasons #fieldnotes #slowtravel #japan
In cities, time often feels segmented. In the countryside, it feels cyclical. Quarters versus seasons. Spending time in both makes you notice how differently time is structured — and how that might shape how we live over decades. Field Notes from rura...
Shared Abundance #fieldnotes #japan #abundance
Tankan are in season here in this remote Island, a designated World Heritage Site. A woman came by the boat, leaving me with two bags full. No transaction. Just abundance shared. Belonging often begins with proximity. Field notes from Buren Bay. #Fie...
111 Years, One Community #fieldnotes #japan #longevity
Kiyotaka Mizuno, Japan’s oldest man, died at 111. His mayor described him as “a symbol of vitality and good health.” Longevity at that level is rarely individual. It is deeply communal. Field notes from Japan.#fieldnotes #japan #longevity
Managing Tension at the Wall #slowtravel #fieldnotes #boatlife
Out in the middle of the bay, the boat rises and falls without much effort. Tied to the wall, I adjust the lines throughout the day. The tide is the same. The setting changes the work. Field notes from Buren Bay. #FieldNotes #BoatLife #SlowTravel #Amami...
Moving the Boat on a Mirror-Smooth Morning #FieldNotes #BoatLife #SlowTravel
I moved the boat today. The water was mirror smooth. Mountains resting in their own reflections. For an hour it felt like I wasn’t moving at all. Sometimes motion feels like stillness. Field notes from Buren Bay. #FieldNotes #BoatLife #SlowTravel #A...
Oranges and Bleach #fieldnotes #japan #travel
I’ve been provisioning the boat. Somewhere between oranges and bleach, I managed to fall. Nothing to dramatic — just a swollen elbow and a reminder. Longevity isn’t about living long. It’s about staying steady. Field notes from Buren Bay. #Wri...
Something AWESOME is coming!
Be the FIRST to know⛵
Sign up for exclusive updates and be the first to hear when we go live!
Get sneak peeks, exciting announcement, and special content straight to your inbox!
We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.