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.
After years of writing, the strange part begins.
The moment when the book is no longer entirely in your hands.
—
Lowell Sheppard is a writer, sailor, and Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society exploring how people stay active and connected into old age across Japan. His latest book, Longevity and the Art of Community: Lessons from Japan, is the result of two years living and traveling in Japan`s Longevity Hot Spots
#JapanSolo
#FieldNotes
#SailingLife
#Amami
#AuthorLife
#AgingWell
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.
After years of writing, the strange part begins.
The moment when the book is no longer entirely in your hands.
—
Lowell Sheppard is a writer, sailor, and Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society exploring how people stay active and connected into old age across Japan. His latest book, Longevity and the Art of Community: Lessons from Japan, is the result of two years living and traveling in Japan`s Longevity Hot Spots
#JapanSolo
#FieldNotes
#SailingLife
#Amami
#AuthorLife
#AgingWell
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.
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Pacific Solo Lastest Videos
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...
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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
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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
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Longevity Looks Like This #healthspan #movement #fieldnotes
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Quarters Vs Seasons #fieldnotes #slowtravel #japan
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Shared Abundance #fieldnotes #japan #abundance
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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
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Moving the Boat on a Mirror-Smooth Morning #FieldNotes #BoatLife #SlowTravel
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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...
Making Use of the Day #japan #slowtravel #fieldnotes
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Where I Stay #fieldnotes #japan #slowtravel
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Slow Travel Includes Waiting #FieldNotes #travel #japan
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Travel Is a Method #FieldNotes #Japan #SlowTravel
This leg of the journey was meant to be by sea. A storm changed that. The logistics shifted — the question behind the journey didn’t. Field notes from the road. #FieldNotes #Japan #SlowTravel #Longevity #Inquiry
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