Beauty for All
Walks of Life

I grew up in Saga Prefecture, where fireflies were a familiar part of early summer. Every June, after dinner, I would often go for evening walks along the riverside in search of fireflies. On nights when they were out in full force, the river sparkled like the night sky, and their glowing lights seemed like moving stars.

Now living in Tokyo, I find it hard to share those magical scenes with my children, who were born and raised here. But last year, I discovered that Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo in Bunkyo Ward raises and displays fireflies in their garden during the summer season. So I took my kids to see them.

While it couldn’t quite compare to the rivers of Saga, the fireflies fluttering through the hotel garden, softly glowing as they floated through the air, completely captivated my children. This year, we went again—after enjoying a Sunday evening meal at the hotel, we wandered into the garden to watch the fireflies.

On the way home, my daughter and son both cheerfully said, “That was so much fun!”—just like they always do. Hearing that made my heart feel warm and full.

Yoshiko Kuno