Malia Yoshioka is a freelance Food & Travel Writer and ESL Tutor from Hawaii. She's slowly eating her way around the world, 43 countries and counting so far! Get behind the scenes news, travel tips and the best food stories from around the web in her weekly Savor the Journey newsletter.
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Looking for light where we can โจ
Published 6 months agoย โขย 4 min read
๐ Greetings from Tokyo!
The start of this year has already felt so heavy in many ways, and I know many of us are feeling the need to consciously look for moments of steadiness and light where we can.
Itโs said you have to be lucky to get a clear view of Mt. Fuji, so I took it as an good sign when I got this view from the Shinkansen on my way back to Tokyo.
For me, being in Japan and spending time connecting with the language and culture over the past few weeks has offered up many moments of glimmers. โ โExperiencing familiar new year rituals in their place of origin helped me better understand some of the traditions I grew up with in Hawaii and why theyโve stayed with me all these years.
On a practical note, Iโm putting the finishing touches on the free gift attendees of my DIY Trip Summit talk will receive: What to Eat in Europe (and where to find it).
To get your copy and watch my presentation when it goes live on Tuesday, click here:
Click the image to sign up for your free DIY Trip Summit ticket - my presentation is Day 1 (Tuesday January 13th)
Also, the First Class Pass is currently at its lowest price before the summit begins, so consider upgrading now if you'd like to take your time with all the talks and resources!
Stay warm, stay safe, stay kind,
โคโ๐ฉน If you are in the US and feeling helpless with regards to issues in the news, an easy action step is to call your congressional representatives to voice your concerns.
โจ Featured on Shoyu Sugar
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โฉ Starting off 2026
I made it to two shrines and a temple all before noon on January 1st, to get the year off to a good start!
Growing up in Hawaii, I celebrated Japanese New Year traditions passed down through generations. Experiencing them in Japan gave those rituals new meaning.
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Destination Inspiration โ
Ketti from Tiltled Map brings us Sustainable New Yearโs Resolutionsto kick off the year right. (Psst... Ketti is also a presenter at the DIY Trip Summit, Day 3, January 15!)
In his video essay Kansas Never Plays Itself, travel writer Rolf Potts examines how his hometown has been imagined and mythologized on screen, and why accurate representation of place matters.
Enter to win a Visa gift card worth up to $500 and free celery from Duda farm fresh foods for a year. Enter by 2/6. Details here.
The Gist is giving away a trip to Buffalo Trace Distillery, a Big Game experience or a Chris Stapleton concert. Enter by 2/28. Details here.
Viking Cruises is giving away An 8-Day Mediterranean Ocean Cruise for two plus roundtrip business-class airfare. Enter by 3/31. Details here.
โ Free travel resources
Visit my new foodie travel resource library! It's a work in progress and I'll be adding resources & discounts from companies and creators I trust. The password is โeatlikealocalโ since thatโs the best way to get to know a place.
I've started bookmarking my favorite food tours while I've been taking some in the US. Do you have any standouts that you'd add? Want an international version? Reply and let me know what you think! ๐
I'm a freelance food and travel writer and guidebook author from Hawaii, slowly eating my way around the world and sharing the flavors with you in these weekly updates and on ShoyuSugar.comโ
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๐ Catch up on past editions of the newsletter here
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I hope you enjoy the behind the scenes look at my work as well as specially curated food, travel and language news from around the world. โ If you'd like to help to support my work, please feel free to use my virtual tip jar. โ My inbox is always open and I'd love to hear from you if you have questions, feedback or suggestions. And of course if you no longer want to receive these newsletters, no hard feelings. Just click the unsubscribe button below.
Malia Yoshioka is a freelance Food & Travel Writer and ESL Tutor from Hawaii. She's slowly eating her way around the world, 43 countries and counting so far! Get behind the scenes news, travel tips and the best food stories from around the web in her weekly Savor the Journey newsletter.
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