On Belonging, Art, and the Hidden Power of Home | Part 3

The Air in Hiroshima – Finding Home by Choice

After years of living elsewhere, Hazuki eventually returned to Hiroshima. Not because she had to, but because it felt right.

“It’s the air. I land and feel at ease.”

Despite all the places she’s lived, Japan – and Hiroshima in particular – remains her center. “There’s something about how people think here. It just matches me. I relate to it deeply.”

But even here, identity can feel complicated. “When I talk about my overseas experiences, people sometimes see me as ‘different.’ But when I’m abroad, I’m just Japanese. I’m constantly navigating that space.”

Still, Hazuki isn’t trying to resolve those contradictions. She’s owning them.

Whether it’s making tacos passed down from her time in Mexico, revisiting old art teachers in Lausanne, or dreaming about a possible move to Vancouver, Hazuki carries every place she’s been. But she isn’t split between them.

“Japan is where I feel most like myself. But it’s because I’ve seen so many places, I know that with clarity.”