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 you. — Field Notes from Amami. Lowell Sheppard is a writer and sailor sharing observations from Japan about community, place, and living well into older age. Hashtags #JapanSolo #FieldNotes #SailingLife #Amami #StormAtSea #LiveaboardLife

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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 some. Longevity food… and the taste of community. Part of Japan Solo — Field Notes on Longevity, Community & Place, documenting insights from Japan’s villages and longevity communities. #JapanSolo #Longevity #JapanVillage #SlowTravel #SuperAgers

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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 is the mother of one of my best friends, Mitsu. She is coming with her kids and grandkids. Usually I travel to meet super-agers. This time… one is coming to me. — 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. #Longevity #HealthyAging #Japan #NeverTooLate

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