March 2026
      It’s a new month and a new season! Spring brings fresh air, new flowers, new routines, and plenty of sneezing for those of us with allergies. It’s the prefect time to stop and appreciate the smaller things in life whilst finally stepping out into some good weather. So, we sat down with Isaac, Krys, and Samantha to discuss what small things stand out to them. Take a stroll with us through this very relaxed edition of the Mikan maga(ZINE)!
Isaac
Krys
Sam
(He/Him)
New Zealand —> Sakawa, Kochi
(He/Him)
Raised in England/ Born in Poland —> Uwajima, Ehime
(She/Her)
Wellington, New Zealand —> Shikokuchuo, Ehime
Isaac
Icebreakers
What’s a snack you could eat every day and never get bored of?
I think, and perhaps appropriately, it’d have to be Koala’s March. I had it for the first time back in 2012 on my first ever trip to Japan, and it really has been a staple snack for me ever since. While I don’t do so anymore, for many years I used to collect the wee detachable tabs from the top and bottom of each box and give them to my little brother who had a collection of the things, so on top of being absolutely scrumptious, they come with a little hit of nostalgia too.
What song feels like “March” to you?
If someone asks me to think about March, the first images of it for me will be the Summer weather cooling off and the Autumn colours coming through full swing, so I’m going to stick with that vibe in my choice of song. So “Curses” by The Crane Wives is what I’ll be going with.
Soft Reflection
What does “rest” actually look like for you right now?
An empty calendar day. Chilling out on the couch with a cup of coffee, playing a game, with absolutely nothing planned for the rest of the day.
Ever since coming to Japan, my calendar has constantly been filled, and most months I only have one or two days left with nothing penned in.
Back home, I’d only have maybe 1 or 2 days in a month (outside work) with anything planned. So, in all the best ways, things now really couldn’t be much more different from how they used
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What’s one thing you’re quietly proud of?
It’s been very slow progress, but after almost half a year I’m finally getting the odd small interactions from some of my quietest and most reluctant students.
It’s a tiny thing, but it really brings me quite a lot of joy. The gradual chipping away has finally started showing some results!
Fun & Playful
What fictional world would you love to spend a weekend in?
The tricky thing about these questions is picking a world in which I would be very unlikely to die over the course of one weekend. So with that in mind, Oban Star Racers is probably at the top of my list. A weekend spent watching an intergalactic space race set among the old moss-covered stone ruins of a long past civilization feels like as good a way to spend a weekend as any.
I’ve not seen it since I was a kid, so I’m almost certainly remembering it through a tint of rose, but I feel like it’d hold up fairly well even today.
Getting-to-Know-You & Growth
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What’s your current comfort meal?
The meal I always keep coming back to, especially in these cooler months, is my grandma’s pork casserole. It’s a sweet and savoury casserole and all the ingredients are super easy for me to source, even in Japan. I’ve finally got it down so that I can make it taste almost exactly the same way she used to make it, so it always takes me back to those winter nights spent as a kid at her house.
Now that we’re making our way out of the chilly months though, March is likely the last time I’ll make it until we finally get back around to cooler weather in late October.
What would your future self thank you for?
This almost feels like a copout answer, but it is still true regardless, and that is being more consistent and disciplined in my Japanese study. I’ve been so woefully inconsistent with it that I don’t feel as though I’ve made any meaningful progress for the last six months. Given the huge impact it has on day to day life here, not to mention the possibilities it opens up for future employment here in Japan, it’s undoubtedly the thing I would most thank myself for doing right now.
Now’s as good a time as any to get back into it, and maybe, perhaps, this time I’ll finally manage to stick with it long enough to achieve some actual progress.
Creative
A wee haiku to spring:
“Beautiful blossom
Is subject to but one thing
Freaking hayfever”
End-of-Month Wrap-Up
What’s one moment from this month you want to remember?
I absolutely adore my graduating junior high kids, and more than anything else this month, I would like to remember their graduation. I’ve only been with them for two semesters, and I am both sad that it has been so short and glad that I got the chance to teach them.
March has never really seemed all that special to me. Being from New Zealand, March has always brought autumn with it (though too soon to really get to appreciate the autumn leaves). By March the school year is already well underway and there aren’t any major holidays that fall in it either. There’s never been much about it that’s had any impact on me.
Here in Japan though, March very much embodies a new beginning. The frosty mornings are gradually disappearing; the cherry blossoms are starting to bloom; the graduating students are taking a big step in their lives.
I’ll miss my graduating junior high kids, but at the same time, I’m so excited for them to be moving on to something bigger and, hopefully, better.
Krys
What’s one moment from this month you want to remember?
The support I have received from my friends when it mattered the most. The beautiful strangers I have met in the last 7 months have been my rock.
Icebreakers
What’s a snack you could eat every day and never get bored of?
Lightly salted pretzels.
Any kind
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What’s your go-to “comfort content”?
The good place. I bloody love this show. It has helped me when I was down. I rarely binge watch a series but this has been a breeze to binge watch. My favourite character is Jason. I love that guy.
Are you more of a windows-open person or a cozy-inside person?
Cozy-inside. If my place does not feel like the batcave then I don’t want it.
Soft Reflection:
How has this year felt so far in one word?
Just a continuous scream.
What does “rest” actually look like for you right now?
I would like to put my brain in the freezer for a while. I feel like that would really fix me up right now.
In all seriousness, if I could go right now, I would go somewhere nice and warm and relax by the beach. However, the best I can do to rest is turn on The Good Place, eat three cups of ice cream, and sit under my kotatsu until I fall asleep. This has been a good way to switch off lately.
What’s one thing you’re quietly proud of?
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I am proud to have quit smoking. I have not been that quiet about it because telling people has made it more achievable. It’s nice to have some cheerleaders when you’re trying to break a bad habit. The people in Uwajima have been just that. Thank you, guys! I am also currently working on quitting drinking, so wish me luck!
Fun & Playful
If March had a personality, what would it be like?
Snow White (the Shrek version). Do I have to elaborate? March has been a bit all over the place. One second, it’s all sweet and you feel like a Disney princess talking to animals, and the sun is making you feel alive. Next, you are fighting for your life, trying to get back home and praying that you don’t get struck by lightning.
If your life had a soundtrack right now, what genre would it be?
Lounge music. My life would be a collection of covers of sad songs in a lounge style. It would be kind of like this:
We jiving and crying. Don’t worry I am working on making sure that it’s more jiving.
Getting-to-Know-You
What time of day do you feel most like yourself?
I love staying up at night. As a kid, I used to stay up until the early hours reading books. In my teenage years, I would stay up with my friends, sending each other memes and videos like Charlie the Unicorn or Llamas with Hats. In my late teens, I would go for long drives at night with my best friend; we would have McDonald’s hot chocolates and cigarettes. As an adult, I find the night comforting when studying or writing an assignment. I used to pull all-nighters at the library with my uni friends. The nighttime has always been a place of comfort for me. Sometimes, when I couldn’t sleep, I would brew myself a cup of Yorkshire tea and walk around my neighborhood, feeding hedgehogs at 3:00 AM. I don’t think I have ever told anyone that.
Are you more spontaneous or secretly a planner?
I love to plan everything. I need an itinerary planned to the minute and a map for each day. The maps must be carefully crafted to ensure that we visit the most places in a single day. No time for rest! I am an awful person to plan a trip with because I do not like taking breaks or stopping. When you are only somewhere for a day or a few hours, you need to make the most of it. Food is not a priority; the sights, views, and new places are!
What’s your current comfort meal?
Ice cream sammich
What’s a small ritual you enjoy?
What’s a small ritual you enjoy? Ushi no toki mairi. It has been truly cleansing and therapeutic.
Kidding! Or am I?
I enjoy my WaniKani grind at 8:20 AM when I start work. It’s the first thing I do each day. I know the vocabulary, but not the grammar, meaning I can read individual words, but my output and understanding of full sentences are far behind. I’ll get there one day! As much of a pain it is sometimes to get through those 100+ reviews I know it will be worth it. I am slowly building myself up to reading the nhk easy news stories.
Growth
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What’s something you’re learning (intentionally or not)?
The art of staying busy during desk warming (unintentionally)
What’s something you want to say yes to more often?
I want to say yes to saying no more often.
What does “balance” mean to you right now?
Not a clue. Vertigo is a pain. Jokes aside, balance means being able to do as many fun things as possible and giving as much positivity and love to others as you can, all whilst maintaining your own health and needs. I think many people neglect their needs, especially the basic ones (go drink some water, you dehydrated baddie). I don’t think I have ever been truly balanced (is it even possible?). If anyone knows how, HMU.
Creative
If you could rename March, what would you call it?
We should adapt the Japanese style! March, you are now ‘Threemonth.’
What color feels like your current mood?
Off dull brown covered in glitter.
What does “home” feel like to you?
Home feels like safety. It’s like a warm blanket wrapped around you and a cup of hot chocolate. Home feels like a space where you are heard and feel that you can say anything without the fear of losing anything. Home feels like a warm hug. Home does not feel empty or lonely.
End-of-Month Wrap-Up
What are you carrying into April—and what are you leaving behind?
I am leaving a 6 and a half year relationship. A relationship that brought me to Japan in the first place. Sometimes an ending is exactly what we need to become better versions of ourselves. This month has taught me that your first and biggest love should be yourself. I want to carry this over into next month AND OH LOOORRDD AM I READY TO LOVE MY MOTHERFORKING SELF. 🙂
Hey, Mikans!
We hope you’re enjoying this month’s ZINE. If you have a story to tell, an idea to share, or just want to contribute we’d love to hear from you!Â
We’ll have a new maga(ZINE) post for you on the first of each month, so keep an eye out!
Interested in having your own ZINE? Reach out to us at themikanblog@gmail.com!