234(Ht mm) 153(Wdt mm) 368

Insightful and inclusive: Part memoir, part work of comforting self-help and part spiritual history of Japan, this book will blend personal insights with accessible Shinto traditions to help the reader find happiness – regardless of personal faith. It is the first non-academic book on Japanese kami and spiritual traditions. Established readership: For readers of Ikigai (172,628 copies TCM), Haemin Sunim’s The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down (168,611 copies TCM) and Björn Natthiko Lindeblad’s I May Be Wrong (24,095 copies TCM), along with the proven market for books on Japanese culture demonstrated by the #1 bestseller Abroad in Japan. Expert, well-connected author: Yoda is a certified Shinto historian who has written for the New Yorker among other publications. She is known for her pioneering work contextualising yokai culture for English-speaking audiences. Hiroko Yoda was born and raised in Tokyo. She is a certified Shinto cultural historian, an experienced Miko shrine-dancer and a lifelong practitioner of Shinto. She served as the Tokyo editor for the lifestyle site CNNGo from 2009 to 2012, and over two decades has assisted countless Japanese creators in the video game, manga, anime, toy and film industries convey their artistic visions abroad. She has written popular pieces on Marie Kondo and Shinzo Abe for the New Yorker, and has also contributed to Vice. She lives in Tokyo.

‘A highly personal journey of remembrance and healing leads to an exploration of the mystic realms of Japan . . . Full of practical lessons that can change your life’ Alfred Birnbaum, translator of Haruki Murakami

‘A timely and moving pilgrimage through Japan’s ancient spiritual traditions . . . Shows us how we might ease our own suffering and reawaken a profound appreciation of the beauty of the world’ Ruth Ozeki, Booker Prize Finalist and winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction

Everything has a spirit. The heavens above, the ground below, the mountains afar. That is the fundamental essence of Shinto: a millennia-old Japanese philosophy that is closely attuned to the natural world. Shinto tells us that while we may feel alone, or subject to forces beyond our control, we are also part of a much bigger story. And that can make us very strong.

For Hiroko Yoda, these traditions helped pull her from the loneliness that followed a period of grief and loss. Within the pages of this transformative book, Yoda guides us through the furthest reaches of Japan, unveiling the profound ways in which you, too, can introduce Shinto traditions into your daily life. Together you will journey far and wide. You will trek into the mountains with practitioners of Shugendo, learning how to develop the art of a positive outlook. You will come face to face with Japan’s most furious kami in downtown Tokyo, to learn the power of acknowledging anger. And you’ll discover that forging your own spiritual path means never journeying alone.