HIMAWARI HOUSE: My Japanese Year

Nao decides to take a sabbatical in Japan for a year before college, aiming to rediscover the roots she painfully left behind as a child when she moved to the United States. She is welcomed by Himawari House, a traditional dwelling in the heart of Tokyo, where she will meet Hyejung, a Korean, and Tina, from Singapore, who have also journeyed there to find freedom and chart their own paths. Mixing English, Japanese, Korean, and Singlish, Nao gradually bonds with the small group, ready to take on the challenges of their new lives.

Two Japanese brothers with contrasting personalities, the amiable Shinichi and the reserved and intriguing Masaki, also share their daily adventures. After an initially rough encounter, Masaki seems to go out of his way to avoid Nao... Surprisingly, Nao finds herself facing the same disorientation she felt when she was out of her element and discovers what it means to translate not only words but also feelings from one language to another.

Among unfamiliar foods, karaoke nights, snow games, and heartfelt conversations about love and family, each of them finds the motivation and courage to truly live their own stories in this foreign country.

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