The turning of a year invites looking forward and looking back. The ancient Romans knew this, hence Janus, from whom January takes its name, faces in both directions. Seismic changes in all areas of life seem to be almost normal in these last years, which is certainly a looking-both-ways statement in itself.

To get acquainted with Tokyo’s history, with which I am unfamiliar, I started my journey at the city’s history museum, the Edo-Tokyo Museum. From the early 17th century until the mid 19th century, the Tokugawa shogunate ruled Japan from this city. By touring the permanent exhibit filled with artifacts and replicas, we learned about the 400 years of history from the Edo period to the present. 

What are your first thoughts upon opening your eyes on January 1st? Are you ready to jump in with both feet, are you thinking the same things you did 24 hours ago, or are you nervous, yet excited to see what’s to come? Somewhere in there is a little bit of each of us. That first whiff of a new year is something special. Roll all of your favorite smells into one and you’ve got that first breath of air on the 1st of January.

What do Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Monty Python's Life of Brian have in common? I bet you were wracking your brain to remember if Harrison Ford was in Life of Brian (he wasn’t). No, it’s more geographic – all of them were filmed in Tunisia!