Just Before The Birth Again- Japan- Pregnant- U... May 2026

Japan has a word for this feeling: Ma (間). It’s the space between things. The pause between the inhale and the exhale. The silence between two notes of music. Right now, my entire body is Ma .

I am no longer a tourist in this country, nor am I a seasoned local. I am something in between: a mother waiting for a second child to arrive. The cherry blossoms have long since fallen. The rainy season came and went. Now, it is the dog days of summer, and the cicadas ( minminzemi ) are screaming their death song. It feels appropriate. Something old is about to end. Something new is about to scream. Just before the birth again- Japan- Pregnant- U...

But this time, I know something I didn’t know then. I know that the pain ends. I know that the baby comes. I know that the moment they place that wet, furious, perfect creature on your chest, the world snaps back into focus. Japan has a word for this feeling: Ma (間)