In Japan, February is pretty jam-packed with things to enjoy and celebrateー Setsubun, Risshun, Sapporo Snow Festival, National Foundation Day, Cat Day 😺,３年 students capping off the year, and …the Emperor’s Birthday?
As expats, it’s all very new and exciting! BUT, in between all that excitement, there is one common, iconic, “Day” in February celebrated across a bunch of countries around the world:
While February 14th may not be as exciting as some other holidays and celebrations, it is a day worth noting. If you have some qualms about Valentine’s, we’re hoping this month’s edition of the ZINE will change your perspective a bit and give your heart a little spark. While, yes, this month’s ZINE is themed around love, it’s also themed around PASSIONー not the steamy kind (I meeeean, that too?), but the kind that drives your soul. Who you want to be, what you want to doー all that you are and what makes you, YOU. 🫰
Check out “Love” & “Passion” 👇 à la Andrea & Will 👇 and enjoy the February edition of the🍊maga(ZINE)～
Love Language: Calm
Medium: water-based paint on washi paper ・Tools/Materials: cherry wood, carving tools/knives (chokoku-to), brush, water, paste, rubber press
About the Mikan
Andrea (she/her)
Mikan Status: 4th going on 5th year JET (FINAL YEAR), ES/JHS ALT in Imabari, from Bulacan 🇵🇭
Why JET?
😎 living life, working as a secondary school English teacher (originally wanted to be a doctor)
😷 middle of pandemic; doom scrolling on FB → 😯saw a post by The Philippines Embassy about JET
💭Japan was dream country to visit/live in → had a lot of influences growing up, including a coupleー a nurse and businessman who worked in Japan (they met in the States) →🎾🗣️🈳played tennis together every Sunday & learned some words in Japanese
📑SO, realized, “damn, I should go for it” & applied to JET
ZINE Themes: layers x colors; character; creating in silence; life in stillness; hands at work; eyes that speak, heart that understands
Andrea Time: Peace & quiet, karaoke, using her hands and creatingー woodblock carving & painting, bonsai, hanga, cooking. She loves her time, her time = powerful.
Love 💕
above all, putting loved ones first & making them happy ☺️
🎦x💕x🔥:
Wicked
The Proposal
The Bodyguard
Ideal Valentine’s 💌 Date:
🧘♀️a chill walk outside
👩🍳make food together
🎬dinner & a movie (rom-com)
😉sweet talking
(
🧡🧡🧡
Telephone Wire Empire
“This series of eight images are about my first six months living in Japan. The green and black ones are hand drawn in Resprite, a video game sprite editor, and the other images are my own 35mm film photos that I’ve rendered in the same resolution. Pixel art felt like a nice medium for this because Japan feels techy, but also incredibly resistant to change.” ー Will
About the Mikan
Will (he/him)
Mikan Status: 1st going on 2nd year JET, ES/JHS ALT in Matsuyama (Kume), from London 
Why JET?
😓was having a rough go of it + work was meh + burnt out
✈️booked trip to Japan on a whim Sept. 2023 (3 weeks, solo); it was liberating, freeing & the best time ever
📑quit job (hated it) & submitted jet application shortly after trip + got a more likable job in book design
➕ other considerations…
🎨✏️really enjoyed living abroad (Spain, Arts degree)
🤔🕵️ at 12/13 yrs old was interested in finding things as foreign as possible → the Japanese language!! Which led to an interest in books (Murakami Haruki), architecture, gardens, pictures of temples, etc. 😍～ just obsessed with all things Japan
ZINE Themes: Life in Japan/Shikoku/Ehime, wandering around, zooming in 🔎, having baths🛀♨️
Will Time: walking & cycling, fresh air, exploring & find hidden treasures, bathing/onsens, swimming, writing
Love 💕
crumpets with butter & marmite, proper 
, roast (esp. 🐔)
taimeshi, spicy miso & katsuo dashi ramen, curry (Everest!)
🎦x💕x🔥:
Old Boy
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Perfect Days
Valentine’s Musts:
💗boyfriend time (obviously)
💞keeping up with hobbies (learning the koto)
💖self-care
Passion🔥
✍️ Writingー can’t stop, won’t stop
🌊 Waterー swimming, the beautiful process of bathing, connection to the sea
🌹Beautiful Thingsー plants, wildlife, mountains, birds, flowers, surroundings, (beauty in) the mundane
“Dive into the things that you love and don’t be afraid to try new things. You’ve only got your passions for you, explore as much as possible.” ーWill
Hey, Mikans!
We hope you enjoyed this month’s ZINEs! We hope you all got to take a moment to reflect on the “love & passion” in your life. This project is one of OUR passions “and for this gift we feel blessed”🎵. We’re thankful that we get the opportunity to create and share with you through the🍊maga(ZINE) every month. We couldn’t do it without you! Let’s keep at it! Join our little creative community and make a ZINE of your ownー “come as you are”🎵, we’re pretty chill.
See you next month!
Love 🧡,
🍊ZINEvana
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!
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