Hi everyone! It’s been ages since I’ve posted a personal update here, so I wanted to take a moment to catch you up on where I’ve been these past few years. I also wanted to share a bit about the new direction I see this blog heading in. Now that I’m in my mid 30s, my lifestyle, work, hobbies, and interests have naturally shifted — and I want this blog to reflect the person I am now and continue to evolve alongside me.

There’ve been two pretty big changes in my life that have really shaped me and, in turn, what I’ll be sharing on this blog moving forward. So let’s dive in:

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Moving on from Johnny’s (Starto Entertainment?) and Reconnecting with Anime & Fantasy

Let’s start with the biggest one — Johnny’s. If you’ve been following me since the early days, you know this blog originally focused on Johnny’s & Associates (now Starto Entertainment) and my study abroad experiences. I used to post concert reports, translations, ticket tips for fellow foreigners — and honestly, that time was so much fun. I have a lot of fond memories from those days, and even wrote my thesis on the topic and contributed to a book because I loved it so much.

But, like a lot of people, things changed for me during and after COVID. My relationship with the agency shifted, and so did my life and interests. I’ll probably write a separate post diving deeper into this soon, but in short — Johnny’s isn’t Johnny’s anymore… and that’s okay. The groups I loved in my 20s have moved on, one even disbanded, and I realized I wasn’t as invested anymore. I let go of my fan club memberships last summer, and haven’t been to a concert in over a year. Honestly? It felt like the right time to close that chapter.

So moving forward, you won’t see Johnny’s-related content here (aside from maybe a nostalgic post every now and then). I’ve also set my old Johnny’s posts to private, since they’re pretty outdated for current fans and no longer reflect where I’m at.

The good news: I’ve rekindled my love for anime and fantasy — basically the stuff middle and high school Lauren was obsessed with. It’s brought so much joy back into my life. I’ve discovered new favorite anime, started reading manga again, and even dove headfirst into fantasy books (okay… audiobooks, but still counts!). It’s been a fun, fulfilling shift, and you’ll definitely see some of that reflected here from now on — though it won’t be the only thing I talk about.

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Becoming a Permanent Resident in Japan

As of June 2023… I officially became a permanent resident of Japan! After a long application process (and a lot of paperwork), I finally got my PR status — and not long after that, I left my job at a Japanese company.

This was a huge lifestyle change for me, as I’ve since transitioned into freelance work. I won’t be sharing too much about the specifics of my job, but what I will be writing about is everything I’ve learned while navigating freelance life here in Japan. Think: dealing with taxes as an American abroad, setting up a freelance business, and just the ups and downs of working for yourself in a a foreign country, etc.

I also feel like, with some time and distance now, I can finally open up a bit more about what it was like working in a Japanese company — more as a reflection, rather than when I was in the thick of it. So my “Working in a Japanese Company” series will still continue, just from a slightly different angle.

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More Lifestyle Content

Okay… I kind of lied earlier when I said there were two big changes — there’s one more I wanted to squeeze in!

Since my lifestyle has shifted, so have some of my interests. These days I’m really into working out (gym & Pilates life), plants, a few designer pieces, and fashion. Well — I’ve always loved fashion, but my perspective on it has changed. I’m less about impulse buying to sooth myself from working in a demanding Japanese company now and more about investing in pieces I truly love and that’ll last for many many years to come.

So you can expect a bit more lifestyle content mixed in here too.

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To the Future

For years, I’ve debated what to do with this blog. Before this year, I hadn’t written a post since 2021 — and honestly, I felt a little embarrassed about letting it sit for so long. But now, I’m finally clear on what I want this space to be.

The future of this blog is simple: it’s a reflection of me. I’ll be writing about life in Japan, navigating work culture here, freelance life, anime and manga, books, plants, and more. I want this to be a place where all my different interests can coexist, and hopefully connect with people who, like me, have a lot of different passions too.

I’ve also fallen back in love with writing again — and I’m excited to share more in the coming days, weeks, and years.

Thanks so much for reading, and as always, I’d love to hear from you in the comments!