Naoness: The Power of Connection

We explore just the precipice of whether violence and love can coexist. Listen more to hear our thoughts and encouragement to explore beloved author, bell hooks's, " All About Love: New Visions ," which discusses aspects of love in modern society. We also recommend Ly Tran's memoir, " House of Sticks ," that recounts her journey from war-torn Vietnam to Queens, NYC, and the power we have to alter...

Naoko celebrates her birthday week! We share reflections on the beauty of our mid-40s and what is more to learn. Some analytics to share on which conversations have resonated with listeners and how we can further interact with our listeners. Happy Spring! The Wake Up: Closing the Gap Between Good Intentions and Real Change by Michelle MiJung Kim The Wake Up Fireside Chat with Michelle MiJung Kim a...

The majority of the conversation is sharing our synopsis and reaction to the Netflix series " Love Is Blind Japan."  Naoko x Naoko (one of us was born and raised there) pretty much grew up in Tokyo, then left for college in the US but still identify as culturally Japanese in many ways.  We share our impressions of the series after a recent binge-watch.  More than the premise of the...

Did you know that Girl's Day is celebrated in Japan on March 3rd every year? We'll take a celebration of girls any day, every day.  We also follow up and take a deep dive into why Ralph Ellison's, "Invisible Man" resonated with us when we read the book as required reading in high school and how the masterpiece is still relevant, poignant & a must-read to all who are trying to understand h...

A spontaneous conversation ( aka our minds and thoughts are all over the place ): Having multi-racial children and the navigation of nurturing them through life Recognizing parallel similarities of systemic racism in the US and Japan, two different nations and cultures.  We're not looking away from reality because it hurts. Advocating for diversity, equity and inclusion is HARD WORK. Referenc...

Content warning: This episode explores systemic racism and sexism. Paola Kim identifies as a Latina-Asian American woman, who grew up in Santa Monica.  She shares a touch of her rich cultural background having a Korean American father born in Japan and a Colombian mother, who actually dreamed that she would marry and have a Japanese husband someday.  Paola shares in this episode how she...

Today's episode is inspired by writer and professor Roxanne Gay, who has unapologetically coined the term A Bad Feminist. Her TED talk, "Confessions of a Bad Feminist" is a must-watch where she has an empathetic vision of identity and its flaws. Then we touch upon a poignant film titled, " Feminists: What Were They Thinking?" a documentary that spans women photographed by Cynthia MacAdams in the 7...

Happy Lunar New Year! We're celebrating our 20th episode with endless conversation about culture and community. This spans from the meaning of Lunar New Year, fast food (In N Out, McDonald's and Japanese burger chain MOS Burger anyone?) , to of course, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Naoko introduces Naoko to American writer and activist, James Baldwin, where his complex narrative centered arou...

Join us for one of our RICHEST conversations as of yet.  Naoko surprises Naoko with a guest, Sahira, to add to our power of connection. We touch upon the death of a loved one, memories that go back more than 40 years ago to Kindergarten, the origin narrative of Islam, Christianity & Judaism and mostly on the pain of being excluded and the beauty of belonging.

Finally, the Omicron variant (we think it's this one because the symptoms were mild) hits home with Naoko's pre-schooler.  The 0-5 years age bracket is still not approved for vaccinations.  Our message is to get VAXED to protect the vulnerable and keep the virus from spreading.  Yesterday was MLK day, an American federal holiday, honoring the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. &nbsp...

Welcome to Naoness.  We (Naoko x Naoko) are excited to begin Season 2 after launching this past September 2021 with one vision and one bucket list to create a podcast.  A vision to have a heartfelt conversation with a dear trusted friend on everything and anything.  We found reasons why we still are friends after 30+ years.  Our quarterly check-ins on the phone until last Septe...

Naoness launched this past September 2021.  We are grateful to have gained listeners organically and hope to continue this conversation of cherishing the present while practicing love, kindness and patience.  Some things we learned are: Accepting that light & darkness coexist. How to stay resilient & hopeful when things fall apart. Friendship is a big part of self-care and healin...

Blessings for Naoko Tsunoda's 81-year old mom joining us for a post Christmas, pre New Years Day episode.  Mostly in English, some parts in Japanese.  Mom likes to move towards the future and have goals.  She was honestly surprised we brought up some stories to share from her 36 years ago past!! Life is so frail and time is the one thing we cannot stop, we learn about how Masako fin...

Content warning: This episode explores childhood and intergenerational trauma. Naoness is blessed to share this week's conversation with younger voices, specifically young adults in college.  We each are honest and raw about sharing our childhood traumas and our process of healing. Naoness is a place of continued compassion for one another across race, gender and age.   Definition: Traum...

Naoness takes a lot of time talking about ojiya, okayu, aka rice porridge, congee, etc.  There is so much Asian cultural heritage in the depths of comfort food we eat when we're sick and looking for a nourishing and nutritious meal that soothes our ailed bodies.  We touch upon distinctive Asian condiments like kimchi and umeboshi as well as tea-infused hot pot and soup bowls.  Then,...

This week, Naoness, talks about the ever-frailty of life and time, which makes the Nao/Now ever more important.  As always, we touch upon a span of topics from light & darkness, follow-up to student protests to more than we imagined (but not surprising) talk about Holiday cookies and our nostalgic childhood experiences in Tokyo.  

Content warning: This episode explores the history of Thanksgiving and a student-led protest demanding accountability on how the school responds to reports of sexual assault. Naoness would like to honor and center Native & Indigenous People's communities and their stories to disrupt the Thanksgiving Tale and myth of mainstream American narrative of the Thanksgiving holiday with Truthsgiving—we...

Content warning: This episode explores mental health and the stigma associated with mental health issues in the AAPI community. According to the World Health Organization, health is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity." Naoness supports this definition with the emphasis that mind, body, spirt & soul requires a holistic...

We don't have to be the first ones to tell you that parenting is one of the most difficult jobs. Naoko shares her recent parenting mishap, while being aware of guilt and shame's storylines. As a parent, identifying reactive behaviors in the moment and understanding our triggers is a lifetime journey. We explore tools that are available to us to disrupt our engraved patterns: to be present and mind...

We tackle the rise of public shaming through media, cyber bullying, and social media. Remember Monica Lewinsky? Well, step aside as she re-enters the public sphere to take back the power to tell her story, raising awareness of public shaming and cancel culture. What happens when you turn your mistake into your power for good? Naoko shares from Oprah's latest book, What Happened to You?: Conversati...

We have our first surprise guest to Naoness.  Listen to hear who, adding a layer of preciousness to intergenerational, impromptu conversations—an unexpected turn to explore a complex topic, religion.  Naoko x Naoko also reveal their self-compassion test results—cultivating a practice of self-compassion will be a lifelong journey.  We end on a savory note of a Japanese steamed egg di...

What triggers your worst reactive moments in relationships?  Relationships with ones you love the most?  Naoko shares that when our fears are activated and our bodies feel threatened or dysregulated, our logical part of the brain (the cortex) shuts down and taken over by our more reactive parts of the brain (the brainstem). Often times, we find that our reactions are more about ourselves...

We're both surprised by how chewing gum (of all things!) triggers wonderful childhood memories with our Moms—lessons learned not to steal!  Enduring mother-daughter bonds. And nurturing our children's appreciation for good food and flavors.

Naoko x Naoko banter about the stark differences in our morning routines.  Clear that clogged inbox or meditate? Learn the practicality of guided meditation as Naoko S. shares a few tools for self-care and compassion.  We touch on the still very real COVID reality, especially for parents like us who have young children without access to vaccinations.  We end on the hearty note of co...

Naoness is wowed by Amanda Gorman.  Her vision of a rebuilt America without division is hopeful and energizing.  Amanda's creative medium is poetry as is Naoko's.  Listen to Naoko surprise us with a poem she wrote a decade ago that still resonates unapologetically.  "For there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it." Let us be...