It is with an open mind and familiar excitement that Carolina moves to the Land of the Rising Sun, where ancestral culture intermingles tightly with high-tech modernism, and social rules are taken to the extreme. She discovers a country filled with subtle beauty, well-preserved traditions and polite, respectful people. The experience teaches her how important it is to appreciate the simple joys in life, to be accepting of things that cannot be changed - "shoganai" - and to fully respect the power of Mother Nature, who always has the upper hand.