Tove Jansson, beloved Finnish author of the Moomin novel series, inspired a park near Tokyo. It is a place brought to life through direct collaboration and, as such, it welcomes visitors with a presence infused with the spirit of mutual acceptance and freedom for young and old alike.

I visited this park, seeking the whimsical world I had adored since childhood, and I was not disappointed. There, I found delightful, mysteriously shaped houses and, beside a little pond, a beloved hut with its roof so like a pointed hat. All around me, the trees glistened in the fading light of a setting sun, and in that golden hour, that witching time, I felt tension flow from my body to be replaced with a true sense of myself.