I’ve never been one to do things in a rush. I need time to figure things out, then to experience them. So visiting a city in a day or two will always leave me feeling discombobulated.

For the past four weeks, I’ve been travelling around Japan. Although we’ve been staying in each place for more than just a few days — Kyoto, for instance, was given a week — it still feels like everything has been happening fairly quickly and this invariably leaves me feeling a bit chaotic on the inside.

A few days ago, we arrive in Ikuchijima — an island located on the Seto inland sea. It’s known by many as Lemon Island. Just as visitors step off the ferry, lemons are everywhere. Lemon coloured vans, mailboxes and benches pop up all around the island.

It’s a sleepy little island. Perfect for finding your bearings, wandering around, sampling lemony snacks, and taking pictures.

Not many tourists find their way there since it’s off the beaten track.

Azumi Setoda is a ‘modern ryokan’. It sits just a few hundred feet away from the ferry terminal. From the outside, it looks like a traditional home of a very well-to-do family.

Pillars of salt in two plates sit at either side of the entrance to ward off demons.

I’m guessing the plates of salt work because inside it’s a masterclass in understated elegance. Not a demon in sight. It’s a sublimely quiet, beautifully lit space. No excess. Simple and to the point.

Each room on the ground floor has access to its own private garden. It’s perfectly manicured and in the afternoon, light filters in through the garden wall in the most beautiful way.

This place, with its beauty, leaves me torn. I want to explore the island and take photos but I also really want to stay put. To soak up the quiet, the tranquility. Write and draw a little.

I’ll decide after yoga.

I take myself off to a little secluded room the staff say is a quiet space. Glass walled yet private. I could stay in this room all day. It’s warm and cozy and just draws you in.

My brain is righting itself once more. My thoughts slow down. I feel like I’m meeting myself again.

I decide not to go out just yet. When this room decides it wants to let me go, I’m guessing it will.

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