How Did You Make This Japanese Practice Work in Canada?

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How did owen and michi make this japanese practice work in canada? Partly through diligent preparation. They didn't just randomly choose a neighborhood to live in. To some extent, we looked for that neighborhood where it would be feasible. And they ended up in a dense and walkable part of town Where most things they need are just a short walk away.

Back in March, Netflix picked up a long running Japanese TV program based on a children’s book from the 1970s. The show is called Old Enough, but the name of the original Japanese program translates to My First Errand. Because in each episode, a child runs an errand for the very first time. Episodes are only 10 to 20 minutes long, but in that short time a toddler treats the audience to a bite-sized hero's journey.

My First Errand is a gimmicky show with hokey music and a laugh track, but it’s also rooted in a truth about Japanese society: most children are remarkably independent from a very young age -- way more independent than children in the US. In Japanese cities, fifth-graders make 85 percent of their weekday trips without a parent. And this remarkable child mobility is made possible by everything from the neighbors next door to the width of the streets.

First Errand