As the world advances, the field of science has seen great innovations as well as new and strange diseases such as Covid 19. Amidst these all, Kikuoka Yasumasa, a herbal medicine practitioner, strives to keep his family’s legacy alive. As a 24th generation Kikuoka, running the family practice in the wake of a global pandemic, he explains the role of traditional medicine in a modern world, with modern diseases.
Joan Rispa Kiragu is a Kenyan based filmmaker who loves inspiring change through her films. She started her film journey back in school where she created several short films with her directorial debut ‘Detox’ giving her both local and international recognition. She has since gone ahead to create impact with her films by tackling topics such as breastmilk donation in the country, the plight of the deaf community and youth unemployment. Her major strength is her ability to bring out the positive stories within her community.
The author, who had a sore throat soon after arriving in Japan, asked the main character, a Chinese herbalist, to make a decoction for her. She was said and impressed, “These are the same ingredients my mother makes for me at home! This film makes us feel that healing people is universal.