I spent the New Year at my in-laws’ home in the Japanese countryside, about two hours by train from Hiroshima. It’s a rural and rustic area, and the older houses—like theirs—even lack flush toilets. Now I admit, I don’t much like the blast of chilly wind a pit toilet sends up in winter. I do, however, enjoy wandering the back roads and trails of the area with Lulu and Roy. The truth is—and this is especially the case at this