★ Honda Yoko was born in 1955 in Nagano. She lost her husband at 62 and began living alone at 67. She drew a serialized illustration column for the Tokyo Shimbun and the Chunichi Shimbun, and writes the column “Wanting to Live Laughing Hohoho” for the magazine Yūyū.
★ “Expensive clothes and going-out outfits—I don’t need them anymore.” In the book she writes: at home, at the supermarket, in the field, she wants to get excited about the clothes she wears every day. Fashion isn’t for showing others; it’s for making yourself feel good. The core idea—everyday clothes are a daily cane.
★ She says, “Thanks to my white hair and wrinkles, gold and pearls suit me well.” She doesn’t dye her hair or hide her age, and turns the marks of time into a stage for accessories. This calm attitude toward aging is the most moving part of the book.
★ “My first drink alone was at a sushi shop by the station” / “On days I can’t get motivated, I escape into handicrafts”—the book records first times and small joys of living alone. Not expensive, not forced, not lonely. Life alone at 70 can be this light and pleasant.

Tote bags and sneakers suit me best, and that makes me happiest!
Also popular on Instagram! An illustrator living in public housing writes about the wisdom for spending every day in a good mood.

・Expensive clothes and going-out outfits—I don’t need them now
・At home, at the supermarket, in the field—I want to get excited about the clothes I wear every day
・Jeans, after all. I keep wearing them so they “suit” me
・Thanks to white hair and wrinkles, gold and pearls suit me well
・Exercise on the futon, blood pressure checks, stepping on green bamboo… beauty and health are daily accumulations
・My first drink alone was at a sushi shop by the station
・On days I can’t get motivated, I escape into handicrafts
・There are more high-taste older women now! Actually, your 70s are the age when anything looks good on you

“This is fine.” “This is what’s good.” Fashion and life—now is the most fun. The “suits me” and “comfortable” found only as you age. Fashion isn’t for showing others; it’s for making yourself feel good—this positive attitude gently pushes the reader forward.

Honda Yoko
Born in Nagano Prefecture. Illustrator. Born in 1955. Moved to Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture in October 2017. Author of "Recipes for Fashion and Living," "Honda Yoko's Coloring de Fashion: Your Book Closet" , "Exciting! My First Time Living Alone from 67", and others.