I visit the same nail salon every month, and every time I’m struck by the nail artist’s precision. With a fine brush, they paint each detail by hand on a tiny nail. The designs can be so intricate that I find myself wondering how anyone can create something so detailed in such a small space.

When I had my nails done in the Philippines, the salon I went to mainly offered single-color manicures, and original hand-painted art wasn’t on the menu. That experience made me look at my usual manicure in Japan with fresh eyes.

Is this kind of detailed nail art ordinary in Japan? Are Japanese people especially skilled at fine handiwork? I don’t know the answer. But watching someone take time to make something beautiful, even on such a tiny canvas, feels like a glimpse of something distinctly Japanese to me.

Japan’s craftsmanlike skill can show up in the smallest places. This, too, is one of the things about Japan I want to share with the world.