Far from home, Dashain carries a different kind of ache

In Japan, a Nepali migrant celebrates with friends beside Hiroshima’s Motoyasu river, finding a sense of belonging while longing for family, home and a father who will never welcome him back.

Last year, when cherry blossoms were in season in Japan, I called my father in Nepal. I had not been home for more than two years, and with Dashain approaching, I was wondering whether I could afford to return.