You’ve probably walked past a place like Fugetsu-Do, a small family-owned shop with a well-worn counter. At the front, near the large windows facing the street, there’s usually a glass case filled with beautiful handmade artisan crafts. A case like this can contain all kinds of trinkets: leather, metal, antique, freshly wood-worked. Other times, it’s embroidered fabric or ceramic mugs with matching saucers painted in cheery colors. Pastries show up, too, in places like these, their heavenly scent wafting up and down the boulevard like an olfactory billboard. On a busy street in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo neighborhood, nestled between a ramen shop and a monster-themed toy store, Fugetsu-Do sits under its forest green awning and cherry-red Kanji lettering. Inside, boxes of mochi and manju—soft, squishy Japanese confections in every conceivable color and design—stack neatly within glass cases, forming rows of lavender, mantis-green, and lovely pink hues. The mochi and manju here are minor miracles, crafted using a family recipe that’s traversed centuries, passed down from father to son and on.  The interior of Fugetsu-Do. Fugetsu-Do’s existence is no small feat. The shop has been churning out its signature treats in Little Tokyo since 1903, making it the oldest Japanese-American business in the country. It’s the Kito family’s pride and legacy. Today, Fugetsu-Do is a beloved neighborhood staple and pillar of Los Angeles’ Japanese American community. It is a place where lines often stretch out the door and spill into the street. Recently, Fugetsu-Do joined the lineup at one of L.A.’s biggest summer food events, taking their place among Michelin-star chefs, celebrities, and the city’s rising culinary stars. But more on that later. All in all, it’s a big deal. But to fully appreciate its magnitude, you will need to know the stakes. To get where it is today, Fugetsu-Do and the Kito family would need to survive a World War, anti-Japanese racism, and more than a century of upheaval. View this post on Instagram A sweets shop with a 123-year head start  The year was 1903, and founder Seiichi Kito had just arrived in California from Gifu, Japan. He set off to find Los Angeles’ downtown district, quickly settling into the neighborhood that would later become Little Tokyo. Japanese immigrants had lived here since the mid-1880s. Its rapidly growing population had created a bustling hub filled with churches, schools, mutual aid groups, and boarding houses that offered rooms for rent and a hot meal. In the early 1900s, it was home to the largest community of Japanese people in the U.S., and roughly 10,000 people lived and worked within its limits. Today, Little Tokyo is still important, but in a different way. Before World War II, there were more than 80 Japantowns across America. Now, there are only three: LA’s Little Tokyo, one in San Francisco, and one in San Jose.  Seiichi Kito with his wife, Tei, and their children. Photo credit: Courtesy of Fugetsu-Do It’s not just a little candy store, it has connections to our culture and to our religion. –Brian Kito, third-generation owner of Fugetsu-Do But back to Seiichi. Together with a few friends, the young Japanese immigrant opened Fugetsu-Do and began delivering its treats to customers. He stored the mochi and manju in a pouch slung over his shoulders like a backpack. Business soared just before holidays like New Year’s Day, the autumn equinox, and Girl’s Day (March 3), when special wagashi (which literally translates to “Japanese sweets”) are required for wishes of good health, luck, and blessings.  “Nobody had a pastry shop in Little Tokyo back then, so it would get very busy,” recalled Seiichi’s youngest son, Roy Kito, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times in 2002. “We would put up a rope and tell customers they couldn’t come into the store.” The war that nearly ended it Then one of America’s most painful chapters unfolded. It was 1942, and World War II was in full swing. Ten weeks prior, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. The Allies were losing nearly everywhere. Trapped within a pressure cooker of military panic, political pressure, public hysteria, long-standing racism—and zero real evidence of any threat—President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066. This led to the forced removal and mass incarceration of roughly 122,000 men, women, and children. Nearly 70,000 were U.S. citizens.  On paper, Executive Order 9066 did not name any specific ethnic group. It gave military commanders the authority to designate zones and exclude “any or all persons” from them. In practice, it was used almost exclusively against people of Japanese ancestry living on the West Coast. And more than two-thirds of them were U.S.-born citizens.  Today, the U.S. remembers Executive Order 9066 as a grave racial injustice and civil liberties failure. Former President Joe Biden called it “one of the most shameful periods in our nation’s history.” ‘We had to live the American dream twice’ Soon after President Roosevelt’s Executive Order, the Kitos were sent to Heart Mountain Relocation Center in Wyoming, one of the ten camps used for the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII. Here, in the bleak and windy desert, they were surrounded by guard towers, barbed wire, and armed soldiers, and given identification tags to be worn at all times. The buildings were hastily built, poorly insulated, and highly vulnerable to Wyoming’s harsh, desolate conditions: dust, wind, extreme cold, and summer heat.  The Kito family, including Seiichi’s youngest son, Roy, were constantly reminded of their status as prisoners. Privacy became a rare luxury. They needed to haul coal for heat and regularly sweep their room for dust, which blew through gaps in the floorboards and the shoddily constructed walls. And yet, there were sweets. Roy watched as his father, hunched over a small stove, made manju for the rest of the camp at Heart Mountain. “When word spread around that my grandfather was a pastry chef,” writes Roy’s son, Brian Kito, “fellow detainees provided him with their sugar rations.” Coming home, though, wasn’t simple. After World War II, Roy tried to reestablish his father’s confectionery shop in Little Tokyo, but he kept running into walls. Before leaving L.A., the Kito family had only days to liquidate the store’s inventory, and what they couldn’t sell, they put into storage. When they returned, the man who’d held their equipment demanded four years of back rent. It was impossible to pay, and Roy lost the machinery. He and his wife, Kazuko (whom he met and married at Heart Mountain), began sleeping at Koyasan Temple, and Roy waited tables for 20 cents an hour. Then the day finally arrived: on May 5, 1946, Roy reopened Fugetsu-Do in a new location on East First Street, with the help of the Tanahashi family. His son, Brian, sums it up perfectly. “The store itself has this overlying passion to exist. It just wants to survive. That’s why it’s still here,” he said in a documentary about Fugetsu-Do. “We had to live the American Dream twice.”  More than a store  Ask Brian Kito what’s kept Fugetsu-Do alive 123 years after his grandfather opened it, and he’ll tell you it doesn’t really belong to him. “The community feels it’s theirs,” he told Discover Los Angeles. “It’s not just my store, it’s the community store.”  Korey and his parents. Photo credit: Courtesy of Fugetsu-Do Now he’s handing it down to the next generation: his son, Korey, is training to become the fourth-generation owner of the family’s shop. To get there, he’ll need to become a master wagashi confectioner—something that takes a full ten years—spending thousands of hours making mochi and manju until his hands instinctively know what to do. Mochi and manju: a quick guide So what’s inside that glass case? First, mochi: the soft, pleasantly chewy rice cakes made from steamed, then pounded rice. It’s often stretched around fillings like sweet red bean paste (anko) or fruit, and enjoyed best with a hot cup of tea. And manju: its steamed-and-baked counterpart, made with cake flour and usually filled with anko, although some prefer custard or vegetables.  A shelf at Fugetsu-Do. Photo credit: Courtesy of Kat Hong Fugetsu-Do offers endless options. Pale yellow mounds, dusted with kinako (roasted soybean powder), coat your tongue with a delicious taste that’s roasted, nutty, earthy, and sweet. Kiku mochi, which means “chrysanthemum,” are delicately shaped like the flower itself. Seasonal fruit dango pops up throughout the year, rotating through apple, mango, plum, blueberry, and sakura cherry blossoms in the spring. The fresh strawberry mochi are a particular delight. Why this moment matters For a place like Fugetsu-Do, survival is never fully behind you. Little Tokyo was recently named on a list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places, thanks to rising rents that threaten the neighborhood’s small, family-run businesses. It’s a slow, squeezing pressure. But if anyone can handle it, it’s Fugetsu-Do.  On June 27, 2026, Fugetsu-Do joined the lineup at the Family Style Food Festival at Los Angeles State Historic Park. With the warm California sun overhead and spirits high, the day nearly felt picture-perfect as people from across the city and beyond gathered to celebrate good food, music, and culture. The confectionery shop teamed up with L.A. designer Leeann Huang for an exclusive drop of mochi cakes, available for that one day only. View this post on Instagram More than a century ago, in a neighborhood not far from here, Seiichi Kito set out rain or shine to deliver mochi to a growing community of Japanese immigrants. Since then, Fugetsu-Do has survived what most businesses never could: World War II and Japanese internment, the 1992 L.A. riots, the COVID-19 pandemic. And yet, here it is on a glorious summer day at the end of June in 2026, not just alive, but thriving. The shop on First Street is, it seems, in good hands. As his father, Brian, prepares to hand it over, fourth-generation confectioner Korey Kito says he knows exactly what’s at stake: “Everything around us has been changing,” he said. “So I really want to keep Fugetsu-Do there and keep it open for another 100 years.” The post A 123-year-old Japanese sweets shop in Los Angeles finally gets the spotlight it deserves appeared first on Upworthy.

Kaelynn Partlow had her time in the spotlight as one of the subjects on season one of Netflix’s Love on the Spectrum, a reality dating show that follows people with autism on their search for love and romance. After the first season, she ultimately did not return to the series, but continues her work as a behavior technician, therapist, and autism advocate. She helps educate her nearly one million followers about the challenges and struggles of living with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Occasionally, however, she also gets to talk about the lighter side of things. Partlow says she’s grateful for her ‘autistic joy’ Living with autism isn’t easy. It’s a spectrum, and the symptoms are wide and varied. In general, people with ASD have difficulty with interpersonal interactions and reading social cues. They can also struggle with overstimulation and sensory issues, have trouble with executive functioning like planning or finishing tasks, and can suffer from deep burnout from trying to mask their condition from neurotypical folks. ASD is considered a disability, but, because of how a brain with autism works, it also comes with a few strengths. The most discussed ASD positives are that people with autism have exceptional memory and recall, brilliant pattern recognition, and a refreshing sense of honesty and straightforwardness. But there are other, less publicized silver linings, too. In a recent Instagram Reel, Partlow writes, “Sometimes… maybe even most times, autism SUCKS, but, the capacity for immense joy should not be overlooked.” The video montage shows her gleefully running and skipping, playfully hopping up and down, eating snow, spinning in circles, and physically expressing her happiness in no uncertain terms. “Autistic joy is NOT ‘cringe,'” the caption reads. View this post on Instagram What autistic joy may feel like Some limited research shows autistic joy is real and powerful in some people. Along with their difficulties, many people on the spectrum can also possess an incredible capacity for feelings of overwhelming happiness. It’s not something usually associated with the mainstream understanding of autism. However, the people who participated in a recent research study published in Disability & Society describe it vividly, noting it can be triggered by engaging in special interests, being in the right environment, or even specific music: “I have kinaesthetic synaesthesia and feel the music move through my entire body and my entire being shift its internal rhythm to that of the music,” said one. “Driving in my car along clear roads listening to music and getting goosebumps – The feeling of being free and totally detached from the world,” said another. “I’m obsessed with music, love for every note in the song is combined with the movement in my body, I can hear every single instrument separately and together in my head,” another added. The research is limited, but the anecdotal evidence is hard to ignore. It’s not only from Partlow, either. Prominent figures in the autism community have expressed the same. Emily Katy, a bestselling author with autism and ADHD, wrote that, to her, autistic joy feels like, “being flooded with warmth, like sparks travelling through your body, your surroundings melting away and the joy being all you can focus on, being completely consumed by the feeling of joy, like every part of your body is tingling, needing to move and stim to release the feeling.” She added that it can often be overwhelming or exhausting. Complex reaction reveals the stigma people with autism face Partlow’s video received hundreds of thousands of views and thousands of comments across platforms. Many people with ASD were thrilled to finally discuss the intense happiness they often feel: “Having autism has been hard but when I’m happy, the intensity of the happiness makes it all worth it. It’s a euphoria that just explodes out of your body,” one commenter wrote. “I have autism, I definitely get this. One time at the beach, I was standing in the ocean and as the waves were crashing into me, it started to rain. I love the feeling of water, so the combination of the waves and raindrops just sent me into a whirlwind of euphoria,” another added on Facebook. But as the post spread far and wide, plenty of people chimed in to call Partlow’s behavior in the video performative, fake, or even annoying. “Well kinda yeah it is it’s completely inappropriate for a public setting,” one commenter noted of her jumping and skipping around with enthusiasm. View this post on Instagram Autism is an incredibly wide spectrum, and no two people will experience joy or any other emotion in the same way. But deep, full-body euphoria is a real phenomenon for many people like Partlow. Interestingly, the research study noted that autism itself doesn’t inhibit joy nearly as much as masking, “toning it down,” or struggling to be accepted in neurotypical spaces does. Partlow makes the point perfectly in her video: there’s a lot that’s challenging about living with autism, but we shouldn’t forget that, quite often, the only thing standing in the way of someone with ASD being overwhelmingly happy is the pressure to express it in a way that everyone else finds acceptable. For her part, she refuses to tone it down, whether people find it “cringe” or not. The post ‘Love on the Spectrum’ star reveals secret benefit of her neurodivergence: Autistic joy appeared first on Upworthy.

Dan Fogelberg’s 1979 hit “Longer” is a love ballad for the ages. Now, a father-son duo has brought new life to it in 2026. Jack, 16, who has level 2 autism, and his dad Eric have been sharing videos of themselves on social media, performing a slew of songs as Jack builds LEGO models. Their unique versions of classic rock, folk, and love songs have touched the hearts of people all over the world. Most recently, their rendition of Fogelberg’s hit (with Jack singing and Eric accompanying on guitar) went viral. “Jack is in charge of all music that we learn and [making] videos,” his dad Eric tells Upworthy. “He listens to suggestions from various listeners and friends, but we only do the songs that resonate with Jack.” @jackanddadmusic Jack is still loving the music of the 70’s. Seems like he is discovering new favorites every day. So here’s a little Dan Fogelberg for you he is building a Simpsons Lego set that he got for Christmas. #jackanddadmusic #coversong #70s #singer #autism ♬ original sound – jackanddadmusic Jack sings Fogelberg’s ‘Longer’ In the video, Jack is front and center as his dad Eric plucks a guitar behind him. As Jack sings in front of a microphone, he is simultaneously building a Simpsons LEGO set that he received for Christmas. While his hands are busy, Jack’s sweet voice shines, hitting every high note as he flips through the LEGO instruction manual. His voice is effortless as he sings the song’s first verse: Longer than there’ve been fishes in the oceanHigher than any bird ever flewLonger than there’ve been stars up in the heavensI’ve been in love with you In the video’s caption, his dad added: “Jack is still loving the music of the 70’s.” Jack is clearly a Fogelberg fan, and he posted another video of him singing “Leader of the Band” a couple weeks later. @jackanddadmusic We listened to “Leader of the Band” on repeat for an entire 30 minutes car ride yesterday. That’s how much Jack loves this song and how much we love him he’s building the Ukulele Lego set he got for Christmas. #jackanddadmusic #coversong #singer #80smusic #autism ♬ original sound – jackanddadmusic Learning new songs Music has been a helpful part of Jack’s autism journey. He has level 2 autism, which according to Autism Speaks, means he struggles with verbal and nonverbal social communication skills as well as restricted, repetitive behaviors. On TikTok, his family shared that Jack has developed two special interests: singing and LEGO building. @jackanddadmusic If you’re new here, this is Jack. He is 15 years old and has level 2 autism. He has two special interests that have been a part of his life for a very long time… singing and LEGO building. I’m going to do my best to answer some questions we have been asked… How it started: He started building LEGO sets at 4 years old. We got him a junior set and he fell in love with LEGO building. We then got him a large Star Wars AT-AT set to build with dad. He insisted he didn’t need help and built it by himself. It was then we realized that this was the only thing that could keep him still and hold his attention longer than a couple minutes. Screens couldn’t even do that. (Jack is an extremely active kid) So whenever we needed or wanted him to sit still, we gave him a LEGO set to build . House projects, restaurants, and even his sister’s wedding reception. Does he rebuild sets? No Where do we display the completed sets? All over our house, anywhere we find space Can you create a LEGO wishlist so we can support Jack in his Lyrics & LEGO building video series? We appreciate your love and support of our sweet Jack so much! We feel a little weird about this because Jack has so many Legos already. If after seeing his collection, you still would like to send him more, we have added a wishlist to his linktree in the bio. Has he had musical training? Yes. He has been in voice lessons with some amazing teachers since he was 8 years old. Does he have perfect pitch? He doesn’t associate letters with notes, so by definition, no. He does have extremely good relative pitch. He is very good at mimicking sound and learns songs by listening. Does he take requests? this is a tough one. We can introduce him to your suggestions, but if it doesn’t click, he won’t learn it. Can we do longer versions? We are working on getting a YouTube started for longer versions. please excuse our TikTok video making skills, we are old and new to all of this #jackanddadmusic #autism #lego #fyp #storytime ♬ Happy / Video CM / Ukulele ♬ Cooking / Family(897363) – ImoKenpi-Dou “Jack has a very good memory, but he says it takes him about a week of listening to a song to have it learned and memorized,” Eric shares with Upworthy. “Jack listens to music constantly.” His love for music has also led him to extra training. “He has been in voice lessons with some amazing teachers since he was 8 years old,” his dad shared on social media, adding that Jack also has “extremely good relative pitch” and is “very good at mimicking sound.” LEGOs are his second love (with his Titanic LEGO set being his favorite). Viewers react With more than 21 million views on Instagram, viewers shared their praises for Jack and Eric’s beautiful cover of the Fogelberg classic and what the song means to them personally: “Oh my. My husband and I had that song at our wedding. He passed away 12 days ago, so this touches me to my core. Thanks for sharing your voice. ” “Thank you for posting this! It made me . This song was sung at our wedding. I lost my husband to a heart attack at 36 years old. Way too early. This song took me back to the altar, standing beside him at our wedding. What a precious gift. Thank you. ” “I am a Canadian veteran living with PTSD. Every morning and every night, the hamster in my head goes on overdrive, and I become overwhelmed. This morning wasn’t an exception, but I discovered your son yesterday and, when the thought started to affect my breathing, I heard him in my head. This song, his voice, THANK YOU! ” “It is so rare to hear a ‘pure’ voice that is not forced. Lovely. ” “His vocal texture is simply sublime. Such natural control and pin-perfect tone.” The post Autistic 16-year-old and his dad perform a gorgeous cover of Dan Fogelberg’s ‘Longer’ appeared first on Upworthy.

When we were children, many of us felt like the world was our oyster. If we were lucky, we didn’t feel bound by societal or even familial restrictions. We could dream of becoming doctors, queens, kings, rock stars, and even puppies. If we felt especially emboldened, we dreamed of becoming all of those things at once. On a recent Facebook post, Upworthy asked the simple question: “When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?” Within a short time span, there were over 1,300 responses, ranging from people who had completely strayed off course to those who stayed steadfast to their plans. (Thus far, however, no one with plans to become a canine was able to do so.) Exceeding our dreams The prompt tapped into the notion that perhaps it can be a good idea to reflect on our childhood dreams. They often serve as roadmaps that help lead us to what we once wanted for ourselves. Many have had to shift their plans. But for some, their lives actually wound up exceeding their dreams. In some of the answers, it’s clear that people achieved their dreams. One Facebooker wrote that as a child, they simply wished to daydream, sharing, “Any job where I could just sit and look out the window. I’m a pilot now.” Another wrote that they had plans to be a teacher for pretty honest reasons. “A teacher because I liked telling people what to do. (I actually became a teacher.)” Another, inspired by ’80s performers, made their dreams a reality: “A Performance Artist and I became that. That was my life’s dream after seeing Madonna, Bowie, Eurythmics, Boy George, Grace Jones, Pete Burns. That’s all I wanted to be, and I finally did it at 18 and still do it at 47.” A Beatle inspired this person, who strayed a bit from the plan and still fell into an admirable vocation. “A surgeon, a paleontologist, and a singer/drummer married to Paul McCartney. So I became a nurse.” In a similar vein, another was hoping to become famous until their adult self set them back on track. “Sheryl Crow, but that position was already taken.” Waking up to reality This commenter was quite raw with their response. “I wanted to be a police officer. I was working on it in my mid-20s. When my oldest daughter said, ‘You can be a policeman if you promise not to get hurt or die,’ I couldn’t guarantee that. So I didn’t go any further.” A few merely wanted their hopes and dreams to be in reach, literally. “I wanted to be taller so I could reach the cereal cabinet! Lol. Plus, I wanted to be a nun, a librarian, a veterinarian, etc. I even wanted to join the military.” And then there were those with perfect jokes, especially for someone so young. “Someone asked me that when I was 10 years old, rosy-cheeked and (I thought) boring. My answer: ‘Pale and interesting.'” Or just not growing up Something many could relate to was the idea of not growing up at all. A Facebooker beautifully wrote, “When I was little, I just wanted to stay little, and play with my toys. I didn’t understand I’d grow, and I certainly never thought of a future, and I think I’ve pretty much managed to avoid growing up. Sure, I’m old, but never grown up.” View this post on Instagram The post People were asked what they wanted to be when they grew up. Their answers were inspiring.  appeared first on Upworthy.

Summer break is winding down, ushering in cooler nights, changing leaves, and the familiar ring of the school bell. That signature buzzing tone foretells the multitudes of kids who will soon come home sniffling and coughing with snot rags in tow. It’s almost guaranteed that within the first few weeks of the school year, an unwelcome virus will sweep through the family. With it, your home and work routine becomes disrupted with pharmacy runs and doctor visits. But what if you could slash the number of colds you and your children catch to a fraction of those from years past? The secret to fewer sniffles might be much simpler—and more wallet-friendly—than what wellness influencers might have you believe. Turns out, the key is two ingredients you already have in your kitchen.  The power of prevention through tradition Since the 1930s, Japanese health officials have promoted a simple, daily health habit to ward off seasonal bugs: “ugai.” Basically, this translates to gargling with a warm water and salt mixture to help prevent respiratory infections from taking root. @drmelvinsia Pernah terfikir kenapa kanak-kanak di Jepun diajar untuk berkumur sebaik sahaja mereka pulang ke rumah? Ia bukan sesuatu yang dilakukan secara rawak. Di Jepun, pencegahan adalah sebahagian daripada gaya hidup. Sama seperti membuka kasut sebelum masuk rumah dan membasuh tangan, berkumur menjadi satu tabiat harian yang diajar di sekolah dan di rumah. Tujuannya adalah untuk membersihkan kuman yang mungkin berada di dalam mulut dan tekak sebelum ia sempat menyebabkan penyakit. Kementerian Kesihatan Jepun juga pernah menggalakkan amalan berkumur sebagai sebahagian daripada kebersihan harian, terutamanya semasa musim selesema dan flu. Satu kajian pada tahun 2005 yang diterbitkan dalam American Journal of Preventive Medicine turut menunjukkan bahawa individu yang kerap berkumur mengalami kurang jangkitan saluran pernafasan atas. Ia bukan magik, tetapi hasil daripada amalan yang konsisten. Caranya sangat mudah. Campurkan 1 sudu teh garam dengan 1 cawan air suam. Bilas mulut selama 30 saat, kemudian dongakkan kepala dan berkumur di tekak selama 30 saat lagi. Ludahkan air tersebut dan jangan menelannya. Ini bukan ubat dan bukan penawar. Ia hanyalah satu tabiat kecil yang hampir tidak memerlukan kos, tetapi memberi fokus kepada pencegahan sebelum jatuh sakit. Kadang-kadang, perkara yang kecil tetapi dilakukan setiap hari boleh membawa perubahan yang besar. ♬ original sound – Dr. Melvin Sia – Dr. Melvin Sia While it might sound like an old wives’ tale, current research backs up what Japanese households have known for decades. The surprising science behind a simple saltwater rinse When we think about preventing the common cold, we usually think of the importance of frequent handwashing or taking your daily dose of Vitamin C. Current studies show that adding a targeted throat rinse to your everyday routine can stave off the sniffles and lessen the cycle of chronic colds. Key research conducted in both America and Japan examined the physiological benefits of gargling with saline. When you mix plain table salt into warm water, you create a hypertonic solution. In the US National Institute of Science study, it was determined that this mixture acts as a kind of magnet, pulling moisture, debris, and trapped viral particles from the lining of your throat before they get a chance to really take hold. In the Japanese preventative trials, researchers found that routine gargling can help prevent upper respiratory infections. By extension, it reduced the risk of illness and fever. Flushing out these pathogens stopped them before they could multiply. This gives your body’s immune system a nice head start. An easy everyday life hack everyone has access to The absolute best part about this routine? It costs pennies, takes less than a minute, and uses items you already own. Make no mistake: there is no cure for the common cold. Once a cold virus works its way into your system, rest, fluids, and time are what the doctor ordered. But there’s something to be said for doing what you can to proactively prevent viruses from plaguing your household in the first place. Next time your kids walk through the front door after a long day at school, follow this routine:  Wash your hands. Scrub off any viral loads your kids have accumulated in class during the day. Gargle it out. Just mix a quarter to a half teaspoon of common table salt into eight ounces of warm water. Once the solution is in your mouth, give it a good gargle, and let the science-backed magic do its work.  Let’s be honest—it’s not a taste sensation. That said, it’s a small, effortless step that could help your family sidestep that dreaded back-to-school bug cycle. The post 30-second Japanese gargle hack could save your family from back-to-school colds appeared first on Upworthy.