For many Japanese, Araiguma Rascal is more than a childhood memory. It is a story about friendship, curiosity, and learning how to care for the natural world. The original memoir, Rascal, recounts Wisconsin author Sterling North’s magical year with his curious, endearing raccoon. Though the story is rooted in a 1918 boyhood, the places that defined it remain. This is the landscape that inspired Wisconsin’s most remarkable writers, thinkers, and builders—several of whom are surprisingly well known in Japan—and still welcomes you today.