Abstract

The author is now 75 years old. The illness and loss of friends and acquaintances is hard, and forgetfulness is severe. But there are some gifts of aging.
There is something I would like to say to myself when I started working at a radio station at age 22. With age, I have come to think the best of "just people" with heartfelt empathy and respect, who don't emphasize their differences from others and don't give up on their own lives. The proprietor of a small diner, a shirt-making dressmaker, a male relative who took a caregiver's leave to take care of his mother.
He never forsakes the pleasures of life to maintain a sense of normalcy at all times. He carefully makes this morning's miso soup, tinkers with the soil in his small garden, and finds a line in a book, on a particular page.
It is because of the importance of "handiwork" and the support of daily life that we are able to resist the unreasonableness of the world.
The book also introduces 22 special picture books that still resonate with the hearts of the people who support the "bright resolve" of the people.

Author’s Information

Japanese writer and former Bunka Hoso announcer.
Born in Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture in 1945. After graduating from Meiji University with a degree in English and American Literature, she joined Bunka Hoso Co. After working as an announcer, she entered the life of a writer. In addition to writing, she runs Crayon House, a store specializing in children's books, and is also the publisher of "Monthly Kodomo Ron" and "Monthly Kooyon. She also has a strong interest in food and runs the natural food restaurant "HOME," and is involved in a wide range of other activities. Many of his written works are close to the small side of his voice. Her speaking topics include gender equality, childcare, education, nursing care, and food safety, with a focus on human rights.