Moncler Clothing Section and the Sea Breeze of the Malecón: A Review of 'Celebrity Dogs in Omotesando and Stray Dogs at La Cabaña Fortress'

I first felt the economic divide when I saw an elementary school-aged boy browsing winter clothes in the Moncler kids' section.

In a shopping mall lined with high-end "household goods," seeing a five-year-old boy wearing a gray down jacket, a muted-colored hoodie, and brown chinos made me sense the affluence of his family.

Until then, I had been a person with a very narrow perspective.

I only thought about things like social posturing among my peers, or labeling people as "popular" or "loners."

I didn't know about people who were economically destitute and weren't even given the opportunity to climb the social ladder.

Knowing only middle-class society, when I found out a friend's parents were rich, my only reaction was that it was unusual.

That's why I didn't realize I was embedded within that divide. I thought economic disparity was a story from a distant star, something that had nothing to do with me.

But living in a neoliberal society means being divided into those who earn a lot of money through competition, those who earn little, and those who earn nothing at all, and I realized that I, too, am living right next to that disparity within that competition.

And in that competition, seeing the elementary schooler at Moncler made me think that perhaps I am currently being outdone by someone.

At the same time, I also wondered if I might be outdoing someone else.

Watching a video on YouTube where an African American man said, "We have to sell drugs just to feed our families," I sometimes intuitively thought, "Why don't they just study and get a job?"

At that time, I hadn't realized the fact that because of inequality, some people cannot receive a proper education or cannot get a decent job due to a lack of employment.

When you take an interest in the outside world, you start to see the miserable reality, and it becomes increasingly painful.

I am losing to someone, and I am defeating someone.

***

I love the stories about Mr. Wakabayashi's father.

I was once saved by the story of how Mr. Wakabayashi's father said he wanted to eat a convenience store parfait right before he died, and hearing that made Mr. Wakabayashi realize that the thing his father wanted to eat on his deathbed was something from a convenience store.

I was even influenced by the story of how Mr. Wakabayashi started to think about marriage because he thought that if his dad said it was good, then it must be something good.

I was also moved by Mr. Wakabayashi talking about his father, saying they were "hurt by the same things" and that they had a "feeling close to friendship."

Mr. Wakabayashi's father, who was stubborn and straightforward. And Mr. Wakabayashi, who, while intimidated by his father's stubbornness and his educational philosophy of "be strong," still felt like they were friends and loved his father dearly.

For someone like me who loves the two of them, this travelogue is incredibly moving. It feels just like watching 'LOGAN'.

Doubts about neoliberalism, the competition we've been exposed to since our student days, the rooftop in Saratoga, the Museum of the Revolution, the celebrity dogs of Omotesando and the stray dogs of Fortaleza de la Cabaña, the inequality of opportunity at the ration distribution center, Edajima's wild antics, the beautiful sea, and then the Sumida River and the Malecón.

Everything sinks right into my heart. And my heart is shaken.

When I read Wakabayashi-san's essays, it's usually when I want to face the world.

I read Wakabayashi-san's writing, which gently nestles up to the feeling of a kind of unfairness—the question of why we suffer so much—that I carry with me.

But while reading this book, I can forget the world and reality. I can go to Cuba with them. I can taste the air of Cuba and forget the humidity of Japan.

Even so, in the end, it makes me feel like I can keep living here in Japan.

For me, this book is a textbook, a fantasy, and a road movie.

It is a textbook where I learn how to live, having found no salvation in business or self-help books filled with strong theories written by executives solely for self-promotion; it is a story that allows me to go to the unreal, a city like Cuba that I could never imagine while in Japan; and it is a road movie of my favorite father-son duo, Wakabayashi. The theme song is 'Take it easy'.

I truly love this book.

***

I feel like I've learned something important by seeing the inside of Wakabayashi-san's mind and the scenery of Cuba.

Immersion and relationships with heart. These two things will save us.

And that is what is in Cuba.

Colorful buildings, classic cars, music, and the Malecón.

In Cuba, it's not about the creativity or connections needed to win in competition, but about pure curiosity, enthusiasm, and amistad.

Perhaps because of Wakabayashi-san, whenever I picture the Malecón, the scene is always at dusk. And there, people are sitting face-to-face, having conversations.

I believe that immersion and relationships with heart transcend competition.

We are too easily swayed by definitions of happiness and one-upmanship created by the economic system.

As a result, I had forgotten the gratitude of being able to receive higher education and the fact that I live in a world where the things I want to eat before I die are available at convenience stores. Even though they are close by, even though they are there if I look around, I keep looking up. I keep trying to win against others.

I believe that what is truly important is not winning competitions, but rather immersion, passion, and relationships with heart.

That is precisely why we must not ignore the divisions caused by competition and inequality. We must protect the 'people who gather on the Malecon to watch the sunset and talk.' We must not be blinded by the desire to beat others and become obsessed with superficial happiness. Competition and capitalism are means to improve our lives, not the end goal.

***

I must live my life in Japan while being exposed to competition and inequality.

But as long as the sea breeze of the Malecon blows through my heart, I feel that Cuba will protect me from the harsh reality.

Pink, turquoise blue, emerald green.

Pink, turquoise blue, emerald green.