In a Sea of CDs, I Am Still Searching for an Ark Today (MUJI Polypropylene Case)

Before I knew it, my room had become a geological stratum made of CDs.

Each one is thin and flimsy, but when stacked, they look like the growth rings of a geological era. In the lower layers sleep the screams of a young Eric Clapton, in the middle lies the sweaty summer of City Pop, and on the very top sits the jazz I dug up at BookOff just yesterday, still wrapped in its original obi strip. The more I dig, the more cross-sections of my own life emerge. The trouble is, this stratum tends to rise on its own if left unattended.

Living in a housing complex is a battle of patience against floor space. I try to pretend I'm living a refined life, but the reality is a daily tightrope walk of "how to keep a lot of music from drowning in a small space." One day, an ark arrived in my life. It was that tall, narrow stocker from MUJI.

To be honest, I was skeptical at first. The person who developed this rugged box, designed for storing items in kitchen gaps, probably never imagined it would become a sanctuary for slim CD cases. But when I tried it, the compatibility was surprisingly good. The 40cm depth is perfect, as if it were born to hold slim CD cases lined up vertically, and they fit into the 18cm width packed tight, yet with just the right amount of breathing room. Since it has casters, being able to drag it around like continental drift whenever I rearrange the room is a small but welcome relief for a middle-aged man worried about his lower back.

CDs are strange media; when you give up on the charm of the jacket as an art piece and dress them in the modest monk's robes of a "slim case," their volume decreases surprisingly. Yet, they continue to increase, so this is less about material desire and more like a natural phenomenon where one stratum calls to another. The heart that seeks "one more thing" keeps bringing the next disc, and the next, home from the shelves of BookOff.

And now, I am quietly considering a third ark.

Two stockers are already creaking under the weight of the CDs, yet they faithfully support the music. But to be honest, there are still "homeless immigrants" piled up on the floor. Should I bring out a new ship to welcome them, or should I take the plunge and let something go? It is the eternal dilemma of living in a housing complex. However, experience has taught me that while I hesitate, the water level of the CDs keeps rising. You don't build a levee after the dam has already broken.

So, to those fellow drifters who have also realized that "before I knew it, CDs had invaded the floor": this tall, narrow MUJI stocker isn't flashy, but it is a sturdy partner that quietly gets the job done. Something designed as a kitchen utensil has become a pillar supporting my musical life—that mismatched feeling is somehow similar to my own way of living, and I can't bring myself to dislike it.

▼ Here is the stocker I actually use

If you combine it with slim CD cases, you can stack up a "CD collection"—not a record collection—in a surprisingly space-saving way. I think I'll worry a little longer about whether to welcome a third one.