Lecture: Inside the Mind of a Short-Short Writer: From Background to Creative Activities

In this article, I will introduce various aspects of my work as a short-short writer, Masatomo Tamaru, ranging from the story of how I became a writer to the ins and outs of my creative activities, and even a simplified guide on how to write them.
I apologize for the length, but I would be very happy if you could read it, even if just from the parts that catch your eye!

This article is based on a lecture titled "Inside the Mind of a Short-Short Writer: From Background to Creative Activities" given by Masatomo Tamaru at the "75th Ehime Prefecture Japanese Language Education Research Conference (Niihama Conference)" held on November 2, 2023. It was produced by our staff, who took the transcript created by the secretariat teachers for their research bulletin after the lecture and added, revised, and reorganized it while incorporating the latest information.

Self-Introduction

Hello, I am Masatomo Tamaru. I work as a "short-short writer," specializing in writing short-shorts. I am from a place called Mitsu in Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture, and I studied at Matsuyama Higashi High School, followed by the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Tokyo and the Graduate School of Engineering at the same university.

Writing Activities
As a novelist, my primary work is writing stories and books. Currently, my piece "Sakura-cho" is included in a first-year junior high school Japanese textbook (Kyoiku Shuppan), and in 2022, my story "City Beach" from the book "Novel Workshop Created with Haiku" was used in the National Academic Achievement Test taken by approximately one million third-year junior high school students nationwide.

◎ Click here for a video about "Sakura-cho"

In terms of television programs, my story "Daikon Samurai" was adapted into a drama starring Minami Hamabe for "Tales of the Unusual." It is a story about a samurai who can cut things with a daikon radish—which is, of course, impossible in reality—but it revolves around a samurai who can actually use a daikon like a sword to cut things in two. I also have a story called "Umizake," which captures memories of Mitsu in Matsuyama where I grew up, and it was adapted into a short film starring Naoki Matayoshi of Peace and was even screened at the Cannes Film Festival.

◎ You can read "Umizake," "Toshinami" (included in "Umuiro no Bin"), "Yumemaki," "Daikon Samurai," and "Watagumo-do" (included in "Yumemaki") for free on this Futabasha website.

Short-Short Writing Workshop

Parallel to my writing, I am also focusing on short-short writing workshops. I have been doing this since 2013, and I hold them for everyone from first-grade elementary students to junior high, high school, university, and vocational school students, as well as at libraries, culture centers, nursing homes, juvenile detention centers, and corporations.
In recent years, I have been conducting them both in Japan and abroad, sometimes using English or Chinese with an interpreter, or in Japanese for non-native speakers in the context of Japanese language learning. Recently, I also held them remotely for students learning Japanese at universities in South Korea and Turkey.

The content of these writing workshops is now included in a fourth-grade elementary school Japanese textbook (Kyoiku Shuppan).

Matsuyama City's Botchan Literary Award
I also serve as the head judge for the "Botchan Literary Award," a prize specializing in short-shorts sponsored by my hometown, Matsuyama City. This award originally accepted medium and long-form works, but it was revamped in 2019 and is now a prize specializing in short-shorts, becoming a very large award that receives around 8,000 to 9,000 entries.
Depending on the length of the work, the number of entries for literary awards varies, but while I have the impression that hundreds is common for longer works, and 2,000 to 3,000 is considered quite high for shorter ones, I am truly grateful for the many entries we receive, and I feel it has grown into a truly wonderful award in terms of content as well.

Media Appearances and Workshops
In addition, many prominent people have taken an interest in my work, and I have many opportunities to have people from various genres attend my workshops through television, radio, the internet, and events. Various information, including that, is available on my official website, so I would be happy if you could take a look if you like.

What is a Short-Short?

What exactly is a short-short?
Simply put, it is a "short and mysterious story." I tell people that it is fine to start with that simple understanding.
Furthermore, I define a modern short-short as "a story with an idea and an impressive ending that makes use of it." In short, the idea is what is truly important.

Also, regarding the ending, some people might have the image that "short-short = punchline," but while it can include a punchline, the point is that it is an impressive ending based on the idea.

As an example of such a short-short, I always present one during my writing workshops, so I hope you can use it as a reference to get an idea of what they are like. The title is "Power-Generating Creature."

"An electric octopus capable of generating its own electricity was developed by advancing the principle of the electric eel. Often, a power strip with many plugs inserted is called an 'octopus wiring' in Japanese, but in the case of this electric octopus, it is literally wiring using an octopus's legs, and electricity can be drawn from its eight legs. However, if you use too much electricity at once, it gets hot and turns into a boiled octopus."

It is short and mysterious, isn't it? As I mentioned earlier, what is important in a short-short is strictly the idea, and it does not necessarily have to be mysterious, but I hope you can first understand it as a short and mysterious story like this.

◎ If you would like to know more about short-shorts, please check these out as well.
◆ Video
[Creative Q&A] What is the difference between a short-short, a short story, and a novella?
[Creative Q&A] Must a short-short be mysterious?
[Creative Q&A] Does a short-short always need an easy-to-understand punchline?
[Creative Q&A] <For experienced writers> Do it yourself! A simple way to judge a short-short

◆ Article
Dialogue with Itsuki Natsui

Until I Became a Writer

Now, when it comes to the image of a writer, I think there is a tendency to assume that I must have read a huge number of books since I was a child, or that I was good at writing compositions and Japanese, but in my case, I am embarrassed to say that I was bad at everything when I was in elementary school.

Impatient and unable to read books
First of all, I couldn't read books. My impatient personality was a curse, and I would end up reading them in a sort of skimming fashion. In the end, I couldn't really grasp the meaning, so I didn't understand them well, or perhaps I was just swayed by the atmosphere around me. I think there was a part of me that was a bit intimidated by the atmosphere of books, as if they were something difficult. I didn't like writing compositions either, and I felt a sense of weakness in Japanese language class.

Encountering short-shorts
When I was in the upper grades of elementary school, I encountered short-shorts, and I was shocked that something so short could be so interesting. From then on, I became hooked on reading, and gradually, I stopped being bad at writing as well. By high school, Japanese had actually become my strongest subject, but if you trace it back, I was terrible at it in elementary school. It feels truly strange, yet I am very grateful, that someone like me is now having their work used in Japanese textbooks and other places, and having books published.

Coming from a science background, why become a novelist?

I'm sure many of you think it's unusual, but I come from a so-called science background. In reality, there are quite a few writers like that, but it doesn't seem to be common knowledge, so I am often asked why I became a writer.

On that point, to begin with, I am the type who doesn't really distinguish between the arts and sciences. As I mentioned earlier, Japanese was my best subject in high school, and although I can't speak English, I enjoyed it as a subject. I have always had the image that all subjects have the same roots.

Furthermore, there are two reasons why I chose the path of science. One is the influence of my grandfathers. One of my grandfathers was a carpenter in Yawatahama, and the other was a craftsman who ran an ironworks in Mitsu, doing ship repairs and shipbuilding. Therefore, I grew up in an environment where wood and iron were all around me, and making things was a natural part of life. My parents, who inherited that lineage, were also people who made things on a daily basis, and I myself have been a 'native' of making things since I was young. That was a huge factor. The sense of creating something was cultivated naturally.

The other reason is my longing for space. I think many people go through this phase, but when I was in junior high school, I was no exception and became obsessed with space. Looking back, I feel embarrassed because I didn't understand anything, but at the time, books by Dr. Einstein and Dr. Hawking were popular. I thought space was cool, and I began to aspire to become an astrophysicist.

These two factors were the main reasons, and since I wasn't bad at math, I naturally ended up pursuing a path in science.

Setbacks and overcoming them in my studies

Here, I would like to talk about my studies in high school.
Looking at my profile, you might think that my grades were decent from the time I entered school and that I went to university smoothly, but when I first entered Matsuyama Higashi High School, I was ranked around 100th out of about 440 classmates in the first test. Some of you might think 100th is high, but personally, I was truly frustrated. It was the first time in my life that I was motivated to study.

What I did was, first, I thought very hard about what I was lacking. Specifically, I identified, 'I'm not doing this well in this part of this subject.' Next, I thought thoroughly about how to overcome it and went to bookstores to find workbooks that suited my needs. Then, I executed my plan by doing those workbooks over and over again—I just did them. I also valued this very much. Then, I checked the results through quizzes and such, and thought about what I was still lacking.
What is now called PDCA, I was doing in my own way back then, without going to a cram school.

What was the result, you might ask? You might think, 'Oh, so that's how your grades went up.' Well, my ranking actually dropped from 100th to 150th! It was the worst, it was despair... I think this was the biggest personal and mental setback of my life so far.

At the time, I worried a lot. Honestly, I felt like I had been trying quite hard. I was in the hard tennis club, so I would get home around 7:00 PM, eat the meal that had been prepared for me, take a bath, take a 30-minute nap, and then study until about 1:00 AM. I kept up this lifestyle, and my grades dropped. There was truly nothing but despair...

But after thinking about it a lot, I just couldn't believe that my method was wrong.

Anyway, I have no choice but to do it!
And so, while I felt very depressed, I finally reached the conclusion that I had no choice but to keep going. Looking back, I think it was very significant that I was able to reach that conclusion, so I just kept doing it the same way because I had no other choice.
Then, after a little while, my ranking started to go up steadily, and in the end, I was able to take 1st place in the science track and enter the university I wanted.
I learned so much from this experience that I consider it a lifelong treasure.

By the way, I wanted to study space at university, but in the end, I entered a department that deals with environmental energy issues. It's a hot topic now, but back then, it was just around the time Obama started talking about it, and it was a time when environmental energy departments were just starting to become a little popular.

Why did I become a novelist?

When I wrote my first work
I was studying environmental energy issues at the University of Tokyo's Faculty of Engineering, so why did I become a novelist?
Looking back, the first time I wrote a short-short myself was in my second year of high school. When I had some free time, I just wrote something on loose-leaf paper, as I had become a big fan of reading short-shorts at the time. I don't know why I wrote it, but in my own analysis, it was because I liked short-shorts and because creating something was a very normal feeling for me. I've always loved making things, and I also loved thinking up and creating new games that didn't exist, so I think I probably just wrote it as an extension of that.

At the time I wrote it, it was vague, but I decided to show it to a friend. Then, they told me it was interesting. At that moment, my consciousness shifted, and I realized that it was okay to write novels myself. It's strange for me to say this, but I was shocked. It wasn't the moment I finished writing, but only after my friend's reaction that it really registered in my mind.
That was when I was in my second year of high school, and the idea that it was okay to write novels was added as an option. However, since I had entrance exams in high school, I only wrote occasionally for fun, and I don't think I wrote more than ten works at most.

After entering university, I did my studies normally, but since I could do 'making things' in my studies, I decided to do something that wasn't 'making things' as a hobby. It's simple, but I was torn between music and literature, and since I could do it alone, I remembered writing short-shorts in high school, so I started doing that creative work in earnest as a hobby.

From the path of making things to the path of telling stories
In the midst of this, I gradually shifted toward storytelling. The trigger was that as I worked on making things in my studies, I began to feel a sense of confinement. I still love scientific topics, but I began to feel suffocated as a player in that field.

What I mean is, if you try to make things, you cannot escape from scientific laws or natural laws. For example, when you throw something, it falls according to gravity. This is obvious, but what I wanted to do was to be able to make something float if I threw it and wished for it. As I dug deeper into myself, I realized that I wanted to create something in a world that was that free. And I also realized that the short-short creation I was doing as a hobby was exactly that.

In other words, it was a question of in which field I should do the 'creating' that I have always loved. Should I do it as 'making things' in the real world, which is limited by scientific laws, or as 'storytelling' in a free, imaginary world? In my case, the latter suited me better.

By the way, as for why it was short-shorts and not long novels, it was because the various things my nature and brain preferred perfectly matched the elements of short-shorts.
In the first place, long novels and short novels are different sports. Roughly speaking, I have the image that the former is a long-distance race that requires endurance, and the latter is a short-distance race that requires explosive power. That is how completely different the required qualities are.

In that sense, it also relates to my love for crafts; I had a brain that found joy in using instantaneous power to give shape to a single idea within a short span of time. I also like small things and things that have a high degree of self-containment. These tendencies of my brain happened to align with the short-short stories I was writing as a hobby, and I began to strongly desire to become a professional short-short story writer. I think I was about 19 or 20 years old.

Things I worked on to become a professional short-short story writer

Even if I said I wanted to become a professional novelist, of course, no one taught me how to do it, and since the profession of a 'short-short story writer' didn't exist at the time, I had no idea what to do even after I decided to become one.

In addition to that, I also had to think about how to hone my skills as a creator. Regarding that improvement, what I consciously did was the same PDCA-like cycle that I used in my studies.

I feel that what I cultivated in my studies during high school was very significant, and I believe I received the greatest things in my life from my studies, so I applied what I had cultivated quite consciously. In other words, I kept thinking about what I was lacking to become a professional writer. Next, I thought about how I could overcome that, and furthermore, I executed it, and then thought about it again based on the results.
Since it's not a test, results are hard to see in numbers, but I verified them in my own way while watching the reactions when I showed them to friends.

Things I did for improvement
To be specific about what I did for improvement, for example, there is travel.
I am truly grateful, but with the support of my parents, I traveled to about 20 countries overseas during university. I also went to various places domestically. Then, and this is also related to travel, I also started appreciating art.

In the first place, the background to why I tried to do these things was a challenge I discovered for myself.
That is, after I started writing short-short stories in earnest, I was able to write 10 or 20 of them quite smoothly. I thought, 'Oh, I can write quite a bit,' but then I suddenly couldn't write anymore. The ideas started to become similar, or they didn't seem interesting for some reason. So, what was I missing?

The conclusion I reached after facing myself at that time was that I was overwhelmingly lacking in knowledge, education, and experience. From there, I started going on trips as one of those things. Related to travel, for art appreciation, I once flew to the Netherlands for a 4-day, 2-night trip because I absolutely wanted to see Van Gogh's 'Café Terrace at Night,' and I also went to Oslo because I wanted to see Munch's 'The Scream' in person. At first, I did these things consciously thinking, 'I'm going to do this,' but after that, I just came to like them naturally.

Also, since my reading volume was completely insufficient, I read through various famous works and children's literature that I hadn't been able to read in the past during this time.

Things I did to build my vocabulary
Then, as a slightly unusual thing, I also tried taking the Kanji Kentei Level 1 exam. The fact that I lacked vocabulary was something I had keenly felt since high school entrance exams, and I also had a complex about whether someone like me could become a writer, so I felt I had to build my vocabulary.
Just because I passed the Kanji Kentei doesn't necessarily mean I immediately acquired true vocabulary, but setting that aside, I thought I would first try to ingest various words through the challenge, so I studied kanji for about 3 or 4 months and managed to pass.

When I tell this story, you might think that even if I said I didn't have vocabulary, I must have known a certain amount of kanji from the beginning, but that was completely wrong. When I went to buy a workbook for Kanji Kentei Level 1, there were about 40 reading questions on a two-page spread, and I could only do about 2 of them. I despaired, thinking, 'This is impossible,' and thought about quitting, but I managed to hang on and somehow managed to pass.

Another thing, I also kept a Japanese vocabulary notebook. When I suddenly became calm, I wondered why I didn't keep a Japanese vocabulary notebook when I kept one for learning English. So, I applied what I did in English during high school, and started writing down unknown words I noticed in a memo and reviewing them. Just like with English, I knew that just memorizing words was meaningless, so I repeatedly worked on it while being conscious of how to use those words. I don't do it anymore, but I definitely think it had a good influence, and I'm glad I did it.

Also, there is cooking. It's at the level of an amateur's home cooking, but I would normally make deep-fried foods like tempura at home, or buy spices and make Indian curry. Also, which coincidentally leads to my work 'Umishu' (Sea Sake), I was also making fruit liquor under the kitchen counter. I like plum wine, but I liked trying to soak things that aren't easily sold, such as loquat wine or peach wine.
Also, I did research at university to a normal degree.

What is the use of studying?

This is a slight digression, but there is something I always say. I think it's not uncommon for people in society to say, 'What is the use of studying?' 'You won't use it when you go out into the world, right?' 'It's meaningless, isn't it?' Regarding this, I have some thoughts on whether that is really the case.

Of course, there is definitely a matter of whether it suits you or not, so I don't think it's right to force it on others. However, on that basis, I want to convey that studying 'is also' useful. I think it's a huge waste for people who are putting in the effort, especially those who are doing it seriously, to belittle it because everyone says studying is meaningless.
I want to proudly convey that the foundations of life are packed into studying as well. Where you learn the foundations of life should be different for each person; it might be sports, art, or hobbies, but I really think you can learn plenty from studying and academics, and it's good to squeeze out the learning from it. So, if there is anyone who is worried, 'Is the studying I'm doing now meaningless?', I want to strongly convey that that is not the case.

And, just as I have applied what I learned in my studies to my creative activities, I hope that you will all extract the essence and apply it to other things as well.

Because short-short stories don't sell

Returning to the story, as I worked on it thinking I had to cultivate myself somehow, the things I could write and the areas where I could come up with ideas gradually expanded.
On the other hand, regarding the goal of becoming a professional short-short story writer, since short-short stories were completely out of favor at the time, people at publishing companies and writers I managed to get to know would say things like this to me.
'Your work is interesting, but short-short stories don't sell, you know,' or 'If you only write short-short stories, you're only half a writer.' It wasn't limited to this; I was told quite a lot of things. I didn't have any acquaintances in the publishing industry, so I worked hard to meet people I had managed to get to know even a little, but being told that, naturally, I despaired.

But, although I despaired, there was a part that was a little different from the despair I felt during my studies. What was different was that thanks to my experience in my studies, I knew at a sensory level that if it was something I believed in after thinking it through, I had no choice but to keep doing it, which was huge. I worried, and I was anxious. I was incredibly anxious. Moreover, unlike my studies, which took a few months or a few years, it was a feeling of not being able to break through over a longer span of time, so I worried a lot and felt depressed. But I knew I had no choice but to do it, so I kept doing it.

Then, there were really various things, but to tell you only the final part, a certain writer recognized me, and everything started moving at once. It was about 10 years ago that I suddenly received an email from that person to the effect of, 'It's interesting, so I introduced it to a publishing company.' From there, it was unbelievably smooth to have my books published, and after that, I was featured in various media and by famous people, and that's how I got to where I am today. I am nothing but grateful.

The path of a professional short-short story writer

'Passion and Execution'

As my way of thinking, I value the words 'Passion and Execution' very much. And I also think that might bring good luck. I don't think good luck will definitely come flying in, but I have a feeling that it might increase the probability of good luck coming flying in. Perhaps the increase is only 1%. But if it increases even by 1%, I want to do it. With that kind of feeling, I intend to have continued to do things with passion.

My Activities

Well, having become a professional short-short writer, you might imagine that 100 percent of a novelist's work is writing. However, in my case, it is a bit different.

60-70% Writing, 30-40% Promotion

It is just an estimate, but I spend about 60 to 70 percent of my time on writing activities, and the remaining 30 to 40 percent on promotional activities.

Writing Activities

First, regarding my writing activities, the main focus is, of course, writing books. I have had many books published so far.
By the way, there is a book called Short-Short Laboratory which is a collection of works themed around environmental energy, and it was a strange feeling to have my university major unexpectedly come in handy.

Also, although it is no longer available, I once did a project with NHK called 'Space Short-Short Picture Scroll.' There is an NHK space program called 'Cosmic Front,' and I collaborated with them; I wrote short-shorts on space topics, Mr. Ryunosuke Kamiki and others read them, and Mr. Hisashi Eguchi and others turned them into picture scrolls. We did a project like that, and it was selected as a '21st Japan Media Arts Festival Entertainment Division Jury Recommended Work' by the Agency for Cultural Affairs which made me feel very grateful and, at the same time, strange that the space I used to love was linking up with me like this.

I also do a lot of corporate promotions as well.
Recently, I have been doing more work in the context of the future, for example, writing on the theme of future healthcare for a generic drug company called Sawai Pharmaceutical.
I have also written stories for Starbucks' chilled cup promotions, and I wrote a piece called 'Omoide-ko (Memory Incense)' for the Eden no Sono nursing home in Matsuyama. In addition, I have written works based on tourist spots at the request of the Gold Coast Tourism Board in Australia, and I wrote a short-short called 'Short Stories of the Yodo Line' related to the JR Yodo Line in Ehime. I have also written works containing messages to eliminate discrimination for human rights organizations.

As for artists, I previously worked with Sukima Switch. When their new album was released, I wrote short-shorts inspired by their songs as the 'Sukima Florist' series and they were distributed at concert venues and other places.
Another thing is that I love Spitz, and I had the happy experience of writing works inspired by their songs as part of the promotion for their best-of album.

Promotional Activities

Next, regarding promotional activities, writing workshops are the main pillar.
Short-shorts are now featured in various places, and the environment is completely different from 10 years ago, but around the time of my debut, they were completely out of fashion, and very few people knew about them. Given that situation, I felt I had to do promotional activities for short-shorts.

However, I am not naturally good at putting myself out there, so I honestly wished someone else would do it. I thought it was arrogant for a young person like me to be doing promotional activities. But to spread the short-shorts I love so much, I realized I couldn't just wait for someone else to do it; I had to do it myself. It was an activity I started after much deliberation and resolve.

I started the writing workshops in 2013, and over the past 10 years, I have held them for over 20,000 people in total.

Since 2017, I have also been holding them at juvenile training schools in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice. You can read the details of my activities below, and you can watch a video of the same content here, so please take a look if you like.

Also, since I started holding workshops for overseas audiences, I discovered that short-shorts transcend national borders. You can also watch a video about that here, so please do.

By the way, as a related topic, in 2023, Mr. Yuki Tsutsui of Konosu City, Saitama Prefecture, wrote a research paper on my writing workshops and won the '8th Omura Hama Encouragement Award.' I felt happy and was truly grateful.
Through his kindness, that paper is available to read for free here, so I would be happy if you could read it if you are interested.

◎ In addition, various information regarding short-short writing workshops can be found below, so please take a look.
◆ Details and Inquiries (Official Website Page)
◆ Videos
・ Overview of the Tamaru Method and Workshops
・ Demonstration video with comedian Taro Yabe and others
・ 【Celebrating 10th Anniversary!!】 Special Interview on Writing Workshops
・ On the skills acquired through creating short-shorts

Taking Action to Launch a Literary Award

The 'Botchan Literary Award,' a prize specializing in short-shorts sponsored by Matsuyama City, which I mentioned at the beginning, is also part of my promotional activities and is something I hold very dear.
Speaking of awards, although it no longer exists, I used to run an award called the 'Short-Short Grand Prize.' This was an award with the purpose of discovering and nurturing short-short writers, and it was something I launched as the initiator.

As for the background of launching it, as I continued the writing workshops, I started receiving comments like, 'I want to become a short-short writer too.' But in my case, I became a professional through pure luck, so it is not reproducible. I kept feeling that this was a major issue.
In that regard, I used to have the assumption that awards were things that someone else created and were given to you. But I wondered if that was really okay, and if I shouldn't take action and create one myself.
On the other hand, I also thought, 'It is too presumptuous for a young person like me to create an award.' However, I also wondered if it was okay for the short-shorts I love so much to just fade away like this, or if I should just wait for someone else to do it someday.
Ultimately, I steeled myself, thinking I had no choice but to do it myself, and I reached out to various places to launch the Short-Short Grand Prize.

By the way, literary awards are often sponsored by publishers, and when it comes to launching an award, the standard path would be to approach a publisher and ask if they would like to do it, but I didn't do that. The reason is that I felt that given the situation of short-shorts at the time, it would be difficult to get it approved in a meeting.
So, I went to bookstores first, not publishers, to give a presentation. I happened to connect with someone who was an executive at a major bookstore chain at the time, and I brought materials and asked, 'The organizer hasn't been decided yet, but if it is decided, could you cooperate with even one store?'
The background to this was that I was receiving a lot of help from bookstore staff on the ground at the time, and I had heard that it wasn't easy to just suddenly be told to put a book on the shelf because it won an award, so I thought it had to be a heartfelt award created together with everyone, which is why I asked the bookstores to listen to me first. However, although that person received it favorably at the time, they said, 'It's interesting, so I'd like to cooperate personally, but as a company, we'll consider it,' and it didn't move forward immediately.

I felt a bit discouraged that it seemed quite difficult, but I managed to pull myself together and thought that since I had gone to the trouble of making a proposal, I should try going to other bookstores. In the midst of that, I had another fortunate connection and was able to go give a presentation to another major bookstore chain. With several senior executives lined up in the reception room, I shrank back but spoke about how I wanted to create this kind of award.
Then, someone said, 'Short-shorts are interesting. A boom might be coming. But wouldn't it be fine to launch it after the boom comes?' At that time, I think it was the rashness of youth, but I said, 'No, I think movements are not things you wait for, but things you go out and create yourself.'
I am only embarrassed now, but when I said that, the person with the highest position there grinned, and it felt like they had become my ally, saying, 'Are there any other questions? No? Then let's cooperate.' Furthermore, they said they would cooperate with all stores, not just one. It was something I couldn't even put into words, I was so happy.

After it was decided that the bookstores would cooperate, the publishing sponsor was also successfully decided, and we proceeded with the preparations in a flurry and started. When we opened the lid, we received nearly 8,000 applications for the first one. Later, people would ask, 'How did you get so many applications?' or 'Did you do something?' but I didn't do anything special; I just did it with my passion, and many people agreed with it, for which I was truly grateful. I was happy to have been able to prove the potential of short-shorts, and I was also extremely happy that new writers would emerge from here. It no longer exists now due to various circumstances, but that is also something I have done in my activities.

'Sukima Jack': Taking Stories Out into the City

In addition, as part of my outreach activities, I also do something called Sukima Jack (Gap Jacking).
To explain what that means, short-shorts are short, so they can 'jack' temporal gaps—in other words, the little bits of spare time you have while waiting for a train or right before going to sleep. Another characteristic is that they can also 'jack' physical gaps in space. This is something that haiku, tanka, and poetry have traditionally excelled at, and there are many interesting examples that have inspired me as well. I realized I could do the same thing with short-shorts, so I've been trying out various things.

Jacking Receipts
To share a few examples, first, I worked with Sanseido Bookstore on a project called “Receipt Novels” where the full text of a story is printed on the back of a receipt and handed to customers at the register.
Also, as an anniversary project for the local Ehime bookstore chain, Akiya Shoten, I was allowed to do a project called “Single-Column Newspaper Novels” in the Ehime Shimbun newspaper. We 'jacked' the narrow, single-column advertising space to run several self-contained stories, where the first character of each story, when connected, formed the catchphrase for Akiya Shoten. This project even won the Ehime Advertising Award and the Newspaper Advertising Award.

Jacking the Stadium's Large Screen
Then, there is the initiative with the soccer team Tokyo Verdy. There is a large screen at the stadium, and I was allowed to 'jack' it. I had children take my workshop before the match, and during halftime, one of the completed stories was shown on the large screen while I read it aloud from the broadcast booth. I was worried that people who came to watch soccer might be confused if a novel suddenly appeared on the screen, but they accepted it very warmly, which made me happy.

Jacking Craft Beer Labels
My latest initiative is a collaboration project with a craft beer company in Matsuyama called DD4D. It is something called “Label Novels” where we 'jacked' the craft beer labels. Based on the three themes of 'Sweet, Sour, and Bitter,' DD4D produced three types of craft beer, and I wrote three self-contained short-shorts that were printed on the can labels. It was featured in the magazine 'Brain' and received a great response, for which I am very grateful.

The Concept of 'Taking Stories Out into the City'
The concept behind these Sukima Jack projects is to 'take stories out into the city.' Of course, it is very important to keep saying, 'Stories are fun,' 'Why don't you try reading a book?' and 'Please go to a bookstore,' but I believe that if that is 'all' we do, it will be difficult in this day and age where the number of people who read is declining. That is why I am working with the belief that I must actively take stories out to people.
Short-shorts make that possible and provide an opportunity for people to learn about them, even if just a little, so I would like to continue putting effort into this.

　◎ You can also watch an introductory video about 'Sukima Jack' here.

Developing 'Jarebon,' a product based on relay novels

In addition, I am also working with friends to develop a product called based on relay novels“Jarebon”. This “Jarebon” is structurally different from ordinary relay novels in that the story doesn't connect but instead becomes topsy-turvy; it is an attempt to further lower the hurdle for writing short-shorts through the element of play.

A little while ago, a star-studded group including Natsuhiko Kyogoku, Risa Wataya, Tomihiko Morimi, Manabu Makime, and Saho Yamamoto played with this Jarebon, which caused a huge stir on social media, and it has grown into a product that even such people enjoy playing with. The Omocoro Channel on YouTube also frequently features it, for which I am grateful.
Jarebon has an official website and an online store, so please take a look if you like. We have also released Jarebon Online, which you can play for free online, so please check that out as well.

　◎The introductory video for Jarebon is here

Radio Program Personality

In addition, I have been serving as a personality for the radio program “Kotoba no Mahou” (Magic of Words) on FM Ehime since 2021, which is broadcast weekly with a new episode once a month. We have had wonderful guests from truly diverse genres, such as Shuntaro Tanikawa, Machi Tawara, and Naoki Matayoshi, and I have asked them questions about words head-on.
By the way, this program was turned into a book titled “Learning from 20 Masters of Linguistic Expression: The Magic of Words”.

It is a book that reconstructs and includes the stories of 20 people, including Mr. Tanikawa, Ms. Tawara, and Mr. Matayoshi. As I listened to past episodes many times for the book adaptation, I realized once again that they were truly wonderful stories.
For example, Shuntaro Tanikawa mentioned that he values musicality when writing. There was also talk about how one's way of life and humanity appear in their writing style. Ms. Tawara talked about how “tanka is more like a letter than a diary,” and Mr. Matayoshi talked about the physicality of words.
Including the episodes with others, it has become a book I can wholeheartedly recommend, so I hope you will pick it up.

Even the President of Mizuho Bank took it! Corporate Workshop: “Short-Short Ideation Method”

While activities like that are positioned as outreach, I also conduct activities for companies.
One of them is the corporate workshop “Short-Short Ideation Method,” which is for thinking about new products and services under the concept that “there are hints for opening up the future within absurd stories.”
While my regular writing courses teach how to write short-shorts in a 90-minute session, for companies, I take about an extra hour to conduct what I call “decoding.” What this means is that we read and decode the works written by employees about their own company together, and think about ideas for new products and services.

For example, if it were a car company, I would first have the employees write short-shorts about cars or related topics. At this point, it is perfectly fine for them to be completely absurd. Then, in the latter hour, we discuss together, “What kind of products or services could be thought of from these absurd stories?” and create new things.
The key is the employees' power of imagination. The underlying hypothesis is that anyone can imagine, not just special people, and that hints for the future are sleeping within that.

This workshop, “Short-Short Ideation Method,” has been conducted at various companies and organizations, including HONDA, DENSO, LION, POLA, Fujitsu, Suntory, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

Also, in an initiative with Mizuho Financial Group, as part of the Forbes JAPAN special brand book “Mizuho Financial Group 150th Anniversary Special Issue” published for all 50,000 employees of the group in the spring of 2024, I held a workshop for four people (titles at the time of implementation):
　・Mizuho Bank President Kato 　・Securities President Hamamoto 　・Trust President Umeda 　・Research & Technologies President Yoshihara

.
As it was a workshop where such prominent people gathered, I was the most nervous I have been in the last few years, but everyone kindly wrote completely impromptu pieces, completing works such as “An Izakaya with Financial Menus” and “A Dribbling ATM.” I am very grateful that they even gave me strong words of “That was fun!” the moment it ended. Personally, it was also a very valuable experience. Within the initiative, I was also in charge of:
　・Workshops for employees 　・Writing the work “Bank of Memories” with the theme of the future Mizuho

You can read this brand book for free, including the content above, from the following link, so please do read it.

　【Spread Version】 　・Workshop for the 4 Presidents: P34, 36 　・Tamaru's work “Bank of Memories”: P38–39 　・Workshop for employees: P40–41

　【Single Page Version】 　・Workshop for the 4 Presidents: P66–67, P70–71 　・Tamaru's work “Bank of Memories”: P74–77 　・Workshop for employees: P78–81

In addition to this, there are many cases where I have companies share their cutting-edge research content, and I write stories based on that. The purpose is to use stories as a catalyst to explore the future possibilities of where that research might lead together.
I always want to be useful to the world through the power of ideas and stories, so if I can be utilized by people on the front lines of companies that are actually creating the future, there is nothing happier than that.

◎Information regarding corporate activities is here 　◆
Details and requests (Official website page) 　◆
Book page for the business book “Business and Fantasy: Thinking Methods to Generate Incredible Ideas from Fantasy,” which summarizes the “Short-Short Ideation Method” workshop 　◆
Video introduction of the initiative with Mizuho Financial Group 　◆
Article on the initiative with Fujitsu, “Fuhen na Mirai” (Strange Future)

Fantasy, Ways of Thinking about Ideas

Now, I would like to talk about some of the ways of thinking about fantasy and ideas that I share with everyone on a daily basis.

Are adults stubborn?

First, I think it is common to hear that “adults are stubborn,” but from my experience, I can assert that “that is wrong!”.
However, having said that, I think there are times when they seem stubborn at first glance, and regarding that point, to use a metaphor, I say that they are wearing a “helmet of common sense.” This refers to common sense, rules, or preconceptions. Of course, since it is something for protection, it is useful in many ways, but I suggest we start by taking it off.

Taking off the helmet of common sense

So, how do you take it off? In my workshops, I use methods, prompts, time limits, and environment-building, but once you take off the helmet, the softness is the same for both adults and children. Building on that, what becomes important for writing the next interesting story, I believe, is knowledge, experience, and education. Adults clearly have the advantage here.
I love children, and I believe from the bottom of my heart that every work they create is precious, but adults are just as wonderful. So, please don't convince yourself that 'it's impossible for an adult like me' or 'my mind is too rigid'; I want you to try it first. Furthermore,I want to convey from the bottom of my heart that, regardless of age, the stories you create are precious and valuable. I want to strongly convey that you can do it, too.

Japanese people are fantasy natives

Also, since Japanese people are fantasy natives, I want everyone to have confidence. Many Japanese people are accustomed to fantasizing from a young age through manga, anime, and games, right?
But people tend to shut that down during adolescence. That's understandable, but they continue to suppress it as they grow into adults. On the other hand, the power of fantasy is highly sought after at the forefront of global business. I think it's a real shame. I believe that unlocking your hidden power of fantasy will be a major catalyst for changing the world. Instead of just waiting for someone somewhere else to change things, you try to change it from this very moment—you try to change it. There is a real possibility that things will change beyond that point. That is why I want to tell you: why not take that first step?

Experience! How to Write Short-Shorts Workshop

So, since we're here, let's try creating one together as a sample of my short-short writing workshop! I'd like to demonstrate the content of the writing workshop with everyone in the audience; it'll be simple.
I will explain the steps, and we will improvise a strange story together, like the 'Power-Generating Creature' I introduced as an example at the beginning. I'll post the 'Power-Generating Creature' again.

'Developing the principle of the electric eel, an electric octopus that can generate its own electricity was developed. Often, having many power cords plugged in is called an octopus wiring, but in the case of this electric octopus, it really uses its tentacles for wiring, and electricity can be drawn from its eight legs. However, if you use too much electricity at once, it gets hot and turns into a boiled octopus.'

There are three steps I use in my regular workshops:

Step 1: 'Create strange words'
Step 2: 'Expand your imagination from strange words'
Step 3: 'Summarize your imagination into a short story'

That is it.

To explain what each means, in Step 1, I have everyone create strange words—words that sound impossible at first glance—like 'octopus that can be used for power generation' or 'warm umbrella'.

There are two types ofworksheetsthat I use for this.(They are available for free download, so please feel free to print them out and try them!)

First, you write down nouns one after another—anything is fine, like 'sun,' 'octopus,' or 'umbrella'.
Next, you choose one from those and write down things that come to mind from that one word. For example, if you chose 'sun' from the nouns you wrote first, you write down things like 'can be used for power generation' or 'warm' like a word association game. For this, nouns are fine, but verbs or adjectives are also okay. You do this as a preliminary exercise.

Then, reversing the order in which you wrote them, you combine words to create strange words in the format of 'word that came to mind + noun you wrote first (excluding the one you chose).' For example, 'octopus that can be used for power generation' or 'warm umbrella.' You mix up the words to create strange phrases.

In Step 2 and Step 3, you use another worksheet. Assuming we proceed with the 'octopus that can be used for power generation' created in Step 1, you write down the part that asks, 'What kind of thing is it? Please explain.' For example, remembering that electric eels actually exist, what if there were an octopus like an electric eel? Next, you think about, 'What are the good things about it?' Maybe if you keep it at home, you'll have unlimited electricity, or since an octopus has eight legs, maybe you could plug in a total of eight things if there were outlets at the tips of its legs. Then, there are the bad things. Because it's convenient, if you get carried away and plug in a microwave and a heater at the same time, wouldn't the octopus get hot, turn into a boiled octopus, and die?
And in Step 3, let's summarize what you imagined. In my regular workshops, we proceed with this as the goal.
Since today is a trial version, I will go through these Steps 2 and 3 quickly.

• Step 1: 'Create strange words'

Now, I'd like to do this together with everyone in the audience. First, could you raise your hands and give me some nouns?

[Nouns raised from the audience]
'Glasses', 'Suit', 'Yogibo', 'Chocolate', 'Pimple'

Next, I will choose one word from these.
Let's go with 'Chocolate'. Now, can you think of any words associated with chocolate?

[Words associated with chocolate raised from the audience]
'Melting', 'Swirl', 'Sweet', 'High-calorie'

Next, let's combine these.
Could you combine the words associated with chocolate with nouns other than chocolate to create strange words?

[Strange words raised from the audience]
'High-calorie pimple', 'Melting suit', 'Swirl glasses'

Wow, that's wonderful!

• Step 2: Expanding Imagination from Mysterious Words

I'd like to expand on this a little further. Today, let's try using the phrase 'melting suit.' You can use the image of chocolate or something completely different to think about what kind of suit this might be. Let's give it a try!

【Ideas from the audience】
'It melts when you sweat,' 'It's made of paper'

That's great! Now, assuming it's made of paper and melts when you sweat, what are some good things about that?

【Ideas from the audience】
'It melts quickly when you go out to play'

Hmm, I see. So, it melts quickly when you go out to play, making you feel light? That's interesting. Next, what are some bad things about it?

【Ideas from the audience】
'You can't wear it in the summer,' 'It melts when you have bad or wicked thoughts'

I see! Thank you very much!

• Step 3: Summarizing Your Imagination into a Story

Let's try to put the elements we just gathered together, briefly and simply.

A new suit has been developed. Finally, a suit made of paper has been created, offering excellent breathability. It melts when you sweat, but as it melts, air flows through and cools you down. It's a wonderful suit! But then, when everyone wore the suit for 'Cool Biz' in the summer, they ended up in a scandalous state, and now the development of a suit that absolutely won't melt is being rushed.

Something like that. That's just one example of a story you could create, even if it sounds like nonsense. (Laughs)

So, how was this experience of a writing workshop? Anyone can do it easily just by connecting words, so please try it out thoroughly yourself using the worksheet next time.

What I value in my writing workshops

① Creating a space where people can enjoy themselves freely

I would also like to share what I value in these short-short writing workshops. First, I place great importance on creating a space where people can enjoy themselves freely. This is because imagination easily withers. Negative reactions—for example, someone from the outside saying 'That's not interesting' or 'You should do it this way'—can cause this. As a result, people start to look for approval, asking others about things that shouldn't have a single correct answer in the first place. Furthermore, those negative reactions can also come from within oneself; the moment you convince yourself that you can't do it, your imagination shrinks all at once. Once that happens, it's very difficult to expand it again. Therefore, in my workshops, unless there is clear malice or some extreme situation, I make it a point to fully affirm everything by saying, 'That's great!' And I value heartfelt affirmation, not just superficial praise.

② How to draw things out

I also always approach things with the attitude of how much I can draw out from others, or more accurately, how much I can be allowed to draw out. I believe the answer lies within the person. For example, it's very easy for me to say, 'You should do it this way,' but I believe there is a great risk of causing them to stop thinking, and honestly, I don't really like that way of communicating, so I never do it in my workshops. I am conscious of how I can ask questions that draw out what is already inside the other person. At that time, I also value 'waiting,' even if the person doesn't come up with words immediately. If their hands stop, I observe how they are stopping. Are they just thinking, or are they frozen in panic? In the latter case, my presence nearby might increase their panic, so I might speak to them or 'step back' for a moment, which I also include in the concept of 'waiting.'

Ultimately, I think it's important to be a catalyst for them to acquire the self-propulsion to keep running on their own, even without me. The workshop time is by no means long, but I hope that everyone can take home the power to be a little more self-propelled during that time. Whether it's children, a corporation, or anywhere else I'm invited, I am conscious of the same thing.

③ Not correcting work

I am also very conscious of not correcting work. Of course, correction is important and has its merits. However, not only in schools but also for adults, there are too few opportunities to complete something based solely on impulse without correction, and I often see cases where people lose their motivation. As they continue, they start to wonder why they are doing it or feel it's not interesting, and they burn out. Learning etiquette, presentation, and communication methods is very important, but I believe those and impulse/feelings are two sides of the same coin; I don't think communication methods alone are enough. Naturally, impulse alone is also not good. For example, in book reports, truly wonderful compositions naturally combine both, but if the perspective of correction enters too much into writing education, there is a risk that people will start seeking the 'correct' answer or become too conscious of how it looks. Therefore, in my workshops, I prioritize nurturing the impulse that forms the other side of the coin, telling them they can write whatever they like based on their impulses. I understand that it is quite difficult to completely eliminate correction in a school setting. So, when that's the case, I personally recommend separating the time for writing based on impulse and the time for correction completely. Tell them, 'I won't correct anything during this time, so feel free to write whatever you want.' That is just one suggestion.

Speaking to others

By the way, when my workshops are introduced, the focus is often placed on the method itself, and while I am certainly grateful for that, what I actually value most is not the method, but the encouragement I provide.
I believe that because of this element, the results can be completely different even when doing the same thing. In fact, after I visit and conduct a workshop, I often receive comments like, 'It was more fun than when we did it in class before, and I was able to write right away.'

This is not to say that I am amazing or that the field is failing; what I want to convey is that there seem to be limits to using only a method, and the hint to breaking through that lies in the encouragement. I feel very strongly right now that in order to spread this type of encouragement, I need to further establish the key points, and in that sense, I feel there are many hints in the paper by Professor Tsuzura that I introduced today.

Why do I continue to hold writing workshops?

Also, when I do this work, people often ask me, 'Why do you continue?' or 'What is your motivation?' but fundamentally, I do it because I enjoy it and it makes me happy. Therefore, I will continue to do this as my life's work from here on out.

On top of that, I think there is also reading that begins with the experience of writing. If that is the case, I think it is very important for an unspecified number of people to have the experience of writing, and I am looking for places of encounter where people might say, 'I never thought I would do this in my life, but I did it because I was made to in class today.' Through that, they might think, 'Huh? Isn't writing surprisingly interesting?' The possibility of them becoming self-driven might have been close to zero, but it might rise, even if only by one percent. I want to value that.

Increasing the number of people who enjoy short-shorts as a hobby

Then there is the matter of the number of people who enjoy short-shorts as a hobby. By expanding the hobbyist population, the base widens and the top level is also raised. I believe that if rivals and peers do not continue to emerge, the industry itself will not be sustainable. My way of thinking is that 'the pie is not something to be fought over, but something to be expanded together', and especially since this is a difficult era for publishing, I want to, and must, work together with everyone in a gritty, hands-on way.

About my own creative work

Finally, I will briefly talk about my own creative work.
I am often asked, 'Do you use the workshop exercises for your own creative work?' and the answer is no. However, what I mean by no is whether I use the same worksheets to fill in the blanks.
If the question is whether I come up with ideas by combining words, the answer is yes. Originally, my worksheets were an attempt to verbalize what I do semi-unconsciously—combining words—and turn it into a method that anyone can use, so if you trace it back, I am indeed combining words.

To give one example, there is a work called 'Umishu' (Sea Sake) that is often called my representative piece, and this was born precisely from a combination of words. When I was thinking about writing with the theme of the sea, the character for 'sake' from rum happened to come to mind, and it clicked together, and the word 'Umishu' was born, and that is how it started.

There are various other ways to generate ideas, for example, 'combining things with similar visuals' or 'thinking of fictional reasons for everyday discomforts.' An example of the latter is a work called 'Daikon Samurai.' The origin of the idea was that a long time ago, when I was walking in Shinjuku, there was someone holding a daikon radish with their bare hands. No, that's perfectly fine, but it was quite strange, and I started thinking about fictional reasons for why they were holding it, and wondered if maybe it was actually a sword. I started thinking about what it would be like if they started fighting with that daikon, and that is how it was created.

Ideas are scattered in everyday life

In that sense, I want to say loudly that ideas are not somewhere else, but are scattered in this very moment, and are scattered everywhere in daily life. Therefore, I want to say that you can do it too.

It could be anything, but if you peel off the label of a plastic bottle, a new label might appear from underneath, or if you peel off the label, the plastic bottle might be shivering, and the label was actually a belly warmer for the plastic bottle.
It is very easy to end this by saying, 'That's just fantasy or delusion' or 'That's useless.' But first of all, isn't it fun? And it's not just fun; as I have been doing with companies, it can actually connect to various things in the real world.

Don't wait for ideas to fall from the sky; go and get them yourself

Also, it is often said that ideas fall from the sky, but I have a slightly different feeling. Of course, that aspect is not zero, but I place great importance on the idea that ideas are things you create and things you go out and get yourself.Instead of being afraid of running out of ideas, I think about how I can generate ideas sustainably and translate that into concrete methods.

Also, since short-shorts are a literature of omission, I write with the feeling that I am handing over a concentrate so that it becomes 100 percent within the reader. I create my works while thinking about the imagery of the words and the priority of information to the very last minute.

Finally

Short-shorts help you acquire various skills!

So, I have talked about many things, but short-shorts really lead to various skills. The ability to write and verbalize. I think this can be done with other forms of novels, but next is the
ability to generate ideas. And then, the logical thinking skills to put the ideas you have thought of together like a puzzle. You can also polish your expressive power, and it is directly linked to the ability to question common sense without being trapped.

Personally, my first priority is that I want you to purely enjoy this free world, but on that premise, as these skills are becoming more important year by year, I hope you will utilize short-shorts for various things.

Doing short-shorts really changes how you see everyday life, so I highly recommend it, and it doesn't matter at all if you are not aiming to be a professional writer, so I hope you will continue it as a hobby.

Masatomo Tamaru's Goal: 'Coloring the World with Imagination'

Another thing I am aiming for, in a word, is to 'color the world with imagination'.

'Establishing short-shorts as a culture'
To be a bit more specific, first of all, I have set 'establishing short-shorts as a culture' as one of my goals.

'Unleashing humanity's imagination. Coloring the world with imagination.'

And one more thing. I apologize for the grand scope, but I always say, 'Unleash humanity's imagination. Color the world with imagination.'
What this means is that I believe the power of imagination sleeping within all of you is like an underground water vein, and I want to first help release it, believing that wonderful scenery surely awaits beyond that release.

A world with enhanced imaginative power becomes colored. Things you once thought were mundane and boring suddenly begin to shine. If the world becomes filled with imagination, more people will likely enjoy short-shorts, other fields like film and manga will become even more vibrant, and furthermore, innovation will occur more and more in business settings, leading to a world that I believe will become brighter, healthier, and richer. I would be truly happy if I could contribute even a little to that, which is why I continue these activities.
For a video introduction about my goals, click here.

Finally, I have various books out, so I would be happy if you could pick them up. My staff also runs a YouTube channel, where we post things like Q&As that we couldn't cover today, so please take a look at the 'Related Information' section below if you are interested.

Thank you very much for today!

[Related Information]

◎ About Various Sites

◆ Official Website 'Umi no Kakera' (Fragments of the Sea)
Contains the latest event information and more. Please use this for various requests and inquiries!

◆ Online Salon 'Masatomo Tamaru's Online Laboratory'
An online salon where I write about my daily activities, behind-the-scenes stories, and the knowledge I have gained through them. You are free to join and leave as you please, so feel free to join!

◆ Official YouTube Channel 'Short-Short Laboratory'
The official YouTube channel for the online salon 'Masatomo Tamaru's Online Laboratory.' Features creative Q&As, introductions to idea-generation methods, and short videos of expanding imagination while taking a walk.

◆ 400-Character Novel Posting Site 'Short-Short Garden'
A site where you can post short-shorts of 400 characters or less.
Please try posting your work!

◎ Lecture Videos

◆ Video of the Lecture & Short-Short Writing Workshop held at Sapporo Central Library
Content similar to this article is also uploaded in the video below. The first half is a lecture part about how I became a writer and the overall picture of my writing activities. The second half is a writing workshop.

◎ Book Information

◆ New Book 'Stepping on Anything but the White Line is Out'
Contains 10 stories based on common real-life situations, such as 'If you step on anything but the white line, you die,' the '3-second rule,' and 'stuffing school lunch bread into your desk.'
Includes stories about the 'White Line People' who walk on white lines, a 'Pain-Flyer' who can turn pain into butterflies and let them fly away, and a game where a writer runs away from a deadline that has taken physical form!

◆ Picture Book 'Space Field Trip'
A picture book published as the June 2024 issue of Fukuinkan Shoten's 'Kodomo no Tomo.' A story about children going on a field trip to space in plastic bottle rockets they made themselves. They play tag where they can do somersaults in zero gravity, play hide-and-seek in the shadows of stardust, and more.
Illustrations by Seishio Hayakawa.

◆ Children's Book 'Yagarasu Magic Tool Shop and the Black Ending'
10 stories revolving around a shopkeeper and 'magic tools' that appear before children and adults who are troubled.

◆ 'Anyone Can Write a Novel in Just 40 Minutes: Super Short-Short Course (Expanded New Edition)'
An expanded new edition of the book that summarizes the contents of the course.

◆ 'Short-Short: A Very Mysterious Creative Drill'
A drill where every story is cut off in the middle, and the reader thinks of the continuation.

◆ 'A Writing Class Inspired by Short-Shorts'
Writing sentences and creating stories is so much fun! This book offers methods for brainstorming and writing that also help you develop logical thinking skills. In addition to the 'combining words' brainstorming method, I introduce various other techniques, such as 'thinking from visual similarities' and 'thinking from everyday occurrences.' It also includes many new short-shorts.

◆ List of other books by Masatomo Tamaru