134-Day BOOK STORE
The 134 days from late autumn, through winter, and until spring arrived, when the small book I created was lined up in shops and galleries, was a dream-like true story.
Whenever I find a cafe that catches my eye, I eat snacks, go to art museums to recharge my energy, and have my heart stirred at the movie theater.
At other times, I gaze blankly at the sky, captivated by the clouds that change their shape every day and their colors.
I have no choice but to work five days a week.
Even so, when I hear that seasonal flowers have bloomed, I take time off and hop on a train.
I remember to read the books I've started, and late at night, I become a citizen of Netflix.
Amidst these daily routines, things I wanted to say or convey would suddenly appear in my mind, and I wonder when it was that I started to always have the desire to draw pictures along with those words.
and created my first one just as I wanted to,
a picture book of just 12 pages.
a place I had always wanted to visit someday,
in the "Small Voices, Small Books Exhibition"
organized by KAZENONE BOOK.
truly and strongly thinking,
"I want to make a book, a paper book where you turn the pages one by one."
editing drawings and words from two years of work,
it finally became a small book on an autumn day.
at the LOCAL BOOK & GALLERY's
“ART BOOK FAIR”.
consignment sales began.
The period lasted for 134 days until spring arrived.
so I passed on it.
In the spring of 2026, with blue flags waving,
The bookstore I admire is 500km away from Tokyo, so it seemed unlikely I could visit during the exhibition period.
Then, an article arrived from Fukuhaku-san, who had visited the Go-Page ZINE WALL 2026 Spring while taking a walk in the Kansai region.
They had received the little book I sent off in an envelope in a town far away.
Having never touched X since the days of Twitter, I think choosing note as my first social media platform was definitely the right fit for me.
It allows me to slowly contemplate the personality of the creator through their writing, photos, drawings, and music.
note As I find quiet and gentle places in the town of , and walk through them little by little, I encounter works that are not just happy, but calm, honest, and refined.
And the fact that those creators picked up my little book at galleries, bookstores, and online stores was an unexpected and significant event.
Although I don't know their faces or voices, I feel that we are truly connected (like the two ends of a rainbow), and that warmth has lifted my spirits many times when I felt down due to the dullness of daily life.
The 134 promised days have passed, and my little book is heading home for now.
I've already booked tickets for a musical in April, and I'll likely refresh my sensibilities by eating seasonal parfaits and visiting picture book exhibitions.
Then, I will pick up my pencil and face the white paper once again.
I will dissolve colored ink in water.
Even though what I can draw still hasn't caught up to what is in my head.
To draw those tiny, easily overlooked grains of happiness and the shapes of thoughts I've kept tucked away without ever showing, I will surely continue to weave together pictures and words.
All while wondering what color the cover of my second collection should be.
With heartfelt gratitude to everyone who embraced my work during the time my book was displayed at the bookstore.
(I named the title of this post after the movie "(500) Days of Summer," which I'd like to watch again now that I've grown up quite a bit 🧸)
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思いのカケラが届きますように。