Diary-T 196: Eighty-Six Years Old

Diary-T

Diary-T 196: Age 86

“Coming of Age Ceremony.” What an embarrassing phrase.

I still recall the shame of buying a suit that didn't suit me at all, as cheaply as possible, at Mitsumine, which used to be in front of Shinjuku Station's East Exit.

“If the person inside is new, what they wear will look new too.
Fashion is about the person wearing it, including what's inside them.” Rei Kawakubo

Indeed, what is there to celebrate about a twenty-year-old whose inner self is anything but new?

What, exactly, are we celebrating?

I hear the Coming of Age Ceremony began after the war to encourage young people during a time of hardship.

My own inability to mature, no matter my age, is a problem, but
if we're going to do it, why not hold a self-proclaimed Coming of Age Ceremony for all ages, advertised widely,
and turn it into a festival celebrating eternal youth and undying love?
No matter how old we get, let's repeatedly relive, rehash, and ring in the new year,

“Let's fall in love.”

In the style of Beams, perhaps. Right?

For that day alone, let's flatter the elders!
And adopt the Edo-ite persona of “I don't save money for the next day!” Donate that hoard of cash you can't take to the afterlife to the festival, spend it all, and perhaps launch a natural energy promotion movement to boost Japan's economy and recovery?

A country that doesn't cherish its elders will perish.
It sounds like a rather convenient self-justification, but

“The Philosophy of the Future,” by philosopher Takeshi Umehara,

at eighty-six, eighty-six, eighty-six years old, his words are profound.

“Philosophy is the study of how humanity should live. I believe a new philosophy, forming the foundation for a civilization capable of human survival, is urgently needed now. If we can demonstrate a way of civilization that moves away from nuclear energy and overcomes environmental destruction, we can restore Japan's pride, wounded by the nuclear accident.”

“Contemplation is a solitary pursuit, and new theories are not always accepted by academia.”

“Look at the face of truth, not the face of your boss.”

“The convergence of nature-centric thinking and the philosophy of the sun within me was significant. I felt I had found the basis for a new philosophy encompassing energy issues. Fossil fuels, the primary energy source of scientific and technological civilization, are deposits of dead plants and animals that benefited from the sun. From an environmental perspective, it is preferable to receive the sun's and nature's blessings more directly, without the mediation of fossil fuels. By coexisting with nature, rather than dominating it, humanity can achieve lasting prosperity.”

…It is about considering the principles of a civilization that coexists with nature.

(Partially quoted from the Nikkei evening edition of January 7th.)

He speaks with utmost common sense, truly with the wisdom of a seasoned artisan, a master craftsman, a connoisseur, a skilled carpenter, a wise old fox, and a master musician.

Listening to the interview with Takeshi Umehara, at eighty-six,

my heart is gently soothed, as if basking in the warm sun of an Indian summer.

Everyone has their own lifespan, so it's hard to say that simply living long is always good, but now I understand that there must be a reason for living a long life.
That reason is, regardless of the field or method,

“those who can contribute to the prosperity of humanity”

are the ones who live long.

Truly, God watches over humans and understands them well.

Oh, God! How stylish!