Joy of Life

*Japanese ver

Earlier this month,
I was reading a 1954 French novel "Bonjour Tristesse"

with a wish to

not end but continue

Rare to come across such a work

---

After reading the novel,
I could not help but feel "the joy of living"

And I remembered,
I always feel this cheerful, this light-hearted delight, when meeting a good art work

---

"The joy of living".........

Such a strange expression
Such an unfamiliar expression

It is the expression that I hardly use, if not at all

I usually do not have such an accepting attitude towards, so-called, human life

Yet,
encountering a good art work goes beyond this my personal, trivial, petty liking
& brings this "overly" positive, "overly" sunny emotion to me
called "The joy of life"

And I don't feel I have to resist to it

---

"The joy of life".........

I also get this feeling
when I meet a nice person,
when I spend a nice time with a woman over a glass of alcohol at night

Seems
meeting a good art work bring the same enjoyment & fulfillment,
as meeting a like-minded good person

Seems
art & romance can bring the same significant things to one's life

...........Will briefly look back good art works I came across this year

---

Ihei Kimura "Senso-ji (31.December.1936)"

Sincerity, purity, faith, innocence, a wish..........

Here we glance at these old virtues,
that vanished
that no longer exist

Kimono
Youth
Woman
Winter
Luxurious hair ornaments
Back of the neck
Black hair
Japanese

Shoen Uemura "Hanagatami (1915)"

An eerie painting I saw in Kyoto this winter

I thought
it's a modern painting, yet made in 1915

I thought
it's drawn by a male, yet by a female painter

"ephemeral lily"

This was not a "work" created by humans

But this white lily added a small joy & delight to my everyday life earlier this year

"ETERNAL (2024)"

This is not about mere "the joy of life"

Far beyond

That voice
That melody
That lyrics
& That look

All is a part of me

You're not me
But I am you

Françoise Sagan "Bonjour Tristesse (1954)"

I wrote about this here

Ryutaro Arimura "demo (2016)"

Never listened to his music

Sensitive lyrics written in Japanese
Delicate voice
And mystical look