It's already December before I even realized it. I still can't believe it's been two months sinch I took a leave from school. I find it really hard to live each day mindfully.
I watched Perfect Days, starring Kōji Yakusho, the other day. The movie depicts a man's simple, yet beautiful life in Tokyo. He wakes up at the same time every morning, and goes through the same routine: shaving, drinking coffee, and listening to music in his car. He works as a public toilet cleaner in Shibuya. After doing his work with care, he has lunch in a park, taking photos of nature. Then he goes to a public bath, has dinner at his go-to restaurant, and returns home to read a book before going to sleep.
He is a silent man, who doesn't say anything unnecessary, and simply enjoys his peaceful days.
I've admired that kind of life for years, especially as I've grown tired of my busy life in Tokyo, which sometimes feels completely meaningless. I'm constantly overwhelmed by information and tasks that exceed what I can handle.
While I don't think his way of living is the "perfect" answer to my own struggles, it reminds me of things I've forgotten in the rush of the city: the fresh feeling of stretching your back as you face the morning sun, the playful impulse to start a tic-tac-toe game with a stranger, and the quiet time you need to face your own loneliness.