1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

I read “1Q84” during this summer vacation. I’m not a fan of Haruki Murakami, but I have been wanting to know why he can capture a lot of people’s heart, especially in the younger generation.
“1Q84” is 3 volumes long. The main characters are 青豆, and 天吾.　Now, they are 30years old. They have serious traumas in their background. When they were 11 years old, they made a great impression on each other, but 青豆 moved to other school. They haven’t seen each other for a long time, but they are still interested in the other.
One day, 青豆 did an unusual thing, she was dropped off a high way. At that time, she went into another world, 1Q84. The world of a fanatical group “さきがけ”, and little and little, this group allows 青豆 and 天吾 is destinies to be intertwined.
I’ve heard that the idea of the story came to Haruki Murakami, when he saw what happen on September 11th. If September 11th hadn’t occurred, we now might be living in another world. When I imagine that, I’ve felt that my existence is intangible.
Well, the fanatical group in the book, reminds me of “Oumu Shinrikyou”, Japanese cult religion committed to crime, like the Tokyo subway sarin gas attack. In this other world, the group has a great power, and 青豆 is pursued by this back, because she killed the reader of “さきがけ”.
After reading, I’m reminded of two things.
One is utopia. I know that the Tokyo subway sarin gas attack greatly influenced Haruki Murakami. Still now, all over the world, a lot of people pursue utopia, and believe they can create a perfect utopia? Each of us has different views and minds, if we try to create a perfect utopia, we have to push ourselves very severely. I’m afraid that people living in such a severe world, not a peaceful, might lose their minds. And, is that the really peaceful world? I’m sorry that people wish so enthusiastically that they can’t live in the utopia
The other thing is that I’ve felt something different from his past novels. The main character of his book always pursues something he whishes, but he never finds out it. There is just a small hope in the end.
I had been thinking that the main theme of his novels is sense of desolation and loss.
When I read his book at the first time, I was confused by a lot of riddles and complicated minds of characters, and I got scared the loneliness. I might identify a life of character as myself.
But a lot of people say, "when I read his novels, I can sympathize with his world", they might feel secure to know the same ways they do. Any way, I need more to hear from a fan of Haruki Murakami.
In his past novels, I often hit a lot of riddles. But, I could read “1Q84” more smoothly than I expected.
After reading “1Q84”, I’m not completely satisfied with the end of the story. I think that I wasn’t the only one.

"Father memory" by Chiharu Shiota on Teshima

Chiharu Shiota, who was born in Osaka in 1972, has been based in Berlin
since 1996.
Her art work, “Father memory” is installed in an abandoned Auditorium. Many years ago it was used as an elementary school, Which many people attended. The school building was destroyed,
and only the auditorium and some rusty play equipment still remain.

When she visited there the first time, she might have imagined the sound of children laughing and people: rice planting and harvesting rice. This place is where old memories can be conjured up in our mind.

For creating the work, she gathered from 500 to 600 various types of window frames from Teshima and Naoshima, to make a big tunnel with assorted window frames in the middle of the auditorium. When you stand in the play ground, and to look at the auditorium, you can see the idyllic scene through the big hole of the tunnel.
The scene might inspire you to think of the past, where people have seen at one time.

When close to the tunnel, the window frames are arranged in a very fine balance; big and small, dark color and light color, and even space balance. I think that she has a good sense of art.

All of a sudden, I remembered the time which I saw her art work ” the room of memory” in the Kanazawa 21th century museum.

In there, huge window frames, painted white, were combined like a wall, and it created a distinctive world.

I’d felt like wandering into the past, where it was quiet and time was stopped. Actually, I could see the past through each window frame.

Window frames are daily products we use. I was surprised that window frames, not such special things, could cause us a great impression.

When I’ve faced her art works, some how, I’ve evoked my worries and aaaaaaaaathe room of memory 2009

loneliness and the limited time of my life. In my busy day, time goes so fast, and I don’t even think about it. I need to realize the remaining time, to live a more meaningful life.

http://www.chiharu-shiota.com/

"島キッチン" Shima Kitchen by Ryo Abe on Teshima

In the Setouchi art festival, a lot of new art spots have been created on many islands, especially on Teshima. This island is of great importance due to the 17 art works created there.
A restaurant, “ Shima Kitchen ” was planned on Teshima as a place, where residents, volunteers and tourists, can talk, enjoy music or watch a play. Shima Kitchen was designed by the architect, Ryo Abe.
http://www.aberyo.com/
He made the whole house over and built an unique terrace with burned cedar roofs. I washed the roofs as a volunteer. It was very hard work. Shima Kitchen is well designed, very simple but successfully integrates the old and new.
Shima Kitchen was built encompassing the living trees around it.
I like that style.
We use a lot of materials, lands, trees, clay, stone, to build a living space. We human beings just consume a lot of things from nature, but I think that we’re usually getting power from nature, I believe we can coexist with nature.
The symbolic tree at Shima Kitchen is the fig. The fig has a meaning of immortality. I hope to live long, and with all living nature.
The main menu of Shima kitchen is a Keema curry, some how, women living in Teshima have been cooking Keema curry, and it has become a local food of Teshima.. To Shima kichen, famous chefs have come from "Tokyo Marunouchi Hotel", and every day they are planning the menu based on the available food. Some local women and volunteers are helping by serving.
http://shimakitchen.com/calendar/
When I’m sitting at the terrace of Shima Kitchen, I remember my old working place, a rural backwoods area where a lot of people had lived at one time. In Japan, due to urbanization, local areas have been suffering from a declining population.
This has caused the change of family form and the loss of their local cultures and demise of local communities. Through volunteering, I became to reflect on thing, what is a good point of our local community, and what I can do for my local area, and I’ve realized that I should decide where I’ll live.
Now, Shima Kitchen is a bustling and hot spot on Teshima, because there are a lot of attractive elements; a well-designed restaurant, famous chefs and the art festival.
During this art festival, I hope that the people living on Teshima gather and discuss Teshima’s future.

"Luck Exists in the Leftovers" by Clair Healy & Sean Cordeiro on Teshima

Claire and Sean have been working fifty-fifty in Austallia and Germany.

Their collaborative art work is "Luck Exists in the Leftovers".

Their art work is in a very beautiful old house, covered by ivy. When you go through the gate, you will see large holes in the ground. Huge soils splash around holes, like coming out something from the holes. A stone passage leads to the narrow entrance of the house. The entrance hall is dim, just a simple earth floor. Looking to the right, a fossil dinosaur caruches your eye.

It is really just a fossile dinosaur, but looks on the verge of moving.

The dinasour is bonded with tons of fixtures and boxes. The boxes used were used and forgotten, the regidents gathered for this project.

At one viewing, you can imagine all kinds of stories; like an exacavated dinosaur entered the old house, and bond with old posessions to gain strength.

At the begining, I just enjoyed to imagine this story. After talking with Claire and Sean, I was suprised that they had more deepl thoughts for their art work.

There are a lot of beautiful abandoned houses, and in them. there are also large amounts of possesions, funiture, plates and utensils, kimonos・・・・. They still have worth, they hace just been forgotten. Claire and Sean give people opputunity to rethink the vaule of these possessions. The other side of the coin is that the value varies according to times or individuals.

They have been creating art works which relate to social issues, like mass production and consumption or environmental issues.

We usually buy easily, without considering. But We don't need such a lot of things to live. We may waste precious resorces. When we rethink what we need, we can find out what we really need.

I hope people, like artists, architects, producers, creating smething, aaaaaaaDeceased Estate 2004

to have these idea, why, or for what porpose.

I believe they can promote these idea to students and the world.

http://www.claireandsean.com/

Well, Their art work is in Kou of Teshima.

Fortunately, you can look some happy accidents, cactus on every where or swallow babies. you also may give some fortunes.