Enjoy the passing summer with a book.
~Monosus' "Reading Club" #26~

The morning and evening winds are getting cooler. The last summer of the Heisei era was really hot. It looks like the heat will continue for a while, but I'm starting to feel like autumn is here.

This month's reading group was a relaxed one, feeling the passing of summer. There was no particular theme, and everyone brought their own recommended books. The familiar members of the reading group gathered at lunchtime, taking a break from work. Each person was given five minutes to introduce a book.

Now, let's start the reading group.

A new perspective on what already exists.
Another Design: The Work of Kenmei Nagaoka (Author)

Kenmei Nagaoka (author) "Another Design: The Work of Kenmei Nagaoka" D&DEPARTMENT PROJECT (February 9, 2018) ( Amazon )

Do you know Kenmei Nagaoka? He is an individual who is engaged in some very unique activities, such as running a shop called D&DEPARTMENT (hereinafter referred to as D&D) and teaching at a university, with the keyword "long life design" as his theme.

Usually, when we hear the word "design," we tend to think of something new, but Nagaoka reinterprets what already exists and presents it as a new design. For example, he might come across a nicely designed chair from a furniture manufacturer that was on the verge of being discontinued at a recycle shop, and by adding a new value to it, it has become a very popular item that is often seen in cafes.

D&D's shoppers (paper bags in the store) are also very unique. They receive unwanted paper bags from customers, stick D&D tape on them, and turn them into shoppers. That's all it takes to turn Kinokuniya or MUJI paper bags into D&D shoppers. It's eco-friendly, and strangely enough, it looks cool.

Unearthing new merits from what already exists and presenting them in line with the current era. Nagaoka's idea of "another design" is very interesting, and I think this kind of thing will become especially important in the coming era.

Scary? Beautiful? Mysterious little things.
"My Neighbor's Lichens: Observing the Unassuming and Mysterious Fungi" by Mitsuru Moriguchi

Moriguchi Mitsuru (author) "My Neighbor's Lichens - Observing the Unassuming and Mysterious Fungi" Yasaka Shobo (2017/11/25) ( Amazon )

I brought along a book on lichens, which I used as a reference when I wrote the ruler article the other day. The author, Mr. Moriguchi, carefully describes how he came to know lichens, and how he came to understand them better, making it very easy to understand.

In the book, it says that the author tried looking for lichens in the garden of his parents' house, so I tried it at my parents' house (Kumamoto) and really found some. It's easy to understand because the reader can relive the experience. There are also many photos and illustrations, and I wonder if these illustrations were drawn by Moriguchi. The pictures are detailed and easy to understand. There is another book called a lichen handbook , and I use it together with that.

At the beginning, there is a story about when the author was about to start studying lichens. When he asked a friend if he should talk to a knowledgeable teacher, he was advised, "Instead of listening to it from the beginning, I think you will understand it better if you try it yourself and then ask." This is the same with work, isn't it? You can't deepen your understanding unless you try it yourself. I found this very convincing.

The discussion of lichens is also very interesting. It offers perspectives that I would never have thought of, so it's very fascinating to read.

A lovable world with beloved friends.
Yuka Shimada (author) "The Galago that Came Home"

Yuka Shimada (author) "The Galago that Came Home" Bunkeidou (June 1, 2002) ( Amazon )

This is a picture book by my favorite author, Yuka Shimada. She is the author of the previously introduced "Bam and Kero" series , and this is the second book in the "Galago" series. The main character is a red-eyed animal called Galago, who runs a traveling bag shop. He sells bags that match customer requests, such as bags that play music all the time and bags that can hold lots of tadpoles.

The Galago bag shop closes when it gets cold. This is the story of a party that takes place after returning home from a trip. Customers come in one after another, and among them are many characters from the "Bam and Kero" series. I love Tora-chan the hamster who stuffs products into his cheeks (he takes them out when a customer asks for them), so much so that I used him as my LINE icon.

A different story unfolds at the edge of the screen, and the snow that starts falling on the first page gradually piles up and by the end it's covered in snow...it even depicts the passage of time. The world view is really created down to the smallest details, which is wonderful.

The inside of the house, the little pieces of furniture, the bath chair, etc. are all so cute that just looking at them makes me feel happy. This is a picture book that is irresistible for people who love Shimada's world (laughs).

After the reading group

At the end of summer, we had a reading group where everyone brought their own theme. We had designs that create new values, a mysterious world of lichen, and picture books that connect our favorite characters. We all gathered a book that conveyed our favorite worlds.

I wonder what the next theme will be. See you next time!