Connecting the gap between music, books, and people
『lecteur 〈 〉 liseur 』
This project involves asking the artists who created the music selected by ammel to select books.
The seventh installment is, Noriko Tsujiko is a musician, singer-songwriter, and filmmaker based in France. In 2017, she released the film "Kuro," co-directed with Berlin-based filmmaker George Koyama, for which she starred and composed the music. The instrumental soundtrack was released as an LP on the PAN label in 2019, and has been well-received by our customers at ammel.
Here are three books that she selected for me.
"The Last Adventurer" by Naoki Ishikawa
Autobiography of the Dalai Lama, the 14th Dalai Lama
"The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
"The Remains of the Day is very famous. To me, it's his best book! The Dalai Lama's face is already humorous. That face, someone who has undergone so much training, has a moment in this book where he looks down and makes a secretly serious face! There is still so much more to look forward to with Ishikawa-san, he is a truly exciting photographer!"
"There are impulses of the soul that remain hidden, unreachable, and buried. These three books capture those moments with the same sincerity and intensity as photographs, yet with a dry, humorous touch that will stay with you forever. That's why I love them so much."
"I feel that books that have no destination, that disappear, that are incomplete are much more faithful to our lives than books that have answers. They vaguely give us space to empathize with each other. Books that give us this kind of space are more important than books that provide information that leads to conflict."
-I was surprised at how much it linked up with the circumstances and aspirations behind my starting this store. Your book selections are all from the Orient... Asia, and you believe that "books that provide this kind of space are more important than information that leads to conflict," so I feel there is a connection. Was there a particular trigger that led you to think this way?
"I don't remember the exact trigger. However, when you're in the West, you're surrounded by things like the strength and beauty of clear structures, where people support each other through conflict, so when I encounter a gentleness and tranquility that isn't based on that, it really resonates with me deeply."
"But when I think about it, that feeling started when I was in Japan. I found it difficult to continue majoring in Western philosophy at university, so I chose Russian philosophy instead, and the things I learned in my gagaku classes are still very much alive within me today. In any case, I envision that when we all live together, it would be great if we could help each other from various perspectives, of course. That's what I really want."
-You said you were put off by Western philosophy and chose Russian philosophy, but it was a field that you were not familiar with. Were there any particular characteristics of Russian philosophy that made an impression on you, such as the differences and similarities between Western and Eastern philosophy?
"At university, I was taught a rough outline of Solovyov's philosophy by Professor Tani Sumi, a very personable person who could be called a leading expert on Solovyov. His ideas seemed quite abstract, unified, mystical and full of love, and what made the biggest impression on me was that it was a philosophy that allowed us to gently face this amazing world that was nothing but chaos (and it still is today).
"I'm not an expert on Eastern philosophy, but even though there are fundamental differences in whether or not one places God at the origin, unlike Western thought and philosophy, which opposes rationality such as religion and science, breaks it down and abstracts it, and places emphasis on individualism, duality isn't really the point. Perhaps the fact that the pursuit of wholeness is the driving force is something that Buddhism has in common."
- From what you've said, it seems like elements of Solovyov's philosophy are necessary even in today's increasingly chaotic world. I'm suddenly intrigued! Also, I would appreciate it if you could tell me, to the extent that it is not inconvenient, when you picked up the three books you selected.
"In recent years, when I go to Japan, I usually just buy a bunch of light books (light is important), and here I only read art books and the occasional novel in English. I'm shocked that I can't remember when I bought any of them. But when I go back to Japan, I feel like I have to buy picture books and other books!!! Bookstores are fun."
-I understand the value of a light book. Even if you don't remember when you bought it, you come across it at some point, pick it up, and it stays in your mind - that's the beauty of books and bookstores. Thank you so much for coming to the Kyoto pop-up.
If you see a book in a store wrapped in glassine paper, faintly showing the shadows of the letters,
Please feel free to pick up a copy and ask who selected the books.
The music was created by people who cherished the book and whose lives were influenced by it.
It's available at ammel.
