Old Man's Showa Picture Diary

[Essays Commemorating the 100th Year of the Showa Era and the 80th Anniversary of the End of the War] Born in 1944, the author has lived almost his entire life during the postwar period. It was a time of almost miraculous peace. He recalls his mother, who remained strong even after the family business collapsed, his father, who withered away, his older brother, who rebelled against his father, his friend who struggled to succeed, his wife, who gave up her job, his memories of friends who enjoyed the bubble economy, and his unforgettable memories of that person. Time passes, with the Heisei and Reiwa eras. People have always lived with determination. These 31 essays are a hymn to humanity, dedicated to those who lived and dwelled alongside us, and who became the wind.

[Table of Contents] Introduction Chapter 1: Nagoya, Tokyo, Chiba Two Great Earthquakes / Summertime / The Bells of Nagasaki / The Transfer Student / Memories of Monami / Black Market / My Brother's Advancement to High School / The Atomic-Bombed Sailor / My Brother's Letter / The 1960 Security Treaty Struggle / Sakaemachi in Front of Chiba Station / The Sky Over the Tokyo Olympics / A Trip to Okinawa / The Haneda Struggle / 1969 / Progressive Tokyo Government / Shall We Go to a Demonstration? / My Wife's Junior High School / About "Book Magazine" / Koji Meguro and Makoto Shiina / Independence / Her Name is Noel Chapter 2: Manchuria Visiting Manchuria / In a Park in Beijing / Kong Yiji's Restaurant and Wine / First Steps to Manchuria / The Most Beautiful City in the World / A Great Fortress on the Prairie / A Journey Through Manchuria and Mongolia / A Journey on the Highland Train / A Small Village in Jingxing County Afterword