This is the 16th installment of "Today's Book," a series that selects books to take with you on camping trips or solo travels. This time, we're featuring "Always Feeling the Wind" by Shinsuke Shimada.
"Always feeling the wind": A landscape of emotions written by Shinsuke Shimada
In 2004, Shinsuke Shimada reflected on his long career and compiled his inner landscapes into an essay collection titled "Always Feeling the Wind." Published by KTC Chuo Publishing, this work captivates readers with his sensitive and expressive writing style.
In his essays, Shimada Shinsuke depicts the "wind" he felt during his boyhood and his early days in the entertainment industry. This refers to the subtle emotions and memories he experienced at various stages of his career and life. For example, when he visited his family home in Kyoto at the age of 47, he recalled his first love from junior high school and rode his bicycle to her house, illustrating how he connects past emotions with the present.
What particularly resonates with me is the episode from his early days when he used to deliver his mentor's hamburger steak meal to his boss. At the time, due to financial reasons, he couldn't enjoy the meal himself and eagerly awaited the last piece of hamburger steak his boss left over. After achieving success and having more financial security, the moment he ate the same hamburger steak meal at the restaurant with his daughter was a deeply moving experience for him. The moment the meal was served, all the hardships of the past, the sense of accomplishment, and his love for his family flooded him, and he couldn't control his emotions, tears streaming down his face. This moment symbolizes the struggles he faced in his life and the fulfillment he felt afterward, and it will surely move readers deeply as well.
Shinsuke Shimada achieved success in real estate and the restaurant industry, and demonstrated his talents in many areas, including hosting the Sunday morning news discussion program "Sunday Project" for about 15 years. Through this collection of essays, we can see that his keen sensibility and delicate insights reveal him to be not just an entertainer, but a person with thoughts deeply rooted in society and humanity.
"Always Feeling the Wind" is a valuable document that recounts the landscape of Shimada Shinsuke's life in his own words, and it will be key to understanding the depth of his thoughts and the sensitivity of his emotions.
