２４ Ｊｕｎｅ， Ｉｏｒｉ Ｍｉｙａｚａｗａ
文字数 3,668文字
This essay has been written with the intention of giving you hope.
At least, that is the function it’s expected to serve. To begin with, the “Day to Day” serial project was established out of a wish to inspire a small measure of courage in readers, and to brighten their spirits.
The most effective way of giving people hope, of course, is the promise of financial comfort, but the only thing that a novelist like me can offer isn’t a quick and substantive compensation package, but a few modest words. I thought a good while about what I, as a novelist, could say to those of you being tormented by real danger and uncertainty, about what I could possibly say to give you hope.
When I’m egosurfing on the Internet, occasionally I come across readers’ comments saying that they can’t die before the next installment of one of my series comes out, or that a new title gives them a reason to live, and if I’m honest, sometimes it freaks me out. But those kinds of comments can frequently be found about books other than my own. “I can’t die before I go to a concert again.” “I can’t die before the show opens again.” “I can’t die before the movie comes out.” So many people have mentioned works of entertainment as their reason for living. Given how the language of the Internet is one of exaggeration, I recognize that such comments should be taken as hyperbole to mean they’re simply looking forward to something, yet I’m probably not alone in sensing in them a hint of desperation.
In a crisis, there’s little that those of us in the entertainment industry can do. Compared to medical professionals and other essential workers, we are, by a very large measure, useless. Yet it’s also true that our works have been a source of emotional succor. So many people are barely keeping it together under the stress of incident-filled days that make them think twice about waking up in the morning. Many are hanging their hopes on novels, manga, anime, movies, games, music, travel and other amusements to somehow keep their spirits from breaking. The hope afforded through each as a reason to live, individually, may be small. But if they scrape together lots of small reasons, perhaps these fans will have enough to help them go on living.
Thus, the only and greatest contribution that those of us in the entertainment industry can possibly make in these extraordinary times is to hold steady at our posts. Keeping a small flame lit in the darkness as a constant reminder that we are here, now and forever, is the only thing I can do for you. I’m not alone. Take a look back at the “Day to Day” project’s table of contents, and you’ll find line after line of these very flames being held up like beacons. Look up and you will see countless tiny flames spread out like the starry sky. It isn’t an easy thing, giving hope to others, but there are many who continue to tend the fire, praying that someone’s path may be lit, however slightly. I hope that this fire will brighten your darkness a bit.
Translated by Takami Nieda/Arranged by TranNet KK
Iori Miyazawa
Born in Akita Prefecture. Made his debut in 2011 with
At least, that is the function it’s expected to serve. To begin with, the “Day to Day” serial project was established out of a wish to inspire a small measure of courage in readers, and to brighten their spirits.
The most effective way of giving people hope, of course, is the promise of financial comfort, but the only thing that a novelist like me can offer isn’t a quick and substantive compensation package, but a few modest words. I thought a good while about what I, as a novelist, could say to those of you being tormented by real danger and uncertainty, about what I could possibly say to give you hope.
When I’m egosurfing on the Internet, occasionally I come across readers’ comments saying that they can’t die before the next installment of one of my series comes out, or that a new title gives them a reason to live, and if I’m honest, sometimes it freaks me out. But those kinds of comments can frequently be found about books other than my own. “I can’t die before I go to a concert again.” “I can’t die before the show opens again.” “I can’t die before the movie comes out.” So many people have mentioned works of entertainment as their reason for living. Given how the language of the Internet is one of exaggeration, I recognize that such comments should be taken as hyperbole to mean they’re simply looking forward to something, yet I’m probably not alone in sensing in them a hint of desperation.
In a crisis, there’s little that those of us in the entertainment industry can do. Compared to medical professionals and other essential workers, we are, by a very large measure, useless. Yet it’s also true that our works have been a source of emotional succor. So many people are barely keeping it together under the stress of incident-filled days that make them think twice about waking up in the morning. Many are hanging their hopes on novels, manga, anime, movies, games, music, travel and other amusements to somehow keep their spirits from breaking. The hope afforded through each as a reason to live, individually, may be small. But if they scrape together lots of small reasons, perhaps these fans will have enough to help them go on living.
Thus, the only and greatest contribution that those of us in the entertainment industry can possibly make in these extraordinary times is to hold steady at our posts. Keeping a small flame lit in the darkness as a constant reminder that we are here, now and forever, is the only thing I can do for you. I’m not alone. Take a look back at the “Day to Day” project’s table of contents, and you’ll find line after line of these very flames being held up like beacons. Look up and you will see countless tiny flames spread out like the starry sky. It isn’t an easy thing, giving hope to others, but there are many who continue to tend the fire, praying that someone’s path may be lit, however slightly. I hope that this fire will brighten your darkness a bit.
Translated by Takami Nieda/Arranged by TranNet KK
Iori Miyazawa
Born in Akita Prefecture. Made his debut in 2011 with
Boku
no
maken
ga
urusai
ken
ni
tsuite
(Regarding the noisiness of my magic sword), published by Kadokawa. Won the 6th Sogen SF Short Story Prize in 2015 forKamigami
no
Hohō
(The way the gods walk). Works for Adventure Planning Service under the pen-name Uokeri, for whom he has written many replays and setting-guides for tabletop RPGs such asInsein
(Insane) published by Shinkigensha. His representative works include Otherside Picnic series, among others.
