In the woods with a view of the moon Michiko Aoyama

“If we don’t devote enough attention to the love and kindness that surround us, treating them for a long time as something obvious, they lose their meaning and taste for us. They become as transparent as air. And that is much sadder than true loneliness.”

“A prayer suits the Moon better than requests for our wishes to be fulfilled. For wishes, a person can realize on their own, if they try hard enough. A prayer is when we direct our thoughts, in silence, toward what we cannot achieve. Because in this world, there are many things we cannot accomplish by any measure… And it seems to me that the Moon takes care of us for exactly that reason.”

“We probably cannot immediately judge any situation as good or bad. Things simply happen. And we should desire, believe, and act so that what happens turns out to be good for us and for others.”

I read this book in Polish. Its style is similar to What You Are Looking For Is in the Library – characters are bound together by something unseen, and their worlds unknowingly overlap. Five people from different corners of Japan are connected through a podcast they listen to every day. Each of them longs for a fresh start. Will the voice they hear transform their lives?

For me this book is once again convincing us to live actively in society: talk to others, share your ideas, and be kind. The main character has a podcast where he shares thoughts about the moon, and each of the listeners finds additional meaning in it.

This book is much sadder than the previous one – the last story made me cry. But there were also moments of reflection and one very warm story.

The first reflection – and this is common in many Japanese books – is about loneliness. We live in a society where it is hard to make friends and share troubles. Instagram and other platforms promote only positive, fun moments, but life is not only sparks and joy. Sometimes we end up sharing our true stories with strangers, because they won’t judge us and we will never meet them again.

“To open my heart like that to a person I had never seen – there had to be something in it. I didn’t know what she looked like or how old she was, it was the first time we exchanged a few words, but I was convinced I could trust the person who made this ring. And somehow, I felt lighter. Yes, I just needed to get things off my chest.”

“I thought something like this: the cheerful students in class easily notice each other’s brightness, they can send signals instantly. But our light is too weak, so finding a kindred spirit takes more time.”

Another reflection is about how hard it is to make friends. For me it was always difficult. As someone who doesn’t follow the crowd and often makes different decisions, it gets lonelier – sometimes you feel like you’re alone in the ocean. But if we stay kind, maybe the moon will hear us out.

“A prayer suits the Moon better than requests for our wishes to be fulfilled. For wishes, a person can realize on their own, if they try hard enough. A prayer is when we direct our thoughts, in silence, toward what we cannot achieve. Because in this world, there are many things we cannot accomplish by any measure… And it seems to me that the Moon takes care of us for exactly that reason.”

Kindness is, I believe, this light that we can create and see in other people. I consider myself very lucky, and I always try to be kind and build up my “kindness capital,” because I feel I’m in so much debt. I’m in the right place at the right time – and I believe it’s because of karma, because of kindness.

“But even if he is in a great mood, why would he be so kind to someone he has never seen, cannot like, and has nothing to do with? I think the world turns thanks to the feelings of specific people who want to be support for someone. That’s why I act in the theater. For someone, meaning…? I don’t know, just for someone. For someone, meaning not for myself. (…) We probably don’t need to know who that someone is.”

I believe that a small act of kindness towards a stranger can awaken their kindness, and they will pass it on. It happened to me when I really needed it – by surprise, someone gave me a helping hand.

Helping hands can also come from our parents. These days a lot of people blame their parents for their lives. But is it right? Of course, they are parents – there are ups and downs – but most of them try their best, even if they have no clue, or base their choices on old ideas. So I just want to ask: if they were gone tomorrow, how would you feel? Maybe there is still time to reach out?

“Even if I were by your side, I couldn’t help you with anything. I don’t know what or how things should be done. And maybe one day I will scare you again by using careless words. But don’t forget one thing. I will always love you, all of you, with all my heart. I will shine on you from afar. Like the honorable Mr. Sun.”

The same goes for our brothers, sisters, husbands, and friends. Don’t we sometimes take them for granted? Forgetting that this is a two-way street – interest and care need to come from both sides.

“How could I think he wasn’t interested in me. He was thinking of me all the time, with tenderness like no one else in the world, that’s certain. (…) I supposedly knew this, but I didn’t see the person who was closest to me. (…) And up until now, did I ever listen with true interest to what he had to say? Did I care about his work, about what happened day by day, about what he was thinking? No, not in the slightest. Because Tsuyoshi never demanded it, he spoiled me, so I lived only in my own matters.”

With this I want to add one more quote that I love, which summarizes my thoughts:

Gabriel García Márquez wrote: “If someone doesn’t love you the way you want, it doesn’t mean that they don’t love you with all their heart and with all their strength.”

But I want to leave you with what I believe is the most important one:

“If we don’t devote enough attention to the love and kindness that surround us, treating them for a long time as something obvious, they lose their meaning and taste for us. They become as transparent as air. And that is much sadder than true loneliness.”