Reading: Ivan Goncharov "Oblomov" (1859)

When I was 15 Russian classic literature seemed so boring for me and each novel was so endless, that I thought after graduation from school I would never ever return to it...
But time passed and Oblomov - 30 year old hero of this novel by Russian classic author Ivan Goncharov - who seemed some "lazy old guy with strange thoughts and problems" at that time, today when you are 24 year old suddenly becomes so close, his problems have so much in common with what you think and feel now...
So time came to reread classic and "Oblomov" was first one- novel about apathy which can ruin life of even the kindest people...

Hiroki Wada photos

Photos by Hiroki Wada

Styling by Hiromi Takeuchi

Movie: "Golden Slumber" (2010)

Finally I have day-off (after so busy week) and today I don`t have to meet anybody, so I decided to devote Sunday to watching movie at home. This time it is Japanese film - story was written by famous detective mystery novelist Kotaro Isaka.
I read his other novel "Foreign Duck, Native Duck Coin-locker" before and found it quite interesting (there was also movie).
This time it was a bit unrealistic story of assassination of Japanese Prime Minister and how intelligent agency uses innocent guy to show him as assassin to the nation, and how this poor guy first run from them and finally escaped with the help of friends and some tricky stuff (uff....shitty explanation - so you`d better to watch it than trying to understand my English)...
Anyhow, plot is intriguing and plus- the story is depicted in Sendai (as I know, in his all novels
Isaka depicts his native town Sendai) - town where I studied for about 1 year and it was so nostalgic to see all the places, city landmarks, Sendai station surroundings in the movie (I even found model girl from my Sendai agency in the movie playing waitress!)...
Another point is that Isaka always chose one song for his each novel and this song becomes leading motif that fills each page of the novel. In "Foreign Duck, Native Duck Coin-locker" it was "Blowin` in the Wind" by Bob Dylan, this time "Beatles" song...

Mobile phone memories

Yesterday I checked my mobile phone and found out that I have so many photos in it, which I have taken during these 2 years in Japan...And I realised that these 2 years were sometimes tough, but they brought me good memories and which is more important precious experience.

First of all, it was Yokohama with it`s special "marine" atmosphere

It was my small apartment in Namamugi station - place, perhaps, nobody knows about....

"Pirozhki" shop in Kamakura

Becoming fan of Japanese green tea and all deserts with the flavour...

It was hard time of job hunting during crisis, with sending 10 resumes a week and desperately waiting for any reply, any chance to get job.

It was about 2 years of working in previous company, which first were so hard for me that I thought of coming back home after 3 months, but I could overcome and now realise that all I did were so good learning chance and so precious knowledge. "Selling used construction equipment" - I`ve never could even thought that I would do it, but I could and hope I made some contribution...And it was time when I realised how important to be involved in what you are doing - all these dozers, excavators and drills became part of my life

It was time of trying myself in something completely different...
Finding out "Russia around" in the middle of Tokyo....

.....in this H&M shirt which looked exactly as Russian national costume

....in "The Philosophy of Marxism" book which some apparel shop used to decorate interior

...in "Aeroflot" bags being sold in Second-Hand Clothing Shops in Harajuku

In these 2 years there were election in Japan with sometimes ridiculous posters like "Romance and Responsibility"It was also death of MJ - so unbelievable, so sad
And finally despite all troubles I just enjoyed life, becoming true "Tokyo lover" - city which gives me so much energy

Movie: "Grave of the Fireflies" ("Hotaru-no-Haka")(1988)

The most dark anime of Studio Ghibli... Crying for the whole 2 hours of watching is guaranteed.

Very tearful story about war and children whose mother died during bombing and who have to live by themselves among world of adults...

More than cruelty of war you are shocked by cruelty of all those people surrounding two children. As for me, it is always really hard to watch the movies where suffering children is described...