What does it mean to write? Writing is a very simple task one can do with only a pen and paper. And yet, the possibilities are endless. This popular series from last year comes back with a new lineup of interviewees. To everyone who is involved in writing on a daily basis, what does it mean to write?

What does it mean to write?

Yonematsu Shiono【3】
SEASON2 vol.6
Yonematsu Shiono

Taking notes and filling notebooks is
an opportunity to enjoy life.

Writer Yonematsu Shiono has been filling up small notebooks for 38 years now. He tells us all the ways he uses them — from taking notes during interviews to taking them along on walks to sketch the plants and bugs he sees along the way. As someone who writes for a living, what kinds of writing does he do in these notebooks on a daily basis? We visited him at his home in Kakunodate Town, and had the opportunity to look at dozens of his notebooks.

ProfileYonematsu Shiono

Born in Kakunodate Town, Akita Prefecture in 1947. Graduated from the Department of Applied Chemistry at the Tokyo University of Science. Writer.
Recently set up a workplace in Kakunodate Town, where he spends half his time, in order to work on his writing. Nominated for the Akutagawa Prize four times. Currently writes novels and conducts interviews with artisans. In addition to best-selling book The Life and Soul of a Tree (Shincho Bunko), he’s written Learn from Doing: Heart / Technique, Fishermen of Japan (Chikuma Bunko), Thoughts of Lost Handicrafts (Chuko Bunko), and other works. Won the Japanese Picture Book Award for Summer Pond (illustrations by Kosei Murakami).
Writings about six Chinese artisans gathered over the course of six years are available to read for free in Japanese on the Hobonichi website. Other articles include The World of Transcription: Yonematsu Shiono and The Life and Soul of a Tree, and What is an interview? Yonematsu Shiono Edition.

Table of Contents

Even if I’m abandoned in a deserted place.

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How do you carry your notebooks when you’re on a walk?
Shiono
This is everything I take with me on my morning walks. I keep my notebook, pen, and phone close at hand, and then I’ve also got my binoculars, scissors, a bag to store anything I collect along the way, and some bear deterrent. Then I wear a carrying case over my shoulder to keep botanical specimens I collect along the way.
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That’s a cool case. What do you use to write in your notebook?
Shiono
Here.
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Pilot Super Petit. A felt-tipped pen with water-resistant ink.
Shiono
See how it’s labeled “fine tip?” That’s the best kind. It’s hard to find, so I buy 10 or 20 at a time on Amazon. I can’t get anything done if I leave home without it, so I keep a bunch of them in my bag.
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What makes it easy to use?
Shiono
The fine tip is great. When I’m drawing, I can hold the pen a bit to the side to get a thicker line or make a narrow one with the very lightest touch of the tip. It’s too hard to sketch plants when you’ve only got one line thickness to work with.
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So it’s easy with these to get a variety of lines.
Shiono
I can write faster with thicker pens, but I only have so much room, and it makes for a cluttered page. I can’t stand when my writing is too messy, so this pen makes it more pleasant to look back and read my entries. Doesn’t it look nice?
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It’s wonderful. It’s like your notebook isn’t just a bunch of notes you’ve written down, but an actual book that’s a pleasure to read through. But after all we’ve talked about I’d like to go back to our main question: what does it mean for you to write?
Shiono
“Write” and “draw” can be kind of abstract terms, but in general, what I’m doing here is creating a private notebook for myself. Of course, as a writer I’ve got a duty to write—this is more like extra credit. But as long as we’re sitting down talking about the entire topic of what it means to write, my answer is basically “because it’s fun.”
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You write because it’s fun.
Shiono
This is pretty obvious to me, but the act of using words, drawings, and even the layout to create a notebook is all part of the fun. Like it’s spicing up my life.
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The spice of life.
Shiono
Say you picked up a rock somewhere and set it down on your table next to a pencil. You’re not necessarily going to show that rock to anybody, or the nice way you have it arranged with the pencil, but it’s still rewarding somehow to have it decorating that space.
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Yeah.
Shiono
In the same way, when I’ve got a two-page spread opened flat in my notebook, I look around and decide how I’m going to lay things out in it. “If I put this there, then that can go there.”
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That does sound like a treat to look forward to.
Shiono
If you think about it, people who keep a notebook or techo are giving themselves one extra opportunity to enjoy their life.
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That’s so true.
Shiono
The same goes for photographs. I found photography to be quite interesting, from the first picture I took. I could look back on it later, and see my observation skills improving. I learned to compose a shot while photographing nature, and I feel like my life is just a little bit more fulfilling than it was before I took that first picture.
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Yeah.
Shiono
Just like carrying a camera or buying a car, keeping a notebook or a techo allows me to seek out interesting things. Even if I’m abandoned in a deserted place, If I’ve got a notebook and pen—ideally my usual pen!—I’d probably be fine dealing with an empty stomach for two or three days. I’d just focus on drawing rocks I see, writing about the types of clouds overhead, jotting down all the thoughts that come to mind, things like that. I feel like I’d enjoy myself.
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So you might enjoy yourself on a deserted island.
Shiono
Yeah. It’d be tough if I didn’t have a notebook and pen on me, so no matter where I go, I keep a few spares on hand. And by the time I get home, the contents of my notebook have grown in some way, expanded to contain a few hours of my day. And just so you know, my collection of stones and nuts and other junk is enormous at this point. (Laughs)
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So your notebooks are a hobby, a career, and a way of life.
Shiono
What I put in there epitomizes my daily life.
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Thanks for sharing your beautiful story with us today. I’ve learned a lot about the power of writing.
Shiono
Thank you for talking with me. Feel free to come visit anytime.

(End)

SEASON 2

SEASON 1

photos:eric