No.7 "What I Learned from Shuntaro Tanikawa"

( Education of Inagi City 'Yale' December 15, Issue 3 published )

What I Learned from Shuntaro Tanikawa

　"When the youth of Kamchatka are dreaming of a giraffe, a girl in Mexico is waiting for the bus in the morning mist" - this is the opening line of the poem "Morning Relay" by Shuntaro Tanikawa. The lessons about this poem during my teaching days are one of my fond memories. The rhythmic sound of "Kamchatka" and the warp to a foreign city... from this opening, the reader opens the door to an unknown world. Together, we read aloud with excitement, overviewed the Earth from the outside, and pondered the other side of the Earth at this very moment. Furthermore, from the phrases "We relay the morning" and "From longitude to longitude, we take turns protecting the Earth," I shared with the junior high school students the vision of wanting to protect the beauty and peace of the Earth together with friends from unseen worlds.
"Kappa kappa rutta kappa rappa kappa rutta" (from "Word Play Songs" (Fukokin-kan Shoten), poem "Kappa") - while experiencing the charm and mystery of the Japanese language, we all enjoyed "word play" in a loud voice in the classroom.
The poem "Living" begins with "To be alive, to be alive now" - in this work, Mr. Tanikawa writes about various phenomena and sensations encountered in daily life, such as "to be thirsty," "the sunlight filtering through the leaves is dazzling," and "to suddenly remember a certain melody," while also expressing important things to cherish as a human being, such as "to hold your hand," "to carefully ward off hidden evils," and "to love as a person."
Across Japan, no, around the world, many people have been drawn to and have become familiar with the poems and words of Shuntaro Tanikawa. I, too, as one of them and as an educator, have been captivated by Mr. Tanikawa's world of works.
Several of Mr. Tanikawa's poems have been set to melodies and are widely enjoyed as choral pieces.
"What is this feeling? An invisible flow of energy travels from the earth through the soles of my feet..." (from the poem "In Spring") - in the season of "spring," the young person standing on the earth experiences a struggle of various emotions such as "joy," "irritation," "longing," and "frustration." Along with the instability and swaying that everyone feels in this season, it sings of a heart that believes in possibilities, expressing the harshness and joy of living.
Additionally, the poem "Believe" has also become a standard number for choral music. About ten years ago, at Inagi Dai 4 Junior High School, where I took office as principal, "Believe" was sung as the "assigned song" for the third-year school event "Choral Competition." "I cannot lie to myself; I believe in myself. There is no need for a reason to believe." "On a morning when the dew on the leaves sparkles, what does the fawn gaze at? Everything is new every day; I believe in such a world" - this work is filled with warm and powerful encouragement for young people to first believe in themselves, having a sincere attitude as a human being that empathizes with the small things, faces the realities of the world, and is moved by beautiful things. The students shared Mr. Tanikawa's message, firmly grasped the heart of the poem, and earnestly worked on their singing to convey those feelings to the listeners. And on the day of the performance, they bathed in dazzling, intense lights, faced the dark audience, believed in their own strength, encouraged themselves, and relying on the bonds of the heart with their peers, magnificently sang "Believe." From the sight of those students, I deeply felt the significance of "believing in oneself."
By introducing easy and familiar words, Mr. Tanikawa's works make us aware of the depths of humanity and the state of the world, prompting us to consider the attitude necessary for living as a person. Many people surely have various memories of his works. Additionally, due to my background in education, I have been fortunate to share the experience of being moved by Mr. Tanikawa's works with junior high school students. Through Mr. Tanikawa's works, I have realized the fundamental significance of learning together, where each person can freely imagine scenes and emotions through words and share those reflections with peers.
Currently, the textbooks used in the city's elementary and junior high schools include "Living" (6th grade elementary school, Japanese language) and "In Spring" (3rd grade junior high school, Japanese language) (junior high school, music), and the children of this city are learning from Mr. Tanikawa's works. The works of Mr. Tanikawa, which people across Japan encounter daily and reflect upon, have also provided valuable learning to the children and students of Inagi City, as well as to those who have learned and grown in Inagi.
Recently, in November 2023, a book titled "That World and This World" was published by Iwanami Shoten, featuring correspondence between Mr. Tanikawa and Mikako Brady. In my opening remarks at the regular principal's meeting in January 2024, I introduced a series of exchanges focusing on the continuity of life and death, along with my impressions after reading the book. I presented a section mentioned by Ms. Brady in the book, stating that "there is a discussion among the younger generation in the UK about 'transhumanism,' where humans will update their brains to live as data," and expressed the idea that "we want to place value on direct interaction and confrontation between humans." Furthermore, at the end of the book, Mr. Tanikawa states, "It is also true that we feel a vague anxiety along with a vision for the future regarding the fact that humans, originally social animals, have awakened as individuals in the midst of a group and that this has begun to evolve into AI?"
Shuntaro Tanikawa passed away on November 13, 2024, at the age of 92.
The works he left behind will continue to question our views on humanity and the world for a long time to come. I also believe that while looking ahead to a world that will further evolve civilization, enjoying and utilizing that development, I must sometimes return to Mr. Tanikawa's messages and pursue the necessary strength and ideal state of being as a human being.

Director of Inagi City Board of Education, Makiko Sugimoto

[Citation/Reference]
Shuntaro Tanikawa "Morning Relay" "Kappa" "Living" "In Spring" "Believing"
Shuntaro Tanikawa Mikako Bureidi 'That World and This World' (Iwanami Shoten)