Living Gently in a World Where You Can Slowly Love Life
What is your “Perfect day”? What makes it perfect? Maybe we could perfect a routine that makes every day perfect. Find your comfort zone.
“PERFECT DAYS” captivated the world with its exploration of the deep beauty and philosophy hidden in everyday life. Through the tranquil daily routine of a toilet cleaner, this film won the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. Intrigued by what garnered such acclaim, I decided to see for myself and headed to the cinema.
The protagonist, Hirayama, wakes up in the morning to the sound of sweeping at the shrine (no alarm clock needed!), washes his face, brushes his teeth, grabs a spray bottle from the kitchen, and heads upstairs to water his numerous small plants, smiling at them. Stepping out, he looks up at the sky, smiles, and closes the door. At a vending machine located 10 meters away in the apartment parking lot, he buys a café au lait. Getting into his car, he selects a cassette of Western music from the 70s and 80s to play. He drives from the downtown area of Tokyo, visible from the Skytree, onto the expressway, parks near the toilets, and begins cleaning. He is entrusted with cleaning Tokyo’s designer toilets. After finishing the cleaning, he heads to a public bath as soon as it opens. At night, he finishes his meal at his favorite bar located inside Asakusa Station, reads a book at home until he feels sleepy, then turns off the light to sleep. And then, it becomes morning again…
Surprisingly, it’s not a Japanese film but one directed by a German. Now that you mention it, the perspective on “Tokyo” does seem to come from an outsider’s viewpoint. Even to me, a Tokyoite, the retro places depicted in the film looked cool. The scarcity of dialogue is overwhelming, allowing viewers the leisure to exercise their imagination, which adds to the enjoyment.
Later on, I watched a video of Director Wenders talking alone about the movie. The shot was taken from a side angle. Faint shadows could be seen fluttering on the white wall in the background. It was a beautiful video, almost as if watching an extension of the movie itself. In that interview, Hirayama’s past was revealed.
This inspired me to broaden my imagination further. Surely, someone who cleans toilets with such meticulous care must have been proficient in his work. Books are neatly aligned. Developed photos are organized by era in silver cans. The music he listens to consists solely of Western songs. The sense of humor required to respond to that tic-tac-toe game is probably unnecessary among salarymen. Watch the movie!
I also learned that this movie was inspired by a monk. Hirayama’s life is devoid of waste. He lacks material possessions, but his heart is rich. He is content with living each day as a new day. Once one reaches this state, I wonder, is life considered to be happy?
I too felt a resonance with the way of life depicted in the movie. After leaving an organization and becoming independent, I sought encounters with many people, but eventually learned the importance of confronting myself. Now, I cherish my routine while also enjoying the small changes within it. I used to fret over evaluations and results, which unsettled my mind. Now, I feel more at peace and experience happiness more frequently. I can even find small joys on my own and smile to myself about them.
Within such a routine, occasionally, an event comes along. When it does, I find myself able to thoroughly enjoy that event. I am living in the moment. My heart is free, unbound by people or things. I view each day as a new day, despite mostly living a life of routine. It is precisely because the routine does not change that I can easily notice changes.
At the end of the movie, I found myself smiling at Hirayama’s expression of tears mixed with laughter. I understand. Ten years ago, I might have wondered, “Will I ever reach such a state?” In a way, this movie is a test. The expression of mixed tears and laughter shown by Hirayama at the end of the movie suggests a deep insight into what happiness in life means.
“Next time is next time, now is now.” This was a conversation between Hirayama and his niece on their way back from the public bath, as they cycled over Sakura Bridge. It’s a magical phrase for generating the utmost happiness from a minimalist lifestyle.