The profound "Why?" of daily life

@mikisakai.mua

Last time (#02 ), I, Miki Sakai, shared about the "Why?" I cherish as an actress. This time, I'll focus on the "Why?" found in everyday life. The "Why?" that casually lies around in our unassuming daily routines. I want to face those "Why?" questions anew.

Tokyo's "Why?" and Shonan's "Why?"

In my private life, I have two anchors. One is my home in Tokyo. The other is the office where I work, located in Shonan. In trendy terms, I suppose you could call it a "multi-location lifestyle." While I only visit the Shonan office occasionally, it remains a vital anchor for me – a place where my heart finds peace and liberation.

It sparks my imagination – "This kind of work is fascinating! I'd love to try that kind of work too!" – helping me build my creative values. For someone like me, doing this kind of work, the Shonan sea and horizon beyond the office window are my greatest treasure. What lies beyond that endless expanse? Is there an end? These thoughts well up inside me.

Inside the office rooms, there are almost no white walls. Each room has its own theme. It's been five years since we started, but the room interiors are still unfinished. I still want to build a wooden deck, the painting for the counter area isn't finished, and I haven't found my favorite chair or pendant light yet. But being unfinished isn't so bad. It sparks the imagination: "What should I do next~?" I've rambled on about my feelings for Shonan, but honestly, the reason I decided to put the office here was because I was moved by the view stretching out before me – it looked just like a ukiyo-e painting! (laughs).

Usually, I'm the one wondering "Why me?" But when I tell people I set up my office in Shonan in 2019, the "Why?" questions come thick and fast (lol)! Maybe it's because the image of a talent agency is so strongly tied to Tokyo. But what about you? If you could see beautiful scenery from your workplace, wouldn't your work get done more efficiently?

There are no right answers to life's "whys." That's what makes it interesting.

For me, appliances and cars are "important beings" that help me spend time being myself. They're like "dearest companions" or "dearest family." If they get treated carelessly, well, of course they'd sulk.

What makes me feel romantic about the "Why?" question is that there's no single right answer, or at least, you can't easily arrive at one. When there's no right answer, my thoughts expand endlessly, like drifting through outer space. Even if it's something trivial like "Why did the air conditioner break?"

That's why, before heading to work with a load of "why?" questions, I treasure my "quiet thinking time" at home. So, sometimes I suddenly realize, "Oh, I've been holed up at home for days now." Huh? Is this about "work theory," "home theory," or "appliance theory"? Even I'm losing track of the point now (laugh).

Home is "a place to return to oneself."

It's often said that home is "a place to return to yourself." I think this has two meanings. One is that it's "a place to return to your true self." By reverting to your natural self, you can relax. The other is "facing parts of yourself you didn't even realize existed." Hobbies, housework, habits... anything really. Why do I find this enjoyable? Why do I feel like doing it? Thinking about these seemingly trivial things (though to me, they're incredibly important) reveals a side of myself.

For example, right now I'm hooked on the "shichirin" grill. You know, the one where you light charcoal and sizzle things like Pacific saury. Suddenly, I get this urge to make "nukazuke" pickles, so I prepare the rice bran bed... things like that just pop into my head.

Even on family outings (like fishing), the shichirin shines! We grill our freshly caught fish right there, sizzling away. So luxurious!

In this age of convenience, why am I hooked on such labor-intensive things? Why? When I start wondering, my father's face from back home pops into my mind. Why? Oh, right—Dad was a do-it-all kind of guy. He'd catch fish, grow his own vegetables, grill meat over charcoal... He was someone who enjoyed putting in the effort. I wonder if his garden yielded good vegetables again this year? Memories surface of those muddy daikon radishes with their long roots—so delicious! And then it clicks: Ah, that's why!

Once I start thinking like that, I get curious: "How far back do we remember the tastes of home?" "Why do certain flavors stay with us no matter how old we get?" That's the kind of thing. So, as someone who loves "why?", I find myself thoroughly enjoying the "whys" that pop up in everyday life.

Snapshot from my 2nd birthday

The vegetables grown in my parents' garden are, after all, nurtured by water that has traveled from Mount Fuji over many, many years. No wonder they're delicious! This photo, though, is of Mount Fuji as seen from my office in Shonan (lol).

For me, "going home" means, to put it dramatically, "returning to my roots." You don't just suddenly think, "Hey, let's grill fish on a charcoal grill!" out of nowhere, right? The answer to "A charcoal grill? Why?" lies in the distant past of Shizuoka.
. That's when I sometimes think that hints for "zero-to-one" (Editor's note: creative thinking that creates something from nothing) might actually be found in everyday life.

Is Miki Sakai stubborn?

As I wrote this piece, recalling conversations with editors and Shonan-san (pseudonym) from the agency, the story somehow rolled off in a weird direction. But I tell myself that's okay. The charm of "Why?" lies precisely in those developments you never could have imagined yourself.

That reminded me of something. When I was just starting out in my teens, the president of the agency I belonged to at the time (※) once told me, "Miki's stubborn, you know." It was something I
The agency president (※) told me, "Miki, you're stubborn, you know." I was surprised because it was something I'd never considered about myself. But looking back now, I realize that "once I decide to do something, I see it through" is the stubborn part of me that hasn't changed since I was young. It's this stubborn belief, this "Why? How come? There must be an answer I don't know!" sort of thing... In that sense, I, Miki Sakai, have probably been "stubborn to the core" ever since I was old enough to understand things.

※Office Junior President Iji Sato (at the time)

That said, every time I experience various "whys?", my stubbornness always leads me to the realization that "there is no single right answer!" Especially when it comes to the "whys?" found in everyday life, that's always where it ends up. I pursue the right answer, but it's hard to grasp. But that's okay. No, that's what makes it so incredibly good.