I will never forget what happened on Wednesday, May 28, 2008. The night before that day, I had a delicious cocktail at my favorite bar “RAKE” (Nishiazabu). Although I had only three drinks, I had a rare hangover the next day.
After finishing some manuscripts, I went to see the “Tadanori Yokoo” exhibition at the Setagaya Art Museum in the afternoon. I did not feel any excitement. However, I wondered whether I should go to the Tadanori Yokoo exhibition or visit my mentor, Masaru Uchida, who was in the hospital. Tadanori Yokoo and Masaru Uchida had worked together on the cover design of Weekly Shonen Magazine nine times during its golden era. Therefore, Yokoo’s exhibition came first. Then we decided to show the catalogue to Mr. Uchida on Saturday, May 31.

… But on Friday, May 30… I heard the news of Mr. Uchida’s death at 5:30 p.m. at the University of Tokyo… From there on, it was chaos. Anyway, I left the place and jumped into a cab! But I had nowhere to go when I jumped in… Tears flowed uncontrollably. More frustrating than sad… Time to stop!

Then the scene to the left caught my eye. This was a real-life scene that bore a striking resemblance to the motif of Yokoo’s “Y-junction” that we saw on Wednesday! (↑Top photo)

It looked so similar that I told the driver, “I’ll get off here.

↑ Mr. Yokoo encountered the Y-junction by chance in 2000 in his hometown of Nishiwaki, Hyogo Prefecture.

The left one is called “Night of Miyazaki, Night before Typhoon” (2004).

↑ up “Midnight Supper” (2006)

It is a red night piece with a policeman on the right chasing a seeming thief with a cat feeding in the center in symmetry.

Having lost my guide, Masaru Uchida, I am still standing in front of the Y-junction. But I cannot dwell on it forever. Or perhaps the building in the middle will suggest a third way, no matter whether I go left or right. I am beginning to feel that way. Remembering what Mr. Uchida always says, “There is life in the side streets,” I am trying to move forward again.