My trivial thinking

We’ve been suffering from record‑breaking heat across the country, not just in Osaka, with temperatures over 37°C every single day. Since we’re in the long Obon holidays now, I went jogging yesterday morning in a nearby park where I used to run. When I was younger, I could comfortably jog about 20 kilometers. But now I can manage only 10 kilometers, drinking tap water and cooling my head along the way. There were many joggers and walkers in the park early on, but as the temperature rose, the number of people gradually decreased. Because it was so hot, I wore a thin T‑shirt yesterday. As I had feared, I developed some solar photosensitivity symptoms on parts of my body. While jogging, I found myself thinking again about Kinshu: Autumn Brocade . In the novel, Aki and Yasuaki are able to confront their past and move beyond it because they are completely sincere—with each other and with themselves. I believe that sincerity is the most important element in a relationship with someone you lo...

  I’m very busy, so I can’t go jogging every day. I usually jog in the late afternoon on weekends. During the dog days of summer, I have to wear a thick winter training shirt when I jog because I have solar photosensitivity. I developed alopecia years ago and received treatment at a hospital, and the medication caused the sensitivity. I stopped the treatment more than ten years ago, so the photosensitivity isn’t as severe now. The other day, I went jogging around 1:30 p.m. because the weather forecast said it would rain in the evening. The temperature was over 33 degrees Celsius, and it was extremely hot. I had a 500‑ml bottle of water with me, but even so, it felt like I was going to collapse from the heat. I usually jog at a slow pace, and sometimes I walk, so even people who walk fast often pass me. When I was younger, I liked jogging under the blazing summer sun. I used to call it “jogging to death.” I ran on a loop path in a park where I could drink tap water anytime. But now ...