My Town (Banana Yoshimoto's Semi-Autobiographical Novel)

The streets are filled with small enchantments and unspoken rules.
Amidst Tokyo's unfamiliar yet familiar alleys, search for the human warmth and customs of times past,
those scenes of memory unique to Banana Yoshimoto.

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Places I Can No Longer Go

That's what growing up is about. The city accumulates my personal history, gradually deepening its colors. By the time that coloring book is finished, I too will depart this world with it. All that will remain is a deeply colored map of the heart.
Banana Yoshimoto

The moment we can no longer go is fast approaching.
We have reached an age where we say to each other, "Who knows how much longer we can go? Who knows if we can still come next year?"
But in our hearts, that mountain and sea are always there.
-- "Living Here, Yet Unsettled"