Persimmon Picking Diary

　　✺ After an 8-year hiatus, following "Utensils are Boring," Hong Kong writer Lin Qixiang once again stirs the soul with 27 delicate texts and images, documenting the precious places, objects, food, people, and nature she has encountered during her 12 years living in Japan.
　　✺ Renowned Japanese graphic designer and art director Saito Hideyuki was specially invited to handle the entire book design.
　　
　　Sensing the pervasive digital wave of our time, experiences that awaken the senses and opportunities for human interaction are slowly disappearing. We no longer touch banknotes and coins when paying, simple conversations are replaced by mobile phones, and children's learning increasingly relies on screens. Sight and hearing have become the dominant gateways of perception, while touch, smell, intuition, and sensibility seem to be no longer valued. Lin Qixiang thus began to ponder which experiences are worth cherishing and which values need to be carefully protected in such an era.

　　—While writing for magazines, visiting countless craftspeople, she unexpectedly received their sincere inquiries about life. She realized that the choice of clothing concerns the exploration of one's personal values.

　　—She understands that behind her Japanese husband, a metal artist, whose personality seems carefree and casual, lies a profound awareness of his work, life, and self. He doesn't complain about wasted efforts but always meticulously examines the reasons for failure.

　　—Immersed in Japanese film, literature, crafts, and daily cuisine, she constantly experiences her friends' philosophies of life. For example, drinking a cup of hot water carefully boiled over an open flame is, in fact, an embodiment of profound tea ceremony aesthetics.

　　—After becoming a mother, she learns from her young son to explore the world with all her senses purely. Smelling fallen leaves, running in the rain, inviting her to look at the sky, and together, fully concentrating on gazing at the booming, splendid fireworks.

　　The book title, "The Persimmon-Picking Journal," originates from the unpicked persimmon tree in the garden of her community, reminding herself to appreciate the ordinary scenery of life and no longer let those irreplaceable feelings be forgotten. This is a life journal chronicling her years of relocation, and also a love letter dedicated to time, memory, and the beauty of everyday life.
　
　　✺ About places, food, people, nature, and objects
　　"In recent years, Kanamori feels that contemporary Japanese crafts often reveal a longing for the West, full of individualism, dominant and overwhelming, differing greatly from the humility, softness, and harmony traditionally emphasized in Japan. He longs for a traditional Japanese space where he can freely and directly immerse himself, refining works that are closer to Japan's most fundamental aesthetic concepts."
　　——〈Place: Kato Nakaemon's Residence〉

　　"Come to think of it, we not only drink plain hot water with meals but also with evening drinks. After dinner, we playfully bring out a teapot and small cups, pouring lukewarm, colorless hot water for each other, sometimes without even snacks. Sip by sip, it moisturizes the body and mind. All the daytime clamor and annoyances, let the plain hot water wash them away, don't let them sneak into dreams."
　　——〈Food: Plain Hot Water〉

　　"What should I wear in the future? This seemingly simple question is actually a profound inquiry into one's own values. It represents breaking away from mainstream standards of appearance evaluation and carefully observing what truly matters deep inside oneself. Is it what the eye sees, or what the skin feels? Is it a culture passed down through ages, or a fleeting trend?"
　　——〈Person: Akiko Ando〉

　　"Regardless of whether it's called a violet, even without a name, regardless of whether the spring fields are beautiful because of it, or whether humans smile because of it, it will still follow its own laws and bloom in spring. To them, are we also 'foot soldiers,' 'miscellaneous people'? In heaven and earth, we and the unknown flowers and plants are probably equally miscellaneous, equally existing."
　　——〈Nature: Weeds〉

　　"Watching a sparkler complete its entire life often brings me a strange sense of comfort. That's why I keep sparklers hidden in my drawer; they are my antidote when I feel troubled or depressed. There's a beautiful Japanese word: 儚い (hakanai), meaning fragile, fleeting, like a person in a dream, all things illusory. When concentrating on the twinkling sparks, I especially feel that the present moment is both illusory and real. The beauty of sparklers is like the beauty of being in a dream."
　　——〈Object: Fireworks and Sparklers〉

　　✺ About the Book Design
　　"One day, when the author told me the origin of the book title, she recounted an anecdote. She said that the persimmon tree in her community's garden bears fruit every year, but no one picks them. In contrast, chestnuts are very popular and are quickly picked clean, which she found puzzling. This is probably because tart persimmons require some effort to become delicious. She said that after coming to Japan, she tasted persimmons picked from a tree for the first time.

　　I used the imagery of 'persimmons, though ubiquitous, are overlooked' and wrapped the persimmon with a book band. Peeling open the book band reveals delicious persimmons inside. This symbolizes that when in a new environment, unlike those accustomed to the local surroundings, one can observe things with fresh senses. The white persimmon revealed after removing the dust jacket further symbolizes the inner world beneath a person's exterior. The author cherishes the delicate feelings evoked by everyday trifles, and this gentle emotion is integrated into the soft texture of the persimmon-colored paper, transforming into the overall character of the book." —Hideyuki Saito

　　The book design for "The Persimmon-Picking Journal" was specially handled by renowned Japanese graphic designer and art director Saito Hideyuki. For many years, Saito has been chosen by numerous famous Japanese writers, photographers, and artists, including Matsuura Yataro, Kawauchi Rinko, Inoue Nana, Nakanishi Naoko, Mitani Ryuji, and Minagawa Akira, among others. He is a representative designer who deeply integrates the spirit of craftsmanship with modern design language.

　　Saito is skilled in using letterpress printing techniques, paying attention to the paper's transparency, texture, and blank space to capture emotions and memories; presenting the essence of text with delicate and poetic arrangements, his naturally elegant bookbinding creates a unique character, making each book a collectible work of art. His designs are highly favored by Japanese readers, and the bookstore industry even comments: "As long as it's a book designed by Mr. Saito, we must stock it!" This time, he even flew to Taiwan to supervise the printing details of this book.

　　—Nominated for the JAGDA New Designer Award in 2010
　　—Selected for the "Graphic Design in Japan" annual yearbook consecutively from 2010-2014
　　—Received the Jury's Award and the Tokyo Governor's Award multiple times at the Japan "Book Design and Binding Competition" (造本装幀コンクール) from 2015-2019
　　—Received an honorary award at "The Most Beautiful Books in the World" in Leipzig, Germany in 2018

Book Features

　　◉ The entire book is printed on imported Japanese paper, with multiple layers stacking to create a visual impression that aligns with the book's understated yet gentle character: the book band, made of NT Element paper in reddish-brown, presents the rich color of ripe persimmons; the book jacket, made of tactile tea-colored Shintan Muffin paper, brings out a warm texture reminiscent of traditional Japanese persimmon tannin dyeing; the cover selects elegant olive green paper, like quiet and graceful persimmon leaves; the endpapers insert thin Yamabiko Honsho Washi, semi-handcrafted with one rough and one smooth side, the subtle fiber details enhancing the overall sense of breath.

　　◉ The text on the book jacket is hand-embossed using the rare letterpress printing technique, with natural indentations in the strokes, delicate and palpable, conveying the author's light yet profound textual power.

　　◉ To faithfully reproduce the precious and tranquil images captured by the author over the years, the inner pages use Japanese OPERA Wenfu paper, a neutral paper with a yellowish tint and no coating, ensuring that the text is non-reflective and easy on the eyes while still perfectly displaying colors. The fluffy and soft texture allows readers to browse through the 27 texts and images as if basking in the warm sun of Japan.

Recommended by

　　Ryuji Mitani / Woodworker
　　Deng Jiu-Yun / Actress, Writer
　　Hally Chen / Designer, Writer
　　Issa Chen / Owner of 30Select

Awards and Recommendations

　　"The author tries to imagine a distant world through her family and tableware around her. This is by no means easy, but she proceeds step by step with what is within her power. This is a book full of the sincere voices of those living life." —Ryuji Mitani / Woodworker

　　"Looking at the life documented in this book, I believe it's a process of removing pretense. Inconvenience, on the contrary, makes one focus more on truly living." —Deng Jiu-Yun / Actress, Writer

　　"With delicate and gentle brushstrokes, the author depicts a family's slow resonance with the world. From old house renovation, choice of utensils, to daily food and travel experiences, every scene permeates with a profound understanding of nature, time, and human warmth. From the faint elegance of wild persimmons and simple miso soup to the mountains and forests that change with the seasons, she embraces and appreciates the subtle changes in life through the Japanese 'life-sized' approach, leaving a quiet and profound footnote for a bustling world. Reading this book makes one unconsciously let go of anxiety and rethink what 'enough' truly means." —Hally Chen / Designer, Writer