3 posts about Satoshi Kon

This has absolutely nothing to do with food - which is why I posted the actual articles on my often dormant personal site [1]. As fans of anime probably already know, the director Satoshi Kon (今敏) passed away on Tuesday, August 24th. He was only 46, and was felled by a swiftly advancing case of pancreatic cancer. I was a fan of his unique, sometimes odd vision, but more than that, I was really moved by the last words that his family posted posthumously on his blog. So, for those of you who don’t read Japanese, I’ve put up 3 posts about his last words:

• Satoshi Kon’s last words [2] - a complete translation of the last entry on his blog, posted posthumously by his family.
• Some language and cultural notes regarding what he wrote [3].
• And finally, an English version of a list he posted just days before his death, of 100 (plus) movies [4] chosen by the team working on The Dreaming Machine, the movie that he left unfinished.

Even if you’re not an anime fan, the first document in particular is worth a read. It might give you some insight into Japanese ways of thinking, but more than that, it allows a glimpse into the mind of a man who is facing death and trying to get his affairs together. These words have been dominating my mind since I read them on Wednesday night - frankly, I’ve been able to think of little else, much less cooking anything.

I hope you’ll take a look.