It has been quite a while since Ken Shimura passed away.
The airing of memorial programs and tribute programs has come to an end, and it seems that the world has finally accepted the fact that he has passed away.
Among various interviews with Ken Shimura before his death, one article that left a particularly strong impression on me was the one in which he said, “It is best to be in the equilateral triangle of work, alcohol, and women” before his death.
I thought these words were very typical of Ken Shimura, and was impressed that this was one of his life philosophies. This is because if someone were to ask me to draw a triangle of happiness of any kind, it would be difficult for me to say so clearly.
It would probably not be an equilateral triangle, or even an isosceles triangle, but rather a rectangle, a rectangle, or a messy, irregular shape, depending on the person.
Of the three points mentioned by Shimura Ken, “work” goes without saying. And in order to be strong enough to compete with this one solid point, the other two must also become stronger. In other words, there is no doubt that both “alcohol” and “women” had such strong desires.
For example, depending on the person, if these were changed to “work,” “alcohol,” and “gambling,” or if it were “work,” “gambling,” and “mistress,” the way of life would be drastically changed.
On the other hand, if you decide on your own form of happiness in this way, I think it will be easier to live. I like trains anyway. I like drinking. I like women. I think it is easier for others to understand and easier for me to live my life if I am not concerned about the world or lying to myself, but rather if I make up my mind clearly and stand out in the open. After that, you just have to come to terms with reality where it is not a crime.
But what to choose among these three is the difficult part. We know what we really want, but for various reasons, we tend to raise other items or lie to ourselves to make ourselves look good. Because the decision you make has the potential to change your work and your family.
In other words, what exactly should be the priority in your life? And what do you need to do to balance these priorities? When I read this interview with Mr. Shimura, I thought it would be good to think about my own form of happiness.
And from this interview, it seems that having “only one thing” may be a dangerous state to be in. Only work. Only drinking. Only women.
If a person with only a job has his job taken away from him, if a person with only women has no more women in his old age, or if a person who loves to drink has a physical breakdown and can no longer drink alcohol, then he will have nothing to support himself.
At that time, there will be nothing to support you.
However, if you have a triangle, as long as only two of the three points remain, I think you can manage to hold on to your feelings. Then you can get by for a while and make up for the missing point with something else.
This may sound like an adult’s way of getting by, but it may be a rather realistic way of life. And Ken Shimura, who honestly chose these three things, would be a heavy drinker and a womanizing comedian (not just a comedian, but a king of comedy), to put it in a simple, if condescending, way.
However, I think it is also cool to be able to paraphrase his life with just this one line.
It is dandyism to be able to say, “I am happy with this, no matter what anyone says. And the other two strong horns. I think this is what made him look so soft and mild in his later years, after he had lost the ruggedness he once had when he started working as a pin-up artist right after he left Drift.
Some people say that life is more about quality than length. I think that living by these three points can lead to a high quality of life.
By the way, I think Shimura Ken’s most outstanding performance is the ayan (though I have never done it myself).
See you later.
