Frank
Hello, this is Frank.
I cannot recall exactly which year it was, but among the entries for the “One-Letter Keijō Award” hosted by the Fukui Prefecture Cultural Promotion Foundation, there is one piece that has stayed with me clearly.
To Mom
“Mom, I’m tired of walking!”
“Then run.”
Even now, I’m on the track-and-field team, running.
The moment I first read this short letter, a smile came to my face.
In Osaka we take the “straight man and comic” banter for granted. But when turned into text on paper, the scene appears so vividly that it feels as if a small stage is set before us. Don’t you feel you can hear the voices of mother and child?
When a child admits, “I’m tired of walking,” the usual response would be “Take a little rest,” or “Try hard a little more.” But this mother is different. “Then run.” Within those words lies an unexpected yet warm encouragement, a distinct sense of humor. It’s precisely for that reason that this brief exchange remains deeply in the reader’s mind.
The charm of the “Japan’s shortest letter” award lies in the power of such tightly condensed words. Because it’s short, we can imagine the relationships or background in the blank space. We can sense the writer’s personality or the family’s atmosphere. For the reader there is enjoyment in imagining the drama that spreads behind the short text.
The greatness of this piece is also deeply tied to regional character. For the writer’s family, “straight man and comic” is part of everyday life. The natural back-and-forth banter that springs out of ordinary daily life works as laughter, as encouragement, and sometimes as support for the child. That’s why this letter may seem “just an everyday conversation.” But for people from other regions it appears fresh and humorous. A moment of local culture shines as literature.
Each time I read this short letter, I am amazed by the depth of language and the richness of human relationships. With just a dozen or so characters, you can sense the bond of mother and child, the humour, the vitality of life. Indeed: “In short words, infinite story.”
For reference, here is a related book. If you like, please consider acquiring it.
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