[Report]Gen Hoshino, first edition 120,000 copies! Discussing his thoughts on the essay at the talk event for the latest book ``From the Train Window of Life 2''

■“I was wondering what kind of writing only I could write.I pursued that and came up with “From the Train Window of Life 2.” (Gen Hoshino)

Gen Hoshino held a talk event to commemorate the publication of “From the Window of Life 2” (KADOKAWA) at HMV&BOOKS SHIBUYA on October 1st.

■Gen Hoshino’s latest essay collection “From the Train Window of Life 2”
“From the Train Window of Life” is a series of essays by Gen Hoshino that began in the December 2014 issue of the magazine “Da Vinci”. This book is the second volume (to be released on September 30, 2024) that has been published for the first time in about seven and a half years since “From the Window of Life” (published in March 2017), which summarized the series. Contains serialized manuscripts from 2017 to 2023 (irregular series *Some manuscripts are not included during serialization, some revisions may occur), with 4 newly written articles, for a total of 27 articles + an afterword. The cover and cover illustrations were created by Byun Yong-geun, the same as the Kadokawa Bunko version of “From the Train Window of Life”.

■Thank you for the wonderful recommendation comments
Approximately 30 fans were present at the venue. When Hoshino took the stage, the atmosphere was more warm and intimate than excitement. Hoshino often expresses his gratitude to the audience who filled his live venue in “From the Car Window of Life 2”, and here too he valued the connection with his fans. During the free time after the photo session, he warmed up the mood with free talk, and at the beginning of the talk, he said to the audience, “It’s a problem, right? This closeness is a problem (lol).” He also waved to online viewers through the camera.

The moderator was editor/writer Hitoshi Kotabe. Edits Hoshino’s membership site “YELLOW MAGAZINE+”. The talk had a deep content that could only be achieved by these two.

Regarding the first edition of 120,000 copies, Hoshino says, “I don’t really feel it, but I’m grateful.” When asked, “What are your impressions of what you have already received?”, the answer was “I received recommendation comments from various people.Including people like Mr. Nobuyuki Sakuma (Nobuyuki) who I usually work with, the rest were my favorites. Novelist Honobu Yonezawa. His message was wonderful, and I think he really understood it. I’m very happy to be able to share it with you.”

■I pursued writing that only I could write and arrived at “From the Window of Life 2.”
Hoshino’s career as a writer spans approximately 20 years. It all started when I was in elementary school. “I liked Japanese classes, writing impressions and compositions.That’s why I longed for a job that involved writing.My hobby of music and acting turned into a job after I turned 20, so I really wanted to write as well. Become”

As he wrote essays, the writer Gen Hoshino evolved. “I was wondering what kind of writing only I could write.I pursued that idea and came up with “From the Window of Life 2”.”

■Essays are a process of cutting down on ego.
When I first started writing essays, I thought, “I want to write something interesting.” However, when it comes to “From the Window of Life,” he says, “I don’t think anything about it.”

“I sit down in front of my computer and start thinking about what I should write. Come to think of it, I start writing about something that happened, but I can’t see the punch line. I’m the most thrilling person. Then I think, ‘How is this going to end?’ ?’ There are times when I suddenly get a clear decision, and it feels really good.”

That means not trying to do anything intentionally.

“I always try to write down what comes naturally to me.”

On the other hand, since an essay is about oneself, things like ego are bound to come out.

“I’m always trying to whittle away that kind of ego. If I have a feeling that I want to emphasize, I cut it down. Emphasis is similar to greed. For example, if I’m moved, I want to emphasize it and convey it. However, (the reader) ends up just reading the story that I am emphasizing.I think that if I strip it down more and more, the reader will be able to experience the same thing. That’s the way I write it.”

■Right now, I want to take care of each and every job.
Of the many chapters in “From the Window of Life 2”, Hoshino says that “From the Window of Life” is his favorite. The newly written version posted at the end is a “new final episode” that is different from the one at the end of the series.

“I didn’t write it with anything in mind, but I just ended up writing it.The whole theme of “From the train window of life” came together.It’s like, “Booah.” It’s like, “This is it!”It wasn’t explained at all. But (lol)”

Finally, where will Gen Hoshino head from now on?

“Before, I wanted to do many different jobs at the same time, but now I want to take care of each job one by one.Whether it’s music, acting, or writing, I want to take my time.”

It was a valuable talk event where Gen Hoshino showed us a “window” into his heart, from his 20-year writing career to the essence of the creativity behind his essays.

PHOTO BY Hiroyuki Yamaguchi