나는 앞으로 몇 번의 보름달을 볼 수 있을까

by Ryuichi Sakamoto, 류이치 사카모토

세계적인 음악가 류이치 사카모토가 마지막으로 전하는 이야기 한국, 일본, 중국, 대만 동시 출간! 방탄소년단 슈가, 윤상, 이준오(캐스커), 정세랑, 정재일, 황소윤, 허우 샤오시엔 추천 “세상은 소리로 가득 차 있고 그 소리들이 모이면 음악이 된다는 걸 알려주신 선생님” _방탄소년단 슈가(SUGA) 시대를 대표하는 예술가이자 활동가 류이치 사카모토가 살아생전 마지막으로 전하는 이야기. 2020년, 암의 재발과 전이로 인해 치료를 받더라도 5년 이상 생존율은 50퍼센트라는 진단을 받고서 시간의 유한함에 직면하게 된 류이치 사카모토. 『나는 앞으로 몇 번의 보름달을 볼 수 있을까』는 그런 그가 삶의 마지막 고비에서 되돌아본 인생과 예술, 우정과 사랑, 자연과 철학, 그리고 시간을 뛰어넘어 오래도록 기억될 그의 음악과 깊은 사유에 관한 기록이다. 여러 차례 암 수술을 받고 암과 싸우는 것이 아니라, “암과 살아가기”로 마음먹었다고 담담히 당시의 상황을 전하며 시작되는 이야기는 그간의 음악적 여정을 따라 흘러가되, 때때로 시간의 틀에서 벗어나 그의 세계관과 철학이 엿보이는 깊고 자유로운 사유와 담론으로 이어지며, 2023년 1월 발매된 그의 마지막 오리지널 앨범 『12』에 대한 에피소드로 끝맺는다. 그리고 그가 글의 마지막에 남긴 “Ars longa, vita brevis. (예술은 길고, 인생은 짧다.)”라는 문장은 결국 그의 유언이 되었다. 2022년 7월부터 2023년 2월까지 일본의 문예지 『신초』에 연재된 칼럼을 엮은 책으로 2023년 6월 말, 한국과 일본, 중국, 대만에서 동시 출간되었다. 책의 특별부록으로 류이치 사카모토의 마지막 순간을 그린 글과 유족이 전한 류이치 사카모토의 일기 일부가 수록되었다.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Art, Japan, Memoir, Biography Memoir, Music

396 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2023

About the author

Ryuichi Sakamoto was a Japanese composer, record producer, and actor who pursued a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of Yellow Magic Orchestra. With his bandmates Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi, Sakamoto influenced and pioneered a number of electronic music genres. - Wikipedia

Reviews

[Yeh Chien Sheng · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book "How Many More Times Can I See the Full Moon?" left a deep impression on me. I vividly remember receiving the news of Professor's passing while I was in Seoul, in my hotel room, just after taking a shower and before going to sleep. I was aimlessly browsing the internet when I came across the headline "Renowned Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto passes away." I was taken aback, and suddenly tears welled up. At that moment, my partner couldn't understand my grief.

I wasn't particularly fond of piano music, but my appreciation for the Professor stemmed from his spirit conveyed in various arts and interviews. In this book, you can sense his unique personality - someone who was determined and sometimes even rebellious. While he retained the elegance and subtlety of Japanese culture, he didn't quite fit into the rigid, conservative societal norms.

The book is a compilation of Ryuichi Sakamoto's reflections on his work and activities after his cancer diagnosis. It reflects his values and perfectionism. Reading his words, especially when he says, "So, my story ends here for now," leaves a feeling of abruptness. Throughout, you can see his depth and the wealth of knowledge he could have shared, but illness forced him to pause, which is truly lamentable.

Reading about his journey to the Arctic Circle, I listened to "out of noise." Exploring an artist's memoir is a fascinating experience. Even though he's no longer with us, you can still feel what he wanted to convey through his works, whether it's the melodious notes of "Hibari" or the recorded bell sounds in "Glacier." Each piece reflects his pursuit of change and innovation. Checking his Spotify playlist, you'll be amazed by Ryuichi Sakamoto's prolific creativity, as if he had an endless wellspring of inspiration, making you believe he could keep working tirelessly.

What truly touched me were Suzuki Masafumi's postscripts. In the main text, the Professor seldom showed sadness or bitterness; his words were calm and sincere. Reading about his final month through diaries, meetings, and messages, as well as his gratitude towards medical staff, evoked mixed emotions. Even someone as talented as Ryuichi Sakamoto, when faced with the end of life, could do nothing more than enjoy a meal and express gratitude.

The Professor mentioned that he didn't like it when people asked him to perform "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence," finding it somewhat amusing. I understand the aversion to being typecast. However, for those who admire him, this piece is like a foundational milestone, more than just a creative constraint. If you ever witnessed him perform it live, hearing him play this classic would likely bring tears to your eyes.

He described cancer as more of a coexistence than a battle, requiring a strong mindset to face such a debilitating disease. When my own family member battled cancer, she hadn't even started chemotherapy, and the oral cancer drugs alone pushed her to the brink of despair. It's hard to imagine how Ryuichi Sakamoto felt when he heard he had only six months left, facing the gradual decline of health while still dedicating himself to work. Music wasn't just a job; it was a passion worth burning for. In a way, Ryuichi Sakamoto was fortunate, as not everyone finds a field they're willing to commit their entire lives to as if it were destiny.

His partner also possessed great resilience. When offered to compose music for "Demon Slayer," she jokingly said, "How many people in the world get this opportunity? It doesn't matter if I relapse and die." This optimistic attitude, often mentioned in the book, is heartwarming. Free-spirited, sometimes stubborn, yet always willing to give her all. This has been my impression of Ryuichi Sakamoto for a long time, and even when he finally said, "I apologize to my fans who have supported me for so long, but I no longer have the strength for full concerts," it's still a poignant moment.

The book ends by mentioning Ryuichi Sakamoto's last email to Suzuki, quoting Fukuzawa Akao's haiku: "A butterfly falls, its sound resonates, when it freezes." Twenty days later, it was the Professor himself who fell. He was that beautiful butterfly, seemingly as delicate as a feather, but his passing was profound, leaving a lasting impact on many. He may have rambled on about many things, but that's what brought tears to my eyes.

[Keisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Zhou · Rating 4 out of 5]

丰富可爱，源源不断的活着的灵感

[Lin Qiu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t know too much about Ryuichi before apart from his famous piece Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence

This year I’m particularly curious about him but not sure why, so I got this Chinese translation of the book which talks about the last few years of his life

I like the tone of the book, it felt like I was reading his diary. The stories he told about working with others are very interesting. How he gets inspirations about his music and how he fights against cancer.

Because of this book I listened to his two albums: async and 12.

[invtr Jamja · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an autobiography since he knew he had a cancer and only 6 months left for living. When he passed away, my mind was busy with my own life. The moment I realized he had gone for real was when I watched a movie . Until he died, he thought, he traveled, he met, and he created. This book is also an artistic journey until he died. Every friend of his is spot all over the world, and the spots gathered around Sakamoto Ryuichi. It is an inspiring book to me.

[Zhen · Rating 5 out of 5]

超出预期地好。
我知道坂本龙一即使在癌症晚期也一直坚持在工作，但这本随笔里的教授仍然远远超出我的预期。
大部分时间读得兴致勃勃，虽然偶有对于身体日渐衰弱的无力感，但他并没有将死亡的阴影置于很重的位置，而是依旧专注于工作、社会公共议题和生活的细微，字里行间毫无孱弱的感觉。我读得很慢，常常读完一章就去标记一个地点，建一个歌单，搜索一个音乐家，或者放下它去看云发呆。因为感受着坂本龙一感受过的世界，总有他还存在于世间的错觉，读到最后一句“艺术千秋，人生朝露”，猝不及防地落下泪来。

稍微分享一些我现在可以想到的这一本里的弧光：
- 夏威夷的传统音乐，真的和为了游客设计的度假音乐不同，有一种治愈人心的吟唱，闭上眼睛可以感受到拉海纳的风。
- Kajitsu的歌单真是一个管出了名的闲事。这一次让我们谢谢好事的媒体，在餐厅关门之后还留下了这份歌单。
- 普鲁斯特喜欢福雷，顺着Proust和Fauré搜索了一下，找到了一份New Yorker整理的他曾经在巴黎的Ritz开过的小型音乐会的曲目。
- 那次在札幌失败的艺术装置让人感慨天地不仁。即使是抱着弥合民族之间的裂痕、让人感受自然的美这样的善意，最后还是不遂人意，甚至连仪式本身也因为健康原因无法参与。
- 在书里种草了关于冰岛的书 Dreamland, A self-help manual for a frightened nation，在半途读了起来，也很喜欢，感觉自己和冰岛也不是陌生人了。

还有好多好多。到了后记的时候才意识到在写下这些的时候教授与病魔的抗争是那么凶险，但即使如此，他还是留下了那么好的东西，让人觉得这世间还有许多值得体验，以及即使是平凡人的自己，也要去努力找一份爱的事业，让自己即使在困苦的环境中，醒来时仍然感到新的一天值得期盼。
谢谢坂本龙一，再见。

[Katherine Wu · Rating 5 out of 5]

本來以為會很沉重，但讀的時候發現意外地有很多奇妙的笑點，因為大師在人生最後時刻超級坦白⋯⋯XD
顯然坂本大師一直活躍地工作到人生的最後一刻，是清醒地自主決定進入安寧醫療的時間點，我覺得這是很幸運的事，這沖淡了一些感傷⋯⋯
我看到廢寢（沒有忘食），從七日看到八日（午夜0時30分看完），看完很想再複習一下《音樂使人自由》。

[Alistair · Rating 4 out of 5]

能夠來得及作出一張理想的喪禮配樂清單。

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ars longa, vita brevis (艺术千秋，人生朝露）。

[W Ang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rydeen怎麼變成這麼悲傷的歌啦！

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Autobiography by musician Ruichi Sakamoto. Music was his life. This is my bed time book.

[serina · Rating 5 out of 5]

飾らないことばで、ありのまま、まるで教授と対話しているかのように楽しく読みました。次の満月の夜、坂本龍一のピアノを聴いたら、きっと泣いちゃう。

[Lingling · Rating 4 out of 5]

<我还能看到多少次满月升起> by 坂本龙一

作者是日本顶尖配乐大师，音乐家，艺术家。书其实是一本随笔集，有点流水账的感觉。不过得以一窥艺术家的世界(年少轻狂，放荡不羁）也挺有意思的。作者倒是挺坦诚，立场鲜明，反核（电站），反trump🫢其实核电比传统的煤电还是干净安全多了，风能太阳能这些不可能代替化石能源。

电影《遮蔽的天空》里的男主独白
“Because we don’t know when we will die, we get to think of life as an inexhaustible well. Yet everything happens only a certain number of times, and a very small number really. How many more times will you remember a certain afternoon of your childhood, some afternoon that’s so deeply a part of your being that you can’t even conceive your life without it? Perhaps four or five times more. Perhaps not even that. How many more times will you watch the full moon rise? Perhaps twenty. And yet it all seems limitless.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

在看这本书之前，先看完了纪录片，纪录片中最令我印象深刻的画面就是这段文字所描写的场景，现在读到还是很触动。

「伴随着日本东北青年管弦乐团演奏的Kizuna World，吉永小百合开始朗诵宫城县的菊田心写下的名为《谢谢》的诗歌——“3·11”东日本大地震时，菊田还是小学五年级的学生。坂本先生像挥动看不见的指挥棒那样，躺在那里，举起右手在空���划动。诗篇开始了，“感谢文具/铅笔、直尺、指南针，我会珍惜地使用”，少年怀着感恩之情表达了对来自日本全国各地的援助礼物的感谢之辞。像是“花束”“团扇”“鞋子”“饼干”“参考书”“图书卡”“炒面”“教室里的风扇”“鼓励的话语”等，一句一句地对它们说着“谢谢”。最后，诗篇以这句话结尾：“最后/谢谢你找到了我的爷爷/我可以和他永别了。”当“最后……”开始时，配合着曲子指挥着的坂本先生的右手停了下来，在吉永小百合读到“我可以和他永别了”这句时，他的手放在左胸上，他说着“真好啊……真放不下啊”，泣不成声，大声地恸哭着。这可能是坂本先生最后“指挥”的音乐。」

[吕不理 · Rating 4 out of 5]

好朋友赠书。她不在乎音乐 也不清楚我喜不喜欢坂本龙一 但记挂着我喜欢音乐就把书带来给我。

艺术千秋 人生朝露。人生朝露啊。

[Froth on the Daydream · Rating 4 out of 5]

本以为是一本When Breath Becomes Air，没想到读到最多的还是音乐创作，社会议题，演艺圈八卦（以及晚学？？？）

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

讀起來很重的翻譯腔，也沒有文學性可言。如果不是他的長期聽眾，會感覺很散。

[rosie2046 · Rating 2 out of 5]

作为一本自传
写自己的日常起居和活动经历本来就无可厚非
但越是看到这些 就越觉得不可思议
其实书里他提到和参与的社会议题蛮多的
但是神奇的是不论是什么事
都可以概括为
我认识谁 谁邀请我 我去了哪里 我和谁做了什么 然后一句小感想
换个内容 换个人名 最后一句换成 真是开心的一天
其实和流水账也没什么不一样