“That’s Entertainment”

We live in a time full of impulses, impulses that must lead to entertainment as quickly as possible. We can hardly imagine taking the train without opening social media at least once. This is simply the result of a consumer society that runs on more and faster. It is becoming increasingly difficult to answer the question: what truly has value and meaning? The book If Cats Disappeared from the World can be seen as a reflection of this worldview. The author encourages the reader to answer this question again.

The Story

The book is written by the Japanese author Genki Kawamura. The story takes you through the last few days of a terminally ill man, the main character. Then the devil appears: a man who calls himself Aloha, recognizable by his cheerful Hawaiian shirt. A surreal image of the devil is created, with a surreal offer. “I will give you one more day to live in exchange for letting something disappear from the world.” With every choice he has to make, you think along with him. Would I be able to do this? What is indispensable? What is worth more than my own life?

"We only understand the weight of something when we imagine a world without it." - Genki Kawamura

Author : Genki Kawamura

Irreplaceable

The story plays into loss aversion; we only truly start to miss something when it is about to disappear. Films, phones and eventually even time: these are the things Aloha offers to make disappear. The main character has, up to this point, been able to say goodbye to all the things that were presented to him for the deal. Until Aloha asks him to give up something that is not an object, but someone: Cabbage, his cat. Cabbage is the cat of the main character and symbolizes the bond he had with his parents. Cabbage is everything to him. He is his comfort, his best friend, his companion. This leads him to the realisation that he could never bring himself to make cats disappear from the world. That would also mean letting go of the memories he has of his parents with the cat, and what would remain then? In that case, you are no longer removing the noise of entertainment, but something far more precious: meaning, memories, connection.

My Reflection

The book moved me. Every step or thought the main character took, I took with him. It made me think about the things in my own life. What is noise in my life? And what gives me the feeling that I am truly alive? I really appreciated having a moment to reflect on this, because sometimes I really do feel like a zombie in the train behind my phone. The book reminded me to be grateful for the relationships in my life, because those will never be worth giving up, even if it cost me my life.

What do you think?

The book invites positive behaviour in a subtle way. Let us all take a moment to appreciate the beautiful things we have in life, and remember that entertainment can be enjoyable, but it will never outweigh the relationships and connections that give life meaning.

Are there things you could never give up?

Share the story and tell us your answer!
Do you know inspiring stories or initiatives that show how society is changing for the better? Send your story to stories@wearenami.com. We would love to put your story in the spotlight!