(Note: I use AI to help me translate my stories from Japanese to English.)
I started reading many books when I was 24. Before that, I didn’t read much. I preferred outdoor activities. Because I started reading late, I tried to read a lot to make up for lost time.
After I began reading seriously, I found a person I wanted to emulate. His name was Takashi Tachibana.
Takashi Tachibana (1940–2021) was one of Japan’s leading journalists and was known as an intellectual giant. He read more than 30,000 books and wrote over 100 books in a wide variety of genres.
When Tachibana was a university student, he read books by the boxful. I found this interesting, so I tried to emulate him.
When I was 24, I decided to read 25 boxes of books in the year before my 25th birthday. I couldn’t reach my goal, but I managed to read 20 boxes.
Each box contained about 50 books, so I read about 1,000 books in one year.
When I told someone that I had read 1,000 books in a year, he said I was a genius. That was the first time in my life that anyone had called me a genius.
So far, I have read more than 2,500 Japanese books and about 500 English books.
What kinds of books have I read?
I have read many kinds of books, including philosophy, history, science, literature, business, psychology, religion, mathematics, sports, and politics.
I wanted to learn everything, so I read as much as I could. Tachibana wrote about creating a “knowledge map” in your mind.
First, go to a large bookstore.
Second, touch each book one by one and read its title.
Then, you can create a knowledge map in your mind.
I wanted to become like Tachibana, so I tried this method, but I couldn’t read all the titles.
Before that, I had never read philosophy books. However, after reading much, I realized that many people I admire read philosophy.
When I was reading philosophy books, my English teacher warned me that studying philosophy too much could be dangerous. If you think too much about death, time, value, and beauty, you may lose interest in the real world.
At first, I didn’t understand his advice. Now I do. If you think too much about philosophical questions, it becomes hard to live a normal life.
I once had a favorite philosopher. I have read more than 15 of his books. His books were very radical and even dangerous. For example, he wrote a book for people who don’t want to work. I enjoyed reading it.
After reading many books, I realized that I prefer books written by scholars. I am not very interested in business books. I also discovered that I like classical works.
I have read many classic authors such as Goethe, Dostoevsky, Nietzsche, the Bible, Kafka, Descartes, and Darwin.
When I read Dostoevsky, I was surprised. His books were written more than 100 years ago, but the stories do not feel old. I enjoy them more than many modern books.
I wanted to read all the books in the world, but that was impossible. So I tried to read important and interesting books instead.
I often read books at cafés. Reading newly bought books at a café was one of my happiest moments.
Every time I read, my horizons expanded. Before I started reading seriously, I only knew about my immediate surroundings. Through books, I learned about human history, the world, and great figures from the past.
It is wonderful to read books written by great people of the past. They were true geniuses, and we can still read their books today.
Whenever I read, I felt that I was growing.
Later, however, I learned that reading alone is not enough. Asking questions, talking with others, gaining real experience, and taking action are also important for personal growth.
Still, I read books simply because it was fun. Even if I gained nothing except enjoyment, that was enough for me.
These days, I don’t read as much as before. Now I enjoy slow reading.
Reading books is fun. It makes you smarter, more compassionate, and more knowledgeable.
Let’s enjoy reading together!