Perfect Days (2023)

Hirayami wakes up early, folds up his bed, brushes his teeth, gets dressed, waters his plants, gets a coffee from the vending machine outside of his apartment, and heads off to his job cleaning public restrooms in Tokyo, listening to one of his cherished cassette tapes on the way. At one of his stops, he greets the unhoused man with a smile and a nod. He is patient with his chatty, but not very careful, junior co-worker. During his lunch break, he greets the woman eating her lunch at a nearby bench with a smile and a nod. He takes a picture of his tree friend. When he's done with a book, he visits a book shop to select another. After work, he gets dinner at a busy eatery where the owner always makes a point to bring him ice water "for his hard work" or at a quieter restaurant where he's also well-known. He heads home, reads a bit, sleeps, repeats.

Left to himself, his days would not vary, but he would fully inhabit each one with grace and appreciation. He is not left to himself, which is also fine with him. He makes room for the unexpected. This is living.

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