The Great Passage (舟を編む)

Encounter

Sir! Here you go.

Thank you.

Now that we all have drinks, let's raise our glasses!

Hold on.

We need to introduce everyone first.

You're right.

Let me reintroduce myself.

I'm the editor-in-chief of the dictionary editorial department, Araki.

I'm retiring soon, but I'll be sure to pop by as much as I can.

We're going to miss him.

Nishioka is... well, as you can see.

That's it?!

And over there is Sasaki.

She's a contract worker mostly in charge of organizing and sorting documents.

I'm Sasaki.

I'm Majime.

And this is Mr. Matsumoto.

He supervises most of the dictionaries we publish.

I'm Matsumoto. Pleased to meet you.

I'm Majime.

The pleasure is mine.

Majime, loosen up a little!

This is your welcoming party, so stop being so nervous.

Right. I'm sorry.

What is it?

Oh, it's nothing. Just...

Oh, this?

It's my vocabulary list.

Whenever I find a new word or meaning, I write it down in this list.

I've been doing it for years now.

I can't leave without it.

The Great Passage

On a quiet dreamlike morning

On a quiet dreamlike morning

The crimson sky shines through the window and reflects off my pen

The crimson sky shines through the window and reflects off my pen

In the vivid clatter of the night, I wander between cities like a cat

In the vivid clatter of the night, I wander between cities like a cat

Deep thoughts

Deep thoughts

A flexible conception

A flexible conception

Foreseeable aspirations

Foreseeable aspirations

Distant memories

Distant memories

Unruly hair

Unruly hair

A narrow mind

A narrow mind

A large circle of friends

A large circle of friends

A long silence

A long silence

A short greeting

A short greeting

Tone of voice

Tone of voice

The light in our eyes that slightly differs

The light in our eyes that slightly differs

Traces of friendship that's not in the treaty

Traces of friendship that's not in the treaty

In the ocean that sweeps the sand of eternity

In the ocean that sweeps the sand of eternity

Swept and sunk in the waves with sparse opposites and similarities

Swept and sunk in the waves with sparse opposites and similarities

Clashing and exact opposites become resolved and connected

Clashing and exact opposites become resolved and connected

Reference

Reference

Conclusion

Conclusion

I'll gather words

I'll gather words

that have

that have

scattered

scattered

over

over

many

many

months and years

months and years

With the fragrant sea breeze, the connection that rests on the seashore becomes one

With the fragrant sea breeze, the connection that rests on the seashore becomes one

Anyway, I bet you're disappointed to transfer to the dictionary editorial department.

It doesn't have a very glamorous image.

I mean, not that it's exactly unjustified.

Oh, I'm not disappointed. I like dictionaries.

Majime?

What are you doing?!

It's because you started talking to him.

Wait, it's my fault?

I'm so sorry.

Did you get any on you?

No.

I'm so sorry.

How is he going to get any work done like that?

I heard you majored in linguistics at university.

Were you always interested in words?

Yes, but it was all just information.

I was really interested in the word "dog" as a kid.

Dog? You mean the animal.

Yes.

Dogs have been mankind's faithful companion since ancient times.

But what about the phrases "military dog" or "die like a dog"?

You're asking me?

Honestly, what am I going to do with you?

What about you, Majime?

Um...

A military dog is a spy.

Die like a dog would mean to die in vain or a waste.

The word dog is often figuratively used in a negative connotation, I believe.

The word dog has many meanings and conjures as many images.

I was so fascinated by it that I became obsessed with words.

C'mon, Araki.

Could we not talk about words today?

Hey, do you have a girlfriend, Majime?

No.

Then I'll set you up on a group date.

Give me your cell phone number.

Hey, Nishioka!

I don't have one.

What? Why?!

I returned the company phone I'd been using for my sales position.

Isn't that inconvenient?

No, not especially.

Then how do you usually stay in contact?

There's nobody I need to contact on a regular basis,

and there's a communal phone at my lodging.

Is that really the issue here?

Then how about your hobbies?

Hobbies?

If I had to say, it would be observing people getting on escalators.

What?

Is that fun?

Yes.

During my commute, whenever I get off the train and onto the platform, I purposefully walk slow.

The other passengers walk past me and rush toward the escalator.

The people naturally converge into two lines as if they were being controlled.

It's patient and systematic.

It's a beautiful sight that makes me not even mind the morning rush.

Araki.

Yes.

Majime.

Do you know why we're trying to create a new dictionary?

No.

A dictionary is a ship that navigates an ocean of words.

Without words, you cannot express your thoughts or be able to have any sort of deep understanding of others.

People board the ship we call dictionaries and find the perfect words

to gather the small lights floating to the top of the dark waters.

Words are lights.

But in the ever-changing world, unable to find the right words,

there are those who lead troubled lives caged with their own trapped feelings.

We need a ship people like that can feel safe boarding.

That is the dictionary we are trying to create.

Written with characters meaning "to cross the vast ocean,"

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it's called The Great Passage.

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