Sorting Through My Father’s Belongings

Two months after my father’s seventh memorial service, I finally began sorting through some of the things he left behind. Among them was something that was a kind of shared “treasure” for both of us: an old stereo system, together with a collection of vinyl records.

It has been two months since my father’s seventh memorial service.

I had been thinking for some time that we needed to start sorting through the things he left behind, but somehow I could never quite bring myself to do it.

My mother, however, has apparently begun going through things little by little, so I decided it was time for me to take care of one particular “treasure” that my father and I shared.

Calling it a treasure may be an exaggeration.

It is simply an old stereo system.

But I brought it home, together with the records.

Some of the LPs were ones I had collected during my student days.

Back then, I got myself a credit card from Midoriya, a department store on Dogenzaka in Shibuya, and ended up spending more than I could afford.

Eventually, I had to sell quite a few of my records just to pay the bills.

Even so, there were some that I simply could not bring myself to part with.

And now, after all these years, I wanted to listen to them again.

Carrying the stereo home was no small task.

My back began to hurt, but somehow I managed.

Then I looked at the record player.

There was no stylus.

I searched online and was surprised to find how expensive some of them were.

And this did not seem like the sort of thing for which I should simply order something cheap and random on the Internet.

Then I remembered a recent episode of NHK’s documentary program 72 Hours.

It had featured a record shop, and I had been surprised to see just how many people still loved vinyl records.

Maybe that shop would have what I needed.

I looked it up online.

Apparently, it does.

So one of these days, I think I will go there and have a look.

Stopping off in Shibuya once in a while might not be such a bad idea.

Sometimes, sorting through what someone has left behind does not only bring back the past—it gives us a reason to go somewhere new.

sort through
to examine a group of things carefully in order to organize, keep, or discard them
整理する、仕分けする

belongings
the personal things that someone owns
所持品、遺品

memorial service
a ceremony held to remember someone who has died
法要、追悼式

bring oneself to do something
to make oneself do something emotionally difficult
思い切って〜する、気持ちを奮い立たせて〜する

part with
to give up or sell something that one would rather keep
手放す

stylus
the small needle-like part of a record player that touches the record groove
レコード針

vinyl record
a record made of vinyl, especially an LP or single
レコード盤、アナログレコード

no small task
something that is difficult or requires considerable effort
容易ではないこと

stop off
to visit a place briefly while traveling somewhere else
途中下車する、途中で立ち寄る

#Japan #VinylRecords #RecordPlayer #Shibuya #Memories #Family #LifeInJapan #pathologist #Kamakura