For all those who love sleep

When I was in elementary school, I had a tendency towards insomnia and had a hard time sleeping. I would find myself thinking about useless things or getting too excited and unable to fall asleep, and I would wake up in the morning feeling anxious, anxious, and guilty about not being able to sleep. Other times, I would suffer from sleep paralysis, and I would become afraid of the darkness in my room and the act of "sleeping" itself.

As an adult, I became strangely fascinated by the idea of ​​"night." I couldn't get enough of the imagination and mysterious atmosphere that the word "night" evokes, and I often found myself wishing I could spend that time making things, gazing up at the stars, and gazing at the rooftops of houses as they slept, staying awake until the night came to an end.

But now I love to sleep.
I'm so physically and practically exhausted that I can't help but sleep, and I think it's probably the quickest and warmest escape.

One of the joys of winter is warming up in the bath and then crawling into bed with a warm body. It is truly a blissful time when you are wrapped up in the fluffy blanket that you brought to survive the harsh winters of Shinshu. After crawling into bed, you will soon feel sleepy, and when you close your eyes, you will find yourself drifting off to sleep... There, you will not be bothered by the real world.

That was a long introduction, but there is a picture book that beautifully depicts "sleeping," a place like a small church where everyone can retreat at the end of the day.

"I'm Going to Sleep Already Today" is a new edition published in 2025 in hardcover by Gekka Tousha, originally self-published by Matsumura Maiko in 2013.
The first thing that catches your eye is the cover. Matsumura's illustration is already beautiful, but the constellations drawn in special foil sparkle, creating a beautiful choral sound.

And when I turned the cover over, I was awed by the gradation of blue on the inside cover. The blue that fades from deep blue to a lighter shade seems to lead me from the night of the real world into a dream. It looks like the moment when I am swallowed up in a blissful light, into a world of the unconscious. Anyone who has held this book in their hands will understand the wonderful way the time that flows from the inside cover to the two doors is expressed. And the delicate beauty of each and every picture, on each and every page, will make me sigh in amazement.

Unfortunately, I was not able to find the private edition, so I cannot compare it, but I can sense the great love that must have been put into the creation of this new edition from the author, Matsumura himself, the publisher, the printing company, and everyone involved in each process. I think it would also make a wonderful gift for a dear friend or yourself.

Many things happen in a person's life; there are days when we feel happy, days when we are plagued by regret or anxiety, and days when we feel unbearably lonely, so the people and creatures who fall asleep in this book seem like different characters, but they also seem like ourselves on one day.

However, the other day I read a report in which a child living through war said, "I'm scared to dream (because I have scary dreams)," which broke my heart. If there is a god who controls sleep, I hope that he will at least protect these children so that nothing sad or scary happens while they are asleep. I wish that adults could solve the conflicts of the world while they are asleep...

No matter what kind of day you have, the world of sleep is gentle and you can go anywhere.
I can't help but hope that today, everyone, everywhere, will be able to get a good night's sleep in a warm place.

Maiko Matsumura - I'm going to sleep today | New edition

Artwork: Maiko Matsumura (illustration), Maiko Matsumura and Sawani Morioka (design)
Format: book, hard cover
product no.: 978-4-9914501-0-5 C8795

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Text and photos by Fumika Arasawa designer Freelance ⇄ Corporate, and sometimes help friends. Moved to Matsumoto in 2024. Instagram: @fumika *Click here to purchase related products at rovakk musikk.

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WALLFLOWER CATALOGUE

Designer Arazawa Fumika will introduce one piece of inspirational artwork each time.
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