Wim Wenders’ most recent film is a powerful reminder of the beauty of simple moments in life, and the interconnectedness of humans and the more-than-human. Perfect Days, a film produced by Wim Wenders (2023), portrays the daily life of a cleaner in Tokyo. Notably, the film is a cross-cultural and multilingual collaboration between German director Wim Wenders and Japanese writer Kōji Yakusho.
While visiting Montreal in June, I was fortunate to see the film at the Cinema at Le Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal. I had heard a little bit about Perfect Days, and was intrigued. When my former McGill professor and friend Mela Sarkar invited me to see the film while I was visiting in Montreal, of course I jumped at the chance!
Each weekday morning, Hirayama (played by Kōji Yakusho) wakes up before sunrise to prepare for his day job cleaning in Tokyo. He finds joy in simple daily routines, such as caring for his plants or choosing the perfect song to listen to as he drives along in his van. While he is attentive to his work and takes pride in being meticulous, he also takes time to appreciate the beauty of his surroundings, and delights in nature, music and literature. Hirayama enjoys watching the sky and the trees in the parks, and listening to the sounds of the park, during his breaks throughout the day. He is a keen observer of natural surroundings, and finds peace even within the busy urban centre of Tokyo. Although he lives alone and seems to enjoy his quiet and solitude, Hirayama also has a sense of belonging and community through his daily interactions while working in the parks and also going to the local bookstores and cafés.
A central theme in the film is the way that Hirayama admires the sunbeams shining through the trees as he takes his lunch break on weekdays in the park. There is a beautiful Japanese word to describe the sunlight shining through the leaves, komorebi, for which a translation does not exist in English or French. According to the blog More than Tokyo, komorebi “is formed from the Japanese word for “tree,” 木, the word that means “to leak,” 漏れ, and the word for “sun,” 日.
“Komorebi 木漏れ日 (pronounced kō-mō-leh-bē).”
The film ends with a poetic and philosophical description of the Japanese word komorebi, and how the light shining through the trees happens only in that moment. Perfect Days reminds us that by having an awareness of the beauty around us, with awe and appreciation, there is joy to be found in each day. Hirayama appreciates and tries to capture these moments each day at lunch time, pausing to take photos with an analog camera in the park. One of my favourite moments in the film is when Hirayama’s teenage niece accompanies him to work. As they are sitting in the park together, she asks her uncle if the tree is his friend. The film acknowledges the connection that we may find with nature, and that trees are also an important part of our communities. I am interested in the language that we use to describe these connections with the natural world, and komorebi is such a perfect and magical word!
Arborist Adam (2017) writes “Perhaps, beyond poets and physicists, there is no need for an English equivalent. The experience – of observing sunlight through trees – might be enough. Indeed, the absence of a comparable word allows respite from the taxonomic rumination that occurs in most other aspects of life, helping Komorebi remain as one of life’s ‘pure and spontaneous pleasures’”.
This film far exceeded my expectations. I have often found myself thinking back to the subtle, poetic and beautiful moments that were portrayed so artistically. Originally produced in Japanese, with English subtitles, in Québec the film was also released in Japanese with French subtitles as Jours Parfaits. I first saw the film in Japanese with French subtitles in Montreal in June and then in Japanese with English subtitles at the Regina Public Library theatre with my friend Michelle in September. Both subtitled versions were excellent. I highly recommend the film Perfect Days/Jours parfaits! I hope the film may inspire you to take a walk in the forest and that you may also experience the awe and wonder of komorebi this autumn, wherever you may be in the world.
Photos by author © Heather Phipps 2024
