Cutting-edge Daily Life of Elderly #11 “Kikidoku”—Reading by Listening

 As I grow older, what bugs me the most is my aged eyes, making it hard to read.

Naturally, I’ve been spending less time reading.

Even when I buy books I like to read, they would end up piling up at the corner of my room and collecting dust.

E-books may be an alternative: I can make the font bigger and keep enjoying reading on a tablet. But I don’t feel too comfortable using them.

Lately, however, I’ve learned that more and more people enjoy reading through “Kikidoku” (kiki = listening, doku = reading).

From what I’ve heard, you can subscribe to this service at 1,000 to 3,000 yen per month, choosing from over 10,000 audiobooks and listening to as many books as you like.

These books are narrated by professional actors and voice actors, and you can choose the voice you like.

Apparently, you can immerse yourself in the story by getting information through the voice you like.

 When I was little, my grandma always told me stories by heart whenever we slept together. With my eyes closed, I was led by her voice to so many different worlds, taking adventures together with the main characters. Her storytelling may have been the one that got me into reading.

 According to a woman I spoke with, after the retirement, she has made a habit of listening to audiobooks while doing housework. She had never been a big reader until then, but she now reads (listens to) eight books a month. As she got used to it, she has learned to listen at 1.5x speed. Using an app, she also keeps a list of the books she read and writes brief comments for each, through which she has made new friends, recommending books to each other.

Audiobooks sure seem quite cost effective, considering a hardcover book priced around 2,000 yen. You also don’t need to worry about books piling up on the floor. What’s not to like?

 But still, a printed book is like treasure. I enjoy picking it up, following each letter, and turning the page. I even adore the design of the book cover and the font used in the book. A story can give different impressions depending on which Chinese characters are used in it. With a printed book, I can stop for a moment to think or go back a little in the middle of the story.

It is also a joy to organize the bookshelf by author.

The paper culture is fading away as digitization spreads everywhere. We now use a tablet even at a hair salon, to choose and read magazines, and at a restaurant to place an order. Concert tickets are also digitized, using QR codes in most cases.

Being fast, as well as cost- and time-efficient is prioritized lately. People watch movies at 2x speed, and 5-minute plays are gaining popularity. Being slow and taking time is often categorized as “no good.”

But that's all the more reason why I want to enjoy peaceful and quiet time for reading, enveloped by the smell of paper and following text at my own pace, even if I need to use a magnifying glass.

But you’ll never know until you actually give it a try. I accessed Amazon Music, which I’m a member of, picked an audiobook and tried it. Just like when I was a kid, I listened to the story in my bed before going to sleep, with the lights off. It’s as if going through a tunnel, being gradually transported from the darkness to the story. My hands and eyes feel great since I don’t need to hold the book or follow the text. Hmm, it sure is quite nice and comfy. It felt so comfortable that I fell asleep in a minute….

I think I like it. I may try some more.

 For now, however, the best way for me would be combining the two: mainly reading printed books with occasional Kikidoku in between. But in 10 or 20 years, I may be leaning more toward Kikidoku, also to declutter my place. Well, it may be nice to enjoy listening to my favorite stories until the very end of my life.

<Written by Mamiko Kashima>