Day One of the Kinosaki Onsen Retreat: Starting 100 Vision Pro Ideas with a Cane in Hand
Naoya Shiga's "At Kinosaki" is set in Kinosaki Onsen. The story itself is a very short novel and can be read quickly. Since I was heading there this time, I reread it on the Shinkansen on the way. While thinking through various things, I was also thinking about the presentation I would give during the retreat.
I bought "At Kinosaki" as a miniature book during the previous Kinosaki Onsen retreat.
At that time, my reading was fairly shallow, something like, "I guess Naoya Shiga stayed here for recuperation." But rereading it this time, it struck me much more deeply.
That is because, about three weeks earlier, I twisted my knee and hip joint while doing surfskate as a hobby. I did not take a spectacular fall or anything, so I wondered how it could hurt this much, but I must have landed in a very bad way.
The problem came after that. For a while it really hurt, and I spent my days using supports and even a cane, but it just would not get better. Maybe I twisted it very badly, or maybe it is age. An acquaintance says it is because of age, and I do have some idea why. Even when I catch a cold, I recover more slowly than when I was young, and I feel like even scabs take longer to heal.
Naoya Shiga is said to have come to Kinosaki Onsen for recuperation after being hit by a train. I also ended up coming to Kinosaki Onsen after hurting myself on a surfskate. I was originally planning to come full of energy, but it ended up feeling like a retreat for recuperation.
So this time I brought a cane. I have recovered to the point where I am mostly fine without it, but my knee can suddenly buckle, so I cannot let my guard down. Also, when traveling a long distance from Chiba to Hyogo, having a cane gives a different level of reassurance.
Rereading "At Kinosaki" now, the stress of not being able to move well, the feeling of turning one's attention to things nearby, and a sense of gratitude for what usually feels ordinary all come to mind, making it quite rich to savor.
Thinking About Vision Pro on My Third Visit to Kinosaki Onsen
Over the past two years or so, I have been visiting Kinosaki Onsen from time to time for retreats, and this is my third visit. On my second visit it felt nostalgic, but by the third time it starts to feel like home.
At this retreat, the main focus is researching UI design and development around Vision Pro, but I also have another idea: an ideathon where I walk around the town of Kinosaki and come up with 100 app ideas for Vision Pro.
When I am working day to day, I do not often have time to think carefully about ideas. So this time, I want to face Vision Pro app ideas while traveling and in other moments. I would be happy if even one idea comes out of it that I genuinely want to work on.
For now, I set one constraint: "Think of apps that are not outlandish ideas, but things that I might be able to build if I study a little more from where I am now." Other than that, I plan to keep writing ideas in my notebook and thinking them through.
This Time's Theme for the Presentation
At night during the retreat, there will be a presentation session, and for my presentation this time I am thinking of something like "Looking back on social activities in my forties." I will soon be 49. As a result, I feel like my forties ended up being centered on things different from my thirties, so during this hot spring recuperation period, I thought I would casually summarize my forties.
Also, this theme seems like something I can talk about in a lively and enjoyable way. I want to do this reflection before I turn 49, and from 49 onward start preparing for my fifties and beyond.
I probably will not publish these slides because they are too private, but if you want to hear about them, please quietly send me a DM or something.