Over the weekend of June 28th and 29th, Miu Miu's literary event "Summer Reads" came to a close in the green space of Umekita Park in Osaka, leaving many visitors with a deep impression. The second event, following last year's, was a special attempt to reexamine the relationship between contemporary thought and community through the "power of words," as part of Miu Miu's efforts to promote arts and cultural experiences. A time for reading and reflection unfolded, like an intellectual summer retreat in the city.

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The voices of two women crossing the ages of Paris and Tokyo
At the event, attendees were given a book wrapped in original Miu Miu packaging. The selected works were "Inseparable" by French philosopher and writer Simone de Beauvoir, and "Onnazaka" by Japanese writer and playwright Enchi Fumiko. Both are masterpieces by two authors who defy the constraints and conventions of their time and describe the contours of "being a woman" in their own words.

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Inseparable is an unpublished work based on Beauvoir's own experiences, depicting the intimate friendship between two young girls and the awakening of their intellect. In 1929, at the age of 19, she became the youngest person to pass the Aggrégation (first-class teacher) exam, a highly competitive national qualification. That same year, she met Jean-Paul Sartre, and their lifelong intellectual partnership led to the development of her ideas in The Second Sex. This story chronicles Beauvoir's own "starting point," her desire to be unconstrained by societal conventions, and is told with a quiet emotional fluctuation.

The other Japanese selection is "Onnazaka" by Enchi Fumiko, a representative work of Showa literature. Another literary masterpiece, it delicately portrays the inner lives of women, condensing the themes Enchi continued to confront throughout her life: sexuality, patriarchy, aging, beauty and ugliness, traditional culture and the modern world. Despite limited opportunities for higher education at a young age due to her frail health, Enchi pursued a wide range of academic studies privately, expanding her writing style from plays to prose and bringing a new style to Japanese literature by realistically portraying the psychology of women. She has reinterpreted Japanese classics, including a modern translation of "The Tale of Genji," leaving behind works that quietly resonate with the lives of modern women.

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A little summer respite with words
At the event's venue, Umekita Park, books by Beauvoir and Enchi were distributed, and iced coffee was also served. Under the open sky, the special space was filled with the sophisticated atmosphere that is characteristic of Miu Miu, and visitors sat on the grass, enjoying the quiet time as they flipped through the pages of each book. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city, the sight of words quietly flowing among people truly reminded us of the true essence of the act of reading.

Courtesy of Miu Miu
Miu Miu's Summer Reads initiative is more than just a book distribution initiative. It is an initiative that opens up a space for thought and dialogue, and embodies how a fashion brand approaches culture. When women's voices raise questions about society, they do not necessarily have to be loud. Rather, it is the silence that lingers within us, long and deep.

Courtesy of Miu Miu



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Author Profile:
Simone de Beauvoir

Enchi Fumiko
1905–1986. Japanese author and playwright known for her profound reflections on gender, sexuality, and the oppression of women in a patriarchal society. Born in Tokyo, her real name was Enchi Fumiko. Growing up, she was heavily influenced by her father, a linguist, and her grandmother's readings to her. Although her frail health prevented her from receiving a higher education at school, she pursued a wide range of academic studies privately. She began her career writing plays, but later turned to prose, gaining recognition in the 1950s. Her masterpieces, such as "Onnazaka" (1957) and "Onna-Masen" (1958), often reinterpret classic Japanese literature, particularly the 11th-century "Tale of Genji" by Murasaki Shikibu, of which she has translated into modern Japanese. A pioneer in exploring female aging and sexuality, she blends contemporary psychological insights with elements of traditional culture, such as the complex and varied female masks used in Noh plays to portray grieving women. For her work, she received Japan's highest cultural honor, the Order of Culture, in 1985. She has also received several prestigious awards, including the Noma Literary Prize and the Women's Writers Prize. She remains an influential feminist voice in Japanese literature.



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