Castle of Sand: Ichiko Aoba and Albert Camus discourse
Our place is playing in the sand before the evening rain
When I was in my final year amid covid lockdown, Youtube randomly recommended this song. This song was made by Nuuamm, which is kind of collaboration of Ichiko Aoba.
夢は眠らない
夢は覚めない
いつも砂場のお城のように輝いて
万華鏡のかけらをあつめて
うたにして歩く
帰りのあいさつは
みかん色の夕日
ぼくらの居場所は
夕立の前の砂遊び
夜はぬいもの
朝はあみもの
手繰り寄せれば煌めきに満ちた毎日
見えるものは映画の
ワンシーンのように焼きついて
風の向くままに
いつもここにいるからね
ぼくらの居場所は
時間を忘れた砂の城
ぼくらの居場所は
コバルトにのまれた砂の城Translated as below
Dreams do not sleep
Dreams do not wake
Always shining like a sandcastle in the sandbox
Collecting pieces of a kaleidoscope
Turning them into songs and walking
The farewell is an orange sunset
Our place is
Playing in the sand before the evening rain
Night is for sewing
Morning is for knitting
When you reel it in, every day is filled with sparkle
What I see is burned into my memory
Like a scene from a movie
Wherever the wind blows,
I will always be here
Our place is
A sandcastle where time is forgotten
Our place is
A sandcastle engulfed by cobalt“砂の城 (Castle of Sand)” by Nuuamm is a song that captures the ephemeral nature of life through its vivid imagery and poetic lyrics. The delicate sandcastle, a symbol of transient beauty, is a powerful metaphor that resonates deeply with the philosophical ideas of Albert Camus, particularly his exploration of the absurd and how to live meaningfully in an indifferent universe.
Before we talking about the main object — the sandcastle — note that “Nuuamm” came from sentence that means “night is for sewing, morning is for knitting” which was lowkey mentioned. While overlooked, this part emphasizes simple, everyday activities such as sewing at night and knitting in the morning. These acts of creation and engagement with the present moment reflect Camus’ idea of “living without appeal.” Camus argues that in the face of the absurd, we must embrace the present fully, finding contentment in the here and now rather than seeking transcendental justifications. As a welder myself, it translates to “night is for drawing, morning is for welding”. While actually sounds very technical, I am trying to embrace contentment as a simple everyday activities, just like feeding my cats, watering plants, fixing the roof.
Nostalgia and memory are central themes in “砂の城 (Castle of Sand).” The song evokes vivid memories and a longing for the past, likening them to scenes from a movie burned into one’s mind. Camus also explored nostalgia and memory in his essay “Return to Tipasa,” where he reflects on the powerful emotions evoked by revisiting places from his youth. Camus was born in Algeria, and in the first time, he returned to the place after world war just to feel upset — it doesn’t feel like his childhood era. Camus felt a profound disconnection from the simple, carefree happiness he had experienced in his youth.
In his second return, Camus experienced a reconciliation with his past and a newfound acceptance of his philosophical view. Camus found a way to balance his understanding of the absurd with a deep appreciation for the present moment. He rediscovered the ability to find joy and meaning in the beauty of Tipasa, despite its impermanence. We can see that Camus had grown to accept the transient nature of life and find peace in its fleeting moments.
I have again left Tipasa; I have returned to Europe and its struggles. But the memory of that day still uplifts me and helps me to welcome equally what delights and what crushes.
While “Return to Tipasa” and “Castle of Sand” seems like a novel and 1 hour anime adaptation at Netflix where Camus portrayed by a girl, whether Ichiko Aoba actually influenced by Camus, there could be a possibility.
To conclude the discussion, I would point out the similar sentence to “Our place is playing in the sand before the evening rain”.
“The secret I am seeking lies hidden in a valley full of olive trees, under the grass and the cold violets, around an old house that smells of wood smoke.”
Bibliography
- Camus, Albert. The myth of Sisyphus. Penguin UK, 2013.
- Aoba, Ichiko and NUUAMM. Castle of Sand. Jusangatsu, 2020.
- Camus, Albert. “Return to Tipasa.” Lyrical and Critical Essays (1968): 162–171. Accessed in https://genius.com/Albert-camus-return-to-tipasa-annotated .
