When I initially became interested in music as a teenager, the only way to listen to it at home was on vinyl records. So I owned a cheap record player and a tiny collection of records. CDs appeared soon after and almost totally dominated the music business. Of course, I also bought a CD player. When I moved to Tokyo from my hometown at the age of eighteen, I didn't bring my vinyl records and player with me.

My mother passed away soon after, and my father remarried and moved to a new house, and I lost them all. In a sense, my attachment to vinyl records has been my greatest source of nostalgia and bitter regret. It was so intense that I couldn't bring myself to buy another player just like that.

However, I've recently developed a desire to listen to music on vinyl again. I think I may have finally given up on getting back everything I used to have. It's fine even if it isn't perfect. So, I got a record player and am collecting records one album at a time.

Initially, I avoided purchasing records that could be listened to through subscription services, but I no longer care about that. I buy my favorite music whenever I feel like it. It's so simple. I prefer analog sound to digital sound, though I'm not sure that I can distinguish them with any accuracy. I'm so happy — even if it's just my imagination.

It thrills me to watch a big disk spin and listen to its rich sound.