When fashion sweeps in, artists follow suit. I think this is the malady of contemporary art.

Various political parties, even if they're in direct opposition with one another, still say they are the spokesperson for the people. The writer must speak his own words and not get mixed up with politics.

Since childhood, I'd dreamed of making a film, but producers in France and Germany wanted to make commercial films with chinoiserie. I refused.

I don't want to be a strong hero who can save society. I just want to save myself.

When I completed writing 'Soul Mountain,' I more or less closed the accounts with China for myself. I was 50 years old when I left, so China is already within me.

Observing humans and observing oneself yields a clear-minded starting point for literature.