“Even such a remarkable writer can be easily fooled—reading about it only makes one admire her all the more. Her sharp retort, ‘Stop making so much noise!’ has sent her fan base soaring. At 92, this great author’s latest collection of essays has struck a chord across generations and is selling like hotcakes.”
—Bunshun Weekly (November 22, 2016, book critic Hisashi Maeda)

“Teacher Sato is 90 years old! And I’m only 50—so I can keep going too! Holding this book in my hands, I finally feel at peace. It’s been a long time since I’ve come across such a wonderful book. Teacher Sato, please stay healthy forever!”
—Asahi Shimbun Readers’ Forum (Kyoto Prefecture, Asako Himeya, 50s)

“Teacher Sato’s straightforward way of speaking is so refreshing. She calls smartphones ‘an age of national idiocy in Japan’ and says, ‘I don’t care about people who are obsessed with their age.’ I want to live like that too, but I always get caught up in little things. How old will I have to be to reach that kind of state?—But maybe it’s not about age after all. After turning 50, you start counting down the years you have left and the time you can still work. So you just do what needs to be done, calmly and without fuss. That’s all there is to it.”
—Asahi Shimbun Readers’ Forum (Hyogo Prefecture, reader, 50s)

★ Sachiko Satō was born in Osaka in 1923. She made her literary debut in 1950, won the Naoki Prize in 1969, the Kikuchi Kan Prize in 2000, the Murasaki Shikibu Literary Prize in 2015, and was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Ribbon Medal, in 2017. She passed away on April 29, 2026, at the age of 102.
★ This book is a commemorative volume in her memory, carefully selecting from newspapers, magazines, and essays her words of wisdom, expressions of indignation, and little-known anecdotes. It also includes dialogues with writers such as Risa Wataya, Setouchi Jakuchō, Usagi Nakamura, and Shizuka Ijuin, as well as precious records of conversations with Showa-era star Hideko Takamine and others. At the end of the book, there is an explanatory essay by her granddaughter Momoko Sugiyama and Japan’s most detailed “Chronology of Sachiko Satō.”
★ Her previous work, “At Ninety—What Is There to Celebrate?,” sold over 1.3 million copies, topping the list of Japan’s best-selling books of 2017 across all categories, and garnered more than 20,000 letters from readers aged nine to ninety-nine.
★ Her catchphrase was “How annoying!” In 2016, this phrase was retweeted over 26,000 times and liked more than 23,000 times on Twitter, earning it the title of “Word of the Year.” When asked about her life philosophy, she wrote, “We are not born just to enjoy ourselves.” When asked what to do in old age, she said, “Old age doesn’t exist—nor does the loofah gourd.” She lived for 102 years, spent her life scolding—and also spending her life giving thanks. This book is the final gift she left to her readers in the Reiwa era.

This book is a commemorative volume filled with heartfelt tributes to the writer Aiko Satō, who passed away on April 29. “It’s so noisy!” was her signature catchphrase, and she was beloved for her unvarnished, witty way of speaking. Since her literary debut in 1950, she left behind a vast treasure trove of aphorisms, outbursts of anger, and revealing anecdotes in newspapers, magazines, and essays—this collection brings together her finest selections in one volume.
In addition, it includes excerpts from some of her unexpected exchanges. Featuring an all-star lineup of writers such as Risa Mitsuya, Jakuchō Setouchi, Usagi Nakamura, and Shizuka Ijuin, the book also preserves precious records of her conversations with figures like Hideko Takamine, the great actress of the Showa era. Through the life of this dynamic woman who raced through the eras from Taishō to Heisei and into Reiwa, you can almost feel the very spirit of those times. It also contains Japan’s most comprehensive “Aiko Satō Chronology”!

Aiko Satō was born on November 5, 1923, in Osaka. She graduated from Konan Higher Girls’ School. Her father was the novelist Kuroji Satō, and her elder brother was the poet Hachirō Satō. In 1950, she made her literary debut with “Aoi Kajitsu” published in the magazine Bungei Shuto. In 1969, she won the Naoki Prize for “Tatakai Sumite Hi ga Kurete”; in 1979, the Women’s Literature Prize for “Shiwaku no E”; in 2000, the Kikuchi Kan Prize for “Ketsueki”; and in 2015, the Murasaki Shikibu Literary Prize for “Banshō.” In 2017, she was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Ribbon Medal. She passed away on April 29, 2026.

Chapter One: We Are Not Born for Pleasure
Chapter Two: Neither Old Age Nor Loofah Exists
Chapter Three: A Remarkable Era Has Arrived
Chapter Four: The Blood of Savages
Chapter Five: My Life’s Creed
Chapter Six: Taking Steps Out of the Mud
Chapter Seven: I Was Always a Writer by Trade
Chapter Eight: My Life Has Been Nothing But Losses
Chapter Nine: Savoring the Joys of a Woman’s Life
Commentary: Momoko Sugiyama (Granddaughter)
A Chronology of Aiko Satō