第62回「思い出せない絵本探し」「プレゼントで意識すること」

Solving the Year-Long Picture Book Mystery

For roughly a year, Ito Sayuri (伊藤さゆり) had been hunting for a picture book she read as a child in a hospital waiting room. Her clues were frustratingly thin: she had never seen the book anywhere except hospital waiting rooms; the protagonist was a fox with narrow, slit-like eyes; the story was set around a child with a fever visiting a hospital; and the child's mother was also a fox. The show had put out a call for candidates once before — a listener had sent in a list of possibilities — but none of them matched.

This time, the mystery cracked. Fourteen listeners all pointed to the same book. Listener Hanabi wrote that it was almost certainly a hospital-edition picture book featuring a fox character, published by a pharmaceutical company, with the title *Bochan to Byoin de Shizuka ni Dekiru yo* (僕ちゃんと病院で静かにできるよ). She noted that the fox's eyes are often shown closed, which makes them appear narrow — matching Sayuri's memory exactly. Another listener, Ohanamamasan, named the same title and added that the story, as she recalled it, involved the fox taking medicine properly and getting better.

When co-host Matsumoka Mayu (松岡まゆ) held up an image of the cover, Sayuri's reaction was instant: "That's it! So nostalgic!" The narrow-eyed fox matched her memory, and the mother fox's similarly narrow eyes matched too. The pharmaceutical-company origin explained everything: because the book was produced for hospital distribution rather than sold in general bookshops, a hospital waiting room was the only place a child could ever have read it. On learning there are two books in the series, Sayuri said she might have read the other one as well, and that she remembered it feeling brand new at the time.

Sayuri thanked all 14 listeners who helped solve the puzzle and teared up as she said that the show's listener community — known as the Samas — had been so warm in searching so earnestly. She also reflected that childhood memories no one else can confirm sometimes start to feel frightening, as if they might just have been dreams, and that having this one verified as a real memory brought genuine relief.

The Awkwardness of Gifting Skin-Contact Items

The next segment was sparked by a message from a listener who goes by the name Elite Handle Keeper. They wrote that while hand cream and soap are perennial gift staples, they personally feel uneasy giving them. As someone with sensitive skin who can only use certain products, they believe items that touch the skin should be chosen by the recipient themselves. They also pointed out that perfume can irritate some people and divides opinion on scent — and asked whether this line of thinking is overthinking.

Both hosts agreed: it is not overthinking. With the caveat that you should never force your preferences on someone else, they said skin-contact and fragrance-based gifts are a genuinely difficult category, and they both felt the same way.

What Makes a Gift Memorable

Asked about gifts they were especially happy to receive, Mayu cited a bath towel styled like a hoodie — something she could slip on and walk around in straight out of the bathroom, particularly handy in summer, given to her by her mother and aunt. Sayuri's pick was more recent: during a current theater run, a friend brought her homemade stir-fried shredded potatoes packed in a zip-lock bag. "It was loaded with garlic and absolutely delicious," she said. Because the show that day involved a kissing scene, she ate the potatoes the evening before — leading to a lighthearted back-and-forth about how long garlic smell actually lingers.

On the question of how to choose gifts, the two hosts shared several principles they keep in mind:

- Something the recipient will genuinely use or enjoy - Nothing likely to end up "on a shelf" or "sent to the office" and forgotten - Consumables — things you can never have too many of - Something the recipient would not normally buy for themselves but that is "a little pricier than average for that category"

Examples they offered included premium tissues, a quality spoon, and a slightly more expensive pen. As they put it, the goal is not to give something extraordinary in itself, but to give the special version within an ordinary category. They also mentioned that words and handwritten letters make wonderful gifts too.

Show Merchandise Now Available

The show's long-announced merchandise has finally been completed. As of the time of recording, samples had already arrived at the studio. The range comes in two colors: Tutu Pink (Sayuri's color) and Jeans Blue (Mayu's color). The four-item lineup consists of a T-shirt, a long T-shirt, a sweatshirt set (top and bottom), and a 3-piece sticker set.

The T-shirt features the show's character on a simple charcoal-black design, which both hosts described as timeless and great-feeling fabric. The white T-shirt is lighter with open sides — suitable for people who tend to run warm. The sweatshirt comes in a navy so deep it reads almost as black, with a pocket included. The stickers are colorful and sized to go on phones or laptops. All items are made-to-order, with orders opening on the same day as the episode's release. Full details are available on the show's official social media accounts and in the episode description.

The hosts also noted again that the show name "Samas" (サマス) contains both S (for Sayuri) and M (for Mayu) — an element reflected in the merchandise design.