VOX POPULI: Snufkin shows the freedom found in solitude and simplicity

Asahi Shimbun

5 days ago

'One can never be truly free, if one admires someone else too much.'
Such counsel could only come from someone like Snufkin—a philosophical wanderer, poet at heart, who values freedom, independence and solitude above all else.
It's the kind of advice he might offer to those who idolize him, gently warning against the dangers of attachment.
A beloved figure in the Moomin series, Snufkin follows a ritual all his own: He departs on solitary travels before winter sets in and faithfully returns to Moominvalley with the coming of spring.
At "Tove Jansson and the Moomins," an exhibition currently on view in Tokyo celebrating the artistic world of the Finnish creator behind the beloved literary family, Snufkin stands out as a crowd favorite.
Every illustration and sketch of the free-spirited wanderer draws a cluster of admirers. With his trademark wide-brimmed pointed hat pulled low and a harmonica in hand, he is often depicted fishing beside his close friend Moomin.
His enduring appeal seems rooted in his steadfast devotion to freedom.
Author Tove Jansson (1914–2001) once reflected on Snufkin's personality and his inner contradictions.
As cited in 'Tove Jansson' by Mayumi Tomihara (1954–2025), a Japanese scholar of French philosophy and Swedish literature, Jansson described the nomadic vagabond as someone who, alongside his longing for freedom, is inevitably drawn to solitude.
This disposition, she noted, contains 'a self-centered weakness.'
Jansson, a Finnish national, was born into a minority Swedish-speaking family. During World War II, as Finland found itself precariously positioned between two powerful and hostile forces—the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany—she began creating the Moomin characters as a means of escaping the turmoil of those dark and uncertain times.
As a longtime reader, I've always been drawn to Snufkin's philosophical yet unpretentious words. In one scene from the Moomin books, he advises his friends to leave behind the gemstones they find in the valley, keeping them instead as memories.
'It's much more fun to keep things in your head than in a suitcase,' the contemplative wanderer says.
I've come to believe that Snufkin is a restless traveler because he can only compose poetry and songs when tested by harsh environments. That's why he sets off each year before winter, leaving behind a sorrowful Moomin.
He brushes aside sentimentality and embraces solitude with quiet dignity, carrying his ego without apology.
There's something profoundly moving in that image.
—The Asahi Shimbun, July 23
* * *
Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.