何だろう? What is this?

2016.2.21

いつもの病院に定期健診に行った。検査は14:00頃には終わり、結果は変わりなし。その頃には天気も良くなっていた。梅雨の最中のいい天気を楽しむため、鶴舞公園にアジサイを見に行くことにした。
I went for a regular checkup to the hospital. It was finished around 14:00, and the result was without big change. The weather had been cleared up by then. To enjoy the good weather in the middle of our rainy season, I chose to go to the Tsuruma Park to see hydrangeas.

アジサイの庭の隣には蓮が綺麗なピンク色で咲いていた。
Next to the hydrangea garden, lotus flowers were blooming in beautiful pink color.

幾つかの種類のアジサイが私の訪問を待っていたかのように満開だった。

Several types of hydrangea were in full bloom as they were waiting for me.

小径の両側がアジサイで一杯。

Both sides of the path were filled with hydrangeas.

公園を出た所で道の向こうに草や藪で覆われ、柵で囲まれたた円形の場所に気づいた。初めは公園の続きか学校の裏庭かと思った。驚いたことに、公園の一部ではあるが、古の古墳跡である。名古屋市のweb siteによると、径は82mで国の史跡に登録されているとのこと。

Walking out of the park beyond the road I noticed a round shaped area covered with grass and bushes and surrounded with a railing. I first thought it was an annex of the part of the park or a back yard of a school. To my surprise, although it is a part of the park, it is a remain of ancient burial mound. The diameter is 82m according to the webpage of Nagoya City, and it was designated as one of the national historical sites.

ストリートビューだ! Street view!

2016.6.6
名古屋市天白公園はずっと気になっていた。我が家からさほど遠くない、約4, 5kmといったところだ。行ったことはないが、市内にしては大きな自然公園だと知っていた。

Nagoya city Tenpaku Park had been hanging over my head for a while. It is not so far from our home, about four or five kilometers. I had never been there, but knew it is a big natural park for the one in a city.

何時も運動のために同じ道筋ばかり歩くのに飽きていたので、この日は少々きつい距離だとは思いながら天白公園まで歩くことにした。距離もさることながら、経路の上り下りが結構きついのだ。

As I was tired of walking the same route every time for exercise, I decided to walk to Tempaku Park although I felt it was a little challenging distance. Adding to the distance, the ups and downs of the route is pretty much significant.

いつもの様に、なるべく賑やかでない経路を選んだ。道すがら沢山の実をつけた名前の判らないこんな木を見つけた。
As usual I took the least busy streets. On the way I found this tree unknown to me with many seeds.

熟すと実はこうなるらしい。
They become like these when they are mature.

 ネットで調べると、これはオオバヤシャブシ(大葉夜叉五倍子)。果穂は黒色の染料に使われてきたらしい。この機会に内の近くの道の街路樹に使われている特徴的な実をつける木の名前も調べてみた。あった。モミジバフウ(紅葉葉楓)。ずっと、勝手にプラタナスかと思っていた。でも、近いよね。

Googling, I found this site, and found the name of the tree. It is a Japanese tree in an alder group. It is said the seeds have been used for dyeing. Taking the chance, I checked the name of trees on the both sides of the street near our home that also bear unique seeds. Voila, it is American Sweetgum. I had been assuming it was Platanus. But, it's close isn't it?

一時間ほどで到着。なるほど、大きな公園だ。林、大きな池、芝生広場、そしてBBQエリアもある。

After an hour, I was there. Yes, it was a big park, with forests, a large pond, lawn gardens, and a BBQ area.

大根池　Ohne pond

芝生広場　One of the lawn gardens

公園の使用は無料だが、駐車は無料ではない。でも、一日たった500円だ。

Even though, the use of the park is free, parking is not. But, it is only 500 yen a day.

公園の中を動く変なサッカーボールのような物を発見。
I noticed a strange thing looking like a soccer ball is moving in the parking lot.

グーグル・ストリートビューを撮影する車だった。

It was a car taking pictures for Google street view.

結局、往復で2時間半かかった。
After all, it took two and half hours  for the round trip.

少々やりすぎた、翌朝気づくと11時間近く眠ってしまったようだ。
It was a little too much, and the next morning I found I slept almost eleven hours.  

まあ、こんな作家がいたんだね Wow, I hadn't thought of a writer like him.

2016.6.5



蓮實 重彥さんは、今年の三島由紀夫賞の受賞者である。彼は受賞の記者会見において不機嫌であったことで注目を集めた。私は彼自身より、その時に彼が「いしいしんじのような若手が受賞に相応しい」と言ったという「いしいしんじ」の方に興味を惹かれた。

Mr. Shigehiko Hasumi is a winner of the Mishima Yukio award in this year. He attracted attention as being grouchy at the press interview of the award. I was interested in a person "Shinji Ishii". It is told that Mr. Hasumi stated that it was right that a young person like Mr. Shinji Ishi received the award.



自分が知らなかった作家の作品に手を出すということを余りしたことがない。特に日本の作家はそれがそうだった。現代の日本の作家が嫌いなわけではない。単に、若い時からの習慣かな。文学賞の受賞作品を読むことは迎合のような気がして、今も余り好まない。しかし、「文学の前途を拓く新鋭の作品」と言われる三島由紀夫賞の受賞を「はた迷惑」と言った蓮實というひねくれ爺が「こいつが相応しい」と評した作家には大いに興味を惹かれたのだ。

I scarcely have flirted with books written by writers that I had not known before. Especially, it has been true about Japanese writers. It is not right I do not like modern Japanese writers. Probably, it is just a habit since when I was young. I don't like to read award winning books as I feel it is flattering. However, I was greatly interested in a writer ,that Mr. Hasumi who described the award as "an unwelcome intrusion", commented "He is appropriate.".

いきなり買うのもリスキーなので、図書館にある中で彼の最新の書物「毎日は一日だ」というのを取り寄せてもらい、借用した。便利なことに、インターネットで調べて頼めば、名古屋市中の図書館にある書物なら、数日待ちで最寄りの図書館から借りることが出来るる。

As I thought still it is risky to buy a book, I ordered and borrowed a book "Everyday is one day." that was newest among the books available at a library. It is very convenient that if I ask by internet, I can borrow any book that is available at all libraries in Nagoya city after a few days wait.


読み始めたら、エッセイ集である。私のいつもの本の読み方は粗い。筋だけ追うような読み方だ。しかし、中にはそういう読み方が勿体無いと思う本が時々ある。ある友人が貸してくれたレイ・ブラッドベリの「たんぽぽのお酒」はそんな一冊だった。彼は「汽車の中で読んだりするのは勿体無いから、家に持って帰ってじっくり読みなさいと言って貸してくれた。」その通りだった。それまでSF作家と考えていた彼のファンタジー作品が一気に大好きになった。

Reading, I found it is a book of essays. Usually, I read fast and careless. Just enough to follow a plot. However, sometimes there are books that make me fell it is too good to read like that. "Dandelion wine" by Ray Bradbury, it was one of such books that one of my friends lent me. He told me as he lent the book, "It is too good to read to kill time in a train, so bring it back to your home and read carefully." Indeed it was true. I at once fell in love with his fantasy novels whom I thought as a SiFi writer before then.

今回いしいしんじのエッセイを読んだ時思い出したのはこのレイ・ブラッドベリだった。理由は判らない。どこまでが現実でどこからが空想か曖昧モヤモヤとしている中で、哀しくてうれしく、しゃっちょこばらずに淡々と暮らしている人が次々と出てくる、時には大笑いを誘うそんな文章が実に心地よい。寝る前に寝床で読んでいるが、沢山読むと前に読んだことを忘れてしまいそうで、たくさん読む気にならない。実際は、いずれにしても殆ど忘れてしまうのであるが。

A writer I was reminded was Ray Bradbury when I read essays of Shinji Ishii. I can't say why. In the vague atmosphere where which is real and which is imagination, sad and pleasant lives of people getting on without tensing up  comes one ofter another. Such sentences, that sometimes cause burst, are so cozy. I read the book before I sleep at my bed. I do not feel like to read many because I am likely to forget the contents that I read earlier. Actually, I would forget mostly anyway.

いつも夢見心地のような人かと思うと、なんと結構商魂たくましく(?)ブログまである。

しばらくこの人に注目してみようと思う。

I thought he is like a person always in a dream, but how commercially-minded(?) he has his blog .

I think I would like to focus on him for a while.

祭りのあと After the festival

2016.6.4

旅の楽しみの１つはおみやげだ。いつもの様にいくつか買ってきた。

One of the funs of trips is a souvenir. As is usual, I bought back some.

その１つは加茂荘で買った漆塗りの小皿。飲み物と乾き物のおつまみを少々載せるのに最高だ。驚くことに殆どのグラスやカップの底は同じ大きさなのだ。

One of them is this small tray of lacquerware bought at Kamoso. It is perfect for a glass with some dry snacks. I was surprised to find most of glasses and cups have same size of bottoms.

だから、このアジサイ切子のグラスにも合う。

So, the tray fits this hydrangea cut glass, too.

加茂荘の温室で買った紫陽花。これは、「夢心地」。

Hydrangeas also bought at the Kamoso conservatory. This one is called "Like a dream".

これは「彩々」。この字は「アジサイ」とも読めるらしい。

This is called "Sparkle colours". The Chinese characters can be read as "Hydrangea".

花の部分をクローズアップ。

Closing up the flowers.

き、き、奇っ怪な? Eery, isn't it?

2016.6.2
時は、花菖蒲と紫陽花の季節だった。そこで、私達の次の目的地は加茂荘花鳥園であった。ここは、元々は花菖蒲の庭で有名だったと思うのだが、今は沢山の紫陽花、大きな２つの禽舎、これまた大きな温室、そして花菖蒲の庭は合鴨の住処でもあった。鳥達には好きなだけ餌をやることが出来て、鳥も慣れているので手から餌を食べるほどであった。

It was a season of Japanese iris (Iris ensata) and Hydrangea. So, our next stop was Kamoso-Kachoen. I think it was originally famous for the iris garden, but now it has also a lot of hydrangea, two big, big bird cages, also a big conservatory, and the iris garden is also a home of many duck families. We can feed the birds in the cage and in the field as much as we wish, and birds are so tamed that they even are fed from your hands.

Photo provided by Kamoso-Kachoen

 Baby ducks looking for food on my hand.

たまたま、禽舎の中のクロエリセイタカシギが卵を孵化したとのこと。赤ちゃんが見えないって?足の数を数えてご覧。

This is a picture of Black-necked stilt mothers and babies. Can't you see babies? Count the number of legs!

これは温室の中のハンギングポットの１つで、こんな長いインパチェンスは見たことがない。

This is a one of the hanging pot in the conservatory. I have never seen such a long stems of impatienses.

珍しい熱帯植物も幾つか育成されている。

There are several rare tropical trees, too.

左の写真は蕾で、右は咲いた後。き、き、奇っ怪な・・・

The picture in the left is buds, and the right is after it flowered. Eery...

加茂荘の名前は、今もきちんと維持されている古い庄屋の加茂家から来ている。家の中も見学することができる。

The name "Kamoso" came from a big old house of a head man farmer Kamo family still kept well in the garden. We can also tour inside the old house.

これも偶々、二人展が園内で開かれていた。１人は焼き物で１人は石の彫刻。

There were also held an exhibition of two craftsmen. One is of potteries, and the other is sculptures.

彫刻の実演。

Demonstration of curving stones.

この旅のもう一つの目的は新東名高速を走ってみること。交通量は少なく、皆妙に法定速度以下で走っていた。昼食はNEOPASA浜松で。

Another object of this trip was to drive on the New-Tomei highway. The traffic was sparse and it seemed that everybody were strangely keeping legal speed limit. We had lunch at NEOPASA Hamamatus before we left the highway.

Photo provided by NEOPASA Hamamatus.

最後の訪問地は龍潭寺。これは井伊家の菩提寺で。井伊家は来年のNHK大河ドラマの主役だ。広く知れ渡って混雑する前に行っておこうと企てたのだ。浜松市は既に井伊家の縁の地のパンフを作っていた。

Our final stop was Ryotanji-temple. It is a family temple of Ii family, famous samurai family, and the family will be a theme of next year's annual TV drama of NHK. We plotted to visit there before it would be very much crowded once it would become widely known. Hamamatsu city has already created a booklet about the points of interest of Ii family.

Photo provided by Ryotanji.

左甚五郎作と言われる龍の彫刻。

A dragon created by a famous sculptor Jingoro Hidari.

石と池の美しい庭があった。このパノラマ写真は、どうやって繋げようかと考えが決まる前にgoogleが自動的に作ってくれた。

It has a beautiful garden with stones and ponds. The panorama picture was made by google automatically before I decide to make how.

まだ、続く。

Still continuing.

Art and flower in Kamegawa. #1 花と芸術の掛川 (その1)

2016.6.1

妻とまた掛川を訪れた。６月は日本の本州では大体梅雨の季節なのだが、天気は暑からず寒からず予想外に気持ちのいい２日間だった。

My wife and I visited Kakagawa area, again. June is supposed to be a rainy season for most of mainland Japan. However, it turned out to be a not too hot and not to cold, unexpectedly pleasant two days trip.

掛川までは我が家から東名高速で一時間半の距離だ。道路は空いていて、朝の運転は気持ちよく進んだ。

It is about hour and half drive by Tomei-highway from our home. And, the traffic was sparse, the drive in the morning was comfortable.

昼食にはうなぎを食おうと決めていた。そて、私が選んだうなぎ屋はうな助。
この辺りには有名店が沢山あるのに、この店を選んだのには訳がある。それは、数年前私達はここで食べたことがあるのだ。その時は時間は3時頃で開いているうなぎ屋をGoogleで調べ、車で探し回った。多分、3、４軒のうなぎ屋を回ったが皆閉まっていて、やっとうな助が開いていて、歓迎してくれたのだ。勿論、味はその時も今回も素晴らしかった。

Photo provided by Unasuke.

I had decided to eat eels for lunch, and the restaurant I chose was "Unasuke" specialized in the eel food. There is a reason why I chose the place even though there are many famous eel restaurants in the area. It is that we had eaten there a few years ago. At that time, it was around three o'clock. We looked for any open eel restaurant by driving around among we found googling. I think we visited three or four closed ones before we found Unasuke that was open and welcomed us. Of course, the taste had been and was fabulous.

実は、うな助に予定より早く着いてしまったので、女将のどうぞどうぞ席は皆開いていますよというお誘いを他所に、席を予約だけして辺を見物することにした。私達は掛川城の方に進んでいった。あの山内一豊が一部築城し、住んでいた城である。時間も限られていたので天守閣には登らなかったが、逆川のほとりから見物した。その逆川は河岸が色々な色のユリで埋め尽くすように彩られてとても綺麗だった。

逆川(さかがわ)のユリ

Actually, since we arrived at Unasuke a little earlier than planned, ignoring the landlady's invitation that it was welcome to start lunch as the tables are empty, we reserved a table and drove away to look around. We walked towards Kakegawa castle partially built and once lived by Kazutoyo Yamanouchi. As time was limited, we did not enter the tower, but viewed from Sakagawa river the banks were covered by a whole lot of colourful lilies.

掛川城に行く橋の側には休憩所のこだわりっぱがある。ここで、名物の緑茶を買った。

Near the bridge to the castle, there is a shop and restaurant "Kodowarippa". We bought some green tea famous in the area.

我々がうな助に戻り昼食を始める前に、もう客が数人座っていた。その後もどんどん入ってくる。予約しておいてよかったと思った。さっき書いたように鰻は最高だった。そして、鰻の味を口内に残しながら、同じ市にある次の目的地資生堂アートハウスに向かった。これは資生堂が管理している美術館で、丁度7月3日まで開催の日本画の展覧会を楽しめた。

Photo provided by Shiseido.

Before we went back to Unasuke and started our lunch, there had been several customers already sitting and more and more came in after that. We were glad that we had reserved a table. The eel lunch was great as I mentioned, and after enjoying remaining taste of eel in our mouths, we left for Shiseido Art House in the same city. It is a gallery managed by Shiseido, and we enjoyed an exhibition of Japanese painting that is held until July 3.

その夜宿泊したのは葛城北の丸。ヤマハの経営だ。ヤマハのゴルフ場に隣接して建てられている。ホテルは大きな庭園を有している。庭園と行っても、大半は森の中の散歩道といった雰囲気。自然を満喫できる。

露天風呂を浴び、晩飯と酒を頂き、いつもより数時間早く眠ったしまった。

続く

Photo provided by Yamaha.

Photo provided by Yamaha.

The hotel we stayed the night was "Katsuragi Kitanomaru" managed by Yamaha corporation. It was built next to a golf course managed by also Yamaha. The hotel has a big garden most of it is a walkway through a forest. We can enjoy full of nature.

Taking outdoor bath, and enjoying dinner and sake, I fell asleep hours earlier than usual.

Continued.