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冬至を過ぎこれから少しずつ、少しずつ日が長くなっていくと思うだけで嬉しい。昨日と変わりない今日のように見えて、何かが違う。実際はここから厳寒の季節へと突き進むわけだが、暦のマジックは希望を語る。冬の底の底に縮こまっているようでいて、銀世界を自由に駆け回っているような清々しさもある。続けざまにDVDを見た。『ラベンダーの咲く庭で』、『日の名残り』、『初恋の来た道』、いずれも人の一生を視野に入れたゆったりと心にしみる佳作だった。他にすることはいくらでもあるのに、こんな贅沢な過ごし方をしていていいのかな。たまには、許されよ。本日の更新は、短信のみにて。

We've passed the winter solstice. I'm happy just to think that the sunshine duration is going to be longer little by little every day. Nothing seems to be different today from yesterday, but something is surely different. In fact we are going into the severely cold season from now on; however, the calendar gives us hope. Although we're in the very bottom of the winter, we can be encouraged to have a certain fresh image of running freely in the silver world. I've seen three DVDs in a few days: Ladies in Lavender, The Remains of the Day, and The Road Home. They are all presenting a life long history of people. They are very quiet and very impressive works. I've got to do a lot of things; and yet, I indulge myself watching movies at home. Am I forgivable? I hope so just once in a while. Today's update: only this note.

ポッカリと天恵のような時を手に入れ、乱読の日々。手当たり次第読んでいる。漫画も。西原理恵子を一気に四冊読んだ。自分を笑いのめすというのは才能でもあり覚悟でもある。私小説ならぬ「私生活漫画」だが、過激なギャグの中に悲哀と慈愛がこもる。作者は「嘘ばかり描いてきた」と自嘲的に語るが、リアルをひっくり返すトリックが彼女の芸だ。描き続けて生きることの辛さもまた自分の夢の実現だという潔さ。西原の後で読んだ人気小説家の最新作が嘘くさくていただけなかった。こんな手前勝手な状況設定とストーリーがあるか、とサイバラ流に突っ込みたくなることしきり。次は長年手を出せずにいた犯罪小説を。先日作者の社会時評を読んで強く惹きつけられた。しばらく仕事を離れてトリップだ。本日の更新は表紙（ライトアップされた東京ドームシティー）とこのページの写真（雑木林の落葉）です。一年が暮れていく。

I've got a vacant time like a gift from the heaven; and so, I'm reading books at random. I'm reading comics too. I read a series of 4 books by Rieko Saibara at a stretch. She has the talent and the resolution to satirize herself in her books. She picks up scenes of her private life for her works and she has the art to turn them over for laughter. She is decisive to say she's happy to be a cartoonist. In spite of the hardship she has to endure for writing, After Saibara, I couldn't be impressed with the latest work of a popular novelist. I wanted to criticize her convenient story and idealistic characters. Next, I'll launch a criminal novel written by another female novelist. I was quite impressed with her essay on society very recently. I'll keep going on an imaginary trip for a while. Today's update: the photo in the index page (Tokyo Dome City lighted up) and the photo above (fallen leaves in the woods). 2007 is coming to the very end.

ゼミの学生達が体育館でスポーツをするというので混ぜて貰った。12階建ての新校舎最上階二階分を使った空中体育館である。先ずはポールを立てネットを張ってバレーボール。およそ10年ぶり。「あれ〜、ごめ〜ん」の連発だったが、ドンマイドンマイと許してくれた。「いくらなんでもバスケは無理だと思う」と辞退したのだが、みんなでやる方が楽しいし、センセイのリアクションが面白いから入るようにと言われて、これまた図々しく。なんと40年ぶり。ワンゲーム5分間で3チームが交互に3ゲームという簡易版だったので助かる。最後に私もまさかのゴールを決めたのだった。おまけに卓球。みんなそれぞれ特技を披露。どのゲームでも世話役の女性陣は男子の中でまったく遜色なし。久しぶりに思い切り身体を動かし、集団でゲームする快感にひたった。明日か明後日、身体がミシミシ痛むであろうことは考えないでおこう。謝謝。本日の更新は短信のみにて。

My seminar students made a plan to play sports in a gym. They were kindly let me join them. The gym is in the 11th and the 12th floor of the new building. First we set poles and a net to play volleyball. It has been 10 years since I played last. "Oh, sorry! Oh, No!" I kept apologizing but students kept saying, "Don't mind!" I said I should not join them when they were playing basketball, but they insisted me to play with them saying, "Your reaction is just funny. It will be more fun for us to play with you." In three teams we played in turn. One game lasted only for 5 minutes, so I could manage to follow them. At the last moment, I made a goal miraculously! Lastly we played ping-pong. Everybody demonstrated his/her skills. In every game, girls were as active as boys. I just enjoyed playing sports with young people. I remembered the joy of playing physical games after such a long interval. Maybe tomorrow or the day after tomorrow my body will ache, but let's not think about it for now. A lot of thanks to my students! Today's update: this note only.

冬には冬の美しさがある。絶え間なく散る落ち葉を浴びながら、休日の午後ゆっくりと散歩をした。思いがけず寒桜を見たり、まだ青々としたセンダンを見上げたり、そして深く枯れ葉の散り敷く雑木林の中を奥へ奥へと。楽天的であることが、どんなときにも光を充分に味わうことを可能にする。(^_^)/ 本日の更新は表紙の写真（冬枯れ寸前の輝きに包まれた東村山中央公園）とこのページの写真（野火止用水縁のセンダンの実と葉）です。

Winter has its own beauty. In the incessant shower of falling leaves, we took a walk in a sunny afternoon. We happened to find a tree of "winter cherry" in bloom and a tree of still green chinaberry (Melia azedarach). We walked deep into the woods, stepping on the soft thick fallen leaves. Optimism helps you to appreciate the light of the world fully enough. ;-) Today's update: a photo in the index page (golden trees in Higashimurayama Central Park, Tokyo) and leaves and berries of chinaberry (Melia azedarach) by the stream of Nobidome Waterway, Higashimurayama, Tokyo.

義母の故郷青森から、この季節になると続々と林檎がやってくる。ピンポーンとチャイムが鳴って出てみると、大きな段ボール箱に「青森りんご」の赤い文字。送って下さるのは一軒ならず、二箱、三箱と続く。だから束の間我が家は「林檎大尽」。林檎といえば青森産、しかも故郷の町のものが最高だと義母は信じて疑わない。自慢するだけのことはあり、透き通った蜜がたっぷり芯の周りを囲み、得も言われぬ甘みがある。囓る音もシャキシャキと涼しげで、酸味が食後に爽快だ。ここまでの味にするにはどれほどの品種改良と栽培の努力があったことだろう。台風の被害や旱魃、長雨など年によっては作柄が案じられることもある。師走にまるまるとした林檎が届くとそれだけで幸福な気持ちになる。義母は数を数えながらご近所に、知り合いに、林檎を配って喜ばれている。遠く離れていても故郷の産物ほど懐かしく誇らしいものはないのだろう。さて、私には何がある？ここは「お一つどうぞ」と差し出すもののなにもない土地かと思いきや、転居してきて16年の今、義母は近隣名物「狭山茶」を仲良くなったお茶屋から季節ごとに仕入れてはせっせと各地に届けている。要は「いいもの」を見つける目と贈る気持ちだろう。まだまだ義母にはかなわない。本日の更新は「翻訳読書ノート36」に最近読んだ傑作『築地』を。これが文化人類学の専門書とはにわかに信じがたかった。面白い。あの町の神髄を描く一冊の本。癪に障る町（？）でもあるが何とも魅力的であることは間違いない。

In this season boxes of apples arrive from Aomori Prefecture, home of my mother-in-law. (We are living with her in Tokyo.) Hearing the chime at the door, I open it and find a large box on which red letters "Aomori APPLES" are printed. Not only a box but also two and three boxes are sent from several relatives. Consequently for a while we are prosperous with gorgeous apples. My mother-in-law believes that the best apples come from Aomori, especially from her hometown. True to her pride, her apples taste delicately sweet with transparent honey surrounding their cores. When we eat them, they sound crisp and cool. Their fresh sourness leave us real satisfaction after eating. I wonder how much efforts have been made to accomplish this taste by farmers. Sometimes typhoon attack apple trees before harvest, sometimes dry weather or too much rain spoil the taste of apples. So we are happy to see big round red apples in December every year, My mother-in-law give some of the apples to her friends, neighbors, and acquaintances nearby. (They are much appreciated.) . I guess nothing gives her more pride and happiness than apples from her hometown. Well, do I have something like her apples? Nothing! But wait, look at her now. She has been living in this town for 16 years and has discovered the famous product of this area; green tea from Sayama! She buys lots of tea packets from her favorite shop and send them out to her relatives and friends in a distance in every season. The important thing is to have eyes to find something good and heart to care. Well, I can hardly be like her yet!

師走である。時は駆けていく。紅葉も黄葉も散ってこれからしばらく枯れた梢を風が騒がすばかり。常緑樹はくすんだ深い色でじっと寒い季節をやり過ごす。町には人工的な色彩が溢れ、夜をイルミネーションが彩る。クリスマスから正月へと眠るのを忘れてはしゃぎ続ける人々。でも、喧噪の彼方で街の灯を疎ましく眺める目もあることだろう。若者たちに幸いをと願い、年配者に平安をと祈る。この頃になると私も少しは殊勝な気を起し、来し方行く末を思ってみたりする。（一年に一度くらいのものですが。）そうやってぽーんと一つ、新しい年へ入っていこうとするわけだ。あと幾度この扉をくぐり抜けられるのか分からないけれど。バタバタと原稿を書き続けてちょっと一息。本日の更新は短信のみにて。

it's December now. Red leaves and yellow leaves are almost fallen. For a few months from now on, bare branches and twigs will keep crying in the wind. Evergreen trees pass winter quietly in darker colors. Artificial colors decorate towns, and the colorful illuminations brighten them up at night. Some people will forget to sleep and make fun all night but others will look at the light of towns in a distance in dismay. I wish happiness for young people and peace for seniors. Once a year, I become humble to think of such a thing! Thus, I try to go into a new year although I don't know how many more times I'll be able to go through the door of time. I've finished writing several essays in a rush. Good grief! Today's update: this note only.

空は鈍色となり、いよいよ冷え込んで、コート無しでは外を歩けなくなってきた。忙中閑。晩秋の残り香を求めて池の畔に立つ。落ち葉は深く、水面に落ちる一葉が静かな波紋を描く。これから始まる季節にどう向かおうか。なるように、なんとか、淡々と。本日の更新は表紙の写真（東京本郷・東大構内・三四郎池）です。

The sky is dark and it's getting colder everyday. It's hard to walk outside without an overcoat. In a moment of quietness in my busy life, I went to a pond to watch the last colors of passing autumn. Fallen leaves are thick on lanes and one leaf fell in the pond to made ripples in circles on the surface of the quiet water. I was wondering how to face the coming harsh season. I'll manage it somehow. Let it be. Today's update: the photo on the index page (Sanshiro-Ike, a pond in the campus of the University of Tokyo, in Hongo, Tokyo).

いよいよ霜月も最終コーナーとなる。月末の締め切りが二つ、三つ。約束の課題が一つ、二つ。間に合うだろうか。いや、どうあっても仕上げなくてははならない。「時は、時は、過ぎてゆく〜♪」という歌詞を思い出しながら書く。書いても書いても終わらない。ずっとこうだったなぁと苦笑い。成長のない人生だ。（感心している場合か！）本日の更新は河原の枯れススキ（表紙）とコムラサキ（上）です。いずれも東村山市にて。この頃の色彩もなかなか風情がある。

Now we are at the last corner of November. I've got a few deadlines by the end of this month. And there are a couple of requirements, too. I wonder if I can complete them all. It's not the matter to "wonder," but I "must" finish them. "Time passes by," says a song. I remember the melody repeatedly. Although I'm writing all the time, still I can't see the goal. I've been always like this since my youth. My life hasn't changed a bit! (It's nothing to be impressed with by myself.) Today's update; drying Japanese silver grass (in the index page) and Callicarpa dichotoma (above).. Both of the photos were taken in Higashimuryama City in Tokyo. I like the colors in this season.

今日は菊の花束を買った。色とりどりの小菊ばかり集めて、野菜と一緒に農家の人が道ばたで売っている。バケツいっぱいの菊の花はみずみずしく薫り高く、秋を寿いでいるようだった。「ちょっと小屋を離れた隙にクルマで来た人に全部持ち逃げされたこともあるがね」と、お百姓さんは苦笑する。本体より遙かに長い葉っぱ付きダイコン、濃い緑のブロッコリー、袋いっぱい一ダース以上詰め込まれたキウイ、そしていびつな柿。取れたて野菜を自転車に積んで走る。肉も野菜もあるもので済ませよう。スーパーに寄る気は失せた。空は高く風は冷たい。秋たけなわ。この日を境にいつも冬が始まるような気がする。どうかお元気で。

I bought two bunches of chrysanthemum, A farmer was selling small flowers of all colors along with vegetables at a stall beside the field. A bucketful of chrysanthemums was fresh and fragrant, seemingly celebrating autumn. "Someone who came by a car once taken away the whole flowers without paying," the farmer said with a bitter grin. I also bought a huge radish with leaves longer than the white root, a dark green ball of broccoli, a bagful of kiwi fruit and a few of shapeless Japanese persimmons. I rode on a bike with baskets filled with products freshly from the land. I had no intention to drop by a supermarket on the way home. I'll cook vegetables with a bit of meat and fish in stock tonight. it was sunny and the sky was high. It was the summit of autumn. Every year I feel November 20 is the turning point of the season. I wish you good health and happiness.

晴天が続く。武蔵野線からも冠雪の富士山がくっきりと見えた。関東の人間は遠景でも富士が見えると心ときめくのが常で、「今日は見えますよ」「見えますね」と互いに言葉を交わす。山のことなどてんで頭にないとばかり思っていた人からそういわれると意外の感に打たれ、その人の隠れた面を見たような気がする。東京西郊では富士は西の方角に見える。千葉県流山あたりからだと富士は南側に見える。武蔵野線を東に進むと富士は遠ざかる。こんな当たり前のことでも珍しく、寒くなってくると姿を現す遠い山影を私は追いかける。北窓からは筑波山が見えたような気がするのだが、「ほら、あそこ」と言っても「え、どこ？」とはかばかしい反応が得られず残念。本日の更新は表紙の写真（流山市にて、紅葉した桜の木）です。ささやかな錦秋。

We are gifted with sunny days. Mt. Fuji was observed out of the windows of JR Musashino Line. People in Kanto District get excited when the find Mt. Fuji covered with snow. They talk to each other; "We can get the view of Mt. Fuji today!" "Yes, there it is!" When someone I have never imagined to be interested in mountains at all talks to me like that, I'm just astonished and feel I've found a hidden aspect of the person. BTW, in the western suburbs of Tokyo, we see Mt. Fuji in the west; at Nagareyama, Chiba, we see it out of the southern windows. While we are gong eastbound by Musashino LIne, Mt. Fuji is going away. I'm very curious about these things and keep looking for mountains in a distance when the air gets cool. Yesterday I felt I saw Mt. Tsukuba too. But when I talked to one of my colleagues, "Look at Mt. Tsukuba over there!", she was not so interested saying, "Where? I can't see anything." Today's update: a photo in the index page (a cherry tree with colorful leaves in Nagareyama, Chiba). It is a tiny scene of "golden autumn."

秋の終わりに咲き誇る菊。今年もまた。道ばたで見かけた鮮やかな一群れに思わず足が止まる。朝から降り続いた雨が止み、夕刻にもかかわらず何とも活き活きしている。この花の枯れる頃、街にも本格的な冬が訪れるのだろう。いろいろなことがあるけれど、うち萎れてばかりもいられない。どんなときにも美しいものは美しい。本日の更新は表紙（西東京市農園の木立）とこのページの写真（東村山市）です。

At the end of autumn chrysanthemums bloom proudly. I was stopped by the flowers on the roadside. It kept raining since morning but it stopped before sunset; flowers looked so fresh. When these chrysanthemums get dry, sinter will come in town. In spite of all the things, good and bad, happening every day, they can't always get me down. Beautiful things are beautiful anytime. Today's update: photos on the index page (trees in a fam in Nishi-Tokyo Cty) and the one there (chrysanthemums in Higashimurayama City).

大きな仕事がドカンとあるわけではないのに次から次へと課題が押し寄せ、一つ一つをクリアーしていくだけで（時にはやり損なって困惑したり）精一杯の日々が続く。何処も同じ秋の夕暮れとやら、あの手この手の入試も続く。ただ、今週は一つだけコンサートへ行くことができた。心身のストレスが消え、内側から活性化される体験だった。仕事を済ませ、電車を乗り継いで有楽町の東京国際フォーラムへ。人の波がホールに向かって押し寄せていく様から圧倒的だった。音と光とことばが共鳴して凄まじいパワーとなり聴き手を包む。心が解放される心地よさ。よしっ、生きていこうではないかと。疲れ果てる日々の中に白く輝く時もある。久々だというのに、本日は短信のみにて。

Demanding days continue although there are no extremely big events. I am just trying to clear each obstacle coming up in front of me. Sometimes I fail and get defeated even if I make all the efforts I can manage. Wherever you are, now all you can see is lonely late autumn evening sight. Entrance exams keep going. But I went to a concert this week! It was fantastic. All my stresses went away and I was refreshed from the innermost of myself. After work, I took trains and arrived at Yurakucho-Station. I saw big waves of people were going to a big concert hall. Sound, light, and words crushed to each other and created a mysterious harmony. The power of music overwhelmed me. I was liberated in ecstasy. All right, I said to myself, I'll go on living. In the days of exhaustion, there comes a sparkling time. All I could do today was just to write this note. Sorry for my long silence.

ついに11月。何故？ということもないが、待っていたような、遠ざけておきたかったような11月。身の回りの些事の山はちょっと脇へどけて、萩の花でもじっと見よう。ポプラの梢を見上げていよう。抵抗出来ないこと、なるようになにること、人智を越えたところにあるもの、みなひとしくエイヤッと越えていこうではないか。（なんだかわけがわかりませんね。）本日の更新は表紙写真（西東京市の農園のポプラ並木）とこのページの写真（萩山の萩）です。11月が幸福なときとなりますように。

Finally it's November. I can't tell why but I was waiting for it to come and at the same time I was willing to keep it in distance. I set all routine works aside and keep watching flowers of Japanese bush clover, or keep looking up at the tops of poplars. Let me jump over what I can't resist, what to be settled eventually, what's beyond our power and all other things. (I know you don't understand what I mean. Nor can I myself, Alas!) Today's update: a photo in the index page (poplars in a farm in West Tokyo City) and the one above in this page (Japanese bush clover in Hagiyama, Higashimurayama, TOKYO). Let November be a happy time for everybody!

懐かしい街を歩いた。私が目白界隈に通っていたのは、中学生の頃、1960年代後半である。オリンピックの前後から、街は急速に変化しつつあった。けれど学校より他に世界を持たない子どもの私にはそのことの意味も分からなかった。あのあたりを何も見ていなかったことが今漸く分かる。失われたものは多いのだけれど、辛うじて残るものが未だある。この度は二人の同行者がいた。六つの瞳は関心の幅を各段に拡げる。午後の僅か数時間ではあったが、思いがけないタイムスリップをした。次の世代に受け渡すべきものは何だろう。本日の更新は「散策」ページに秋日散策--目白界隈から神田川縁へです。仕事に忙殺されるなと呟きながら。

I walked in a district which reminded me of my adolescent days. I was going to a junior high school in Mejiro in late 1960s. Since Olympic Games in Tokyo, the city was changing drastically. But as an ignorant child, I was unconscious of the world yet. I know now I had paid no attention to the places around our school. I went for a walk with 2 of my friends this time. Thanks to them, I learned much more than I could have by myself. In the afternoon for a few hours though, I made a time-slip with them. I wonder what we could pass over to next generations. Today's update: Walking in Autumn--from Mejiro to the River Kanda. I'm saying to myself, "Don't be killed by busyness."

本当に、散歩によい季節になった。私はさまよう、街を野原を。やらなくてはいけないこと、読まなくてはならないものはたくさんある。授業もあるし、会議もある。けれど、この時期を逃す手があるだろうか。私は散歩に出かける。昨日も歩いた。今日も歩く。明日も、夢の中でさえ。本日の更新は表紙の写真（東村山中央公園のコスモス）とこのページの写真(西東京市の農園にて、ハナミズキの葉と実)です。ノンビリしていると後から慌てるぞ、という内なる声を聞き流しつつ。ま、何とかなるでしょう！

It's really a good season for taking a walk. I wander in town and in the field. I have a lot of things to do and a lot of materials to read. I have classes to teach and meetings to attend. However, how can I miss this season? I go out for a walk. I walked yesterday, I walk today and I'll walk tomorrow even in dreams. Today's update: photos in the index page (cosmos in Higashimurayama Central Park) and the one above, leaves and nuts of dogwood (Cornus florida) in autumn color (in a farm in West Tokyo City), I won't hear my inner voice warning, "You'll surely be in a panic if you are idling so much!) Let it be.

久しぶりに出た学会で知り合いになった女性たちと一緒に食事をした。うち一人は私と同い年で、ミャンマーの出身。両親に連れられてイギリスへ移住し、結婚後はシンガポールに暮らしたこともあるとか。ミャンマーと聞いて、目下の情勢が頭を過ぎったが、自分の浅い認識では無礼なことを口走るかも知れず何も触れず終いになった。もしご縁があればまた出会うこともあろう。深い眼差しがとても印象的な人だった。思えばこれまでいろいろな人とめぐりあってきた。もう二度と会わない人の方が多い。時々の記憶を鮮やかに彩る人々の影。私が誰かの記憶に残ることもあるのだろうか。ミャンマーの彼女と同日にメールで交わした「連絡を取り合いましょう」ということばが呪文のように胸に響く。そう言い合いながらそれきりになった人が如何に多いか。でも、一期一会のご縁は尊い。出会いは一つの種だろう。思いがけないところで芽吹くこともある。形も様々に。だから、知り合うことは楽しみだ。本日は短信のみにて。

I attended a conference which I had been away for years. I went out for lunch with some women whom I met there. One of them was originally from Myanmar. She immigrated to England with her parents when she was a child. After she got married to an English, they went to live in Singapore. When I heard of Myanmar, I nearly asked her how she's worried about what's going on now in her native land; however, I hesitated to utter a word about politics for fear of being rude to her because my recognition of the complicated situation of the country was very superficial. I didn't dare to mention anything about it. If we happen to have another occasion to meet, perhaps I'll be able to ask her delicate questions sincerely. She was a charming woman with impressive eyes. We exchanged mails writing to each other, "Let's keep in touch." I've met many people before saying the same words without meeting again. The shadow of people is still fresh in my memory. I wonder if I'm in someone's memory. Whatever the situation is, encounters are precious. Only sometimes, they develop unexpectedly in surprising ways. So I always expect to meet someone. Today's update: this note only.

私が住んでいる市には何カ所か森がある。それは本当にささやかな、うっかりするとすぐに消えてしまいそうな森だ。 つい最近もその一つが開発業者の手に渡り、危うく宅地になるところだった。それを市民が資金を集め、市に公共の場所として保存してくれるよう陳情し、どうやら市が業者から買い取ることで森は守られる可能性が高まってきた。但し、周辺はどんどん開けているため、森の端を流れている川岸は余程気を付けて手入れしていかないと自然の状態を保てなくなりかけている。先日勤め帰りにちょっとだけ寄り道して森に行ってみた。聞いていた通り、静寂の空間が保たれていた。カンパが2346万円も集まったそうだ。「淵の森」のトトロが力を貸してくれたのかな。（市民のリーダーは宮崎駿氏らである。）本日の更新は表紙の写真（東京都東村山市と埼玉県所沢市の境目にある「淵の森」を流れる柳瀬川）とこのページの写真（同所付近、枝先にドングリが実るコナラの木）です。【追記】ここの保存運動の方法をめぐってはいくつかの考え方があることを知った。引き続き注目しよう。

There are several woods in the city where I live. They are so tiny that they will disappear anytime unless we watch them carefully. Recently one of them was nearly turned to residential areas by a developer. Citizens stood up to protest that by collecting money and trusting it to the city to keep the forest as a public space. The movement is likely to end up successfully with an agreement between the developer and the city that the latter will buy the space from the former to preserve it. However, because the area around the woods is rapidly developed, we need to take care of the banks of the river running around the edge of the woods. Otherwise, the natural environment will be lost very easily. A few days ago, I visited the woods on my way back from work. In the woods, it was darker in the evening; yet, as I had heard before often, it was a wonderful space in a natural atmosphere of quietness. I learned the amount of money citizens collected by donation amounted to 23,450.000 yen! I imagine Totoro in "Woods of Gulf" helped them. (The leader of citizens is Miyazaki Hayao, a worldly famous animation film producer.) Today's update: the photo in the index page (the River Yanase running by "Woods of Gulf" located between Higashimurayama City, Tokyo and Tokorozawa City, Saitama Prefecture) and the one in this page (acorns of quercus serrata in the woods).[P.S.]I've heard there are disputations over the reservation of the woods there. Let me continue watching how they go.

ピンボケも甚だしい自分で撮った写真を眺めていると、これが窓の外の風景のような気がしてくる。この頃そこら中によく見かける花なのだけれど（手元の本を何冊も繰ってみたものの）未だ名前を知らない。同じ方向へうち寄せる波のように伸びている。一日に幾つもしなければならないことが重なると、周りを眺める余裕が消えていく。だが、秋は豊かな花の季節でもある。味わわずに通りすぎるには惜しい。枯れていく前の武蔵野の風景はことさら胸にしみる。あれこれの課題を脇に押しのけて、今日もふらりと表に出たい。あてどもなく歩いていると、本の中にある静謐よりももっと静かな虚空に踏み込むような気持ちになる。後から課題の帳尻を合わせなくてはならないこともすっかり忘れて。花の名前が分かり次第、メモしておこう。まったく「情報のためのサイト」からはほど遠く、面目ない。【追記】花の名は、「アメジストセージ」Salvia leucantha（またの名を「メキシカン・ブッシュ・セージ」といい、サルビアの仲間とのこと）だった。花屋の店先に並んでいたので尋ねて、二株買った。増えると良いな！

Watching a blurred photo I took, I feel as if I'm looking out of a window. I often see the flower above here and there recently but I don't know its name yet. (I've checked several books at had in vain.) Like coming waves, they reach to one direction. I have too many things to do to forget watching around. It's autumn when flowers are in bloom before drying up. How can I miss them!? I wish I could go out of the door to enjoy seeing them. Autumnal scenes in Musashino are extremely impressive. I feel like going out for a walk, putting aside all the work I have to finish. While wandering, I feel I can go into the world of quietness, where it's quieter than in books. I forget that I have to work harder to tie up all the loose ends later. When I find the flower's name, I'll write it down here. Sorry, my website is far from providing any useful information.[p.s. The flower is called "Amethyst Sage" or "Mexican bush sage" (Salvia leucantha). It's a kind of salvia. I found the name at a flower shop. I bought two pots of the grass with flowers. I hope it will grow.

久しぶりに雑木林に入ったら地面の上はドングリでいっぱいだった。細長いの丸いの、座布団がついたのはがれたの。拾ってポケットの中で弄ぶ。今も机の上に。結構重い。生命の素がみっちり詰め込まれているのだろう。新緑の日々、暑い最中の木漏れ陽の日々、少しくすんだ落ち葉の季節。毎年毎年律儀に変化を繰りす雑木林は生きている。夏の「朝ごはんの木」はかなり乾いてきた。夕刻だったが木の周りをぐるっと歩くと、あのスズメバチの猛者が一匹武装した姿で仕事中。一対一で向き合うと恐ろしい。私も一匹の働きバチだ。羽もなく針もなく華もなく。だが、歩き回りながら世界をじっと見ることは出来る。そしてことばを刻むことも。本日の更新は、このページの写真です。青空が眩しくて。僅かな連休がありがたい。

For a few weeks, I have been away from the small forest where I was taking a walk every day duinrg summer. I found the ground was covered with acrons, big ones, small ones, slim ones, ball-like ones, ones with cushions and without and so on. I put them in my pocket to play with. They are on my dsk now. They are heavy with secrets of life. The forest is alive in fresh green leaves in spring, in the shower of light in summer, and with in darkening colors now. Seasons of turn year after year. I went to see the "Breakfast Tree." It's getting somehow drier than before. I walked around the trunk and found a fierce-looking yellow-hornet working in arms. I'm scared to meet with it face to face. I am also a worker bee with no wings, no stings, nor with any glamors. All I can do is to walk about and watch the world. I also can write! Today's update: the photo in this page (above). The blue sky was extremely striking. Thanks, a short holiday starts!

関東地方も一気に肌寒くなってきた。慌ててウールのスーツを引っ張り出した。朝晩はこれで丁度いいが、日中動き回るとさすがに暑い。よって薄手のジャケットも持って出て、適宜着替えるという面倒なことに。「乙女心かしら」と空を仰ぐ。タイトスケジュールに突入して以来散歩もままならず、広々した風景にもご無沙汰している。せめて、晴れ間ののぞいた平野を流山の研究室から見晴らす。（表紙の写真です。）何はなくとも7階からの展望はとてもよい。ガスが晴れて本当の秋空になればきっと筑波山が見えるに違いないと期待している。本日の更新は表紙の写真とこのページの写真（東京メトロ「後楽園駅」に出入りする高架線上の地下鉄）です。また、「掲載写真帖」に彼岸の頃の写真を収めました。秋物の洋服でもショッピングに行けたらよいのにと思いつつ。

It has become quite cool suddenly in Kanto District. I decided to put on a woolen suit, It was OK in the morning and evening, but too hot for working during the daytime in it. I needed to bring another light jacket for a change. Quite handful. The weather is as unstable as "a girl's mind." Now that I'm involved in the usual tight schedule, I can hardly go out for a walk nor go out into the open space, both of which I really miss. All I can do now is to look out of the window of my office on the 7th floor at Nagareyama campus when the sky clears up. (The photo in the index page.) Thanks, I love the view. I'm expecting to have a view of Mt. Tsukuba when the haze is all gone in a real autumn day. Today's update: photos in the index page and the one here: subways going on the elevated tracks in and out of "Korakuen Station" of Tokyo Metro. I put a pair of photos at equinox in "Cover Photos." I wish I go out for shopping to find some clothes for autumn, really!

オーストラリアのゴールドコーストから帰国したばかりの人が、「寒かったです。連日横殴りの激しい雨で、すっかり風邪を引きました」と言っていた。南半球は逆さまの気候とすると、春のお彼岸くらいだろうか。関東地方はしぶとい暑さが続いている。日中は優に30度を超える。ところが一転して夜半は涼しい。今宵は中秋の名月というので、外へ出てみた。街の明かりが邪魔をしてお月様の光だけを愛でることはできないが、それでも建物の少ない空間に見上げる月は、金色とも銀色とも見える光を惜しげなく放つ。太古の人も、異国の人も、皆こうして畏怖の念に打たれながら月を見上げたのろうか。人などいかにも小さく思えるひと時の恍惚。悩みも憂いも洗い流してしまうような光の雨。本日の更新は短信のみにて。

A person who has just come back from Gold Coast of Australia said, "It was so cold over there. It rained heavily day after day and I caught a cold!" Well, if the weather is opposite from that of Japan in Australia, are they at the spring equinox? In Kanto Area, it is still very hot during the daytime. The temperature is well over 30 centigrade degrees. Whereas, at night it gets very cool. Tonight we can see the full moon in autumn. I went out for a while just to watch the moon. Due to the light in town, the sky is not perfectly dark but I found an open space between buildings, where I could appreciate the moon light. The moon was scattering rich light of gold and silver. I imagine ancient people and people in foreign countries watched the moon with awe as I do. I got a moment of ecstasy, feeling the smallness of human beings. It was the rain of moon light washing away all troubles and misery. Today's update; this note only.

「千の風になって」が大ヒットして以来（といっても原詩はずっと前からあった）、亡くなった人の魂は墓にはいないという考え方が好んで受け入れられているらしい。にもかかわらず、彼岸に墓参する人は引きも切らず、高尾の幹線道路など大渋滞が続く。実父の墓へは法事以外とんと行かぬ親不孝者の私だが、義父の墓へは春夏の彼岸に必ず詣でる。ここにいずれ自分も入るのかと殊勝なことをいつも考えているわけではないけれど、既にそこは通い慣れた場所になっている。あたりには火を噴くような彼岸花が咲き、周囲の山々は熱の残る空気に霞む。いやまだ遠分入る気はございませんが、いつかはねと山を下りてくる。墓参の慣習は年に二度、奢れる生者を戒める古人の知恵であったかと思いつつ。本日の更新は表紙とこのページの写真です。それぞれJR横浜線「相原」駅付近のススキと彼岸花。暑さもここまでと思いたい。

Since the song of "Thousand Winds" is widely known to people in Japan, seemingly the idea that the dead (or I should say "the spirit of them") are (is) not in the grave is also widely accepted. However, I see so many people visit family graves on equinoxes in spring and autumn. For example, main roads to and from Takao, which is one of the most "grave-populated" areas in Kanoto are heavily crowded at these times of the year. I am not a good daughter to visit my father's grave regularly but I do visit my father-in-law's grave twice a year without fail. I do not always think that I will be interred there someday in the future, but the grave is already a very familiar place to me. There are red spider lilies like burning fire and surrounding mountains are in haze by the heated air. I climb down from the grave yard thinking vaguely I don't want to be in it very soon but I'll be there in the future surely. Grave-visiting once a year may be a habit which ancient people settled to remind the living of their mortality. Today's update: photos in the index page and in this page. Both are the scenes near Aihara Station of JR Yokohama Line. (Japanese silver glass and red spider lilies)

初めて娘の通う美大を訪問した。絵画科の展覧会があるというので。多摩丘陵の山の中。ちっちゃいバスが運んでくれる。こぢんまりしているけれど個性的なデザインの校舎が並ぶ。彫刻作品捨て場なんていうのもあって、無造作に放置された石像がゴロゴロしていたりする。展示会場はカマボコ型のプレハブアトリエだった。「ん？」「はぁ？」「へぇ？」「ほぅっ？」というような作品がいっぱい。なかには「ひぇ〜っ！」というようなのもあった。四年間好きなものを好きなように制作して過ごすのだろうということは分かった。その先のことは未だ問うまい。ミューズにヨロシク。本日の更新は「翻訳読書ノート」にレビューです。原作の壮大さにも翻訳の精緻さにも圧倒された。『ピースメイカーズ』という。ご高覧感謝。

I visited the art college where my daughter is going. There was an exhibition of the fine art department. The college is in Tama Hills. A small school bus took us to the campus. There were uniquely designed buildings. I was surprised to see a lot where various works of sculpture were thrown away. The exhibition was held in barrack ateliers. I saw variety of unnamable works. I could say only "What is it?" "Well!" "Hmm!" "I see!" I also felt like screaming, "Ooooh!" All I could understand was that students will spend 4 years, creating whatever they want to. Good. I won't ask what they will be after they graduate now. Best wishes to the muse of art! Today's update: a review on a work of translation, Peace Makers originally written by Margaret MacMillan. Only in Japanese.

「タマアートショップ」という店に入ったら看板猫のタマちゃんがいた。いやはや見事な恰幅である。ちょっと失礼しますよと断って一枚撮ろうとすると鷹揚な態度でこちらを向いてくれた。表紙は近所を走る新青梅街道のメタセコイア並木です。新学期がフル回転となり、広々した場所に出ることが難しい。彼岸の入りだというのに残暑が続く。せめて墓参時に高尾の山を見晴らすのが楽しみだ。

When I stepped into an art shop named "Tama," a big fat cat greeted me. I asked her (him?) to let me take a photo of her (him?), s/he turned to me with a generous posture. The photo in the index page shows the trees of Metasequoia along Shin-Oume Highway in my neighborhood. Now that the new semester is in full swing, I can hardly go out of town to an open space. It's still very hot at fall equinox this year. Perhaps When I visit our family grave in Takao, I hope I'll get a chance to see a view of mountains.

フィンランドの伝統楽器カンテレの演奏を聴く機会を得た。といっても生演奏ではなくフィンランドと日本の文化交流コンサートの録画を見せてもらってのこと。民族衣装に身を包んだ演奏者、はざたさんはこの楽器に魅せられて6年半もフィンランドに暮らして音楽を学んだという。コンサートホールでは敢えて電気的に音を拡大せず、楽器の出すそのままの音を聞かせている。だから録画版では本当に小さな微かな音になってしまうのだが、耳をすますと澄んだ繊細で霊妙な音が聞こえる。新旧様々な曲の中で特に胸を打たれたのは、ロシアとの戦に負けてフィンランドが失ったカレリア地方の曲「カレリアの丘」。それからシベリウスの「フィンランディア賛歌」。森の国、白夜と極夜の国、何百年間もの他国の支配にくじけず独自の文化風土を保持する国、フィンランド。「かもめ食堂」に続いて、カンテレはフィンランドへの興味をかきたてる。慌ただしい日々の中で聴いたカンテレの音色は心を落ち着かせ、平安を蘇らせてくれた。カンテレは人を森に誘う。本日の更新は短信のみにて。

I've got a chance to listen to kantele, a traditional musical instrument of Finland. It doesn't mean I listened to it directly but through a DVD of Finland-Japan Music Concert. A kantele player Ms Hazata clad in the Finnish costume decorated with embroidery was fascinated with this instrument and lived in Finland for 6 and a half years. She plays kantele in a concert hall without amplifying the sound electrically so the natural sound of the instrument, so subtle and ethereal, can be heard as it is. The most impressive numbers were "The Hill in Kaleria," and "Finlandia Hymn" by Sibelius. Kaleria is a district Finland lost by a war against Russia. Thanks to the movie "Kamome-shokudou" and kantele, I've been much more interested in Finland--the country of forests, of nights under the midnight sun, of polar nights, and the country which maintained its identity throughout the days and years of government by other nations/people. In my busy life, the kantele sound soothed me and filled me with peaceful spirit. Kantele invites us to forests. Today's update: this note only.

先日の台風後に海辺の友人から届いたメールの一節。「目の前の海の景色が、砂地の穏やかな海岸から、岩の突き出た荒海の風景へと一夜にして変わってしまいました。上陸したすさまじい台風のために、海岸の砂がすべて押し流され、何列にも並んでいたテトラポットもどこかに消え去り、岩がむき出しになってしまったのです。我が家の目の前を走っているバイパスも波の力で道路の下側が削り取られて、ガードレールと下り車線の道路が崩れてしまいました。自然の力のすさまじさに、あらためて驚愕の念を抱いているところです。」一方、娘がKansasで撮ってきた動画は視界360度ひたすらに平らな草原が拡がる。いずれも都市の周辺にへばり付いていては永遠にお目にかかることのできない風景だ。しかし、想像してみる自由は私にもある。関東地方には前線の影響で雨が降りしきる。本日の更新は上の写真（Kansasの平原）です。

Here is a passage from a mail a friend of mine wrote: "The landscape before me has drastically changed from a quiet and peaceful sandy beach to a wild rocky one after one night. Due to the extremely powerful typhoon which landed that night, all the sand of the beach was taken away and tetra-pots placed in rows along it all disappeared to expose rocks underneath. Waves scraped the foundation of the bypass in front of our apartment; accordingly, guardrails and one line of the highway were destructed. I am astonished to see the threat of the natural power." On the other hand, my daughter brought back a short movie taken by her digital camera. It shows the flat plain expanding to all directions with a 360-degree field of vision free from any kinds of barriers. Both of them are inaccessible to those who live sticking to a megalopolis. However, I have the freedom for imagination at least. It has been raining heavily in Kanto District, which is the influence of the autumn rain front. Today's update: a photo above (the plain in Kansas--taken by ao).

台風一過の強烈な熱暑が関東地方を覆う。雨台風で、荒川や多摩川が大増水したと報道されていた。都心に近いところにある河川も、荒天にあっては普段の穏やかさをかなぐり捨てて牙をむく。再びいくつもの川を渡って武蔵野線で平野を横断する日々が戻ってきた。人の作り出す洪水に飲み込まれて溺れないよう、気を付けて暮らしたい。（これがなかなか難しい！）本日の更新は、「朝ごはんの木に集まる虫たち」の虫の名前を修正しました。

After the typhoon, the Kanto Plain was extremely hot. By the heavy rain the typhoon brought, big rivers such as the River Ara and the River Tama were reportedly nearly flooding at several points. Rivers near metropolis disclose their real nature at drastic weather changes. Again I'm coming back to the daily journey across the Kanto Plain by Musashino Line, crossing several rivers. I want to live avoiding being caught in man-made floods. (It's quite difficult in fact!) Today's update: I changed several names of insects in "A Breakfast Tree."

いよいよ関東地方は暴風雨圏内に入ってきた。羽田空港発着の国内便は悉く欠航が報じられている。明日の成田はどうなるのだろう。気を揉んでもいたしかたないのだが。本日の更新は「朝ごはんの木に集まる虫たち」の写真ページです。久しぶりに「いのちのすがお」でどうぞ。私の早朝ウォーキングはひとまず終了。虫たちの朝食会はいつまで続くやら。

Now Kanto District is in the storm zone. Reportedly most of the domestic flights arriving at and departing Haneda Airport were cancelled. I wonder what will become of international flights at Narita tomorrow. I know I can do nothing right now. Just wait and see! Today's update: photos of "A Breakfast Tree." in Lives Around. My early morning walk has come to the end. I wonder how long insects' breakfast meeting will last.

台風が関東地方に近付いている。今度のは九州から関西経由ではなく、小笠原諸島、伊豆七島経由で太平洋から直接上陸してきそうな案配だ。今朝から既に時折激しい雨が降っている。明日、明後日と大荒れだろう。空路が案じられる。空堀川が増水を始めていた。早朝川沿いの道を歩いていたら見慣れぬ鳥を発見。いつものコサギではなく、灰色で少し大形。彼らはつがいなのだろうか。でも、どうもそれほど仲がよいようにも見えない。二羽は距離を保ちつつ一緒にいる。灰色の方が堂々と威張った感じ。白い方は少しオドオドと遠巻きに灰色の動きを見ている。我が町の新住民だとしたら歓迎だ。本日の更新は表紙とこのページの写真です。秋の色が拡がる。

A typhoon is approaching Kanto District. This time it is not coming through Kyushu and Kansai District but is coming directly from the Pacific Ocean to Tokyo via Ogasawara Islands and Izu Islands. It started raining hard sporadically since this morning. It will be extremely stormy tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. I hope it won't influence aircrafts badly. Water of he River Karabori (in my neighborhood) has started increasing. While I was walking along the river this morning, I found an unfamiliar bird. Different from the white little egret that I often see, it was a bigger gray one. I wonder if they made a pair. But they did not seem very close to each other. Although they were together they kept a distance. The gray one looked dignified. The white one looked somewhat awkward and was watching the movement of the bigger one. Anyway, if they are the new residents of our town, they are most welcome! today's update: the photo of two birds in the index page, and the one above here. Colors of autumn are spreading in the field.

（承前 2）そういえばネット上で話をするにはSkypeという手もあるのだった。最近日本で働き始めた新しい友人が、故郷の人たちといつでもSkypeで話ができるからホームシックにはならないと言っていた。別の友人も海外に出ているときは家族との会話はSkypeだと言う。私もSkypeできるようにしてあるけれど、殆ど使っていない。この頃「家電」も余りかけない不精者なので、相手を捕まえて（あるいは捕まって）話し込む習慣がなくなっているなぁと、あらためて思う。カメラまで付けて「テレビ電話」プラス文字チャットって、やり始めたらきっと面白いだろう。ホントはそういうの好きなのだけれど、ちょっとコワイ。果てなくしゃべり続けるのではないかと。

(Continued 2) I remember there is also Skype for online communication. A new friend of mine told me that she doesn't miss home because she can talk to her people at home anytime via Skype. Another friend of mine said that when she's abroad, she talks to her family via Skype as well. Yes, I've set up Skype in my PC; however, I seldom use it. Recently I am lazy enough not to use telephone at home very often. I seem to have lost the habit of holding people by telephone even! Certainly I can imagine it will be a lot of fun to talk to someone via Skype (with a camera while chatting as well), but I'm a little scared with the system. I'm afraid I'll go on talking once I'm involved in it.

（承前 1）携帯電話は国際仕様のものを使えばカンザス州のLakinと普通に通話出来るが、ケータイメールは届かない。車で三時間西よりのコロラド州PuebloやColorado Springsだとケータイメールも届く。やはりよく考えたらいつでもどこでも交信可能というわけでもなかった。なまじ離れて最小のメッセージだと逆に心配させることもあるが、現代の通信の様々な形を体験するよい機会でもある。面識のないホストマザーと、PC上で一気にメールを書き合えるのも面白い。彼女もたくさん写真を撮る人だった！本日の更新は表紙ページに初秋の田圃を。カスミ網に覆われて、実りの時を待つ稲穂です。

(Continued 1) With an international model of a cell phone, you can make phone calls between Lakin, Kansas and Tokyo, but you can't exchange mails. It's OK with Pueblo or Colorado Springs, where you reach driving for three hours westward from Lakin. I see now cell phone mail isn't available everywhere. Very brief messages from far away make me worried sometimes, but it's a good occasion to experience various styles of communication today. I am excited to exchange mails with host-mother who I have never met before! I've found out she also likes taking lots of photos! Today's update: a photo in the index page, an early morning scene of rice field covered with a hazy net to protect harvest from birds.

娘は目下アメリカ合衆国カンザス州に滞在している。上はホストファーザーの見事なバイク。ホストマザーがメールで送ってくれた。日本から行った若いお客へのもてなしに、感謝の気持ちでいっぱいだ。今時の海外旅行が昔と違うのは、ケータイで国際通話ができることと、家族同士が直接パソコンでメール交信出来ること。かつては旅の便りと言えば絵ハガキだった。それから航空書簡というのもよく使った。何十通という航空便が行き交ったこともあった。これからファミリーで出かけるという隣のコロラド州プエブロのフェスティバルも、一足先にウェッブサイトで訪問してみた。居ながらにして応援出来るのはよいが、遥か地球の向こう側にいるという実感が今ひとつ湧かない。無事を祈る気持ちに変わりはないけれど。本日の更新は「夏読書」です。といっても今回は映画『かもめ食堂』の感想です。

My daughter is now home-staying in Kansas, U.S.A. Look at the gorgeous motorbike of her host-father. The photo above was sent to me via e-mail from her host-mother. I'm filled with gratitude for the hospitality they exted to a Japanese young visitor. The biggest difference (from old days) today about going abroad is that you can use a mobile phone and that families can communicate with each other via e-mails. Once upon a time, all we could do was to write postcards. There was also something called "an aerogram." Certainly we used to write hundreds of letters to and from abroad. I've visited the website of Colorado State Fair in Pueblo where they are all going tomorrow. It's certainly wonderful to be able to make contact with those who are abroad, being at home; however, we tend to forget about the reality of our distance. Certainly I 'm invariably praying for the safety of my daughter wherever she may be. Today's update: a note in Summer Reading. (This time, it's a review of a movie. It's written in Japanese only.)

夏の終わりは溜息と共に。後悔先に立つわけも無し。旧交の復活、新たな出会い、日々の語らいをのせて、光陰は飛ぶ。コンニチハ、サヨウナラ、マタオアイシマシタネ、ドウゾヨロシクと。こちらでも、あちらでも。こんな小さなサイトでも、窓の役には立つようだ。どうもありがとう。

At the end of summer, as usual, I give nothing but sighs. It's impossible for me to be well prepared for the new season. There were reunions, new encounters, and a lot of daily conversations. With them all, time flies. "Hello," "Good by," "Nice to see you again," "I'm glad we can meet." We exchange greetings here and there. Such a humble website as it is seems to work as a window. I would love to thank all my visitors.

上の写真は毎朝散歩するときに寄る林の中の、「あさごはんの木」と名付けたコナラの樹皮。今朝もいろんな虫や蝶が集まっていた。樹液を外に滴らせる木はそう多くない。恵みの木なのかそれともたかられている哀れな木なのか。表紙の写真は、昨日の記載にあるアキバのヨドバシカメラの外観。何とも暑苦しいメタリックなビルだが、街に聳える電気製品の山。昨日までの写真は「掲載写真帖」に移動しました。ああ、夏がゆく。

This photo above shows the bark of quercus serrata in a small forest I always visit on my way during my early morning walk. I named it "a breakfast tree." Various kinds of insects and butterflies come to feed themselves. Not all the trees dribble sap as this one. Is this a tree of blessing or a plundered tree? The photo on the top page is the exterior of Yodobashi Camera in Akihabara of which I wrote yesterday. It looks rather suffocating and metallic; covering mountainous electric appliances. Previous photos are now in Cover Photos. Alas, it's already the end of summer!

何年かぶりで秋葉原へ行った。噂に違わず、アキバはかなり変貌していた。つくばエクスプレスの始発駅となって、駅舎が大改造されたため、かつてアキバ詣での人々がたむろしていたJR総武線側駅ビル（秋葉原デパート）一階の下駄履き食堂群が消え、スケートボードの少年たちが気勢を上げていた広場もなくなり、代わって「秋葉原クロスフィールド」が出現。その周辺にはにょきにょきと高層ビル。聞くところによると、全国から大学のサテライトキャンパスが集うようだ。ITジャンルの産学協同基地か。幸いなことに西口駅前に固まっていたパーツ屋は健在だった。（あれがなくなったらアキバじゃなくなる。）宣伝係か、メードさんもコスチュームで普通に歩いていたし。お馴染みのラオックスコンコンピュータ館は来月で閉店するという。「やっぱりヨドバシカメラの影響は大きいですか」と店員に聞くと、「ものすごく大きいです」と即答された。戦場のような街だ。たしかに、ヨドバシカメラは巨大なデパート以上の規模だった。館内アナウンスも日・中・韓・英・仏と五カ国語放送。国際電気市場といったところ。唸るほど積み上げられた商品の中から私が選んだものは、バケツみたいな形のシュレッダー。紙をポイポイ捨てるわけにはいかない時代になりました。本日の更新は短信のみにて。

Yesterday we went to Akihabara, where we hadn't been for shopping for years. True to rumors, the town has greatly changed here and there. Now that Akihabara (or just "Akiba" in short) is the terminal station of TX (Tukuba Express Railway Line), the station building has been reconstructed drastically. Small, cheap diners, shoppers' favorite, at the foot of the old station building and the open space where skateboarders were enjoying themselves yelling, were all gone. Instead, a fashionable plaza called "Cross-field" has appeared. Skyscrapers are surrounding it. I've heard "satellite campuses" of universities from all over Japan are gathering there and cooperating with private companies; Akiba is challenging to be a center of academic-industrial cooperation in IT field. Fortunately, however, old quarters with tiny electric parts shops were still in corners of the town. (Akiba won't be Akiba anymore without them.) We saw a girl in the costume of a maid (of "a maid cafe") walking perhaps for demonstration. It's a shame our favorite LAOX Computer-Building is going to be closed in September. We asked one of the sales clerks if it was caused by the enormous electric appliance shop like Yodoashi Camera, and he responded "Yes, certainly," immediately. Akiba is a sort of battle field. Truly, Yodobashi Camera in Akiba is so huge, larger than an ordinary department store. Announcements inside the shop were made in 5 languages; Japanese, Chinese, Korean, English and French. It's an international electric market. From the mountainous electric goods, we picked up a bucket-like paper-shredder. We're living in an age where we can hardly slow away printed matters carelessly. Sigh! Today's update: this note only.

時には40度Cに迫った猛暑にようやく陰りが出てきた。昨日は久しぶりに雨が降り、今日も曇天。気温は30度Cを少し出るくらい。力尽きた蝉が落ちてきたり、網戸にへばり付いていたり、ころんと路上で固くなっていたりする。蝉は地下で過ごす長い日々（3-17年！）と地上での一夏を生きて命を終えるとやら。草むらにススキの穂がスイーッと伸びてきた。毎朝約一時間の行程で、全方向に少しずつルートを変えながら歩いている。徒歩圏内にもいろいろな朝の表情があり、飽きることがない。休暇も残り僅か。そろそろ始動準備に入らなくては。昨夜はDVDで『カモメ食堂』を鑑賞した。日本人女性がヘルシンキで食堂を開く物語。メインメニューのおにぎりは、「ジャパニーズ・ソウルフード」なんだそうだ。淡々として味わい深い作品だった。本日は散漫な短信のみにて。

Finally the extremely hot weather seems to have come close to the end. Some days, the temperature of Tokyo area rose as high as 40 degrees centigrade. However, it rained yesterday and it is cloudy today. It is slightly higher than 30 degrees C. All of a sudden a cicada falls down, hangs on a net window, or stays stiff on a pavement. I've heard cicadas live for a long time underground (3 to 17 years) and live only for one summer above ground. In the bush Japanese silver grass is growing higher and higher. I've been taking a walk for about one hour every morning to all directions in my neighborhood. In a walking distance, my hometown shows variety of aspects. I never get tired of them. The remain of the summer break is very short now. I need to start preparing for the new semester. BTW, I enjoyed a DVD entitled Kamome Shokudo, a story about a small diner run by a Japanese woman in Helsinki. Its specialty is onigiri, riceballs, which are called "Japanese soul food." It is really a tranquil, spiritually tasty movie. You're sure to feel happy seeing it. Today's update is this unfocused note only.

やはり8月は駆け足で過ぎてゆく。お盆の後、更にスピードが増した（ような気がする）。ほんのひとときの静けさも既に遠く、都心には再び人の渦。人混みをかき分けながら池袋に『VEXILLE』という全遍CG制作のアニメ映画を見に行った。ハイテク鎖国をした日本がどうなっているのかアメリカの特殊部隊が見に来るSF。凄惨で希望のない話だった。手描きアニメとは異なるテイスト。ちょうど『鉄コン筋クリート』と対称的かも知れない。描き方は主題にも大いに関わる。比較してみるのも面白い。さて、本日の更新は「散策」の郊外散歩に写真ページ「筑波山行」です。山歩きの余韻を味わいながら。

August goes on rapidly. After Obon holidays, (it seems to me) the speed was increased. Only for a while Tokyo area was quiet; however soon after that, crowds of people rushed to return from their home towns to Tokyo. I elbowed my way through people in Ikebukuro to go to a movie theater. I saw VEXILLE, which is an animation all produced by computer graphics. It's a SF about future Japan which is highly technologically sealed off to the outer world. There comes a US special operations team to research and finally destroy the menace. It's a hopeless and dreary story, It has a taste completely different from hand drawn animations. Techniques influence greatly over themes. It must be interesting to compare VEXILLE and, say, Tekkon Kinkurito, Now, today's update is a photo page, Climbing Mt. Tsukuba. I'm still enjoying the rest of the sensation of the mountain.

ようやく山登りによる筋肉痛が消えてきた。よほど日頃使わない部分を酷使したらしく、自宅の階段を下りるのもヨッコラサだった。いくら毎朝一時間ウォーキングしていても、傾斜のない地形なので、ふくらはぎや腿の筋肉は怠けている。一転して昨日は日比谷でアメリカ映画を見た。カリフォルニア州ロングビーチの公立高校で、生徒たちが作文を通じて人種間の対立と貧困を越え成長していく物語、『フリーダム・ライターズ』。当然「できすぎ」との批判もあるけれど、これはノンフィクションの映画化だ。引用される文章はすべて高校生たちの作文から採られている。戦場さながらの対立抗争を繰り返すギャングたちは教室でも反目し合っていた。それを若い女性教師が、作文させることで内省に導き、建設的で社会性のある活動へと発展させていく。銃より強いペンの物語。ことばを叩き付けるラップミュージックが全編に流れ、甘くない現実をうたう。書くことが救いでもあり指針ともなる手応えをよく表す作品だった。

Eventually muscle pains I got from mountain climbing are almost gone. It seemed I used muscles which I seldom use so much that I had a hard time even going downstairs at home. Although I walk every morning, paths here are all flat; so muscles of my legs and thighs are quite lazy, not trained at all. By the way, I went to see an American movie to Hibiya yesterday. The movie, Freedom Writers is a story about high school students in Long Beach, California, USA. They learn how to survive live peacefully through writing of themselves, conquering hatred and antagonism between races. Certainly there are those who criticize the movie for being too optimistic, or too well made; however, it is based on a non-fiction. All the quotations are taken from students' writings. Young gangsters repeatedly confront with each other on the street, as well as at school. There came a young teacher, who let students write freely about themselves to think of their lives. Students learn from history and develop their lives to social activities in cooperation with their classmates. The young female teacher helps them find pen is mightier than guns to support them. Rap music covers the whole movie in which words express the hardship of young people's life. Writing helps and empowers them really.

念願の筑波山登山をした。20代, 30代, 40代, 50代各一人ずつ、女ばかり4人のパーティー。TX（つくばエクスプレス）の終点駅からシャトルバスで筑波山口へ。先ずは筑波神社に参拝し、女体山中腹のロープウェイ「つつじヶ丘駅」まで2.2kmを1時間20分ほどかけて歩く。久しぶりの登山なので、かなりゆっくりと。「つつじヶ丘駅」から女体山山頂まではロープウェイで移動。そこから筑波山最高地点の屏風岩へ。どこまでも緑豊かな関東平野の田園が拡がる。雄大さにことばもない。女体山のピーク(877m)から男体山のピーク(871m)へ、峰を縦走。ここは約1kmで、30分足らず。頂上の周囲約1kmにわたって設けられた「筑波山自然研究路」をめぐる。途中で昼食。南側斜面の奇岩絶壁から眺める関東平野の広いこと。景色はもやっていたのだが、東の方に霞ヶ浦が見えた。冬の晴れた日なら、どこまで見えることかと想像する。きっと西方の富士山と向かい合っているのだろう。再び女体山に戻り、今度は一気に麓まで山を下りる。岩の多い急傾斜を慎重に歩いたので、一時間半はかかった。出発から帰宅まで丁度12時間の行程。登山ができた嬉しさは疲れを遙かに凌駕している。だが、歩きながら山野草の写真を撮るのは難しかった。同行者に遅れずに、しかもピントを外さずに撮れるようになるには相当修練がいるのだろう。（ヤマホトトギスやギボウシなど、またトンボ、クモ、蝶など、いずれもピンボケで失敗。）本日の更新は、表紙ページの写真です。男体山より関東平野と霞ヶ浦方面を見晴らす。確実にこの夏のハイライト！

I had a chance to climb Mt. Tsukuiba. Our party consisted of 4 women: one in her 20's, one in her 30's, one in her 40's, and me in 50's. At the terminal station of TX (Tsukuba Express Railway Line), we took a shuttle bus to the foot of Mt. Tsukuba. First we payee our respect to Tsukubasan Shrine and started climbing bound for a ropeway station in the middle of the mountain. Our pace was quite slow and steady. It took us about 1 hour and 20 minutes to cover 2.2 km. We took the ropeway up to the summit of Jotai-san. There were enormous rocks at the top of the mountain from which we had an unbelievably grand view of the Kanto Plain. The view was beyond words. From the peak of Jotai-san to that of Nantai-san, we walked in 30 minutes. Around the summit of Nantai-san is a walking route named "Mt. Tsukuba Nature Research Trail." We had lunch, finding a good table and chairs while we were walking the trail. From the south side cliff with curious rocks, we had a hazy view of Lake Kasumigaura, In a fine day in winter, you may get a much clearer view with Mt. Fuji in the west. After we left the trail, we went back to Nantai-san and started climbing down strait to the foot of the mountain. The trail was rocky and very steep. I walked carefully in my pace. Thus it took me almost 12 hours from the time when I left home early in the morning to when I came home. Happiness of the experience was greater than fatigue. I also found how difficult it is to take photos while walking, particularly those of flowers and insects. In order not to be left behind by others of the party nor to loose focus, you have to be well trained. All the photos of plants today were failures. Today's update; the cover photo (a view with Lake Kasumigaura from the summit of Nantai-san). Mt. Tsukuba is really a highlight of this summer. Thanks!

日中は熱暑が続く。直射日光とアスファルトの照り返しのため、オーブンの中で焼かれるようだ。一昨日、築地へ行った帰りに浜離宮の船着き場から水上バスに乗り、日の出桟橋経由で浅草吾妻橋まで隅田川クルーズを楽しんだ。東京湾は、海とはいっても巨大な河口に過ぎないのだが、水面の煌めきに心が弾む。（逆光の東京タワーも見えた！）船の後部デッキにへばり付き、時にはしぶきを浴びながら街を眺め、川を溯る。川に沿って遊歩道「隅田川テラス」がよく整備されているのが分かったが、さすがにこの季節に歩くのは難しそうだ。いくつもの橋をくぐり浅草に近付くに連れ、青いビニールシートハウスも散見される。僅か一時間程度の行程ながら、見上げる街の表情は多彩だった。船を下りてから浅草の街を抜け、カッパ橋刃物問屋街を通って、結局上野まで歩き通してしまった。いや暑かったの何の。本日の更新は表紙の写真（浜離宮公園のオレンジコスモス畑）とこのページの写真（サルスベリの花）です。そして「夏読書」です。

Everyday, it's horribly hot. Due to the direct sunshine and the reflected heat of the sun, I feel I'm roasted in an oven. The day before yesterday, on my way back from Tsukiji, I got bot on a boat at a small pier in Hamarikyu Park bound for Asakusa. It's a cruise going up the Sumida River. Tokyo Bay is a large river mouth which is far from the ocean, but still I feel thrilled to see the shining water. (I had a glance at Tokyo Tower in back light!) At the rear deck of the boat, I kept watching the ever-changing scenes of Tokyo towns. I found Sumidagawa Terrace (a neat promenade) is well equipped along the river, but I thought it's impossible to walk there in the heat. We passed under many bridges. When we came close to Asakusa, there were blue sheet hutches (of homeless people) along the riverside. Although it was a cruise within an hour, I had a chance to see various phases of Tokyo. After I got off the boat, I walked through the town of Asakusa, Kappa-bashi streets, to Ueno Station. How hot it was actually! Today's update: a photo of the orange cosmos field in Hamarikyu Park in the index page; flowers of crape myrtle in my neighborhood.Also Summer Reading, (only in Japanese) is updated.

個人ホームページを開設してから、今年の夏で丁度10年目になる。昨日思い立ってgoogle earthでUniversity of Virginiaを検索してみた。懐かしい街が航空写真で眺められる。初めてUVAの図書館でサイト作成方法を習った時、まだ個人サイトはそう一般的ではなかった。ウェッブ検索機能などあるはずもなくウェッブリソースは玉石混淆の、「未整理のまま図書館の床にぶちまけられた資料」のようなものに過ぎなかった。それが今ではどうだろう。信頼出来る資料を探し出し、組み立てるのは探索者の腕次第。他者からの検索を受けて思いがけない照会を受けることもある。今のところごくごく細い経路を除いて一方的発信に見えるサイト公開しかしていないが、徐々に双方向性のあるものへと変化させていくべき時かもしれない。本日の更新は「夏読書」のページです。なるべく間口の広いものにしたい。

Exactly ten years have passed since I started this personal website in summer 1997. Yesterday I decided to "revisit" Charlottesville by google earth, which showed me the campus of University of Virginia and its environs by an air photo. When I learned how to create a website at a library workshop at UVA, it was not so common to have a personal site yet. Web search function was beyond our imagination at that time but web resources were nothing more than the heap of unclassified materials all scattered on the floor of a library. However, look at them today! It is totally up to our individual competence to devise how to look for reliable data and information and how to organize them in significant shapes. Sometimes we are searched by strangers and asked for further information regarding the materials we upload in our websites. For the moment, my website is rather closed only with a very tiny path for the instant correspondence. I think it's high time for me to resume communication of both ways online based on my website. Today's update: Summer Reading, only in Japanese. I'm willing to make it a wide ranged essay page.

猛暑である。しばらく通勤から解放され、先ずは手当たり次第乱読の季節に入った。放っておくと片端から忘れるので、夏休み読書日記でも付けようか。（小学生並み！）本だけではなく、読んだマンガ、見た映画（ビデオ）なども併せて書いておくとことにしよう。（ブログみたい！）これから丁度一ヶ月、貴重な休暇はスローに暮らそう。昨日から早朝ウォーキングを始めた。（いつまで続くかな?）何だかとっても夏休みらしくなってきたのでこのページの写真も向日葵に変えてみた。表紙は引き続き江戸川シリーズです。

It's extremely hot. I've been released from commuter's train and started the season of reading at random. Let me write a reading diary (like a school child) to prevent my forgetfulness. That will include not only books but also comics, movies and so on. Hopefully it will be something like a blog. I have one month ahead of me! I hope I'll be able to live slowly. Yesterday, I began walking early in the morning. To mark my summer holiday, I put a photo of sunflower in this page. The cover photo is one from the Edo River series.

凄まじい雷雨が一瞬のうちに駆け抜けていった。遂に関東も梅雨明けか。そろそろ参院選挙の開票が始まる頃。何かが変わるのか変わらないのか。熱い眼差し、冷めた眼差しが見守る。おや遠雷がまだゴロゴロいってる。本日の更新は、先日の土手の写真を少し、「江戸川夏日和」と題して。隅田川の花火は昨日だったとか。

We had a heavy rain with thunders. It's gone immediately. Hopefully it will mark the end of the rainy season eventually in Kanto District. It's almost the time for vote counting (we had the Upper House election today in Japan) to start. Hot eyes and cool eyes are watching it. I wonder if anything significant will change or not. Well, I can hear thunders crushing in the distance. Today's update: photos of the river bank entitled "A Summer Day by the River Edo." I heard they had fireworks at the River Sumida yesterday.

午前6時。窓を開けると、スカッと晴れていた。さては梅雨明けかと心がはやるが、どうも今日一日の晴天らしい。光はこんなに美しいものだったかと目が覚める。久々に地平線を眺めたくなって帰路、江戸川土手に上ってみた。（本当は武蔵野線を反対方向に走って東京湾を眺めに行きたかったかったのだけれど...。）川辺では、空の青さがそのまま水面の深い青となり、草はしたたる緑に輝く。強烈な陽光を浴びて、上半身裸の若者が草地のベンチに寝転がって文庫本を読んでいる。鉄橋が煌めく。悠然たる流れ。目眩く夏の昼下がりだった。本日の更新は表紙とこのページの写真です。野にはオニユリが満開だ。

At 6 in the morning, I opened a window to find a perfect sunny sky. I wondered if it is the end of the rainy season but it seemed today was an exceptional day. I got fully awake at the beauty of the light. I wanted to see the horizon somewhere; therefore, I climbed up a bank of River Edo. (Really I wanted to go by Musashino Line all the way to Tokyo Bay!) By the river, I could see the blue sky in the stream and the fresh grass shining. There was a young man stripped of his shirts lying on a bench in grasses, reading a paperback. An iron bridge was shining nearby. Look at the slowly going river! It was a mesmerizing summer afternoon. Today's update: a photo in the index page and one in this page. In the filed tiger-lilies are in full bloom.

授業は終わったものの、ワーキングスケジュールは続く。重労働だった昨日の後、今日は一日オフだと思うと気が緩み、目が覚めたのは何と正午だった。かくて一日は半分となり、あっという間に日が暮れた。散歩にも出ず終い。夜半、おもむろに手帳を広げ、これからやりたいことを書き込む。あれとこれと、それからあれも・・・。実現するかどうかは別だ。夏の始めは夢一杯なのが楽しい。空は一向晴れないが。何ということもない短信のみにて。

Although classes have finished, my working schedule is full. After the heavy duty of yesterday, as it was a day off today, I relaxed too much; when I woke up, it was already noon. Alas! I had only half a day today. What a shame! A precious Sunday was gone immediately. All I could do was just writing what I want to do in summer in my notebook. It doesn't matter if I can really accomplish it or not. The beginning of summer is nice because it lets me dream. The sky won't clear up. Thanks for reading my silly note!

九州では梅雨明けらしいが、関東地方はまだまだ厚雲に覆われている。夏休みなど遙か彼方。次々と課題が待っている。でも、7月も半ば。うかうかしていると秋草が出てくる。ハゲイトウが伸びているのを見た時には焦った。（待ってよ、冗談じゃない！）いつもこの季節には「さぁこれからだわ、何でもこい！」とオメデタイ万能感（？）に一瞬酔っぱらうのだが、ハッと気付くと新学期の前日ということのくり返し。ゆっくり行こう、鈍行列車に乗って。本日の更新は、先日の「武蔵小金井八重垣神社」の写真を少々。草ぼうぼうのところが気に入っています。

Reportedly the rainy season has gone in Kyushu. Not yet in Kanto. We're still under thick clouds. Summer holiday seems far away. Millions of tasks are waiting before that. However, it's already the middle of July. Every year at this time of the year, I am usually filled with a feeling that anything is possible: "Come on, summer is yet to start!" But in truth I always find myself at a loss on the last day of holidays. Anyway, Let me take time. Let me take a stopping local train wherever I may go. Today's update: photos of Koganei Yaegaki Inari Shrine. I like its grassy gardens.

July 17, 2007

乗り継いで40分以上費やすより、25分余り歩いていつもの電車に乗れればと雨の中をひたすら歩いた。残念ながら後一歩というところで目指す電車には届かなかったが、一本遅れただけだからまあよしとしよう。雨の朝は迷う。どの河川も増水していた。低く垂れ込めた雲を眺めながら被災地のことを考える。数年の間隔を置いただけで、同じ地域が襲われるとは。もし関東地方が直撃されたらどんなことになるだろう。本日の更新は表紙とこのページの写真です。雨天・曇天続きでさえないが、あの虹を。そして露を帯びたホタルブクロを。ささやかな美に希望を託して。

It was raining this morning. I couldn't go to the train station by bicycle as usual. I preferred walking for 25 minutes in rain than spending more than 40 minutes transferring several times. Unfortunately, I couldn't catch the train I wanted. but I should be satisfied to be in time for the next one. A rainy morning always puzzles me. I could see the water of rivers rising. Under the heavy clouds, I thought of the quake-hit area. Why were the same area attacked by earthquakes after an interval of only a few years? What if Kanto District were to be hit by great earthquakes? Today's update: photos in the index page and in this page. In spite of the darkness for the bad weather, I like that rainbow. I also like this tiny Campanula punctata wearing dews. I pray for hope in small beauty,

今日は「海の日」。台風一過、街は穏やかに見えるがおそらく海は未だ大荒れだろう。昨日油壺からのTV中継では、大波の打ち寄せる荒磯で、「観光客の姿は見えません」と当たり前のことをレポーターが叫んでいた。幸い関東地方はそれほどの被害もなく、夕方には雨も止んだ。外に出てみるといつもは頼りない空堀川に結構な量の水が瀬音をたてて流れていた。鈍色の雲間に大きな虹が見えた。暮色に包まれる前のほんのひとときの饗宴。本日は短信のみにて。どうぞよい休日を。・・・と書いて間もなく、上越地方で震度6の地震が発生した。TV画面には黒煙を上げる柏崎原発の変電施設が映し出されている。放射能漏れはない、といわれているが煙の色が禍々しい。津波警報も出た。昨年訪れた新潟の海岸線が思い出される。

It is Marine Day today. A day after the typhoon, instead of the seeming calmness in town, the sea must be still extremely rough. When I saw a real time report from Aburatsubo Beach yesterday, a TV crew was crying, "No tourists can be seen around here today!" with the outrageous waves hitting the rocks behind him. No wonder. Fortunately we didn't have any major harm from the typhoon this time in Kanto District. It stopped raining in the evening. I went out to see the River Karabori in my neighborhood. Unlike its usual modest stream, the river was running with abundant water with sound. I saw a big rainbow in clouds. It was a momentary feast before darkness. Today's update: this note only. Enjoy your holiday, Friends! ...Soon after I finished writing above, an earthquake of Magnitude 6 happened in Niigata Prefecture. TV news is showing the black smoke rising from a nuclear power station in Kashiwazaki. They say it's from a building of substation facilities. No radiation leakage is reported. The color of the smoke looks ominous. Tsunami warning is issued. I'm recalling the scenes of the beautiful shoreline of Niigata I visited last year.

数週間前は「降らない、降らない」と訝しがっていたものだが、今度は台風が大雨を連れてきた。西の方から徐々に関東地方に迫っている。台風は同じ国土内の「時差」を実感させる。激しい風雨や荒れ狂う波浪のTV映像に、常日頃街中だけで無防備に過ごす身はひたすら驚嘆するのみ。もちろん都市水害も増えているし、近郊の大河川の氾濫もあり得る。この連休は引き籠もっているしかなさそうだ。本日の更新は表紙ページの写真（東京都小金井市の「八重垣稲荷神社」）とこのページの写真（同所竹藪）です。所用の折りにふらりと立ち寄った。一見荒れた風情ながら、80, 90種が生い茂る『普段顔の野草園』を標榜している。まさに、「名もない雑草など存在しない」ことを思い知る。武蔵野の至る所がかつてはこのような草に深く覆われた平野だったのだろう。夏には武蔵野が歩いてみたくなってきた。

For months we were talking of the smallness of rainfall since spring: however, an enormous typhoon (the 14th of this year) has brought heavy rain to Japan. Gradually from the west, it is progressing to the east and the north. When a typhoon comes we can't help being conscious of "time-lag" in this country. At the terribly dynamic scenes on TV of winds, rain, rivers,, and waves, I am just astounded. I'm a feeble city dweller. Of course we have to be cautious about the increasing floods of waterways in crowded towns and those of big rivers in the suburbs. Anyway, I think I should keep home until the typhoon is gone. Today's update: photos of the index page (Yaegaki-Inari Shrine in Koganei-Shi, Tokyo) and this page (its bamboo bush). In the shrine, there are more than 80 to 90 kinds of wild grasses. They are "ordinary grasses you see anywhere." I believe Musashino Area used to be all covered with those grasses everywhere. I feel like walking around in Musashino in summer.

曇天の下、蒸し暑さの中で、カンナの赤と黄色が強烈な光を放つ。畑の直販小屋に自転車を止め、私はトウモロコシとドジョウインゲンを買う。畑の向こうの街道沿いに見える屋敷森は、もっともっとこんもりしていたのだがだいぶまばらになった。JR武蔵野線脇の自転車置き場付近にあったケヤキの大木は次々に切り倒され、この半年うちにとうとう一本もなくなってしまった。ついこの間、涼しげな枝を伸ばしていた最後の二本が見事に消えた。あとには真新しい切り株が残されている。根っこまで撤去するのはよほどたいへんな作業にちがいない。木の下を流れる疎水はいつまで枯れずにいるだろう。本日の更新は、「翻訳読書ノート」に、「34. メディカル・サイエンスの揺籃期」をアップしました。18世紀ロンドンの奇才、ジョン・ハンターの伝記を巡るミニエッセイです。結局そのほとんど全てを車中で読んだ。走る読書室にして仮眠室。そのうち通勤電車について何か書こう。

Under the gloomy clouds in the extreme humidity, red and yellow colors of canna are striking. I stop my bicycle by a stall beside the farm to buy kidney beans and some ears of corn. Beyond the farm is a wall of trees along the heavy traffic road. Once there were so many rich trees to protect farms and farm houses but recently trees are getting scarce. Huge zelcova trees which were near bicycle parking beside the station of JR Musashino Line were all cut down within half a year. Very recently the last two trees were lost. The new stumps are left. Probably it requires too much work to get rid of thier roots out of the earth. I wonder how long the stream beside them will last. Today's update: a very short review of a book about John Hunter, "The Knife Man," of 18 century London. (Only in Japanese.) It's a remarkable biography of an anatomist and surgeon. I read most of the book on the train, which is a reading room and a sleeping room for me. I would like to write something about it. I don't want the commuting time to be just a waste of my life.

七月となり関東地方、本日は小雨だった。舌禍事件を引き起こした「ショウガナイ」という表現、以前から気になっていた。アメリカ人の同僚が理の通じない組織上の問題にぶつかると、そこだけ日本語で「シカタガナイね」という。日本語にしかない独特の言い回しということか。今回の事件の英語ニュースではやはり"It couldn't be helped."と表現されている。手元の辞書でチェックすると"There is nothing you can do to change a bad situation"とある。「悪い状況を変えるためにあなたにできることは何もない」と。できることは何もなかった、だから甘受せよというのか。言霊が立ち上がって「否」といったように思えてならない。本日の更新は表紙の写真（台東区にある東京都立「旧岩崎邸庭園」洋館）とこのページの写真（同庭園内のアカンサス）です。

It's July. In Kanto District, it was raining quietly all day today. "Shouganai" is a Japanese expression which caused a political problem very recently. I've been concerned about it for a long time. I occasionally hear one of my colleagues from the US say in Japanese, "Shikataganai-ne!" She says this when she is stuck by some institutionalized problems. Probably she's feeling she can express her feeling only in this idiom. The statement of the politician is quoted in English as "It couldn't be helped.." According to a dictionary at hand the expression is defined as "There is nothing you can do to change a bad situation." So did the victims of A-bomb have to endure the disaster? I feel the spirit of words stand up to say "No!" Today's update; a photo in the index page (Kyu Iwasaki Gardens in Taito Ward, Tokyo) and acanthus in the garden.

June 28, 2007

久しぶりで近所を少し歩いた。空堀川沿いに繁り始めた夏草を眺めながら。今は未だ背の丈程度だが、草は間もなく猛烈な勢いで河原を埋め尽くすことだろう。 空梅雨の影響は如実に表れている。いつもなら水面に浮かんでいるカモが、細い足で歩き回りながら藻の繁殖した浅い水溜まりを突いている。酷暑が来るのだろうか。人の間で摩擦を繰り返しているばかりでは焼き切れてしまいそうになる。散策に適した気候とは言いがたいが、黙々と歩くだけで屈託が汗とともに蒸発していくような気がしてならない。短信のみにて。

I took a walk in my neighborhood. I haven't been out recently. I walked watching the summer grasses growing. At this moment, grasses are as tall as myself, but very soon, they will overgrow and cover the banks along the river. Due to the dry rainy season of this year, the amount of the water running in the River Karabori was so small. Ducks were not floating on the stream but they were walking on their thin feet pecking for food in the shallow water in which green moss-like plant was growing thickly. The water didn't look very good. I wonder if an extremely hot summer will come. I'm likely to be burned out if I keep working with various frictions among people. I need walking sometimes in spite of the weather. While I walk in silence, I feel all the stresses are going out of me with perspiration. Today's update: this note only.

ここしばらく忙しさにかまけて美容院から足が遠のいていたが、(植木屋の剪定のように）ようやく髪の毛をカットしてきた。バッサリという感じで実に軽くなった。「先生、失恋でもしたの？」と週明けの教室でめざとく指摘する学生。「いいですね、似合ってますよ」と誉めてくれる学生。今までよほどひどかったらしい。いくつになっても、おだてられると単純に嬉しい。ささいなことで人はハッピーになるものだ。本日は短信のみにて。

I had been away from a beauty salon because of my constant busyness. Eventually I sent to have my hair cut. Just like a gardener prunes overgrown branches and twigs, my hair was cut short drastically. After the haircut, I feel my head extremely lighter than before. On Monday morning one of my students talked to me, "Wow, did you lose love?" and another said, "How nice! Your new hairstyle suits you!" I see how horrible I was before. However old you grow, you feel good at compliment. Every little thing makes you happy. Today's update: this note only. Thanks!

「パラソルの分だけ日陰連れ歩く」などと呟きながら暑がっていたら、本日は一転して雨の日曜日だった。慈雨、というべきか。晴天の昨日、バラの花が抱いていた光に引き寄せられてシャッターを押す。バラ園の大輪ではなく、路傍の枯れかけの一輪。さてまた大車輪の一週間。さすのは日傘か雨傘か。「空と君との間には」いずれにしても仕切が入る。幸運なら余得もあろう。（うふ。）本日の更新はかの薔薇一輪。

"I walk with a shade as large as my parasol." It was so hot last week that I was walking grumbling such a phrase. It was a rainy Sunday. I should say it's the rain of heavenly gift. Yestereay (a sunny day) I was attracted by the light a rose was holding. I took a photo. It was not a large flower in a rose garden but rather a shabby one at a roadside. Well, a new week of extremely busy days are going to start again. I wonder which will come between me and the sky, an umbrella or a parasol? I wish for a good luck with one. Today's update: the rose.

確かに梅雨には見放されている。関東地方では連日カンカン照りが続く。お台場海浜公園に設営された「ノマディック美術館」へ『グレゴリー・コルベール ashes and snow』を見に行ってきた。会期終了一週間前の週末とあって混雑を予想していたが、さほどのこともなく異空間に入ることができた。未だ寒い頃、初めて電車の中吊り広告で象と向かい合って座る少年の写真を見た時から心そそられるものがあった。動物の記録写真展覧会ではなく、エコロジカルな提言でもなく、デジタル合成写真でもない、と周囲から聞こえる数々の解説もかまびすしく、如何なるものが展示されているのかと好奇心は募るばかりだった。ノマディック（遊牧民の、放浪する）という名称が示唆する通り、現地調達のコンテナと紙筒の柱・梁で組み立てられた移動可能な美術館は、解体を前提としている。

埋め立て地の広場で、その美術館が何よりサーカスのテントを連想させたと言ったら顰蹙を買うだろうか。サーカスの動物たちは調教されて人と共存する。だが、コルベールの動物たちはヒトの指示を受けて演技するのではなく、ヒトが動物にどこまで近寄ることが可能かをコルベールは示す。彼自身の鯨との遊泳、女性ダンサーの象とのコラボレーション、チータに寄り添う少女、類人猿とヒト(♀)のふれあい等々、いずれも驚異的でありながら決して不自然な作為を感じさせるものではない。見ているうちに、そのゆったりとしたリズムにこちらが同調していく。瞬間を焼き付けた写真には題名も解説もないので、ただ見入るしかない。エンドレスで流れる映像には緩やかな音楽とことばが被さるが、むろん解説ではなく、詩の朗読に近い。一度見ただけで把握出来るとも思えない。

この展覧会が見る者に与えるのは解釈でも解説でもなく、動物との共存体験といった方がいいだろう。少なくともあのコンテナと紙と布が囲った空間の中で、来場者はコルベールの差し出す世界に身体ごと入り込んでいく。ashes and snowは卓抜なウエッブサイトで概要を辿ることもできる。但し、小さなモニター上で得た予備知識を全て吹き飛ばすほどのパワーがノマディック美術館の中に充満していたことも事実だ。人を寄せる企画が成功を収めるには「真実」だけあってもダメだろう。些かの怪しさ、危うさ、不思議さも誘因となる。写真芸術がインスタレーションというパフォーマンスの要素を含み、ハコと共に壮大な興業に打って出た、そんな印象を持つ。見てきた夜は、夢うつつのうちに私も鯨と泳いでいる感覚がいつまでも続いていた。

本日の更新は表紙写真（ノマディック美術館と東京お台場の大観覧車）とこのページの写真（ザクロの花）です。少し長くなりすぎた短信も。ご容赦を。

We've been desperately cut out from the rain. It has been shining for weeks in Kanto District. I went to the nomadic museum set up at a seaside park in Odaiba to see gregory collbert's "ashes and snow." Although I had expected crowd of visitors on the weekend one week before the finale, I didn't have to wait long before I was admitted into the magical space. When I saw a photo of a boy with a book sitting in front of a crouching elephant for the first time by a poster in a train in March, I was strongly impressed by its incomparable uniqueness. They were saying ashes and snow is not an exhibition of natural animal photography, ecological campaign, nor digitally treated feat; so I was more than curious to know what it would really be. As it is nomadic, the museum is portable with containers which were colleted in the place of exhibition, poles and beams made of paper. It will be deconstructed after the exhibition in Tokyo to move to the next place.

Is it offensive to say I had an impression that the nomadic museum reminded me of a tent of a circus when I found it in a landfill? The big difference is, however, in that animals of a circus are tamed and trained but in collbert human beings go as close as possible to animals; they are not ordered to act for humans. collbert swims with whales, a female dancer collaborate with elephants, a girl sits close to cheetahs, a chimpanzee and a woman touch each other, and so on are all astounding but don't look artificial. While watching them, I felt like being synchronized with their slow movements. Still photos which capture moments of life have no comments in words, and so audience can only keep watching them. Videos were endlessly projected on screens, where subtle music and words were inserted but they were like poetry rather than explanation. I doubt anyone can grasp the whole work immediately.

This exhibition won't give us any interpretation or explanation but the chance to experience the world where animals (including human beings) coexist. At least in the space surrounded by containers, paper and clothes, visitors are admitted body and soul to go into the world which collbert presents. Of course you can visit the excellent website of ashes and snow: however, it is true that inside of the museum was the overwhelming power which blows away simulation of all kinds. In order to collect a huge number of audiences, "truth" cannot be the only factor necessary; you need dubious, risky, and mysterious factors as well. In ashes and snow, the art of photography is combined with performances in installation most effectively in the space of the nomadic museum. At night after I saw the exhibition, I kept dreaming I was swimming with whales myself. Today's update: the photo in the index page (the nomadic museum and the Ferris wheel at Odaiba) and the one here in this page (flowers of pomegranate). Also this note (sorry for being lengthy)!

ようやく本格的な入梅かと思いきや、本日は見事な夏日。夜半の雨のあと、朝方の雲は瞬く間に消え、 目眩く青空が拡がった。西には未だ頂上に雪の残る富士山、東には筑波山を望み、関東平野を囲む青い山脈が美しかった。本日の更新はこのひとことだけ。

When the real rainy season was about to start, we had a perfect summer day.. After the rain at night, early morning clouds were gone immediately and the brilliant blue sky appeared. In the west was Mt. Fuji whose top was still covered with the snow, and in the east was Mt. Tsukuba. The Kanto Plain was surrounded with purple mountain ranges. Today's update: nothing but this memo.

学生の自習用語学サイトをあちこち検索していて、最近は実に多彩なものがオンラインでしかもフリーで提供されていることに改めて驚いた。とりわけ本日の発見は（といっても今まで私が知らなかっただけです）BBC Learning English。数行で説明するのが不可能なほど多岐に亘るページで構成されているのだが、例えば「語彙チェック」はただの「単語クイズ」ではなく、あくまでも文脈付きで推測させつつスペルアウトさせるのが巧みだ。時間制限が付いていて、タイムアウト前に勝負しなくてはならない。おまけに完成した文を「聴いてみる」という機能があり、いかにもな英国アクセントで短文が読み上げられる。文法クイズは四択でチャレンジしたい項目がリストの中から選べる。リスニングに特化したい場合はキーワードの解説付きのページからおもむろに。たまたまアップされていた前首相ジョン・メージャー氏のクリケットに対する熱い話が聞けた。玉石混淆のYouTubeのような「投稿サイト」でコピーライトも何のその、生の英語を聞くのも楽しいがBBCでお勉強するのも悪くない。外国語学習は生涯続く楽しみ。

While I was searching e-learning (self study) websites for students, I was really astonished to find various language learning sites are provided online recently for free. Today's special discovery for me was BBC Learning English. It's hard to explain what it is like in a few words. The site is full of exercises, materials, files, and suggestions. For example, there is a page for vocabulary check entitled WARDMASTER. It's not merely a simple word for word quiz but let learners to guess a word in context and spell out. You have to finish within the limited time. In addition, when you find the right word to fill in, you can click the "Listen" button by which you are able to listen to the completed sentence read with real British accent. At Quizes & Exams, you can choose what you want from long lists. If you are interested in learning listening, you can open specialized page for that purpose. Today I happened to find a material on cricket, where the former British Prime Minister Mr. John Major is talking with enthusiasm. It's good to listen to YouTube where high quality things and rubbish coexist for real English alive; however, it's better to "study" with BBC online sometimes. The joy of learning a foreign language last as long as we live.

朝から雷が鳴っている。これからいかほど降ることか。更新した表紙とこのページの写真は義母を伴って先週見に行った東京都東村山市北山公園の菖蒲田です。当日は未だ一、二分咲きだった。今週はさぞ賑やかに咲き競っていることだろう。曇天や雨空の似合う花だ。スイレンも開いていたけれど、スイレンは明るい日射しの中でも水面に映えて涼しげだからやはり梅雨時の主役は花菖蒲と思う。紫陽花は別格。（今週あたり白山神社へ寄れたらいいな。）庭の紫陽花も咲き始めのおずおずとした桃色から、もう妖艶な青紫にまで花の色は移りつつある。徒に、とは言うまい。降ろうが降るまいが、花には花の時計が仕組まれている。都会の公園は貧弱な自然の模倣だと毒づきたくなる日も多々あるが、逞しく咲いては散る花を見ている限りそんな戯れ言も萎れてしまう。6月は案外厳しい直線コース。照っても降っても、湿度を振り払いながら爽やかに振る舞えるしたたかさの要る時期である。

Since early in the morning, thunders have been heard. I wonder how much it would rain today. Photos I uploaded on the index page and here are both those I took last week at Kitayama Park, Higashimurayama, Tokyo. I took my mother-in-law to enjoy iris; however, only 10 % of the whole iris garden was in bloom. Perhaps you can see more than a half this week. Iris suits cloudy sky and rain more than any other flowers. Water lily is all right too, but because it suits sunshine and blue sky reflecting on the water, iris should be the queen of the rainy season. Hydrangea is an exception. (I hope I'll be able to go to Hakusan Shrine to see hydrangea this week!) Starting with the naive pink, hydrangea in my garden has grown into glamorous purple already. Flowers of hydrangea change their colors not in vain. Rain or shine, they live with their own clock inside. Sometimes I feel like cursing parks in the megalopolis calling them as the poor imitation of the grand nature, my words wither at the vitality of flowers. June is actually a hard season going straight without any special holidays. We are required to behave with cool appearance, shaking off the persistent humidity.

雨月といいながら本格的な梅雨はまだ来ない。各地の貯水池の水位が下がり、夏場の渇水が懸念されている。そういえば時折驟雨に見舞われるものの、しとしと降り続くこの季節特有の雨にはご無沙汰だ。学生たちが「このまま夏にならないかな」といっているのが聞こえた。天気の話など滅多にしない彼らであるのに。降れば鬱陶しがるくせに降らなければまたそれで気に掛かる。天然自然は人間の思惑と関係ないところで千変万化する。武蔵野線でボンヤリ外を眺めていたら、川に釣り人が見えた。何を釣っているのだろう。「趣味は釣りです。」という学生も何人かいる。荒川、江戸川、利根川などへ休みになると出かけていくらしい。川面を見つめている人々には今年の水量に何か変化が感じられるのだろうか。本日の更新は、「翻訳読書ノート」のページに出版社の新ブログへのリンクを付けたことです。私のささやかな読書エッセイもまとめて外部でアクセス出来るようになったとのこと。よろしければ、こちら【TranRadar電子辞書Shop blog】です。

The real rainy season has yet to come. Reportedly water reservoirs everywhere mark low level of pondage and there are serious drought worries in coming summer. To our astonishment, we haven't had the typical Japanese persistent rain characteristic to this season. I overheard students say that they wish summer to come skipping the rainy season. I was a little surprised because they seldom talk about the weather. If it rains, we are sure to complain, but if it does not rain we are easily worried. The great nature changes regardless of human beings. When I was looking out of the window on Musashino Railway Line, I found some people angling in a river. I wondered what they were fishing. I know some students who like to go fishing. They go to the River Ara, Edo, and Tone on holidays. Have those anglers been aware of some changes in water recently? Today's update; a new link to a blog provided by a publisher. My short book reviews on translated books are also collected there. The blog is all in Japanese, but if you please, here it is!

雨月到来。紫陽花が咲き初める。各地で夏祭り。本郷大横丁も地元の三河稲荷神社御遷座400年の大祭があった。祭り当日はいけなかったけれど、先週末の宵宮には御輿について歩いた。担ぎ手の軽妙なステップとかけ声に魅了される。さすが下町、路地裏は瞬く間に祝宴場となる。若者もお年寄りもいなせな法被で決めると、一体に。見物も端っこで興奮のお裾分けに与る。聞けば湯島から駆けつけた長老は、祭りになるとじっとしていられないのだとか。ハレとケがくっきり分かれる初夏の日射しに、そろそろ梅雨雲が近付く。花菖蒲は未だ一分咲き。時よ駆けていくなと願うだけ。本日の更新は「本郷三河神社御遷座大祭宵宮御輿」です。表紙とこのページの紫陽花は東村山市萩山の遊歩道にて。

June, the rainy month has come. Hydrangea has started blooming. At Oyokocho, Hongo, Tokyo, Mikawa Shrine celebrated the 400th anniversary of its relocation and had a festival. I observed the eve of the festival, when a gorgeous portable shrine was carried on shoulder by local people. I followed the small shrine along the main street and back alleys. Steps of the delegation, their festive cries were so exciting that I was affected by the fever of the festival so easily. At the downtown, a back alley turned out to be a good place for a party. The young and the old got together and enjoyed the festival. Even I was invited to have a cup of beer! One of the elder mikoshi-carriers said he came to help from Yushima, another famous town not far from Hongo, He becomes impatient when festival season starts. He said he could never remain quiet once he heard of festivals. Every week, he goes to a festival of somewhere to carry mikoshi (small portable shrine). Meanwhile, the rain is approaching. Iris is not in full bloom yet. Both photos on the cover page and here, are hydrangea growing in the promenade of Hagiyama, Higashimurayama, Tokyo. Today's update: Mikoshi at the eve of the 400th year of Mikawa Shrine Festival,

毎日「ノウリンスイサン」ということばを見聞きする。農・林・水・産。一文字ずつ眺めていると雄大な風景が躍動するようだ。だが、今ノウリンスイサンはピンチらしい。一介のシュフがマーケットへ行ってもよくそう感じる。例えばショウガを手に取る。一つは\100（中国から）。もう一つは\250（高知県から）。さてどちらを買う？一介の読者が毎晩少しずつ読んでいる本のタイトルは『オオカミを放つ』。増えすぎた鹿の害から山林、農産物を守るために絶滅したオオカミを導入して自然の食物連鎖を復活させられないかと提案している。比喩ではない、本物のオオカミだ。捕鯨を巡る各国の思惑はすれ違い続ける。子どもの頃給食に出た鯨の竜田揚げはうまかった。天然の資源は不尽ではないし、ノウリンスイサン業は科学技術の力でどうにかなるものではない。確かなのはここをおざなりにしたら「食えなくなる」ということ。今すぐにではないにしても、いずれは。食べ物を巡って争いが起きる。国と国の間にだけではなくもっとローカルに、また生き物同士の間に。毎日台所に立っていると、ノウリンスイサンは余所事ではない。ノウリンスイサンを食い物にすまじ。畏敬の念をこそ。本日の更新は短信のみにて。

"The agriculture, forestry and fisheries industry" attracts our attention every day. When I watch each of the names, they evoke grand views in my imagination. However, the industry is considered to be in a risky situation. I feel that as a housekeeper. For example, pick up a ginger block: one imported from China costs \100; whereas, another produced in Kochi, Japan costs \250. Which one would you choose? The title of a book which I read slowly every night is entitled Release Wolves: they discuss in this book the possibility of letting wolves (which were extinguished a century ago in Japan) live in the forest again to revive the natural food chain and reduce the number of increased deer which destroy the vegetation of forests and farms. Wolves are not in a metaphor. Over whale hunting, opinions of numerous countries never reach a peaceful agreement. I remember the delicious taste of fried whale which were served at school lunch in my childhood. Natural resources are boundless and no technology can save them. Surely we will starve if we neglect this industry if not today but in the future. Food can be the cause of battles; not only between nations but also between more local groups, and between species. To a cook at home, "the agriculture, forestry and fisheries industry" is not a far away issue. Never exploit them. Respect them. Today's update: this notes only.

前回の写真は小石川後楽園大泉水の情景（表紙ページ）と同園内庭のスイレン（更新・短信ページ）だった。後ほど短信を書き込むといいながら、何も書かずに今日まできてしまった。（失礼いたしました！）本日取り替えた写真もまた、表紙は小石川後楽園の田圃です。（このページは今花盛りの近所のセンダン。）都心を抜け出せば田植えの終わった水田があっちにもこっちにも拡がっているのに違いないが、先週は都会の森の中でこんな田園風景を楽しませてもらった。武蔵野線沿線には田圃の景色が殆どない。こんなに広い関東平野なのに耕作地はどんどん減っている。ついこの前まで休耕地となって草ぼうぼうだったところにシャベルカーやブルドーザーが走り回り、猛烈な勢いで宅地造成が進む。こんな風にバリバリやっていってよいのだろうか、日本は。

Previous photos were taken at Koishikawa Gardens: the lake (of the index page) and lotus in the inner garden (of this page). Although I promised I would write some message later, I could not.. Sorry! Today's photos in the index page shows the rice field where young rice leaves had been just planted in Koishikawa Gardens, and the one here shows flowers of satinwood (Melia azedarach) in my neighborhood. When you go out of the megalopolis, you may see boundless rice fields everywhere. I enjoyed the scenery of fresh rice fields in an urban garden. Recently less and less rice fields are seen along Musahino Line. In spite of the huge plain, farming land is decreasing rapidly. Where there used to be land out of cultivation, houses are being constructed with bulldozers running around. Is it really the way we should go here in Japan?

緑したたる五月。喩えようもない。取りあえず表紙とこのページの写真だけ差し替えて、短信はまた後ほど。

Green overwhelms the world in May. Nothing can be compared to it. Let me just put photos in the index page and here. I'll write some notes lates. See you!

五月晴れより雨・風・嵐の方が多いこの頃、そろそろ梅雨に近付いてきたようだ。学生たちとの街歩きが続いている。今週はショートコースで本郷大横丁地元の三河神社、本郷給水所公苑、東京都水道歴史館、本郷元町公園を回った。いずれも小振りな施設ながら、この街には思いがけない奥行きがあることを知って学生たちは驚いている。私自身、20年余りの本郷通いの間に土地の魅力に気付いたのは、ついこの5、6年のことである。人々は「都心にキャンパスのある地の利」を唱えるが、通学と就活に交通至便であること以上の意味が認識されているだろうか。もっとも私も声高に言い立てるつもりはない。知る人ぞ知る、というのもいいものだ。若者たちは目の当たりにする建物・施設が取り壊しや転用の対象となっていることを知ると、「もったいない。残して欲しい」と言う。しかし、保存にかかる経費、転用の産む新たな価値のことにはまだ想像が及ばない。余所者の目で見て「魅力」であるものが、必ずしも住民にとっての「メリット」にならない場合もある。街はテーマパークではない。街を観察するだけなのか、街で生きるのか、それが問題だ。雑誌のグラビアや街歩き系の本には載らない本郷を今しばし探索し続けようと思う。学生たちはすぐに飽きてしまうだろうか。本日の更新は表紙（本郷給水所公苑バラ園）とこのページの写真の写真（本郷給水所公苑石樋脇のアカツメクサ）です。昨日までの写真は「掲載写真帖」に移動しました。

We have more rainy days, windy days, and stormy days even than beautiful May days recently. I guess the real rainy season is around the corner. I've been going out into the town of Hongo with students. This week, we went to several spots close to our campus: Mikawa Shrine, Hongo Water Station Park, the Museum of Tokyo Water Supplies, Hongo Motomachi Park. They are all comparatively small facilities but students were quite amazed to find these places existing in the area they thought they had known. It has been for 5 or 6 years since I realized the charm of this town although I've been working in Hongo for more than 21 years. People often talk about "the privilege of being in Hongo": however, does it mean more than the accessibility for commuting and for business purposes? Certainly I have no intention to start a campaign for Hongo, but I just enjoy being there in my way. Young students say, "Mottainai (It's a pity) to break down the old buildings and construct new ones or divert the place for other purposes." They are in a sense reasonable but they still don't see the other side of the town. To preserve something old often costs much more than to construct something new for diverse purposes. Something attractive to visitors are not always profitable for residents of the town. A town is not a theme park. To observe a place is one thing and to live there is another. I would like to go on exploring Hongo with its attractions which no gravure pages or tourists books display. I wonder how long students' interest will continue. Today's update: the photo in the index page (the rose garden of Hongo Water Station Park) and the one in this page (Trifolium pratense) . Old photos are in "Cover Photos."

母を訪ねたら庭に楚々とした白い花が一輪、二輪咲いていた。おや、どこかで見たようなと近付いてみるとヤマシャクヤクだった。「どうしたの？」と問うと、「この前大國魂神社の植木市で見つけてきたのよ」と。父の存命中にはよく二人で行っていた市だ。私も付いていったことがある。小一時間一緒にお茶を飲んで「じゃ、またね」。花を愛でる母の気質を少しずつ受け継いで私も年を重ねていく。こんな花を山路に見つけたら、さぞ喜ばしいことだろう。思いがけず里で母が見せてくれた嬉しさ。今の時期、関東平野に山影はない。本日の更新は上の写真を一枚です。

When I visited my mother, I saw a few lovely white flowers in her garden. I went close o them and found they were "yamashakuyaku" (Brachyta bifasciata japonica or Paeonia japonica?). "Why do you have this plant here?" I asked. She said, "I went to the plant fair at Okunitama Shrine and bought it." That's a holiday fair to which my parents used to go together while my father was alive. I had been there with them too. I had tea with my mother and said, "See you soon" after only an hour. It seems I'm inheriting the mentality of my mother who loves plants gradually. She grows older, and so do I. If you happen to find these flowers in mountains, how blissful you may feel! I'm happy to see them in my mother's garden. We can hardly see mountains living in the middle of the Kanto Plain in this season. Today's update: the photo above.

各地に強風が吹き荒れた一日、関東平野は都心で風速26kmを記録したとのこと。自転車をこいで駅に向かう途中も木々のざわめき、向かい風の抵抗などいつもと違うと感じていた。果たして、武蔵野線は大幅な遅れ。十分余裕を見て出たつもりだったが、そのまま駅で待機し続けるのも惜しいような気がして別の経路をとる決心をした。通常新小平から南流山まで座りっぱなしで53分のところ、新小平からタクシーでJR西国分寺まで行きそこから中央線・総武線と取り次いで秋葉原からつくばエクスプレスで南流山へ向かうことに。新小平から西国分寺までは電車でたった一駅なのに、朝の道路は込んでいて25分もかかってしまった。（判断を誤ったかと早くも後悔。）ようやく乗った中央線もノロノロ運転が続く。（まずい、と益々後悔。）秋葉原に着いたのは8:50頃。ホームから教務課に電話して学生に待っているよう指示してもらう。（この段階で40分の遅刻を覚悟。）秋葉原での乗り換えは延々と構内を移動する。（汗）南流山駅に着いて驚く。ホームは乗客で溢れ階段まで歩くのもままならない。（武蔵野線から流れてきた人たちがホームを埋めていたらしい。）武蔵野線の改札口では駅員と集まった乗客が押し問答をしている。（何処も同じだったらしいと妙に納得。）そういえば何度も車内アナウンスで止まっている路線の案内があった。さすがに今日は居眠りする暇も読書する余裕もなくぴったり40分遅れで教室にたどり着いた。扉を開けると、学生たちが「やっと着きましたね」と笑っている。彼らも三々五々集まってきたらしい。一時間足らずの授業でできたことは余りないのだが、二時間半でたどり着いただけでも慶賀の至りだった。それに耐える体力を回復出来ていたことを感謝したい気分だ。早くもゴールデンウィークに蓄えたエネルギーを使い果たしてしまった気がするけれど。ああ、青嵐。

Reportedly it was blowing hard all over Japan today. In Kanto Plain, even in the middle of Tokyo, it blew with a wind speed of 26 km/h. While I was riding on a bicycle from home to the railway station, I was feeling something unusual in the noisy rustling of leaves and the difficulty of going against the headwind. At Shinkodaira Station, I found Musashino Line was extremely delayed. I made up my mind to take a different route to my work place. (Usually I take JR Musashino line from Shinkodaira to Minaminagareyama: it takes me 53 minutes.) Today I decided to go to Nishikokubujni by taxi, catch JR Chuo Line to Ochyanomizu, change for Soubu Line to Akihabara, and take Tsukuba Express to Minaminagareyama. Unexpectedly, however, the road was crowded and it took me more than 25 just to go from Shinkodaira to Nishikokubunji. (I was already repentant to my decision!). Chuo Line went irritatingly slowly. (I was more repentant.) I arrived at Akihabara at 8:50, where I made a phone call to the school office and asked to make students wait until I go. (I knew I would be at least 40 minutes late then.) I almost ran in Akihabara Station to change for Tskuba Express. (It really is a long way!) On my arrival, I was surprised to find so many passengers on the platform of Minaminagareyama Station. I had a hard time just to approach the escalator. It seemed passengers transferring from Musashino Line to Tsukuba Express were waiting for the train. At the entrance of Musashino Line passengers and station staff were arguing. (I understood the line was confusing everywhere.) Eventually I arrived at Nagareyama Campus and opened the door of the classroom. Students were there smiling and said, "Here you are at last!" It seemed many of them were late too. We could do very little within less than an hour; however, I was glad we could have a class anyway. It took me 2 hours and 30 minutes from home to school. I was glad because I was healthy enough to endure the early morning ordeal in this way. I feel I've spent all the energy I charged during the Golden Week already! Oh, what a spring storm we had today!

雨上がりの朝、オオムラサキツユクサがみずみずしい。武蔵野線沿線もみどり、みどり。僅かに残る水田に水が張られて。いよいよ田植えだろうか。本日の更新は表紙の写真（五月初めの「三四郎池」）と線路端に咲くオオムラサキツユクサです。心まで洗われる。以前の写真は「掲載写真帖」に収めました。

After the rain, Oomurasaki-tsuyukusa (Tradescantia virginiana) above looks very fresh. Along Musashino Line, landscape is colored with rich green everywhere. There still remain rice fields, in which water is filled. They are waiting for rice planting. Today's update: photos on the index page (Sanshiro Pond in the campus of the University of Tokyo, Hongo, Tokyo) and the one above. I feel my heart is purified with them all. Old photos are stored in the page of "Cover Photos."

ようやく復調する頃には連休も終わり、いつもの慌ただしい生活に戻っている。おかげで（？）例年になく静かなゴールデンウィークを過ごした。（と、負け惜しみを言っておこう。）休み明けの今日、15人の学生たちと大学の地元本郷界隈を散策した。四年間通学して、何も見ず、何も知らずに通り過ぎてしまうのではもったいない。一時間半で、炭団坂、菊坂下、一葉の井戸、鐙坂、長泉寺、徳田秋声旧居、本郷館、東大正門、三四郎池、赤門、本郷三丁目と一回り。最後はスターバックスでお茶にする。もう少し風情のある店に行ければ良かったが、なにせ一気にこの人数では門前払いされてしまう。それでも、「僕スタバに入るの初めてです」という人もいたし、「ホントにいいんですか」と心配してくれる人もいた。三四郎池の端を歩きながら、「百年前からこうですかね」といつもは寡黙な青年が呟いていたのが印象的だった。「あれが安田講堂？ちちゃくねぇ？」という声も聞こえてきたけれど。何でも直に見ることが尊いのだろう。この頃街についての本が気になる。その一方、目下最も興味をかきたてられているのは『オオカミを放つ』という本だ。回をあらためて感想を書いておこうと思う。両極を行き来しながら、現代についてあれこれ考えている。本日は短信のみにて。

When I recovered from cold, the Golden Week break was over. My bustling life has started again. Thanks to my illness (?), I spent rather a quiet week. On the first day of my ordinary working life, I took a walk in Hongo area with 15 students. I thought it would be a shame for them not to know anything about where they are spending their precious days at college. We went to Tadon-zaka, Kikuzaka, Ichiyou's well, Abumi-zaka, Chousen-ji T