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Friday 30/12/2005
残すところ一日で、あと何が出来るだろう。未完の企てがいくつもあるのに。結局年を越すのだろうか。ダメだなぁと自分でも呆れている。ボンヤリしていた時間を拾い集めれば、もっと色々なことが出来たかもしれない。いつもは夕刻仕事帰りに慌ただしく寄る八百屋、豆腐屋、パン屋、薬局、洋品店、マーケットなどへ真っ昼間から出没するものだから、あちこちで「あれ、お休み？」と声がかかる。「そうなの。ノンビリよ」とこたえ、少しずつ買い物をして歩く。「なんか今日良いですね、こう、スッキリとして」とお世辞を言った八百屋のお兄さんから三浦大根を一本。こんな風に何ということもない日が暮れてまた一年が過ぎていく。本日の更新は『ギャラリー余白』中、「静物」にaoの新作です。油彩構成で、「ケーキ箱とウズラの卵と赤い竹籤」とのこと。竹籤の赤がいけないと酷評されてきた模様。
What else can I do in the last day of a year? I have several things I should have done. Are they going to be postponed until next year? What an idiot, I say to myself. If I had been more efficient, I could have accomplished more. Well, well. Although I usualy stop over at shops hurriedly on my way home from work, I visited a greengrocer's, a tofu shop, a bakery, a drug store, a clothing store, and a small market during the daytime. Voices said to me, "Are you on holiday?" "Yes, I am," I said, shopping here and there. I bought a large daikon from a young man of a greengrocer's who flattered to me, "You look cool today." Like this an ordinary day passed and a year has come to an end.Today's update: ao's new work in "Still Life", in "Gallery Margins." It's a composition of oil painting, with a box of cakes, three eggs of a quail, and three red sticks. Ao said the red color of the sticks was severely criticized by an instructor of the art school.

Wednesday 28/12/2005
いよいよ押し詰まってきた。末広がりの八の日で縁起がよいからと、今日はミニ門松に輪飾りをかけて門柱にくくりつける。老いたりといえど姑が年中行事を仕切る。まだまだ私は使い走りの助手と言ったところ。数日前から鮭を切り分けたり、野菜を買い込んだり、神社へ行って古いお札を納め、新しいものを受けてきたり。甥や姪、姉妹達の集まる恒例の忘年会は私流に和洋折衷のアラカルト料理でOKだが、正月準備は義母の流儀で進行する。かつては価値観の衝突じみたこともあったが、どちらもそれぞれいい年になり矛を収める知恵もついた。一年に一度、このときばかりはとりわけ素直に従うがよろしいと覚悟(?!)を決めて。それもまた愉し。本日の更新はエッセイ「徒歩記 3 東京の水流--玉川上水を中心に」です。ご用とお急ぎでない方はどうぞ。昨日「ノロウィルスにやられたらしい」と呻っていたはずの高校生はもう飛び出していった。昨年まではよく料理を手伝っていたのだが....。
Little time is left before the very end of this year. Because it's 28th, a day including the number 8, which in Japanese is considered to be lucky, we settle the pine decoration at the gate to celebrate the coming year. The eldest of our family, my mother-in-law, supervise the customs of this season. I am a sort of her assistant. Following her orders, I have been cutting a big salmon, going shopping for vegetables, visiting a local shrine to exchange old paper charms to the new ones, and so on. I can cook whatever I like for my party inviting my sister, sister-in-law, and their children, but for the new-year's customs my mother-in-law is the boss. We used to fight (?!) against each other's sense of value, we've learned the wisdom to get along. Once a year, it's time for me to be very obedient. It's not so bad actually! Today's update: an essay entitled "Tamagawa Jousui." Sorry, only in Japanese. BTW, my daughter, a high school student, who was suffering from norovirus yesterday has already gone out. I remember she was quite helpful with cooking last year, though.

Sunday 25/12/2005
数ヶ月間回し続けていたサイクルを離れ、時間を余り気にしないで過ごす。ようやく少しずつ体中の「こり」がほぐれてきたように感じる。久しぶりに雑木林の中へ入ったら、下草は刈られ、余分な枝が払われ、すっかり冬支度。少し離れたところにあったテニスコートは持ち主を失って以来、球音が消え歓声も消えまだ行き先も定まらないらしい。三連休となったクリスマス休暇最後の日曜日、教会からは楽しそうな集会の声が漏れていたが、郊外の街は静まりかえっている。平和という祝福。本日の更新は(1)「むさしのすけっち」 (2)「ギャラリー余白」中『静物』にaoの油彩「バスケットボール」と針金オブジェ「アヒル」 (3)このページの写真↑「ライトアップされた東京駅舎」です。(昨日までここにあったRout 434沿いの銀杏並木の写真は「ギャラリー余白」「本郷・黄葉の銀杏」に移しました。)大晦日まであと一週間。みなさまどうかご自愛下さい。
Away from the routine which has been cycling for months, I'm spending time leisurely. Gradually I feel the stiffness of my body and mind as well is vanishing eventually. When I went into the small woods, I found it well cleaned for the winter season; dried grass has been cleared, twigs cut. The huge tennis court not far has been soundless since it lost its owner. Nobody knows who would buy it yet. On Christmas Sunday, the suburban town was quiet except a church from which merry voices of people could be heard. It's the blessing of peace. Today's upload: (1)、"Musashino Sketch" (2)ao's works in "Still Life" of Gallery in Margins, and (3) the photo above; Tokyo Railway Station brightly lit. Please have a good week at the very end of this year, friends!

Thursday 22/12/2005
冬至の今日、仕事部屋の扉を閉めて表に出ると、暮れなずむ街は行き交う車のヘッドライト・テールライト、高層ビルの窓の明かり、高架線を行く電車などで光の渦だった。実質的に今日が仕事納めの人達が多いのだろう、幹線道路はいつにもまして混雑している。銀杏はもう殆ど散って道路端に吹き溜まっている。秋からこっち、街に捕らえられたまま追いかけられるように過ごしてきた。冷たい風に巻かれながら広い横断歩道を小走りに渡る。疲れた。しばし休もう。本日の更新は久々に「ギャラリー余白」中『静物』にao作「キリン」です。（正確に言うとキリンは静物などではないけれど。）スケッチに動物園へ行ったのは5月。先週末の東京都高等学校中央展への出品作です。「キリンを描く必然性は？」と聞いたら「描きたかったから。」（う～ん、問答になっていない。）
On the winter solstice, I went out of my office to find the flood of light in the darkening town: headlight and tail light of cars, lighted windows of skyscrapers, glittering train running on the elevated tracks. Virtually it was the last working day of this year for many people. Main strees were crowded by people and cars more than usual. Gingko trees are almost bold and leaves are blown at their feet. Since the beginning of autumn, I've been living so busily, captured by cities with various duties running after me. Blown by the cold wind, I trotted through a pedestrian crossing. Quite tired, I need a break. Today's update: ao's work is coming back. This time an oil painting. "Giraffes." (Well , giraffes are not really still life at all.) she went to a zoo for sketcing in May and submitted it to an exhibition for high school students in Tokyo last week. "What made you draw giraffes?" I aksed. She said, "Cause I wanted to." Can't be a dialogue.

Monday 19/12/2005
朝はギリギリで家を飛び出しているのに、駅に着いてみるとホームは乗客で満杯。架線事故らしい。そのまま間引き運転の電車を待つべきか、別ルートで行くべきか、咄嗟に判断しなくてはならない。今朝は思い切ってタクシー乗り場へ走り、別路線の最寄り駅へ直行した。どうせ遅れると分かってはいても気持ちが焦る。年末に向かって不測の事態も多くなる。気を付けなくては。先週の「寄り道」を写真ページにアップしてみた。郊外散歩はしばらくお預けで、今回も町歩き。本郷をうろつける日の残りが少なくなってきた。本日の更新は、「いのちのすがお 2」に入り口があります。今回は「ギャラリー余白」からも入れます。いずれからなりと、江戸趣味の金魚屋、「金魚坂」へご案内いたします。さあどうぞ。
Every morning I stay home as long as I can and rush to a railway station for work. This morning, when I arrived at the satiaon, the platforms were full of passengers. It seemed there was an accident. Trains were delayed. I had to judge whether I should wait for the train to come or to find another route. I decided to take a taxi to a staion of a different railway. Although I knew I would surely be late whatever I might do, I was quite impatient. There might be more of this kind of accidents and happenings at the end of a year. I have to be careful indeed. I managed to upload a record of my biref walking of a week ago. I haven't been able to walk in the suburbs recently. I have to satisfy myself by walking in town. Anyway, the rest of the days when I can walk around in Hongo Area are short. Today's update: the entrance is in Lives Around 2 and also in Gallery in Margines. Please go through either of them. I'll show you a goldfish market in Hongo, "Kingyo-Zaka." Won't you come with me?

Friday 16/12/2005
12月の飛び去る早さ。既に「よいお年を」などと言い交わしながらすれ違う人々もいるけれど。まだまだ今年を抜け出す前にしておかなくてはならないことが山積みで、身も心も緩まない。振り返るには早すぎる。再び週末らしくない週末。一瞬車窓から見えた、夕焼けに浮かび上がる紫色の山並み。思わず立ち上がったとたん視界を遮る家並み。いつかきっとと胸に刻む願い。さあもう一息。残念、本日も更新に至らなかった。ご容赦のほど。
How fast December flies! There are people who pass by saying, "I wish you a happy new year!" I still have a lot to do before I go out of this year. Not yet the time for relaxation. It’s too early for retrospect yet. Another weekend with little break is coming. For a moment I saw the purple silhouette of the mountain range far away against sky at the sunset. I stood up just to be interrupted by buildings. I pray for the chance to come when I can go and see . . . . OK, one more step! Sorry, I couldn't update anything today. Thanks for your tolerance.

Monday 12/12/2005
クリスマスソングの季節になった。あと僅かでお暇する学校の授業では、毎年今頃学生のリクエストで歌詞を読んだり歌を聴いたり。先週はヘンデルのオラトリオ『メサイア』から「ハレルヤコーラス」を。歌詞をじっくり読んだことのある人は少ないと思いきや、中・高時代に合唱でやったという人が沢山いて驚いた。私も学生時代は毎年大学の聖歌隊がプロの独唱者、オーケストラと共演する『メサイア』を聞きに行っていたのを思い出す。本当は自分も歌いたかったのだが、パートのテストを受けるはずの日に試験官の上級生が音楽室に現れなかったため、お流れに。今週はポップスでWham!のスタンダードナンバー"Last Christmas"。ポップスは何といっても魅力的なリフレインに聞き手が酔うように出来ている。来週は何にしようか今から考えるのも楽しい。町歩きの最中、面白い写真を撮ったのだが、加工している暇がないのでまたいずれ。いつの間にやら師走も既に中旬となる。本日は短信のみにて。
It's the season of Christmas songs. At the school which I will quit soon, I've made it a custom to enjoy reading lyrics and listening to Christmas related music in December. Last week, we listened to "Hallelujah" from Handel's Messiah. To my surprise, many of the students know the music and lyrics very well as they used to sing the song in chorus when they were high school students. As for me, I used to go to the concert where our college choir played "Messiah" with professional soloists and orchestra. I wanted to sing myself; however, on the day I got an appointment with a senior student who were to give me a test of singing part, she didn't appear in the music room. That's the end of my wish for singing. This week we listened to "Last Christmas of Wham! ," one of the most popular standard numbers for decades. Listeners are easily intoxicated by the charming refrain. What shall we listen next Monday? It's joyous just to think of it. Actually I took very interesting photos while walking in town, but have no time to retouch them for website. We're already in the middle of December. Can you believe it? No update today but this short note. Thanks.

Saturday 10/12/2005
散りかかる落ち葉のように、次から次と課題が舞い降りてくる。落ち葉に埋もれて、いつか芽を出すものもあるかもしれないと思うことに。それでも体や心がギシギシ音を立てたら、時には何もかも忘れて眠る。今日は目覚めたらなんと、正午を過ぎていた。ありがたい土曜日。ところで、少女が犠牲になる事件が相次ぐ。心の傷ついたものが、力のないものを手にかける悲惨。大学生が勤める塾の生徒を刺殺したというニュースに驚愕した。毎日若者たちと向き合う仕事をする自分には目を逸らすことのできない出来事だ。「殺してはいけない、死んではいけない、生き延びよ」と伝えることの難しさ。でもそれを止めることは出来ない。本日の更新はこのページの写真（↑）です。落日に映えるルート434号線沿いの銀杏並木。左手奥が小石川後楽園になります。
Like the leaves falling over me, assignments are coming to me one after another. Covered with fallen leaves, buds will arise from earth someday; I wish what I'm doing is not vacant. When fatigue makes my body and soul squeak for help, I just sleep forgetting everything. I woke up today to find it was already afternoon. Alas! Thanks it's Saturday. BTW, several murder cases in which elementary school girls are the victims happen recently. The misery of those who are hurt in mind attack those who have no power. To my great surprise, a college student killed a girl of 12 with a knife. He was her tutor of a cram school. I can hardly ignore the case as I'm one of those who meet with young people in campus on a daily basis. It's quite difficult to tell straightforward, "Don't kill yourself nor others but survive!" We cannot stop telling it. Never, ever. Today's update: the photo above in this page: Gingko trees shining in the setting sun along Rout 434. The left side of the street is Koishikawa Kourakuen Gardens.

Wednesday 7/12/2005
下の「Sunday 3/12/2005」記載の理由により、しばらくBBSを閉ざします。ネット暴力に屈するのは嫌なのですが、これは知恵比べでもありますね。しばらく作戦を練って見ましょう。ご理解いただければ幸いです。
For the reason I mentioned on Sunday 3/12/2005, I close BBS for a while. I don't want to be defeated by the Internet violence; however, I need some strategy anyway. Let me think. Thanks for your understanding.

Tuesday 6/12/2005
冬の到来。その直前に樹木が見せる一瞬の饗宴。都市の最中に繰り広げられる変身譚。光よとどまれ。本日の更新は「ギャラリー余白」に「本郷・黄葉の銀杏」です。ことばもなく。
The coming of winter. Right before, trees develop a momentary feast. The metamorphose happening in the middle of metropolis. Let light stay. Today's update: Golden Gingko in Hongo. I'm wordless.

Sunday 3/12/2005
あまりにも出ずっぱりで何もかも半端になってきたように感じ、この週末は蟄居していた。休息が欲しかった。休暇まであと一月足らずというところが結構辛い。あれもこれもと思いながら、先週末歩いた「春日通り」散策ページを仕上げてみた。散歩中は角を曲がるたび、「あれは？」「こんなところに！」の連続で感覚は全開ながら、故事来歴・由緒などゆっくり反芻してはいない。ページ作成作業に際してあちこち参照しながら、あらためて「へぇ、知らなかった～」「なんとまぁ！」となる。また、地図を眺めてもうほんの一足というところで見逃したものに気づき、残念がるのもいつものこと。ではあらためて出かけられるかというと、案外機会はないものだ。ごく近いところまで接近しながら永遠に出会わないのも運命なのかも。（少し大袈裟？）本日の更新は「東京散歩」中「文京シビックセンター下、春日通りを行く」です。よろしければどうぞご一緒に。ところで、このところ「掲示板」へスパムが殺到。どうやら1時間に数回、自動的に書き込みを行う設定が施されたようで、消しても消してもなだれ込む。ありがたい未知のご訪問者とも出会える場所なので閉鎖するに忍びず、現在はいたちごっこを続けているがもう限界に近い。もしBBSへアクセスできなくなった場合は、上記の事情ですので何卒あしからず。早急に対策をたてなくては。便利なようで不便なシステム。残念なこと。
As I was continuously going out for work day after day, I felt myself vacant; so I've decided to stay home all day during this weekend. I wanted a rest even briefly. Within less than a month holidays will come but it's the time most demanding and tiring as well. I needed to do various things; however, I enjoyed making a webpage of the walking along "Kasuga Avenue" I had done on the previous weekend. While walking I'm always sensitive and curious enough saying to myself, "What's that?" or "Look, here it is!" but I'm not so careful nor considerate about the history and meanings of each place. Only when I settle myself down at the photos to write about them, I start thinking of the backgrounds and hidden issues for the first time uttering, "Oh, is that so? I never knew," or "How can it be possible, really!" When I examine a map afterwards, I find things and places which I should have seen because I was only a few steps from them while walking. But it's too late to repent. I usually won't have another chance to visit the same places even if I wish. Life may be always like this: you'll never see something/someone passing by very closely. Today's update: "Walking up and down Kasuga Avenue, Under Bunkyo Civic Center". Won't you come with me, please? BTW, recently my BBS has been attacked by spam. I need to change setup somehow. Sorry for the inconvenience if you find it not working on your visit. A convenient system (of the Internet) is sometimes the most irritating, inconvenient. Alas!

Thursday 1/12/2005
師走の街はまばゆい。あといくつ、何が出来るだろう。闇の向こうにあるものは。喧噪を抜けて、何処へ。本日の更新は表紙の写真です。冬の陽光の中の一枚が撮れるまで、再び夜の電飾をどうぞ。
Towns in December are bright. How many and what can I accomplish during the rest of this year? What's beyond the darkness? Where am I going through the noise? Today's update: the photo in the index page. Until I can take one in sunshine, please enjoy the illumination in the evening again.

Tuesday 29/11/2005
いよいよ冬支度が始まる。本郷界隈の銀杏は今週と来週が黄葉のピークだろう。このまま好天が続けば黄金色に燃え上がるはず。まだ日向と日陰では色づき加減が異なっている。本日の更新はこのページ上の写真です。本当に絵筆の一つもとりたくなる美しさ。
We're starting to prepare for winter. The golden color of gingko leaves in Hongo Area are now culminating to the peak this week or the next. They will be livign frames if the weather keeps fine. Now colors of trees in sunshine and those in shade are slightly different. Today's update: the photo above in this page. Anybody can be an artist in this season.

Sunday 27/11/2005
土曜日週末勤務の最中、2時間足らず空き時間が出来たのでぶらりと町へ。気になっていたのに一度も行く機会がなかった春日町から小石川界隈を歩く。地下鉄丸ノ内線「後楽園」脇、春日通りの「富坂」を登り伝通院へ。家康の生母「お大の方」、秀忠長女「千姫」らの墓を拝む。（同じ春日通りにある麟祥院内「春日局」の墓と比べるのも面白い。）返して安藤坂を下り、脇道へ逸れて北野神社「牛天神」の急階段を上る。このあたりの起伏ある地形が体感できた。帰路、富坂中腹の「東京都戦没者慰霊園」にも寄ってみた。何処もひっそり閑として同じ地域ながら東京ドームシティーの賑わいとは別世界。東京の根っこにある「江戸」があちこちに顔を出す。消しがたい「昭和」の傷跡も。いずれまとめて写真をアップしよう。（依然として「森」の記録も作成中。なかなかはかどらないが急ぐのは本意でない。）外的な「多忙」に翻弄されて暮らしを「流していく」ようなことはしたくないものだと思いながらゆっくり歩いた。本日の更新は「むさしのすけっち」です。葉の美しい季節。
On Saturday between my duties in campus, I got free time of about 2 hours. I went out for a walk in town. My destinatin this time was Kasuga-cho and Koishikawa, where I had had no chance to go in spite of my interest. Tomi-saka is a long slope on Kasuga Avenue. I climbed it up to Dentsuin Temple. I saw the graves of Shogun Ieyasu's mother and of Sen-hime, a princess to the second Shogun Hidetada. (They reminded me of the tombstone of Kasuga-no-Tsubone, the foster mother of Iemitus, the third Shogun). Then I climbed down Ando-zaka Avenue, another slope, to visit Kitano Shrine (known as Shrine of Oxen). The steps to the shrine were very steep. They made me feel the geographical characteristics of this hilly area. On my way back, I stopped by "The Memorial Garden of Fallen Soliders from Tokyo." All the sites I visited this time were quiet, so different from the busy noisy world of Tokyo Dome City although both are quite close to each other. Edo Era under Tokyo comes out abruptly. So do the devastating traces of Showa Era. Let me upload the photos I took before long. (I've been still working with the record of "The Forest." I don't want to rush.) While walking slowly, I decided never to be disturbed by the external business.

Friday 25/11/2005
昨日触れた「夜なべしごと」。たった800字の書評のために睡眠時間を削ってしまった。今回の本がとりわけ強い吸引力を持っていたのは、自分の個人的な理由にもよる。どう足掻いても理解できないもの、理解しなくても生きてはいけるもの、だがいくらかでも理解できればまた世界が違って見えるかもしれないものを追いながらページを繰り続けた。書いたのは他愛もない、「だから？」という程度のものに過ぎない。だが、言われなき嫌悪や忌避の向こうにあるものを語る言葉も必要なのではないかとあらためて思った。本日の更新は「翻訳読書ノート25 数学世界への招待状」です。
Yesterday I mentioned my midnight work. I cut out sleeping just for a book review of 800 letters in Japanese. The attraction of the book came from my personal cause. There is something you'll never be able to understand no matter how hard you may try; you may go on living without understanding it; but if only you understand even a bit of it, the world might look different. I was reading the book feeling that way. What I finally wrote is nothing important. You may say, "So what?" Prejudice is often hard to solve, but I felt the importance of having words to explain in order to go beyond the irrational hatred and recusal. Today's update: "On Translated Works"--An Invitation to the World of Mathematics. Sorry, only in Japanese. Today's update: "Musashino Sketch". It's the season of leaves turning red and yellow.

Thursday 24/11/2005
昨日「勤労感謝の日」には寝坊して一日ゆっくりしてしまったら、約束の仕事が片付かず結局夜なべとなった。おかげで本日は体が重い。まあ、未完のままにして悔やむよりはよいとしよう。先週突然休講にしたことを学生たちが訝しがり、あちこちから「どうしました？」「大丈夫ですか？」「せっかく来たのに！」などと声がかかる。しわ寄せが明日に。むむむ・・・。本日の更新は「むさしのすけっち」です。スペシャルおまけ付き。今を盛りの。お楽しみ下さい！
On Labor Thanks Day, I stayed in bed later than usual and spent a day very leisurely; as a result, I had to stay up until very late to complete the task I had promised to finish yesterday. So I felt very tired all day long today. It was much better, however, than to leave the work incomplete. Because I took a sudden leave last Friday, studetns talked to me in campus saying, "What happened last week?" "Are you all right this week?" "I came to the class last week in vain!" etc. Well, I have to recovere the loss tomorrow. Today's update: "Musashino Sketch". Please enjoy bonus photos as well. It's the best season for the symbolical flowers of our country.

Sunday 20/11/2005
霜月も20日を過ぎると、いよいよ秋から冬へと変わる感じがしてくる。気が引けながらも金曜日に休ませてもらったおかげで、いくらか回復してきた。面白い本に出会うと夢中になってしまうため、疲れを忘れるということもある。本から目を上げれば秋の日はとっぷりと暮れ、今さら外に出るのもどうかとは思いながら買い物兼散歩に。ハーフコートを着ていったので寒くはなかった。深まる闇を見つめながら、どこか心の中も暖かかったのは気が充実してきた証拠かな。やはり心身を緩めることが大事なようだ。落ち葉が美しかったけれど、もう写真を撮るほどの光は残っていなかった。本日は短信のみにて。寒さに向かう折、皆々様御身お大切に。
As we pass the 20th of Novemeber, autumn is turning into winter evidently. Although I couldn't help feeling guilty, I took a day off on Friday; thanks to the short breat, it seems I've getting back energy. Probably the book which I'm now reading is so fasdcinating that it makes me forget the fatigue I had been suffering from. When I looked up from the book it was getting dark outside. I thought it was too late to go out but I went out for a walk and shopping. Wearing a short overcoat, I didn't feel cold at all. Watcing the deepening darkness, I felt warmth growing inside of myself. Perhpas I'm getting well. I feel the importance of relaxation for the health of body and mind. Fallen leaves were beautiful this evening, but no light remained for taking photos. No update today but this short note. It's getting cold day by day. Please take care of yourself, friends!

Friday 18/11/2005
倒れる前に自主休暇。焼け石に水のような気もするが。先日の会議では迂闊にも肝心なところでウトウトししてしまった。見解を述べるようにと指名されたところでハッと目覚めたものの、咄嗟には何も言えず。大先輩が鷹揚に口火を切ってくれたので何とか立ち直り、辛くもフォロー。「ダメだこれは、疲れすぎている」と観念して本日のディ・オフとなった。近頃こんなことばかり書いている。この低迷を突き抜ける道はないものか。本日の更新は「むさしのすけっち」です。時のめぐりを樹木で知る。眼差しを遠くへ、深くへ。
I took a day off to prevent collapse. I know it won't help much. A few days ago, I fell asleep during a meeting in spite of myself. Suddenly I got awake when I was appointed for an oppinion, which I couldn't manage at once. Thanks to a senior colleague who began talking, I got time to recover. "Well, I seem to be too tired," I said to myself and decided to take a break. Recently I'm writing thinks like this only. I want to get out of this tunnel. Today's update: "Musashino Sketch". I find the turning of seasons in plants. I need to see far and deep.

Wednesday 16/11/2005
秋が深まる。漸く十日目にいち日、休みが出来た。だが、暮れるのも早い。待っていたのに、何ということもなく過ぎていく。昨日から今日にかけてマスコミは婚礼報道合戦。皇位継承方法の議論がかまびすしい時だけに、「皇女降嫁」が熱い注目を集める。本日の更新は、久々に「むさしのすけっち」です。「森」の方は少しずつ進行中。今しばし。
Autumn is deepening. After having worked for 10 days straight, I had a day off. It gets dark so quickly in spite of the long waiting. One day passes leaving no particular trace. TV and newspapers are showing the media circus reporting the wedding of the Emperor's daughter. By the marriage, the princess has lost her royal status for ever. In Japan, Imperial succession is a hot topic right now: whether to recognize the female succession to the throne. Today's update: "Musashino Sketch". I've been working with "The Forest" slowly. Thanks for your patience.

Sunday 13/11/2005
休みのない週末からそのまま新しい週へ。体が浮遊しているような感覚だ。色々な矛盾に怒りも感じ、苛立ちも感じ、とんでもないところに八つ当たりして反省する。疲弊してくるとろくなことはない。一番いけないのは満足に準備出来ずに教室へ行くこと。これは後悔と罪悪感しか残らない。いっそ休みをとればとも思うが、ついまだもう少しと思ってしまう。誰に、何に気兼ねしているのだろう。突っ走れば何とかやり抜けると思ってしまう愚かさ。その一方で、ようやく「森の記録」に取りかかった。始めてみると奥が深すぎて、抜き差しならなくなってくる。だが、書かずにいられないこともある。公開できるようになるまでどのくらいかかるか分からないけれど、なるべく早い時期にと思っている。他にも約束したのに何の貢献も出来ずにいる試みいくつか。引き受けた時にはこんな滅茶苦茶な忙しさに巻き込まれるとは思っていなかった。（いつものことながら私の観測が甘い。）数日続いた好天が時雨れてきた。気になっているマユミの実。先週末はほの赤くなって弾ける一歩手前だった。今週末あたりと思っていたのに、ついに林の中に見に行けず終い。季節のめぐりは待ってくれない。またしても短信のみにて。
Another week is going to start without no break of the weekend. I feel my body is floating. Indignant and irritated with various kinds of contradiction, I take it out on irrelevant objects (or to make it worse, on people), which makes me feel ashamed of myself. When I'm exhausted, things start to go wrotng ways. The worst is to go to classes without sufficient preparation, which makes me just repentant and guilty. Should I take a short leave from work? I know I should do so, but I tend to feel like going on somehow. Why am I so hesitating? My folly is to think I will be able to manage everything eventually. BTW, I've started working with the record of "The Forest." Now that I began it, I know the difficulty of the work very clearly. Yet, there is something I definitely have to write. I am not sure how long it will take me before I can upload the files of "The Forest"; however, I will do my very best. There are a few more things that I had promised to do but have not been able to start. When I accepted offers/requests, I never imagined I would become so busy. (Again as usual, it is a failure of my prediction.) Well, well.... After a few days' good weather, it has started raining. I was thinking of the seeds of mayumi; their shells were getting red last week and I guess it may perhaps burst this weekend. But I didn't have time to go out to check the tree. Seasons would not wait people. Thanks for reading my note today.

Wednesday 9/11/2005
週末も休みが取れないのは流石にきつい。カレンダーを睨みながら、あと何日このまま動き続けなくてはならないか数えるうちに、数えるのがばからしくなってくる。テンションを緩めて、ゆったり行こう。先日の公開授業のビデオがDVDになったのでセグメントに分けるタイムを測りながらモニターする。昔の学生さんは今では小さな企業の人事部長兼副社長。自然体で話がうまいし表情がとても良い。無駄のない話し方にあらためて感心する。実業界での経験に裏打ちされた自信が漲っている。その映像を授業用サイトからいつでも呼び出せるストリーミングにしてみたい。若い人に活躍してもらうのは良いものだとつくづく思う。さて、ようやく秋晴れが続くようになってきた。天気が良いだけでなにか大きな恵みを得ているような気がする。短信のみにて。
I've been overworking recently inculding weekend. I stopped thinking how many more days I have to go on like this, watching a calendar. Hope to loosen my tention somewhow. The video of the lecture where my old student talked is now sabved in a DVD. I monitored it, watching time to seprate the contents into several segments. Tomoko, my old student, is now a general manager/ vice president of a small company in US. She looks very natural while she talks, relaxed in a very natural way. She is good at speaking in public in concise and powerful words. Charming and fashionable, too. She's full of confidence which she fostered while working in the business world. I want make the record into an on-demand streaming installed in my website for classes. It is really exciting to work with young people. Well, the weather has greatly improved for a few days. I cannot help feeling that I'm getting a great happiness just from the beautiful weather. That's all for now.

Tuesday 8/11/2005
森の写真ページを「数日中にはきっと」アップしようと昨日の短信には書いたが、どうやらそんなに簡単なことではなさそうだ。これまで私はきままな散歩を気楽な写真・文章と共にこのサイトに載せてきた。辛辣な批評や厳しい批判から逃れて、いわば好き勝手に書いてきたと言える。だが、先日散歩の途中で大きな森に行き当たり、その日はそのまま退却し、後日あらためて踏み込んだ森の中は、「ご覧下さい、なかなか良いところでしょう」などと無責任なことを書ける場所ではなかった。100枚近い写真を何度も並べ替え、一筋の散歩道として組み立てようとしてはみたものの、心にひろがる名付けがたい思いは安直な作業を許さない。その辺の商業雑誌にトレンディーな「東京散歩」として載るような森ではない。計画されているらしい「人権の森」という言葉すら、この森の本質を十分には表現し得ていないことが分かってきた。思案するうちに行き当たったブログで紹介されていた、森の住人によって書かれた詩を読んでからはますます生半可な文も相応しくないことに気づいた。先ずその詩を引用する許可を求めなくてはならない。許可がもらえるかどうかも分からない。でも、試みて見る必要がある。本日の更新はこのページ上の写真です。東京・本郷、東大構内三四郎池。ご訪問感謝。
I was planning to upload a new page of "Walking in Tokyo" with the photos of the forest I visited last week. Yesterday I wrote "I will start the work in a few days hopefully." Once I started, I found it won't be an easy task at all. I've uploaded my walking record of various kinds with simple photos and easygoing comments so far. I was free from any severe criticism; I was writing all quite freely. Hoever, this time the circumstance is completely different. I happened to be in front of the forest one day, but did not go into it on the day. Another day, I visited the forest and went into the depth. I found it far from being "a quiet, nice, beautiful place." I've been arranging about 100 photos to make up a walking report but what I've feeling at the photos is so grave that I can hardly write any careless words. This forest is nothing like the ones introduced in fashionable magazines of Tokyo tourism. Even the idea of "the Forest of Human Rights" is not enough. In a highly conscientious blog which I came across while looking for information about the forest, I read a poem written by one of its residents. It expresses the essence of the forest, which never allows me to write casually. I will have to ask for the permission to quote the poem first. I don't know if I will be allowed to do so but it's worth asking anyway. today's update: the photo above; Sanshiro-Ike(pond) in Hongo Campus of the University of Tokyo. Thank you for your visit.

Monday 7/11/2005
立冬。人がせかせかしているうちに、季節はゆったりとめぐる。雨上がりの美しい朝だった。もう傘はいらないと張り切って出かけたものの、結局ずぶ濡れになって帰宅。けれど、あちらの学校からこちらへと移動する時、久しぶりに寄り道して三四郎池の畔に降りてみた。秋の日が眩しく水面を照らす。紅（黄）葉の始まった木々の上空を声高く鳴き交わしながら雁（鴨？）が飛ぶ。このルートを経巡るのも残りあと僅か。忙しがらずにもっと堪能しておくのだった。ところで、先頃出会った森を再訪する機会に恵まれた。写真をまとめてアップしたいが、まだその余裕がない。数日中にはきっと。会議中、居眠りばかりしている。いけないいけないと自分に言い聞かせつつ、抗いがたく。
According to the Japanese traditional calendar, it is the first day of winter today. While people are busy, seasons go around slowly and steadily. In the morning, it was a beautiful day. I decided I would never use an umbrella today and departed; however, I came home all wet in the evening. During the daytime, on my way from one school to another, I got a chance to walk down to the pond Sanshiro-Ike in Hongo campus of University of Tokyo. The autumn sun was shinkng brightly on the water. Over the trees turning red and yellow, wild geese (ducks?) flew crying to each other. Soon I will stop taking this route in Hongo Area. I shouold have enjoyed this especially attractive place more while I could. BTW, I had a chance to revisit the woods I encountered the other day. I really want to upload photos I took in the woods, but I don't have time enough for that. I will start the work in a few days hopefully. At meetings, I fall asleep very often. I know I should not do that very well.

Wednesday 2/11/2005
一転して快晴。気温は20度C前後と申し分ない。が、しかし今度は自由な時間がないと来ている。本当だったらこんな日は気儘に出歩きたいところなのに。紅葉・黄葉も始まっている。菊の花がそこここに。イチョウの落ち葉を踏んでいるのに気づく。秋本番は11月と期待しよう。米国コロラド州から来日した、初対面のアメリカ人女性に「あなたのサイト、楽しみに見ています」と言っていただいた。下手な英語には目をつぶって下さっている模様。ありがたいこと。継続は何とやら . . . 精神でいこう。おや、何だかこの欄が「身辺雑記帳」になってきた。あちこちで目にするブログの影響かもしれない。本日も短信のみにて。
It suddenly cleared up. The temperature is 20 centigrade during daytime. An ideal weather! But I have no time to go out for a walk on such a day. I've found trees and grasses are turning red and yellow. Chrysanthemum is starting to bllom here and there. I expect November will bring us beautiful autumn. An American lady visitng Japan from Colorado told me she's enjoying my website. We've met for the first time. She might be tolerent with my poor English. Thanks! All right, let me contunue anyway. Well, this page is becoming a diary with trivial things of my daily life. Perhaps I'm influenced by attractive blogs I read every day. No update today but this note. Sorry!

Tuesday 1/11/2005
霜月到来。一昨日三駅先の「田無」にある都立高校のグラウンドに軽飛行機が不時着した。早速界隈の話題になり、娘の出身中学から同高校へ行った人の話では、迫り来る飛行機から逃れて転んだ生徒の一人は彼女のクラスメートだったとか。新聞報道では飛行機の翼をハードル飛びしてかわした生徒もいたとやら。安全な場所はない。本日の更新は表紙（東京ドームシティーの黄昏）とこのページの写真（野火止用水秋色）です。表紙は晴れたら昼間の写真を撮って差し替えたいのだが、秋晴れを忘れて久しい。
November has started. On the playground of a high school three railway stations away from here. a light aircraft made an emergency landing　the day before yesterday. Now it's a topic of the neighborhood. A student who my daughter knew in her junior high school days talked that one of the boys who fell down while he was running away from the aircraft was her classmate. Reportedly one boy escaped a wing of the plane in the way he usually jumps over hurdles! There seems to be no place free from hazards. Today's update: photos of the index page (the dusk in Tokyo Dome City) and of this page (autumn colors of Nobidome Waterway). I haven't seen sunny sky for many days although I really want to take a photo of daytime for the index page.(sigh!)

Saturday 29/10/2005
年間で最も心地よくゴージャスな気候が楽しめるはずだった十月も、関東地方では曇天と秋雨のうちに終わろうとしている。久しぶりに河原を歩いた。浅い川の両岸は深い秋草におおわれている。釣り人たちが微妙に間隔を開けて陣取り、糸を垂れている。何がいるのだろう。だが魚が確実にいることはコサギの数が増えていることで分かる。昨年まではせいぜい2羽しか見かけなかったのに、今日は6, 7羽はいた。カメラを構えたとたんに狙った1羽はさっと飛び上がる敏捷さ。と思う間もなく「ギャッ」という鋭い叫び。何かが飛びかかった。猫だ。飛び散る白い羽。危機一髪で鳥たちは一斉に上空へ。大きな声で鳴き交わしながら旋回している。獲物を捕らえ損なった猫は草むらへ。変哲もない河原も動物たちがしのぎを削る生存競争の場らしい。それまで精彩を欠いて見えた河原が突如ダイナミックな場所になった。「犬も歩けば」ではないけれど、歩いていると何かに出会う。本日の更新は「むさしのすけっち」です。名前調べに時間がかかってしまった。それでもまだはっきりしないもの幾つか。なかなかコツが掴めない。
October should have been one of the most comfortable, gorgeous seasons in this country; however, it is going to end in cloudy and rainy days in Kanto Plain. We walked along a river near our home today. Banks along the shallow stream were all covered with wild grasses of autumn. Anglers were sitting at the stream in delicately measured distance from each other. I wondered what kind of fish they were waiting for. It was evident that there are fish in the river because we found the number of little egrets increased. Until last year there were only a couple of them but this year there were more than six or seven. When I tried to take a photo, the one I aimed took off suddenly. How alart it was! Then we could hear a shrewd cry of an animal. Something jumped in. It was a cat. All at once the rest of the egrets took flight. White feathers were scattered. It was a near escape. Birds were flying around in the air, crying in warning. Disappointed cat ran away into the bush. Even the seemingly nondescriptive riverside is a battle field of sruvival for animals. The place turned out to be just interesting all of a sudden to my surprise. Whenever I go for a walk I meet something special. Good! Well, today's update: Musashino Sketch. It took me time to check names of plants. Still I am not sure of some of them. It's always hard to know.

Wednesday 26/10/2005
再び曇天。痺れを切らし、いつもとは逆の方向へ野火止上水沿いを自転車で走る。屋敷守のあいだから焚き火の煙が漂う。しっとりと土の匂い。梨畑の脇を抜け、雑木林の中を通り、細くなった川岸で土手から落っこちそうになり、宅地を左右に、大根畑と里芋畑の間を走るうち、前方に見慣れぬ巨大な森が出現した。思わず引き寄せられてぽっかり開いた入り口に立ったとき、目の前の看板に愕然とした。「多摩全生園　関係者以外の通り抜けを禁ずる。」一昨年の夏、ハンセン病記念館を訪れた。あのときはバスで行ったのでこの場所と結びつかなかった。樹木の鬱蒼と繁るその豊かな森は、部外者を入れないのではなく内側に住む人々を長い間外から隔絶していたのだった。人を隔離したために森も残った。自然公園にしようという案が着々と進行していると聞く。不遜なことではないだろうか。「外」では開発に継ぐ開発をして森を殺し、扉を開いたら今度はその森を取り込もうとするとは都合が良すぎるのではないのか。森には惹かれる。だが人間の尊厳を議生にして守られた森であった。自転車を止めて少し森を歩くことは許されたのかもしれない。けれど今日は踵を返した。折しも外国籍の人々を隔離した政府の責任が問われている。あらためて出直そうと思った。本日は短信のみにて。
It's cloudy and rainy again. Feeling irritated, I went to the opposite direction from where I usually go by bicycle along Nobidome Waterway. Through the trees surrounding farm houses, the skoke of fire buring wet fallen leaves was drifting. It smelled of the moist land. I went by the field of pears, through wooded areas, nearly slipping down the narrow bank of the waterway, then on a lane between newly built houses, seeing green leaves of Japanese radishes and aroid, and then I found a huge forest in front of me. I was not sure where I was then. The forest looked very attractive. I went toward it. When I stood by an oepn space leading into the forest, I was astonished at the notice on a board which read; "No trespassers are permitted. Tama Zenshouen." I've been there before. At that time I went to the museum of Hansen's disease attached to it by bus; so I couldn't get the right sense of direction. It was not that the forest was refusing visitors from outside, but on the contrary outsiders had segregated the residents of the forest for a long time. Because of the segrigation the forest was preserved. What an irony! I've heard that the municipal government is trying hard to keep the forest as a natural park. Isn't it arrogant and shameless of us to propse such an idea now after the long selfish policy? Outsiders have killed natural environments of this country by industrial development; and now they ask for nature to those who suffered the segregation. It's the most precious forest, the forest secured by the sucrifice of human dignity. Maybe I was allowed to take a short walk in the forest, but I couldn't do so today. I turned around and left it. The responsibility of Japan to the non-Japanese victims of the segregation policy is now on trial in court. I decided to visit the forest again. Today's update: this note only.

Sunday 23/10/2005
ようやく天気が回復してきた。このところ関東地方では頻繁に震度3程度の地震がある。地中では何がどうなっているのだろう。オフの日は、のんびりグダグダしている。本当はあれもこれもしなくてはならないのだけれど、いいや忘れていよう、今しばし。ぶら～り歩いていたら、面白いものに出会った。本日の更新は「いのちのすがお」です。画像が増えて重くなってきたので、今回から第2ページ目に移りましょう。
The weather has much improved. Recently we often have earthquakes of about M3 in Kanto District. I wonder what's going on in the earth. On the day off, I am spending time leisurely at home. In fact I've got to do this and that, but let me forget about my duties for a while. While I was taking a walk, I found something very interesting. Today's update:Lives Around. As the first page is already quite heavy with photos, let's go on to page 2.

Friday 21/10/2005
こんなささやかなサイトだが、自分の場所に帰ってこられて嬉しい。溜まっていた写真を加工する。雨にたたられ、課題でがんじがらめになり、しばらくあたりをぶらついていない。終わったわけではないが、一時休止。植物の写真を見ているだけでリフレッシュ。雑事とは反応する神経が違うようだ。（ホントかな？）ところで今日電車の中で日本語版『ニューズウィーク』最新号をパラパラめくっていたら「世界に尊敬される日本人100人」という記事があった。カラオケの発明家とかアフリカでコロッケ屋をする人とか、宇宙飛行士の向井千秋さんなどに混じって「舞踏家デュオ Eiko & Koma 」,と書いてあった。前衛舞踏家になったとは聞いていたが、Eikoさんは私が子どもの頃住んでいた東京都世田谷区経堂の社宅で隣同士だった、一歳年上のお姉さんではないか。軒下で一緒に焚き火ごっこをして親たちから大目玉を食ったことがある。彼女は覚えているだろうか。オフィシャルウェッブサイトへ行ってみたら、彼女の面差しは当時の母上にそっくりだった。アメリカの永住権を得てニューヨークに住んでいるらしい。四半世紀を経て思いがけない「再会」。本日の更新は久々に「むさしのすけっち」です。明日天気になぁれ。
I'm glad to be back home, to such a humble website as it is. I a chance to work with photos that I have taken recently. Although they are not so new, I feel refreshed just by looking at flowers and grasses. Because of the rain and various jobs, I haven't walked around outside for a while. I was quite busy. Let me have a break for a second. BTW, I was surprised to find a familiar name in the list of "100 Japanses respected in the world" in the latest issue of News Week (Japanese version). Eiko Otake (of "Eiko and Koma," a worldly famous avant guard dance duo). Wow, she was living next door when I was an elementary school girl. We played together often and were once scolded for having made fire under the roof. I wonder if she remembers such a thing. I went to the duo's website to see her look after her beautiful elegant mother. They are living in New York now as a permanent residents of USA. It was an impressive "encounter" after one fourth of a century. Today's update:Musashino Sketch. I hope it will be fine tomorrow.

Wednesday 19/10/2005
『キャンパス通信』の取材・編集が佳境に差し掛かり、昨夜は入稿のために半徹となってしまった。本業よりボランティアの方が忙しいとはどういうこったと頭をかきむしりつつ。サンフランシスコで働いている卒業生が来日し、私の担当クラスで「公開講義」をしてくれた。流石にアメリカのメディア企業の現場で働く人の話には迫力があり、在学生たちは身を乗り出して聞いていた。彼女の会社制作の企業紹介ビデオを製品サンプルとして披露したところ、「就職活動で企業説明会に行った時、そのビデオ見ました」という学生が現れて、一同ビックリ。颯爽とした彼女のプリゼンぶりに、「テレビに出てくるキャリアウーマンみたい」とうっとりする女子学生もいた。そんなこんなをまた『キャンパス通信』の記事にする。以前は本職の新聞記者だった我が編集長に体裁を整えてもらい、明日はゲラ刷りを囲んで校正作業。メディアの彼女といい、編集長といい、プロの仕事人に接してこの度は自己満足ではない記事の書き方、映像の示し方を色々学ぶところとなった。いずれこのサイトにもそのノウハウが反映できると良いのだが。本日も短信のみにて。(卒業生は帰国後、講師料をハリケーン「カトリーナ」の被災者義捐金に寄付してくれるとの申し出。ありがたい。)
We're at the peak of the editing work for our upcoming "Campus News." I stayed up until early morning yesterday to send my latest article, feeling a little irritated with the busyness. I'm saying to myself, "Wait, this volunteer work is more demanding than my ordinary jobs!" BTW, yesterday, one of my old students who is working for Total Media Group in San Francisco visited my class. Her lecture was very attractive with the reality of her variety of actual experiences. When she introduced a video crip of a medical company, which is a product of Total Media Group, one of the students said that he had seen it before. He saw it when he visited a company for jobhunting. One of the girls said, "She's cool. She looks like a career woman I see on TV." Yes, her presentation was very sophisticated. And I wrote an article about the class for "Campus News" again. Our chief editor who was once a real newspaper journalist trimmed it kindly. Tomorrow we'll have a meeting over a draft copy. Thanks to my old student and our chief editor, I've been learning from professionals how to write/present articles suitable for readers, not the way I've been doing just for my own pleasure. I hope I'll be able to reflect the know-how in my website in the near future. This note is the only update today.　(The old student offered to donate her lecture fee for the victims of Hurricane Catrina when she returns home. Many thanks to Tomoko!)

Monday 17/10/2005
一週間ぶりのご無沙汰でございました。このところ降り続く雨、降りかかる仕事を避けること敵わず、濡れそぼっております。かてて加えて、『キャンパス通信』のにわか編集者兼記者をボランティアで引き受けたため、慣れない取材と記事のまとめに大わらわ。締めきりに追われてキリキリ舞いです。でもおかげさまで日頃あまり付き合いのない学生さんたちとも語り合う機会が得られ、若者の放つエネルギーと痛いほどみずみずしい言葉、表情に魅了されるところとなりました。かくて自分のサイトは放りっぱなしの一週間となってしまいましたが、充電完了の暁には再び戻って参ります。ご寛容にお付き合い下さいませ。かしこ。
I've been away from my website for one week. It has been raining and various kinds of work has also been falling on me. I'm almost drenched to the skin! In addition, I was asked to work as one of the voluntary editors/reporters of"Campus News." Colleting news, writing and editing articles, I've been overwhelmed by jobs of which I'm not an expert at all. However, thanks to the job, I had the opportunity to meet students whom I hadn't known very well before. I was facinated with their youthful energy as well as their fresh words and expressions that I could never expect from my generation. Therefore, although I could do nothing for my own website, I'm sure I'll be back soon when I'm fully charged. Thank you for your understanding and patience. See you again!

Tuesday 11/10/2005
つい先頃ハリケーン・カトリーナの惨事を特集していたアメリカのニュースサイトは、いずれも今パキスタンとカシミール地方の地震大災害の記事で埋め尽くされている。しかし、米国内の大量報道と異なり、アジアの奥深い土地は依然彼方の出来事という印象が否めない。40,000人以上の犠牲者が出たかもしれないとは、地震の恐ろしさを改めて思い知らされる。世界の出来事に比べると、自分の日常が如何に細かなことの集積かという気がしてくる。目の前の課題はどれも困難なように見えるが、所詮は微細な挑戦に過ぎないと。つまらないことに汲々として日々を費やすのは惜しい。だがやはり私の周囲に積み重なる瓦礫も一つ一つ取りのけていかなくては前にも後ろにも進めない。黙々と。それが生活というものなのだろう。本日の更新はありません。ごめんなさい。何だか生きているだけで精一杯な日。せめて晴れ上がってくれればよいのに。
Those US news websites which were featureing hurricane Catrina a while ago are now occupied by the disasters in Pakistan and Kashmir. However, compared to the flood of information brought by the domestic crises in US, there is an impression that they are far in the middle of distant areas in south Asia. Reportedly the earthquake seems to have caused more than 40,000 deaths. The horror of earthquake can never be underestimated. BTW, when I watch the devastation in the world, I feel difficulties around me are tiny bits after all. I wish to get out of them. Yet I know I need to clear away each debris one by one to go forward or backward quietly. That's life. Sorry, there is no update today. Just to survive is a hard task. Looking forward to the clear blue sky!

Sunday 9/10/2005
涼しくなってきたら、何を食べても美味しくてたいへんやばい。ちょっとデパートに寄ってみたが、試着するたび「こんな筈じゃな～い！」。何も買わずに立ち去る気まずさ。しかし、スーパーでは性懲りもなく山ほど買い物してあれこれ調理。このサイクルを抜け出さないと。十年一日の如く見える亀だってこの季節には古い甲羅を脱ぎ捨てる。甲羅一かけずつジャラジャラ水槽の底に落ちている。透き通ってなかなかきれいなものだ。じわりじわりと大きくなっているらしい。人間は意志の問題だろうか。はてさて。本日の更新その１は、「いのちのすがお」に「フジバカマの訪問者たち」、その２は「ギャラリー余白」の『静物』にaoの新作です。「静物」は２ページ目に移ります。「勉強はいつするの？！」には馬耳東風。昔の自分を思えば何をか言わん。
Now that it is getting very cool, I find everything I eat is so delicious. Isn't it dangerous? When I dropped in a department stepped in a department store onmy way home, I kept saying to myself, "No kidding, I can't believe it!" in a fitting room. It's embarrasiang to leave a store without buying anything. On the other hand, I pick up a lot of things in a supermarket for cooking. I definitely have to get out of this cycle. Even turtles, which look always the same, dropping the shells of their carapace. I find the pieces in the bottom of water tanks. They are transparent. Gradually they must be grwoing. For human beings, is it the matter of willpower to restrain from putting on weight? Well, well . . . . Today's updage: No. 1 "Visitors to the Boneset" in "Lives Around"; No. 2, ao's new work in Still Life. She cannopt hear me say, "When are you studying?" What can I say when I think of my youth?

Wednesday 5/10/2005
やはり秋の空は変化が激しい。雨が降り、急に気温が下がる。あの快晴は幻だったのかと思えるほど。そんなときに限って衣類乾燥機が動かなくなり、オーバーホールに出している。電気製品は10年以上経つと自動的に壊れるようプログラムされているのか（と思いたくなる）。またころっと天気が変わってくれるのを待つしかなそさうだ。本日の更新は「ギャラリー余白」の『静物』にaoの新作です。今回は絵ではなく、粘土細工。初めて見た時、「どうしてこんなもの買ってきたの？」と言ってしまった。
The autumn sky changes so quickly. It rains and the temperature falles down drastically as if the clear sky was an illusionn. Unfortunately, the dryer of all things got out of order so I sent it for overhaul. I feel like doubting if electric products are programmed to be broken right after they are used for 10 years. It seems I cannot but wait for another quick change of the weather. Come back, Sun! Today's updage: ao's new work in Still Life. This time, not a drawing but a clay object. When I saw it for the first time, I said to her, "Why did you buy such a thing?"

Monday 3/10/2005
通勤電車はまだガンガン冷房をかけている。人が沢山集まって暑さを作り出しているようなもの。週の初めは緊張の連続。「リラックスリラックス」と呪文のように唱えながら、今日も明日も綱渡り。若者たちに体当たり。本日の更新は「いのちのすがお」に追補を少し。September 25, 2005の記載です。また林の中に行きたくなった。
The jam-backed commuters' train at rush hours are still well airconditioned. It's almost people are making the heat by getting together on purpose. At the beginning of a week, I'm feeling continuous tension. "Take it easy, take it easy," I keep saying to myself. I'm doing the ropewalking today and tomorrow. I'm facing young students with all my might. (Wow!) Today's update: an addendum to "Lives Around". Cf. note of September 25, 2005. I feel llike going to a forest very soon.

Saturday 1/10/2005
かくて神無月。いざ秋本番となると急に暑さがぶり返す。本日は関東地方の気温27度。快晴。自転車で魚市場へ行く。新青梅街道沿いに新潟県寺泊港の直販所がある。生きている蟹だの貝、豪勢な刺身ケース、鮮魚の対面販売コーナーなど見て回り、結局秋刀魚（１尾90円）を買った。あんなに色々売っているのに、秋刀魚かぁと我ながら口惜しい。魚のうまい料理法を習わなくては。本日の更新は表紙とこのページの写真です。いずれも東京都小平市新青梅街道沿いの「ガスミュージアム」にて。表紙左正面は明治42年建築の東京ガス本郷出張所、右側は同千住工場計量器室の建物を移築復元したものとのこと。（東京都の歴史的建造物に指定されています。）赤煉瓦が秋の陽に映えて美しかった。ハーブの庭で赤とんぼとにらめっこ。
October has started. Now that it's real autumn, sometimes heat comes back abruptly. Today in Kanto District the temperature was as high as 27 degrees centigrade. The sky was perfectly cleard up. I went to a fish market by bike. There is an outlet store of fish fresh from Teradomari Harbor, Nigata Prefecture, along Shin-Oume Way near my house. I walked around watching live crabs, shellfish, gorgesous sashimi, and all kinds of other fish. However, I ended up with buying Pacific saury, the cheapest and the most popular fish of this season. I was disappointed by myself not being able to choose anything more fancy in spite of the rich variety in the market. I should learn how to cook fish properly. Today's update: photos of the index page and this page. Both were taken in "Gas Museum" along Shin-Oume Way, Kodaira City, Tokyo. The front leftside building of the index page photo was once The Hongo Branch of Tokyo Gas Company (originally built in 1909) and the right one was The House for Measuring Apparatus in The Senju Factory (originally built in 1912). Both were removed and recontructed for the museum. They are assigned as the historical buildings of Tokyo. I watched a red dragonfly in the herb garden.

Friday 30/9/2005
あっという間に長月はお終い。あたふたと夏の後始末をしているうちに。色々な場面にハリケーンが吹き荒れた。まだまだ来るはず。ついこの前まで暑かったので、まともに衣替えの準備も出来ていない。朝、慌てている。本日の更新は、久々に『翻訳読書ノート』に「蛙三昧」です。メルマガ発行が二週間に一度となり、しかも四回に一回の割合でしか掲載されないので、殆ど書いていないような状態となりました。ほそぼそと。（ちょっとさみしい。）
September has already come to an end. While I was tiding up loose ends of the summer, it's gone! Hurricanes were everywhere. More of them will surely come. Because it was quite hot only a few days agon, I haven't taken out my autumn clothes yet. I am in panic every morning recently. Today's update: One Hundred Frogs, a brief book review in "Works Translated." Sorry only in Japanese.

Thursday 29/9/2005
萩の花も今が盛り。春花の華やぎに比べると、秋の花はどこか寂しい。でもこの落ちつきと静けさは心潤うものだ。焦らずに一つ一つ取り組もうという気になってくる。本日の更新は「いのちのすがお」です。美しいものとはかないものの両方を見た。取り立てて珍しいものではないけれど、秋なればこそ。生きとし生けるものに共通な姿。「食べよ、そして生きよ」という台詞を思い出す。
Japanese bush clover is now in its full bloom. Compared to the gorgeousness of spring flowers, autumn flowers look somewhat lonely. However, I appreciate their calmness and quietness to my heart's content. They makes me decide never to be impatient but to challenge everything with all my might one by one. Today's update: photos in "Lives Around". I saw something beautiful and something miserable. Both of them are not anything rare but they represent this season. I found in them something common of all the living creatures. Then reminded me of a line, "Eat and live."

Wednesday 28/9/2005
一気に秋冷の候となった。これから駆け足で年の瀬に向かうのだろうか。本日の更新は「むさしのすけっち」です。第四ページに入りました。秋から冬へ。これからが歩き回るにはよい季節。プラス思考で参りましょう。
Suddenly it has become so cool to make us forget the heat of summer completely. Perhaps we're rushing to the end of this year from now on. Today's update: Musashino Sketch. I started the page 4, "from autumn to winter." It's the good season for walking. Let us be positive!

Monday 26/9/2005
ずっと昔（？）の学生さんが、アメリカの南サンフランシスコでメディア関係の仕事に就いている（9/24の記載をご参照ください。）。着々とキャリアを重ね、ある企業のVice President/ General Managerになったとの知らせ。今度久しぶりに里帰りするというので授業にお招きすることにした。「外部からの招聘講師」というと大抵いかめしいアカデミックな肩書きの人ばかりだが、たまには先輩に話しに来てもらうのも良いのではないかと。こんな形で英文科の卒業生と現代経営学部の学生が出会うのも面白いような気がする。教員は学生が育っていくのを眩しく眺める職業である。今の学生たちも十年後、二十年後にはきっと。私を眩しがらせて欲しいものです！授業の準備などに忙殺され、本日の更新はありません。ごめんなさい。せめて、卒業生の彼女が最近手がけた自社のウェッブサイトをここで紹介いたします。なかなかクールです。
One of my old (?) students is working in the southern part of San Francisco (I mentioned her on Sept 24 here.). Her profession is to produce commercial video, produce events of companies, and so on making full use of the Internet and other lateast media. In her ambitions career, she has been promoted to be vice president/ general manager of her company recently. Great! She informed me that she is coming to visit Japan very soon. I've asked her to come to our college for a lecture. "Visiting lecturers" have grave academic titles usually; however, I wish someone like her, young, talented, and energetic will come to meet my present students to encourage them. I believe an encounter of a graduate of English Department (of a junior college which is no more) and students of Department of Business Administrati will be very interesting. To be a teacher is to watch students grow up and glow with admiration. All right, studnts, be someone to make me admire you! I was so busy today, preparing for classes, that I have nothing to upload newly now. Sorry! Visit again!　Instead, let me introduce the website my old (but actually young and beautiful) student procuced recently. It's really cool.

Sunday 25/9/2005
めっきり冷え込んで、林の中を歩くとゴウゴウと風が鳴る。草むらも風の通り道。何だか急に心細いようだ。これからうんと忙しくなることを思うと、ちょっと弱気になる。ついて行けるだろうか、息切れしないだろうかと。本日の更新は「いのちのすがお」なのですが、実はピンボケの失敗作です。出すのは止そうかと思ったのですが、あんまり可愛らしい虫たちだったので秋が始まる記念に。いろんな虫に出会えばそのうち写真もうまく撮れるようになるかなと。そういえば来月訪日予定のアメリカ人の方が、この前のトンボの写真をご覧になって「日本のトンボを見たいから、どこかトンボに出会えるところへ連れて行って」と出迎える私の友人に頼んだそうです。はて、東京近辺で確実にトンボが見られる場所と言ったら・・・。お～い赤とんぼ、出ておいで～！お客様だよぉ～。
It's getting quite cool suddenly. It was blowing hard in the small forest while I was taking a walk. The wind was going through grasses. I feel somewhat week. Although I'll be involved in busy schedule from now on, I'm not sure if I can catch up with other poeple. I'm afraid if I can be breathless very soon. Today's update: photos in "Lives Around"; however, they are both out of focus, failures. I should not put them on the web but the insects were so lovely that I couldn't resist. BTW, an American lady who saw the photo of a dragonfly in this site wanted to see more of Japanese dragonflies.(She is a dragonfly-lover.) She asked a friend of mine, who is meeting her in Tokyo, to take her to somewhere she can find dragonflies. Well, where can we find them flying in Tokyo? Hey, dragonflies, come and see a visitor!

Saturday 24/9/2005
「アメリカは今週末に上陸予定のハリケーーンで緊迫しています。」とカリフォルニア在住の友人からメール。突然襲う地震も怖いが、迫り来る嵐の恐怖は「カトリーナ」災害の直後だけに計り知れない。高速道路を行く避難民の車の長い列。今度はシステムダウンによる被害拡大が無いことを祈る。こちらにも台風接近の影響か、秋雨が降る。本日の更新は街角スナップで、「ギャラリー余白」に『本郷菊坂「まちのえき」雑歩庵』です。街を多角的に考察し地域の活動を活性化するNPOの試みと聞いた。新領域の学問とも繋がっているらしい。自然保護・保全と同じように、人の作った「街」と「コミュニティー」にも手を入れる必要があるということか。「始めは胡散臭い目で見られていたけれど、だんだん受け入れられるようになってきました」とNPOの人が話してくれた。おみやげ物を買って帰るだけの私は旅人だなぁと思う。そんな余所者も街の賑わいを作るのかもしれないが。
"The whole of the United States is watching the anticipated onslaught of a hurricane this weekend," a friend of mine living in California e-mailed me. While the terror of earthquakes that happen all of a sudden is enormous, that of storms approaching gradually is also unfathomable especially right after the disasters of hurricane "Katrina." We see long lines of evacuees on freeways. I sincerely hope there won't be victims of "the man-made system failure." Here in Kanto District of Japan, it's been raining perhaps by the effect of a coming typhooon. Today's update: Shots of a town A Platform of Town Kikuzaka, Hongo Zappo-Ann in Gallery in Margines . I listened to a member of an NPO talk of their activities. They observe an old town through various aspects and try to vitalize the community. It looks quite similar to the preservation of natural environments. He said this stance is related to a new concept of area studies. "At first people in the community were watching us dubiously, but by and by we've come close to each other and are working together now," said the representative of NPO Zappoan. I am a tourist who buys souvenirs and pass by; however, visitors are also vitalizing an area, hopefully.

Thursday 22/9/2005
彼岸の墓参へ。高尾の山には微かにガスがかかり秋の風情。いつものことながら、年中行事で季節の移り変わりを知る。あっという間に一年は回る。（歳月人を待たずって、ホントだ。）去年の今頃から一体何をしてきたんだと独り言。本日の更新は「むさしのすけっち」です。ほんの少し趣向を変えて。（お気づきになりますかどうか。いつまで続きますやら。）
I visited our family grave at the equinox. Mountains of Takao were coved with thin mist, which was a true autumnal view. Through annual customs I usually find the changing of seasons. One year goes round so quickly. (Time does not wait for people, really!) I ask myself what I've been doing during that period of time. Today's update: Musashino Sketch. I've made a small change. (I wonder if you notice the change. I'm not sure how long I can continue the new form.)

Tuesday 20/9/2005
青息吐息ながら、書けなかった原稿を仕上げた。できはともかく、ずっと書きたかったことなのでひとまず肩の力を抜こう。書けと促してくれた厳しく優しい仲間に感謝。少なくとも記録にはなった。急に秋めいてきた。本日の更新は「ギャラリー余白」の『静物』にaoの最新作です。あ、いや、本当は静物ではなく動物なのですが。
Spmehow I've finished writng an essay which I had almost given up. I don't know whether it's meaningful or not but anyway I want to get out of the concentration. I could at least record what I had been willing to write down. Thanks to my friends who encouraged and urged me to write by all means. Suddenly it's getting cool like real autumn. Today's update: ao's latest drawing in Still Life. In fact, it is not a still life but a living life.

Thursday 16/9/2005
学生たちがどっとキャンパスに戻ってきた。大渦が動き出す。朝から立て続けに予定がつまり、目が回る。最後は身が持たなくなって失礼ながら中座。ごめんなさい。けれど謝っても許してもらえなかったこともあり、今週末はもう一踏ん張り。闇に沈む草むらからは耳も割れんばかりの虫の音、天空には大きな満月がしずしずと雲間からお出まし。雪月花といい花鳥風月といい、日本の情緒、自然愛好のファクターから月は外せないのだなと納得しながら家路を急ぐ。短信のみにて。
Students have come back to campus. A maelstrom has been set in motion. From the morning I had a lot of things to do one after another and got dizzy. At last I couldn't help giving up working in the middle of a program and went home. Sorry! But there was something I was not excused from so that I will have to finish it during this weekend. In darkness I could hear the loud sound of insects. In the sky I could see the huge moon coming out of clouds. While I was walking home, I understood why the Japanese never delete "the moon" from the list of their favorite things like "snow, the moon, and flowers," or "flowers, birds, the wind, and the moon." No update today, but this short note.

Wednesday 14/9/2005
「昨日は委員会をお忘れになりましたね。たいそう困りました」とのおことば。ハッとした時は既に遅く、言い訳も出来ない。本当にすっかり失念していた。手帳には書いてあったのだが。平身低頭の謝罪。別の用事で頭がいっぱいになっていた。明日は明日で原稿が書けなかった謝罪をしなくてはならない。今日の会議では幾度も船をこいだ。きっとまだまだ続く失敗黒星。頭を振りながら夜道を帰る。やれやれ。本日の更新は「むさしのすけっち」です。このページの写真も入れ替えて、気分一新と参りましょう。明日は明日の風が吹く、と。
"You forgot the committee meeting yesterday, didn't you? We were in troubles," said one of my colleagues. What! It was too late. I had no excuse; the fact was I had completely forgotten it in spite of the mark in my notebook. I apologized bowing deeply. I was preoccupied with something else yesterday. Tomorrow, I will have to apologize again for not beeing able to write an essay I promised. Today, I couldn't help falling asleep several times during a meeting. Perhpas my failures will go on. I came home saying "Oh, no!" to myself. Good grief! Today's update: Musashino Sketch. Let me put a new photo in this page to refresh myself. Tomorrow is another day, anyway.

Tuesday 13/9/2005
未だ日傘が手放せない。朝の空気は少し冷たく、夕方の空はほんのり染まるようになってきたけれど。ずっしり重い仕事が山積み。もう逃げ出したくなっている。これからが本番なのに。身軽になれたら！本日の更新は「むさしのすけっち」です。瞬間心を解き放ち。
I cannot walk outdoors without a parasol yet. It's getting a little cool in the morning and the evening sky is getting colorful. I've a heavy burden of tasks at hand. I'm already feeling running away from them although the work is going start really from now on. I wish I could live more lightly. Today's update: Musashino Sketch. Get a moment of liberty!

Monday 12/9/2005
今日の新聞は朝刊より夕刊の方が厚かった。朝刊に書けるのは前夜1時半頃のソースまでだから、その間にもテレビやネットでは時々刻々を伝えていくのでどうあっても新聞は分が悪い。朝刊の見出しで初めて衆院選の結果を知り「おぉ、そうだったのか」と驚愕（落胆）する人の数は大したこと無いだろう。ただ、当選者の細かいデータ確認にはやはり新聞だ。数字・経歴・コメントなどを熟読できるのはこれしかない。それにしても、東京の小選挙区では25議席中、自民党23、民主党1、公明党1。比例区では17議席中、自民党7、民主党6、公明党2、共産党1、社民党1(自民党候補者払底につき繰り上げ当選)という状況。ここまで偏るのも不可解だ。このバランスで郵政民営化以外の法案をバリバリ通されたらどうする気だろう。「そんなつもりでは」と言っても遅い。対抗勢力を欠いた一党独走は危ういと歴史は物語っていないか。「民意」というものの実態は何なのかよく見てみよう。自民党内部の今後にも注目だ。あらゆる場面で「無駄な抵抗は止めろ」的ムードが漂うのはイヤだなぁ。申し訳なくも、本日は更新ありません。また。
Today's evening paper was thicker than the morning paper. Because the morning paper is written based on data collected by 1 a.m., newspaper is much slower than TV, radio, or the Internet. I guess not many people are astonished (or disappointed) for the first time to see headlines of a newspaper on the result of the election in the morning today. However, the newspaper is the best to check information in detail: numbers, career, and comments of candidates at the election. Anyway, in Tokyo, the resutl of the House of Representatives election was surprising: in the total number of 25 single-seat constituencies, LDP got 23, DPJ 1, Koumeitou 1; in 17 of the PR block, LDP got 7, DPJ 6, Koumeitou 2, JCP 1, SDP 1 (moved up by the lack of LDP candidate). Unbelievably unbalanced. What if LDO forces to pass laws other than that of postal service privatization? It will be too late to say "We never ment that far." Hasn't the history told us the danger of letting the runaway of one political party? Let me watch the ture meaning of "the popular opinion." Watch the inside movements of LDP. I hate the prevalent mood that says, "Stop useless resists." Sorry I have nothing to update today. See you again very soon.

Sunday 11/9/2005
9.11。本来は特別な日ではなかったのだが。今でも古い本を開くとマンハッタンに世界貿易センタービルが何ごともなかったかのように写っているのを見ることがある。そして日本では衆院選挙。既に大勢が判明し首相の顔が大写しになる。悪しき歴史の転換点にならないことを祈るのみ。夏と秋との境目は内側も外側も不安定だ。スッキリと泳ぐように抜け出してみたい、この鬱陶しさから。今暫しの忍耐を。本日の更新は「むさしのすけっち」です。結局書けなかった原稿...。
It's 9.11. Once it used to be a no special day in hisotry. Still now I sometimes open an old book to find twin towers of World Trade Center in Manhattan as if nothing had ever happened to them. Now in Japan we had a House of Representatives election today. The result is already settled and closeups of the prime minister are on TV. I only hope today won't be the wrong turning point of the history of our country. In between the summer and the autumn, the condition inside and outside are both unstable. I wish to go out of the uncomfortableness in the way I swim through it. A little more of patinece. Today's update: Musashino Sketch. I still think of the essay I've given up. Alas!

Wednesday 7/9/2005
今週号のTIME誌はハリケーンKatrina一色だ。どんな特集を組むか待ちかまえていたら、タイトルが『アメリカの悲劇』（ドライサーの小説の題名そのまま）となっている。明日はこれ一冊を持って出よう。台風14号の被害も凄まじい。選挙の狂乱に水をぶっかけた感がある。関東地方では午後には雨が上がり、久しぶりに夕焼けが見えた。本日の更新は、一月前の「いのちのすがお」に僅かな追補です。そろりそろりと歩いている。
The latest issue of TIME covers Hurricane Katrina in its special report. It is entitled "AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY" (exactly the title of a novel by Theodore Dreiser). I'll take this magazine out with me tomorrow. The aftermath of Typhoon No.14 which attacked Japan only yesterday was extreme too. It literally poured the cold water over the frantic election campain. In Kanto District, it stopped raining in the afternoon and we could see the evening glow for a while after the long storm. Today's update: a little addendum in Lives Around of one month ago. I'm walking slowly.

Monday 5/9/2005
昨夜の局地的豪雨により、都内数箇所で床上浸水があった。しかも中野・杉並といった東京西郊寄りの町で。水害はスクリーンの向こうの出来事ではなくなっている。今時、何故？という気もするが、コンクリートで固められた街に水はしみ込む場さえなく、河川に流れ込んで氾濫したとのこと。車窓から見る神田川も増水して急流となっていた。コンクリートなどには封じ込められない自然の脅威が潜んでいる。本日の更新は「むさしのすけっち」です。台風の襲来と共に着々と秋が進む。
A localized burst last night brought flood above the floor level in several parts of Tokyo. That happened in towns in the western district, almost in the suburbs in Tokyo. Flood is no longer a disaster beyond TV/computer screens. Why did flood happen in uptown Tokyo now? They say the land of this megalopolis is all covered with concrete; therefore, while rain can never soak in earth, water streams into rivers and they overflow. I watched River Kanda from a train today and found it increased, running much faster than usual. Threat of the nature, which can never be conquered by concrete, exists. Today's update: Musashino Sketch. With typhoons fall is proceeding steadily.

Sunday 4/9/2005
新聞で、テレビで、ネットで、ハリケーンKatrinaの被害に引き続き注目している。9.11よりアメリカについて多くを物語っているように思えてならない。増え続ける現場写真の与える衝撃は言いようもない。南部の夏は厳しい。アラバマ州バーミンガムに滞在していた時、戸外は耐え難い暑さだった。内陸部だから余計だったのかもしれないけれど、ニューオリンズの海辺の熱気と湿気はまた独特だろう。私はこれまでに溜まった仕事をひたすら追いかけている。やれどもやれども。しかし、冷房の効くスペースにいられるのだから文句は言えまい。大型の台風が日本に接近中。昨年の台風では義妹の親戚にあたる尾鷲市の家が浸水し大変なことになった。彼の地もこちらも油断大敵。ところで『震災時歩いて帰る帰宅支援マップ・首都圏版』なるものを購入した。地図にはこういう作り方もあったかと感心しつつ、どうせ歩くなら平時に楽しくが良いなぁとつくづく思う。初秋の野山を夢想しながら、本日は短信のみにて。
I've been following the new of Hurricane Katrina by newspapers, TV, and the Internet. It seems to me this disaster tells us more about the United States thatn that of 9.11. Increasing photos of New Orleans are shocking and devastating　beyond description at this moment. In the South, summer is a hard time. When we were staying in Birmingham, Alabama years ago in summer, it was unbearably hot and humid outdoors. The heat and humidity along the seaside might be extreme in its own way, I guess. I've been working day after day doing my best. I can't see a goal at all. However, I'm in the space well airconditioned. I've nothing to complain about. Again a strong typhoon is approaching Japan. Last year a house of my sister-in-law's relatives was flooded. We can't be too optimistic. I've bought a map in emergency: a guide map to show direction to walkers from the central part of Tokyo to home in the suburbs. I'm quite impressed with the viewpoints of the map, but I would rather enjoy walking in ordinary times. Dreaming of the fresh autumnal fields and mountains, I write only this note today.

Thursday 1/9/2005
さて、待ったなしの九月だ。大幅に出遅れているが、何とか復調してきたのでネジを巻き直そう。同僚が送ってくれたメールのおかげでさほどのギャップなしに次回の会合には出られそうだ。（逆に言えばメールのせいで否応なく渦に巻き込まれている。）これから職場は来春の大移動に備えて怒濤の準備作業に突入する。折しも「つくばエクスプレス」が開業し、都心（秋葉原）と筑波間は最速45分で結ばれる。ちょうど真ん中にある千葉県の「南流山」までは秋葉原から快速で20分。これは快挙かもしれない。だが、私が自宅から行くにはやはり武蔵野線になるのではないか。いずれにしても片道二時間みなくては。「通勤」に費やされる膨大な時間とエネルギーのことを考えると、気が遠くなりそうだ。これは単なる損失なのか、それとも何らかの意味を持つのか、移動しながら考えることにしよう。職住接近が生み出す余力のことを思うと、「大いなる無駄」という声が聞こえてきそうだが。本日の更新は、表紙の写真（「多摩湖自転車歩行者道」のケイトウ花壇）とこのページの写真（萩山テニスコート遠望）です。一歩踏み出せば、麗しい秋の色。【ニューオリンズ周辺を襲ったハリケーンKatrinaの被害は凄まじい。その報道写真を見ているとインド洋沿岸津波を思い出す。これから更にさまざまな情報が飛び交うことだろう。】
Well, it's September after all. I'm late in starting but I'll get myself moving now that I'm feeling much better than before. Thanks to e-mails my colleagues sent me, I'm catching up with them although I couldn't attend the latest meeting. (I should say "Due to e-mails, I've got to be involved in activities by all means.") We're going into the maelstrom of restructuring of our college coming soon in April 2006. It just happend that "Tsukuba Express," a new railway service, has just started to connect the central part of Tokyo and Tsukuba City, Ibaraki in 45 minutes (at its fastest). Minami Nagareyama, where our Chiba campus is, locates in the middle of the line; so it takes us 20 minutes from Akihabara to Minami Nagareyama Station. (Isn't it a remarkable improvement in access?!) However, as for me, I will take Musashino Line as usual. It will take me 2 hours from home to the campus anyway. To think of the long time and enormous energy to be consumed just for commuting, I feel dizzy. The long distance commuting might be a waste of time and energy, or can it have any merit at all? Let me think of it while I practice going back and forth. If one's workplace is very close to his/her home, life will be richer, won't it? Am I going to waste my life? Today's update: the photo in the index page and the one above here in this page. [Hurricane Katrina which attacked New Orelans and its environs left enormous damages. Looking at the reportage photos, I remember the tsunami around Indian sea coasts. More information will follow. Let us go on watching.]

Tuesday 30/8/2005
ここのところ完全に引き籠もっている。ただ、毎日少しずつ原稿を書いては送る。机の周りは本だらけ。机の上は紙だらけ。部屋のホコリには目をつぶり。水槽には緑藻が繁茂しすぎてフナのように太った金魚の姿が見えない。時々尾鰭が鋭い音で水面を叩く。もう8月が終るとは、ちょっと待てと何者かに向かって懇願したくなる。これはそろそろ正気に戻らないといけない。本日の更新は、特になしです。短信だけでごめんなさい。
I've been home for many days already. I've got a lot to do, so I manage to write a bit every day and send it by e-mail. Books are around my desk and paper is piled up on it. I ignore dust in the room. Green alga has grown in the water tank so much that my big fat gold fish can't bee seen. Only once in a while its pinna caudalis hits the water shrewdly. August is over! MI feel like asking someone, "wait!" in vain. It's critical unless I come to my senses seriously. Today's update: sorry Nothing. Let me write this note only.

Monday 29/8/2005
一度へたばると回復への道は険しい。下手な意志は空回りするばかり。むしろ手放しでなるようになると観念した方がよさそうだ。あと何日で仕事などということも忘れて。そう、なるようにしかならない。本は読める。格好に拘らなければ。子規を思えよ！本日の更新は「むさしのすけっち」です。空想は涼やかな野山を駆け回る。
Once I collapse, it takes me time to recover fully. My poor decision works for nothing. Instead, I think I should accept the present condition as it is. Forget how many days I have before the beginning of the work. Yes, let it be. I can read books unless I worry about the style. Remeber Masaoka Shiki! Today's update: Musashino Sketch. My imagination runs about in the cool field and mountains.

Friday 26/8/2005
十日ぶりに散歩に出て、いつもの三分の一の距離を三倍の時間をかけて歩く。林の中には秋色がだいぶ進出している。夏がいつしか消えてゆく。何もしないうちに。でも、林の中を歩き回れることは嬉しい。本日の更新は「むさしのすけっち」です。そういえば、今年の夏は団扇を愛用した。
After ten days, I went for a walk in the small woods. It took me three times longer than usual for walking one third of my usual walking course. Autumn colors are invading the forest. Summer is fading. It's already going before I did nothing particular. But it's good I can take a walk anyway. Today's update: Musashino Sketch. BTW, I loved to use a paper fan more than usual this summer.

Thursday 25/8/2005
この十日間ほど、パソコンから離れた暮らしをしていた。久しぶりにキーを打つ手元がおぼつかない。その間に二度も大きな地震があった。一度目は宮城県沖が震源。気仙沼港に設置されたカメラが津波に備えて海面を写し続けていた。昨年の今頃、あの岸壁を歩いていたなぁと目がTV画面に釘付けに。幸い津波は来なかった。関東地方でもゆらゆらとかなり長い間揺れていた。微かに船酔い気分。二度目は再び中越地方。小千谷市出身の学生から昨年の過酷な体験を聞いたばかりだった。帰省中の彼はどうしているだろうか。関東でもはっきりと揺れを感じた。そして目下台風11号が関東上空を通過中。豪雨が屋根を叩いている。夏の終わりはなにやら物騒だ。私は頼りなくまどろんでいる。パワーを取り戻すには、未だ暫しの時を要する。本日の更新は「むさしのすけっち」です。フリーズしていたサイトをそろそろ再開いたしましょう。
For more than 10 days I've been away from my PC. My typing is still unsteady. Meanwhile there were two strong earthquakes. The first one happened off the coast in Miyagi Prefecture. A camera settled in Kesennuma Harbour was monitoring the sea in case tsunami might attack, which fortuantely did not occur indeed. I remembered I had been walking the quey side in the previous summer. In Kanto District too we felt the earthquake clearly. It lasted for a while, making me feel seasick slightly. The second one occred in Chuetsu District again! I've just heard about the severe experience that one of my studnts from that area had last year. I wonder how he was doing back home. In Kanto District the earthquake this time was clearly felt. And right now typhoon No. 11 is attacking Kanto District. The heavy rain is falling noisily on the roof. The end of the summer is unquiet. I'm dozing feebly. It will take me time to get back full strength. Today's update: Musashino Sketch. Let me resume the frozen website slowly.

Sunday 14/8/2005
東京もお盆には暫しの静けさ。大勢が帰省したあと、残された者の街となる。久しぶりに実家へ出かけて仏壇を拝み、昔語りなどしつつ母と食卓を囲む。（その前に母のパソコンの調整。アンチウィルスソフトの更新をしたり、忘れてしまった使い方を最初から説明したり。「せめてウェッブサイトを開いてくれればどんな様子か分かるのだから、インターネットで会いに来てね」と念を押すと、「あら見ているわよ、いろんな植物集めたわね」と言われて赤面。稚拙な歌でごめんなさい。母の親戚から届いたメールに口述筆記で返信を打つ。母の世代もメールで交信とは恐れ入りました。高齢者同士が「お互いにがんばって夏を乗り切りましょう」と書き合っているのには何だかとても粛然とさせられる。けれど会えない分、おじいさんとおばあさんがメールで安否を確かめ合うのはなかなかよいものだと思う。しかも、大きな向日葵の画像まで添付されていた！）本日の更新は「むさしのすけっち」です。オンラインでお会いしましょう。
At this time of a year Tokyo is quiet for a while: a great number of people are going home and only those who are left behind remain here. I visited my mother with my family and enjoyed dinner together. (Before eating, I took care of her computer, installing a new version of anti-virus software, explaining to her the usage of the machine again, and so on. I said to her, "Please access my website so that you can see how I'm doing." She said, "I'm doing that. You've collected so may plants in your website." Wow, my mother has been checking it! It's a shame my short poems are too naive. I typed a response mail to one of her relatives for her. I was impressed to know that her generation is corresponding by e-mail. It's moving to read them write to each other, "Let us stay healthy in spite of the severe heat of this summer." Although senior people cannot meet each other for their age, they can communicate by mail. Isn't it great? Moreover, my mother received an attachemnt of a photo of a large sunflower!) Today's update: Musashino Sketch. Let me see you online!

Thursday 11/8/2005
一日に何回も洗濯機を回す。洗っては干し、洗っては干し。学期中は空模様を睨みながら、洗濯物を乾燥機に放り込んで出かけてしまうことも多いので、思う存分天日干しが出来るのは単純に嬉しい。ロサンゼルス近郊に滞在していた時にも、アラバマ州バーミンガム（深南部）やバージニアでも翩翻と翻る洗濯物を滅多に見なかったことを思い出す。住んでいる地区にも依るのだろうが、電力の消費量たるやいかばかりかと心配になったし、アパートの共同ランドリールームでドライヤーが空くのを待つのも厄介だった。あんなにお日様が輝いているのに、もったいないじゃないのと叫びたかった。寒いほどの全館冷房にも参った。いずれも随分昔のことになってしまったけれど、裸足で焼ける物干し台に立つとそんなことが思い出されてならない。今日はカーテンを沢山洗った。あっという間に乾くので感心してしまう。仕事で忙しくしているとアジア的大らかな洗濯からエネルギー浪費型の生活スタイルに接近してしまうのを感じる。休みはありがたい。本日の更新は「ギャラリー余白」の『静物』にaoの油絵新作を一点です。「構図を間違ったね」と言われたとか。そんなものか？
I wash clothes several times a day. Wash and dry, wash and dry. I'm happy I can dry the washed clothes outdoors because I often throw everything in an electric drying tumbler when I have to go out for work. It's a pure pleasure to hang clothes in the sun. When I was staying in the suburbs of Los Angesles, Birmingham in Alabama (in the deep South), and in Virginia as well, I seldom saw washed clothes drying outdoors. Maybe it depends on which area of the district you stay, but mostly people of the United States living in city would deeply rely on electricity whatever they do. I didn't like to wait for my turn to use drying machines in the underground laundry of an apratment. I wanted to cry, "Can't you see the sunshine up there!? It's a waste of solar energy!" I was freezing in the heavily cooled buildings too. It's already a memory of long time ago, but I remember clearly the irritation when I stand barefoot on the burning floor of the small balcony of my house for drying clothes. I washed many curtains today. It's amazing to see them dried up in a few hours completely. I feel I'm inclined to come closer to the energy consuming life as I'm busy working, forgetting the open and natural Asian manners. Thanks to holidays! Today's update: ao's latest oil painting in Still Life. Her teacher said she misjudged the picture composition. Really?

Tuesday 9/8/2005
今日は出先で夕立に掴まった。ポツポツと降り始めたと思ったら一気に土砂降りに。イタリアンレストランのシェードの下に道行く人々が避難した。私も傘をつぼめて仲間入り。ガーリックの良いにおいが漂ってくる。中には痺れを切らして突然猛烈な勢いで駆け出す人もいる。たかだか15分ほどの雨宿りなのだが、見知らぬ人と黙って一緒に立っているのが気詰まりだったのかよほど急ぐ用事でもあったのか。そのすばしこい後ろ姿に皆あきれ顔。そのうち雨脚が弱ると、一人、また一人とシェードから出ていった。雲が切れれば上空は蒼い。本日の更新は「むさしのすけっち」です。降っても照っても、夏よ未だ行くな！
I was caught in a shower while I was walking in town today. Right after I felt some drops of rain, it started to pour. People found shelter under the sade of an Italian restaurant. I joined them closing my umbrella. The tood smell of garlic was around. There was a man who couldn't stand still with others wordless, perhaps, ran out of the shelter immediately running away swiftly. Others were astonished to see him off. Gradually the rain became mild and one by one, they went out of the shade. When the cloud was gone, the sky upon it was brightly blue. Today's update: Musashino Sketch. Rain or shine, don't go yet, summer!

Monday 8/8/2005
予報通り、落雷を伴う驟雨襲来。それは凄まじい降り方だった。ひとしきり降ったあと、何ごともなかったかのように晴れ上がるのもこの季節らしい。平野だからこそ熱暑に注ぐ慈雨と嬉しがっていられるけれど、海山に出ている時にこんなのに襲われたら大変だろう。都市部に住んでいて自然に対する畏怖の念に打たれるのは本当に希なこと。しばし雨脚を見つめていた。本日の更新は「ギャラリー余白」の『静物』にaoの果物細密デッサンを一点。「黒のたまりが少ない」と批評されたとのこと。「なんだこれ、鉄亜鈴か？」と言った人もいます。あ～ぁ。
True to the weather forecast, we had a heavy shower with thunders in the afternoon. It rained so hard. After raining for an hour, it cleared up as if nothing had happened, like a typical shower in summer time. We were so happy to have such a heavy rain in the plain as a gift in the unbearable heat, but in mountains or sea it would have made the situation quite different. It was one of the very rare occasions for us to be struck with awe to nature living in town. I was watching the rain falling for a while. Today's update: a miniature drawing of ao, a fruit, in Still Life. It was criticized as not having enough balck shade. Someone said, "What's it? An iron dumbell?" Alas!

Sunday 7/8/2005
既に立秋とは恐れ入る。未だ夏を十分味わってもいないのに。だが久しぶりに授業がないのを幸い、アメリカ小説を耽読したり、DVDを見たりしている。本日のDVDは『めぐりあう時間たち』。これは劇場でも見たのだがバージニア・ウルフの『ダロウェイ夫人』の翻案だけに一度で十分というわけにはいかない。メリル・ストリープ、ジュリアン・ムーア、ニコール・キッドマンの競演は見ものだ。あらためてウルフに帰りたくなる。帰ろうと思う。本日の更新は「いのちのすがお」に昆虫二態です。素晴らしい体の作りにほれぼれ。
It's already autumn in Japane traditional calendar to my surprise. I haven't ejnoyed summer a bit yet! Now that I have no classes, I indulge myself in reading books of of my own interest like American contemporary novels and watching DVDs. Today I watched Hours by DVD. I've seen it in a theater before, but because the original novel of this movie is an adaptation of Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway, I can hardly say one time is enough. Three women in the movie by three eminent actresses, Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, and Nicole Kidman are marvelous. It made me feel like going back to the works of Woolf. I will for sure. Today's update: two insects in Lives Around. Look at the exquisit making of their bodies!

Friday 5/8/2005
丸善本店に出かけ、各階の書棚の間を行ったり来たりしたあと4階のカフェで一息。東京駅構内の列車の行き来が窓ガラスの向こうにに見える。街の騒音は聞こえない。ふとこの街の多彩な相貌について書き留めてみたくなった。未だどのようにするか決めていないので暫定的にいつものようなページを仮設。本日の更新は新登場「東京点描」です。そのうちどうにかなることを期待しながら。よろしければお試しに。
I went to a new building of an old book store Maruzen. After browsing for a few hours, I took a break in a cafe on the 4th floor. I could observe the trains coming in and going out of Tokyo Station from the large window. No noise could be heard. It occured to me suddenly what if I write various aspect of Tokyo although I still don't know how. I improvised a page: today's upload is TOKYO SHOT. I hope I'll think of a good way to express what I'm feeling ambiguously right now.

Thursday 4/8/2005
友人がいつも高知県は馬路村の「公式飲料」『ごっくん』という名のゆずジュースを送ってくれる。彼女がそこの住民というわけではなく、美味しいからと。馬路村農協で作られた。村おこし成功の物産。四国にも行ってみたいなぁと思いながら熱帯夜に一杯。ほんとにさっぱり。本日の更新は「ギャラリー余白」の『静物』にaoの油絵を一点加えました。「人体の骨格が全然分かっていない」と酷評されたらしい。とろんとした色彩は眠気を催すのどかさなのですが・・・。
A friend of mine sent me a box of yuzu juice named Gokkun which is "an authorized beverage" of Umagi Village of Kouchi Prefecutre. It is not that she is a villager but she loves the drink. It is made by the village agricultural cooperative, one of the successful products for boosting the village. I wish to go to Shikoku Island someday. It's refreshing to drink the juice at a tropical night. Today's update: an oil painting of ao in Still Life although it's not exactly a still life. "You know nothing of the bone structure of a human body," said a teacher in criticism. Well, the colors are dormant really.

Wednesday 3/8/2005
今日は祖母の命日。私が19歳の時に亡くなった。祖母は83歳だったので8.3を忘れない。しっかり者だった祖母が次第に朦朧としていき、寝たきりになった長い過程を思い出す。最期は母を先頭に家族で床を囲み息を引き取る瞬間を看取った。介護の中心は母で、私たちは余り役に立っていなかったと思う。祖母も母のことを「お母さん」と呼んで頼っていた。今では母も気軽に旅などするようになったが、介護の時代には何の自由もなかった。ただ、どんな拘束と見えるものも永遠には続かないことを示してくれた。良くも悪くも何ごとも。先日の大分・熊本行きを母は夢中で語った。自分の子ども時代にも、子育て時代にも住んだ九州。僅か二泊三日でも40年ぶりの再訪はよほど嬉しかったらしい。草千里では霧にまかれて何も見えなかったけれど、そこがまた良かったなどと言う。自由と孤独についても思いをめぐらす八月。本日の更新は「むさしのすけっち」です。熱暑が続く。
August 3 is the anniversary of my grandmother's death. She passed away when I was 19 years old. She was eighty three so 8/3 is a day which I'll never forget. I remember the long process through which my grandmother, originally a very stable person, gradually became weak body and mind and eventually bedridden. With my mohter in front, our all of my family gathered around her bed to see the last moment of her life. My mother was in charge of taking care of her for so may years. The rest of the members of the family were not very useful. My grandmother was depending on my mother, calling her "Mother!" Now that she is totally free from family matters, my mother goes on a trip by herself, but she could hardly have time of her own while she was living with her mother-in-law. However, she demonstrated nothing goes on for ever, whatever it may be. She talked of her short trip to Kyoshu a few weeks ago passionately to me. In the fog, she couldn't see anything in the huge field in Mt. Aso, she said she liked being in the fog very much. She was living in Kyushu twice: when she was a child herself and when she was bringing up her children. She was very happy to visit the island again after 40 years in spite of the shortness of the trip. Watching her talk, I thought of freedom and solitude at the same time. Today's update: Musashino Sketch. It's extremely hot every day.

Tuesday 2/8/2005
もっぱら学生のレポートを読んで過ごしていた。稚拙かもしれないが彼らは書く。書かれたものからは一人一人の存在が痛いほどに伝わってくる。点数を付けるのがためらわれるほど。漸く学期が終わる。幾度もこれを繰り返してきたが一つとして同じ学期はなかった。ペーパーの向こうに沢山の表情が浮かぶ。若者たちの夏の幸いを祈りつつ。本日の更新は表紙の写真とこのページの写真です。八月にはことのほか水辺にひかれる。表紙は隅田川を行く水上バスです。上の写真は朝潮運河にかかる黎明橋から。
I've been reading students' paper. If naive, they do write with all their might. From what they write, I feel the presence of individual human beings almost painfully. I'm very often reluctant to give them grades. Eventually the first semester is over. Repeatedly I went through the rituals but no semesters were the same. Beyond the paper, I see smiles of many students. I wish them good luck in summer. Today's update: photos of the top page and this page. The former is a boat sailing in River Sumida; the latter a boat observed from Reimei Bridge over Asashio Cannal beside River Sumida. In August I'm attracted to the riverside.

Sunday 31/7/2005
最近自宅付近のCDショップやビデオレンタルショップが相次いで閉店していく。得意客ではなかったが、散歩や買い物のついでにフラリと立ち寄ってジャケットを見るだけでも楽しかった。「何故お店を閉めるの？そんなにお客が減った？」と聞いてみると店員が言うには「大手は卸売問屋もかねていますから安く仕入れます。うちのような小さいところは太刀打ちできません。それにケーブルテレビで幾らでも録画できるし、お客さんも本当に好きな作品は買います。レンタルの時代は終わりましたね」と案外さばさばしている。そういえばこの前ビックカメラでDVDデッキを大量に売っているのを見た。ビデオテープの時代も終わったということか。大幅値下げした在庫処分品の中から数点購入。早速ロードショーを見逃していた『モーターサイクル・ダイアリーズ』をパソコンで鑑賞。主演のガエル・ガルシア・ペルナルももちろん良いが、インタビューに答えるウォルター・サレス監督が魅力的だ。旅するエルネスト・ゲバラの相棒だったアルベルトは健在。飄々とあの時代、二人の旅を語る。居ながらにして南米1万キロの旅を追体験できるこの作品、CGとは無縁の実写ロードムービーだ。胸にしみる秀作だと思う。七月の終わり、本日の更新は「むさしのすけっち」です。それと「ギャラリー余白」の『静物』にaoの習作一を点。白い部分に手が入っていないのが歴然、と批評されたそうです。
Recently CD shops and rental video shops are being closed one after another. Although I was not a loyal customer, I'm very much disappointed; I enjoyed browsing in these shops on my way to and back from walking. "Why are you closing your shop? Are your customers decreasing so much?" I asked, and a shopkeeper said frankly, "Big franchised stores are running wholesalers too. They can sell their goods in low prices. We can hardly cope with them. I think the age of video rental shops is over." "People can download good movies easily from cable TV and they buy whatever they really like these days instead of renting." I remember I saw great amount of DVD recorders at a branch of BIC Camera. It seems the age of video tapes is over too. Anyway I picked up a few of discount DVD titles. First of all I saw "The Motorcycle Diaries." Gael Garcia Bernal is good and the director Walter Salles talking about the cinema is very charming. Alberto Granado, the partner of Che Guevara is still alive in his 80's and also talks about their journey and their friendship in an interview. He's just superv. You are taken to the 10,000 km journey with them in the deapth of the continent of South America in the movie. It has nothing to do with CG techniques. This is an excellent, deeply impressive road movie. At the very end of July, today's update: Musashino Sketch. One more: a piece of excercise drawn by ao in Still Life.

Friday 29/7/2005
炎天下を歩く。明暗がくっきりと分かたれている。木陰の涼しさは格別。戒厳下のロンドンの様子を読むに付け、ひときわ暑い夏の到来を感じる。一方、タイに行った友人の著書は全く異なる人生の位相を示している。私はここで何をしていくのかを考える。夏はあらためて思索の時でもある。行動に憧れながら、止まることの意味を問いつつ。本日の更新は「むさしのすけっち」です。亀はどこに行ったのだろう。そういえば今朝、向かいの家のビーグル犬が家出して嬉しそうに歩いていたのをご注進した。見つかったかな。
I took a walked around in the sun. Light and shade are definetely contrastive. It's cool under the tree. Reading articles and mails about London under a heightened state of alert, I feel it will be an extremely hot summer. On the other hand, reading a book written by a friend of mine who went to live in Tailand, I find there is a completely different dimension of life. I think of myself staying in the same place all the time. What am I doing and going to do here at all? Summer is also the time for pondering. I long for action while asking what it means to stay around here. Today's update: Musashino Sketch. One of my turtles has been lost. BTW, this morning I saw a beagle merrily walking out of his house alone. I reported to his owner. I wonder if he has come home yet.

Wednesday 27/7/2005
かくて猛暑の始まり。七月の台風一過は「秋晴れ」とは縁遠い猛烈な日照りで熱帯に突入。今は閉校した短期大学の卒業生がご訪問下さったのがとても嬉しい。就職するとなかなか大変なことが多いけれど、しなやかに活躍を続けて欲しい。心から応援しています。本日の更新、先ずは「ギャラリー余白」の『静物』にaoの習作二点。カラフルな方は某美大のオープンキャンパスで参加した実習にて作成したもの。デッサンは美術予備校の夏期講習第一作。奥行きなし、手前の角が突き出して見えないなどメタメタに批評されたとのこと。ガンバレワカモノ！おまけをもう一点。aoが体育祭のためにデザインした「黄色」の団Tシャツ。これを携帯サイトにアップして、団員(?)の皆さんに確認・ダメ出ししてもらっている。高校生はせわしい。（補足: 昨日の台風による庭の水槽増水により、亀一匹脱走。逃がしてはいけないと新聞で読んだばかりだったのに、これはまずいです。）
Here we are in the scalding heat. After the typhoon it's far from "the autumn clear sky"; we jumped in the toropical weather. I'm happy to find a visitor to this site, one of the graduates of our junior college (which is no more now).　I can imagine how hard it is keep working; however, I sincerely hope she will do her best with her wise efficiency and flexibility. Today's update: ao's latest excercises in art, in "Gallery in Margines." Please find a collage which she made when she visited an art college, and a drawing in pencil, the first work of this summer at art school in Still Life, She said her work was severely criticized for the lack of deapth in space and no projection of the front corner, etc. Go for it, girls! One more: A design for T-shirts by ao. It is for a sport meet in September. High school students are very busy indeed! (Due to the incerese of water in a small tank I put outside, one of the turtles ran away. I've just read in a newspaper that owners shoud be careful not to leave animals in the environment. Alas!)

Monday 25/7/2005
地震のあとは台風だ。間歇的にザーッと大量の雨が屋根を叩く。台風一過の暁にはいよいよカーッと夏空が広がることだろう。あてもなく山荘のパンフレットを眺めたり、海辺の写真を見つめたりしている。この季節になると心が騒いで仕方ない。母は羽田から大分空港へ飛び、そこからバスで阿蘇・高千穂へと足をのばし熊本空港から帰京した。「歩けるうちに」と屈託がない。答案用紙をずっしり抱えた私は近所を徘徊。本日の更新は「猫日和」。久しぶりに「いのちのすがお」に数枚加えました。ま、ご愛敬。
After the earthquake came a typhoon. Sporadically it rains hard banging on the roof. Perhaps when the storm is gone, the complete summer sky will appear. Leisurely I'm watching the pamphlets of mountain logeds and seaside photos. In this season my heart never stays calm. My mother recently flew from Haneda airport to Ooita, then went by bus to Mt. Aso and Mt. Takachiho and came back to Tokyo via Kumamoto Airport. "I'm making journeys while I can," she says happily. With the heavy load of exam paper, I'm staying in my house, just taking a walk in the neighborhood. Today's update is "Lives Around." I collected small photos of cats. They make me smile.

Saturday 23/7/2005
午後四時過ぎに地震があった。木造家屋の二階はひどく揺れた。これは大地震襲来かと思ったほど。棚の上の写真や置物が倒れ、積み上げてあったCDの山が崩れる。そうだこういう時には出口を確保するのだったと居間の扉に手をかけたのはそろそろ揺れも収まろうかという頃。そういえば義母が入浴中だったと慌てて風呂場へ。義母は湯船を出るべきか出ざるべきか躊躇しているところだった。そうこうするうち何ごともなかったように静まったものの、あんなに揺れるのも珍しい。テレビを付けたら接触が悪くなったのかどのチャンネルも雨降り状態。ラジオからは時々キュイ～ンという宇宙線（？）みたいな音が聞こえてくる。どうなってしまったのやら。そのうちネットニュースでも被害の状況や震度が報じられ始め、文字や画像で確認するとどうやら首都圏直撃だった模様。在来線は軒並み止まっていた。一番気になる地下鉄ももちろん。先週の土曜日は出勤だったから、あのくらいの時間に地下鉄に乗っている可能性もあった。テロの標的にこそならないものの地震は関東を除けては行かない。分かっていても抜かっている。震度4や5でもかなり揺れるものだ。中越大地震や阪神大震災の時の激しさはその倍と言うことか。大変なものだ。ちょうど地震の時には久しぶりに花の写真を整理していた。漸くExcelファイルから解放され、心潤うひとときだったのに緊張した。夏の花の色鮮やかさは強烈。本日の更新は久しぶりに「むさしのすけっち」です。「夏から秋へ」とページを新しくしました。三枚目です。昨年のカレンダーのようにはいきませんが、季節の花を追いかける気持ちに変わりはありません。山の彼方にもきっと夏の花々が咲いていることでしょう。
An earthquake happend at 4.00 p.m. in Kanto Area. I was in the living room of my house, an old wooden house. It shook so much that I suddenly felt it might be a great earthquake, which was not fortunately. A photo stand and some ornaments on the shelf fell down, and piled up CDs were scattered on the floor. When the shaking was almost over, I remembered that I should have opened the door to keep the way out just in case. I also remembered that my mother-in-law was taking the bath downstairs; I went down to see how she was doing. She was hesitating whether she should get out of the bathtub or stay inside. Although the shaking ended soon, I was still disturbed: that was an earthquake bigger than what I had experienced before. We turned on TV and found the monitor was covered with a sort of rainlike blur; the sound of the radio was mixed with a strange noise. What happend? Then the Internet news sites started informing damages and accidents caused by the earthquake gradually. Net news told me that it was Magnitude 5 or 4 in Tokyo area. Most of the trains, of course including subways, were stopped. Last Saturday I was working outside, so I might have involved in the confusion if I were working this week too. Tokyo has been free from terrorists' attacks yet; however it is NOT free from earthquakes. We know that but we are negligent. M4 is very shaky. Imagin how M8 is like! Twice as shaky as this in Chuetsu Great Earthquake and Hanshin Great Earthquake. Terrible. When the earthquake hppned, I was working with photographs of flowers. Now that I was liberated from the Excel sheets, I was enjoying myself with flowers. Colors of summer flowers are so fresh and striking. Today's update: "Musashino Sketch" page 3, 'From Summer to Fall." I cannot be as punctual as I was updating "Calendar in Flowers and Poems" in 2004, but my love of flowers has not changed a bit. I imagine summer flowers in high mountains far away may also be in bloom now.

Thursday 20/7/2005
友人がくれたメールに曰く、「今週末は友人たちと千葉県の鵜原で過ごします。余り忙しがっていないで、あなたもゆったりした週末をね！」と。そうできたらどんなに良いか。鵜原というのは海岸だったっけ。（鴨川にも近い南房総の景勝地です！！）いいなぁ～。もう取り組み始めてから殆ど一週間になろうかというExcelファイルをまだ抱えている。職場のメディアセンターに所属するインストラクターからレッスンを受け、データを表に打ち込んでいく基礎を教わった。この親切で手際の良い先生のおかげで、最初のハードルを越えることは出来たのだけれど、まだまだ。Excelの書類を作成している時には余分な想像力や突飛な思いつきは要らない。変わりに、はっきりした記憶力、分類する力などが要求されている。アタマの中でごちゃごちゃになっているものをスッキリ整理する良い機会だとは思うが・・・。少しは冷静になるように、と自分に言い聞かせている。「むさしのすけっち」に手が伸びるまでにはもう少々。何もご披露するものがなくて面目なし。でも、ご訪問には大感謝。暑さの折、ご自愛くださいませ。
A friend of mine sent me an e-mail saying, " This weekend I will be in Ubara, Chiba, with friends. Hope you are not working too hard and will also have a relaxing weekend!" I wish I could! I'm still working with Excel sheets which I've been struggling with for almost a week. I got a lesson from our Media Center instructor, who is a wonderful person as a teacher and an engineer. Thanks to him, I leanred the most basic skills of putting data in "the matrix" (or is it just called "tables"?). Well, I'm expected no literary imagination or fancy for making up the document; instead, I need a good memory and the sense of classification. It's a good occasion to sort out the chaos in my brain! I'm telling myself to be cool. Let me upload whatever I've collected for my Musashino Sketch and other pages a little later. Thanks for coming to my website. I appreciate your concern very much. Have a fabulous summer, friends!

Monday 18/7/2005
海から遠く離れた「海の日」。どこまで行けば海が見えるだろう。東京湾は入り組んだ河口。とても太平洋に続く海とは思えない。そこまで行くこともなかなか出来ない。それでも水のある風景にひかれ、せめて都市の河川を。七月の表紙を差し替えました。JR水道橋駅前から眺める神田川です。両岸はコンクリートで固められているとはいえ、降る年月を経て鬱そうと草が生い茂り、それなりの風情を醸し出している。このあたりは江戸の水道、水運の要所だったところ。この街を離れる前にもっとしっかり調べておこうと思う。ところで、STAR WARS EPISODE III, Revenge of the Sithをみてきた。何とも陰惨な話だ。女が出産で命を落とすという展開は19世紀的。Anakin Skywalkerの乱心は短絡ではないのか。「戦いのための戦い」という話には乗れなくて途中何度か居眠りをしてしまった。でも、あとで食事をしながらああだこうだと随分語り合ったということはうまく乗せられたのかもしれない。Darth Vader誕生のシーンは痛ましい。彼はどこで人の愛を見失ったのだろう。本日の更新は表紙とこのページの写真です。ついに梅雨明け。灼熱の日々がしばらく続く。カメラはどうやら持ちこたえた。ありがたい！
Today is the holiday of the SEA. How far should I go to see the sea? Tokyo Bay is a complicated inside sea, or rather a big waterway, not a part of the Pacific Ocean. I can hardly ever go that far recently. Still I long for the sceans with waters. Let me hang a photo of a stream on the index page of this site: River Kanda in front of JR Suidobashi Station. Althoough both of its banks are covered with concrete walls, grasses grow thick over them as time passes and form the impressive landscape in a sense. This is the spot where the transportation by water developed and so did the water supply in old days of Edo Era. I would like to study it more in detail before I leave this town. BTW, we went to see "STAR WARS EPISODE III, Revenge of the Sith." What a devastating story it is! It's as if we are watching a story of the 19th Century to find a woman die of childbirth. Anakin Skywalker's change of mind is too abrupt. I couldn't follow "the war for war's sake" and so I fell asleep several times. However, we had a lot to talk about the film while having dinner afterwards. Perhaps I was impressed with it unconsciously. Scenes of Darth Vader's birth were depressing. Where and when did he lose human love? Well, today's update: photos of the index page and here in this page. Finally the rainy season is gone. We'll have to live with the blazing sun. My camera is OK now. Thanks!

Friday 15/7/2005
比喩で言ってもどうしようもないのだけれど、登山でもピーク近くが一番苦しいのではないのだろうか。あと少しと言うところ。でも、おそらく「頂上だ」と思ったら次の峰が見晴らせるところへ出ただけだったということもあるのではないか。そんな感じの今日この頃。弱音を吐いている暇もなく。カメラの電池を入れるふたが壊れて、いざというときに写真が撮れなかった。残念。直るだろうか。本日の更新は、何もなし、です。ごめんなさい。上記のような理由にて。先ずは目の前のピークを越えましょう。
It's useless to talk in metaphors, but I imagine the stage right before attacking the peak might be the hardest part of climbing mountains. One more effort will bring you up to the top of the mountain! However, perhaps on the moment when you say to yourself, "I'm on the summit!" you are only to find next peaks, aren't you? I'm living in such a feeling recently. I've got no time to grumble. A cover on the battery of my digital camera is broken, so that I coudn't take a photo when I wanted. Alas! I wonder if it'll be repaired all right. Today's update: sorry, nothing. Next time, please.

Thursday 14/7/2005
学期も終わりに近付いたので、英語のリスニングクラスではナチュラルな英語を聞こうと音楽クリップなど楽しむ。イギリスでのテロを偲びながら、John Lennonの"Give Peace a Chance"と"Imagine"を。昔日のJohnとYokoの仲睦まじい映像。ついでに"A Tribute to John Lennon Live"からMichael Jacksonが歌う"Come Together"も。こちらは15年前の映像で、Michaelもまだ本来の容姿を保ち実にエネルギッシュ。昨今の、帽子を目深にかぶって人目を避けるように歩く痛々しい姿とは全く違う。それからBritney Spearsの近作"TOXIC"と"Making of TOXIC"を両方見る。Britneyの自己主張・自己表現・自己実現への飽くなき挑戦はめざましい。Madonnaもおとなしく見えるほど。たまには教室でもテキストを離れて、爆発するような英語のサウンドを全身に浴びたい。ことばの底にある焼けつくような熱を感じて。本日の更新は授業用サイトの手直しを少々。移植作業に取りかからなくては。不得意なExcelシートと格闘中です。
As we've ccme close to the end of this semester, we enjoyed watching/listening to some music crips by DVDs in order to expose ourselves to the natural rhythm and the sound of English. Thinking of the recent terrorist attacks in England, we listened to John Lennon's "Give Peace a Chance" and "Imagine." In both crips, John and Yoko are lovely and sweet. We also saw Michael Jackson singing and dancing Beatles' "Come Together" in 1990; it's a part of "A Tribute to John Lennon Live." Michael 15 years ago looks quite different from him today: not the one hidden under the brim of a hat, but an energetic and supple young man indeed. Then we watched Britney Spears in her "TOXIC" and "The making of TOXIC." Wow, she is eloquent! Look at her assertiveness! Even Madonna looks queit with her.It's good to have the shower of explosive sound and the rhythm of lively English. We felt the scorching energy of the language. Today's update: a little bit of the pages for my work. I need to transplant them into the server in my office as soon as possible. I'm also struggling with an Excel sheet, which I'm not good at working with.

Saturday 9/7/2005
滅多にTVを見ないのでロンドンでの多発テロを知ったのは、翌朝の通勤途上だった。駅売り新聞の見出しはいつも何気なくチェックしている。ひときわ大きな件の文字が飛び込んできた。すぐさま購入して電車に揺られながら記事を読む。地下鉄での爆破が最も衝撃的だった。勤め先にはロンドンに縁の深い人々が多いので、あちこちで話が始まる。例外なくロンドンオリンピックと抱き合わせで。夕刊になるとロンドン市民の冷静さが特筆されていた。似ているようで9.11とはどこかが違う。テロに過剰反応はせず、むしろ醒めた目で眺めているところ。成熟の証しか、それとも諦観か。さて、本日の更新は「翻訳読書ノート　23」に「母性をめぐる知の饗宴」です。サラ・ブラファー・ハーディー著『マザー・ネイチャー』<「母親」はいかにヒトを進化させたか>を取り上げた。配信上の手違いで表示を失敗したとの連絡が出版社から届く。確かにいただけない。ここでの原稿には少し手を入れて、改訂版としました。
Because I seldom watch TV, I learned about the simultaneous terrorist attacks in London the morning after on my way to office. I usually check the headlines of newspapers at kiosk, remarkable letters caught my eyes. I bought a copy of a major newspaper and started reading articles on the crowded train. The most shocking part of the report was the bomb explosion underground. In my office there are people who know very well about London, they were talking of the issue here and there. Without exception, they also refered to the Olympics which would be held in 2012. In spite of the similarity of the terrorist attacks on 9.11, something is quite different. Peole in London seem to have not shown any signs of overreaction; rather, they are looking at the case quietly. Is it an evidence of the matured mentality of Londoners, or their resignation? Today's update: Reviews in Translation. I wrote a short essay on Sarah Blaffer Hrdy's Mother Nature, A History of Mothers, Infants, and Natural Selection. It's written only in Japanese, sorry!

Thursday 7/7/2005
ハッと気づけば今日は七夕だ。雨が降り、曇天続きのこの空模様では天の川デートも無理だろう。それでも☆に願いを。（ほしと書いたら勝手に☆になった！これは機種依存文字だと思う。誰にも見えるわけではないホシ。←意味不明な方ごめんなさいませ。）本日の更新はArchivesにリンクを付けたこと。これは「業務用」なので、一時的に。いずれ職場のサイトに移すつもりのものを。手持ちの素材を加工しただけなので既にこのサイトにあったコンテンツの「組み合わせ」変更です。自習用にインタラクティブな練習帳ページが作ってみたい。（そういう環境のネットでないとダメだが。）いずれにせよ勉強しなくては。
I realized now it is "Vega (Star) Festival" today! Unfortunately, however, the annual date over the Milkyway won't be possible because of the rainy and the cloudy sky. Still let us make a wish on a star! Today's update is Archives linked (temporalily). It's a page for my work. Mainly just a new combination of old contents existing in this site. I want to make interactive pages for students to practice English. (Cetainly we need a certain condition of the network for that purpose.) Anyway I need to study hard.

Sunday 3/7/2005
七月の幕開け。思うような表紙の写真がなくて、暫定的に定家葛の垣根の陰で涼を取ることにした。晴れ上がった夏空を拝めるのはいつだろう。同僚の女性が「学会でイタリアに行って、それからイギリスのブライトンに出張なので十日間ほど留守にします」と言うのを聞いて、思わず「オーソレミーヨ！」（謎）と叫びたくなった。雲の上を行く感覚から遠ざかって久しい。理屈抜きに、空の旅への憧れが募る。母でさえ、今月は九州へ飛ぶと言っていた。一頃は「行ってきます」を繰り返していたが、この頃はどうも「行っていらっしゃい」の方が断然多い。多様なライフステージをくぐり抜けていくのさと強がってみても、多分私は羨ましそうな顔をしているのだと思う。ま、気を取り直して今月もファイト！月末まで気が抜けません。本日の更新は表紙の写真（暫定版）とこのページの写真（これまた暫定版）です。前向きに参りましょう。
July has started. I haven't got any photo suitable for the cover page of this month yet. Let me resort in the shade of "teika-kazura" for a while. I wonder when I can look up at the real summer sky totally cleared up. When one of my colleagues said, "I'll be away for ten days, 'cause I'm going to Italy for an international conference and then to Brighton in England, you know, for business," I almost cried, "Oh Sole Mio!" I've been away from the feeling of flying over clouds for such a long time. I long for going somewhere by airplane. Even my mother said she is flying to Kyushu this month. Once I used to say, "I'm going!" But recently I'm only saying, "Have a nice trip" to others. Although I say to myself, "I'm going thorugh the various stages of a woman's life," I'm sure I look envious. Well, let me do whatever I can now and here. I have a lot to do by the end of July. Today's update: the photo of the index page (temporary) and the one up here (also temporary). OK, let me be positive.

Thursday 30/6/2005
夕刻「後楽園駅」から地下鉄丸ノ内線に乗ろうとすると、東京ドームへ行く人たちの群れとすれ違う。場外の出店では弁当、ビール、ハンバーガーなど景気よく売っている。屋内球場になってから、雨天中止はあり得ない。そうなると神宮球場の素朴さが良いような気がする。数年前、熱い夜風に吹かれてヤクルトを応援したっけ。本日の更新は「むさしのスケッチ」です。名前がのど元まで出かかって、結局分からないまま見切り発車。水無月の終わりに免じてご容赦を。分かったらすぐに書き加えます。
On my way back, I come across with crowds of people going to Tokyo Dome at Korakuen Station of Marunouchi Subway Line. There are stalls outside of the dome, selling box meal, beer, hamburgers, and so on with noisy calling. Since the stadium was housed in the dorm, there has been no cancellation of baseball games for rain. Now outdoor stadiums look more thrilling to me. I remember we cheered Yakurt at Jingu Stadium in the warm night breeze a few years ago. Today's update: Musashino Sketch. Sorry, I couldn't find names of today's flowers. Let me add the information as soon as I find it.

Wednesday 29/6/2005
昨日の関東地方、6月としては記録破りの日中最高気温36度Cだった。厳しい夏が待っているような気配がある。連日通勤電車は事故に見舞われ遅延が続く。立っていても座っていても今読んでいる本から目が離せないので、何が起きてもあまり気にならないのだけれど。夏の満員電車の中で正気を保つには意識をどこかに飛ば�