When I visited a nearby farmhouse, many carp streamers were hanging on a long bamboo pole.  It seems that he hasn’t seen his grandson for many years, partly due to the influence of Corona.  It is customary to hang carp streamers in this way every year, but it seems that he has a strong feeling this year.  Speaking of which, a long rope was stretched in the nearby park, and big carp streamers were swimming, and I often see carp streamers of various sizes here and there. It was also in the 100-yen shop.  When I was a kid, I didn’t see so many carp streamers even at this time.  It may be that society has become richer now and that we can afford to be interested in these traditional events.  If you go to the countryside, you may see hundreds of carp windsocks.  I was singing the song “Carp streamer” unintentionally.

近くの農家さんを訪ねたら、長い竹竿に沢山の鯉のぼりが吊り下がっています。コロナ禍の影響もあり、もう何年もお孫さんと会っていないそうです。毎年毎年こうして鯉のぼりを吊るすのは恒例になっているのですが、今年こそはという思いは強いそうです。そう言えば近くの公園にも長いロープを張って、大きな鯉のぼりが泳いでいましたし、大小様々な鯉のぼりをよく見かけます。100円ショップにもありました。子供の頃はこの時期になってもそんなに鯉のぼりは見かけませんでした。それだけ今は社会が豊かになり、こうした伝統的な行事にも関心を持てる余裕が生まれてきたのかも知れません。地方にいったら、何百匹もの鯉の吹き流しを見かける事もあります。思わず「鯉のぼり」の歌を口ずさんでいました。