As you enjoy chilled soba on the riverside terrace of Kifune, the back parlor of Kyoto, the season has come when the cicadas , known as ‘Tsukutsuku-boshi’ chirp vigorously. This year, nationwide records of scorching and midsummer days have been rewritten due to the intense heat. In Kyoto, the 29th marked the 38th scorching day of the year. Until now, the most scorching days recorded in Kyoto within a year were 36 days in 1942, a record that has now been surpassed for the first time in 81 years. The streak of consecutive scorching days was interrupted on the 30th, as it turned into just a midsummer day, but the 31st today seems likely to be another scorching day.
Usually, the cicadas, known as ‘Tsukutsuku-boshi,’ begin their cries around the time of the Obon festival, but this year they started chirping even earlier. As the extremely hot days continue, the tsuk tsukuboshi also mistakenly believe that autumn has not yet arrived, and it seems like it will be late to start singing, but this is contradictory. Since the weather conditions have changed so much, Tsukutsukuboushi may have gone crazy. However, this is no time for such carefree talk. The Earth is teetering on a crisis from which there is no turning back. The ignorance and nonchalance of the world’s leaders are concerning.

京都の奥座敷、貴船の川床で冷やし蕎麦を食べていても、ツクツクボウシが盛んに鳴く季節になりました。今年は全国的にも猛暑日、真夏日の記録が塗り替えられていますが、京都では29日も今年38回目の猛暑日でした。これまで京都で1年間に記録した猛暑日は、1942年の36日間が最多でしたが、これを81年ぶりに更新したわけです。30日は真夏日で猛暑日の連続記録は中断しましたが、今日31日も猛暑日になりそうです。ツクツクボウシは、普通ならお盆が過ぎた頃から鳴き出すのですが、今年はもっと早くから鳴いていました。猛暑日が続くので、ツクツクボウシも秋の訪れを勘違いして、鳴き出すのも遅れそうなのに、矛盾していますよね。こうも気象状況が変わったので、ツクツクボウシも感が狂ったのかもしれません。しかし、こんな呑気なことを言っている場合ではありません。もう後戻り出来ないほどの危機的状況に地球は差し掛かっています。世界の指導者達の無知と呑気さが気になります。

When you light an incense firework, initially a small ball of fire resembling a bud forms, then vigorously bursting sparks fly out, much like peony flowers blooming one after another. Gradually, it builds up to a climax, exploding in shapes reminiscent of pine needles, and soon the momentum of the sparks wanes, with long and slender ones cascading like willow branches. In the end, it releases sparks akin to chrysanthemums, which, while beautifully blossoming, drop their petals one by one, eventually releasing a final fiery droplet. This incense firework was created during the Edo period and has been passed down to the present day. However, the origin, Kansai-style incense fireworks, have gunpowder attached to straw tips, whereas the Kanto fireworks that inherited it have gunpowder attached to the tip of the paper string. Incense fireworks, scattering sparks as if tracing a person’s lifetime, still enjoy enduring popularity. Nevertheless, there are only two firework companies in Japan that produce incense fireworks, and more than 99% of these, including incense fireworks, are imported from China.

線香花火に火を付けると、最初に蕾のような火の玉ができ、次に牡丹の花が咲くように勢いよく火花が飛び出します。やがて松の葉の形のように弾けてクライマックスを迎え、間もなく火花の勢いは衰え、柳の様に細長い火花が垂れ下がります。最後には、美しく咲きながらも、花びらひとひらずつ落としてゆく菊の様な火花を放って、ぽたっと火玉を落とします。この線香花火は江戸時代に作られ、そのまま今に引き継がれています。ただ発祥の地、関西の線香花火は藁の先に火薬が付いていますが、継承の地、関東の線香花火は紙こよりの先に火薬が付いています。人の一生を辿るかの様に火花を散らす線香花火はいまだに根強い人気があります。しかし、線香花火を作る花火会社は日本には２社しかなく、線香花火も含めて、99%以上が中国からの輸入品です。

As I walked through the alleys of the town, a sweet fragrance wafted through the blowing breeze. Following the scent, I discovered a large Nioi-Ban-Matsuri planted in the vacant lot at the corner. Its flowers, a mixture of purple and white, along with intermediate shades, created an elegantly subtle blend of colors. While these flowers typically bloom from April to early August in a warm climate, this location, shielded from direct sunlight and caressed by cool winds, seems to maintain its vigor even now.
The characters “匂蕃茉莉 (Nioi-Ban-Matsuri)” break down to “匂” meaning fragrance, “蕃” signifying from a foreign land, and “茉莉” representing jasmine, collectively suggesting “fragrant jasmine from a foreign land.” The flowers start as a deep purple when they first bloom, then transition to a lighter purple, and within two days, they finally turn white. Their distinctive feature lies in their potent and enchanting aroma.

街中の路地裏を歩いていると、吹き抜ける風に混じって甘い香りが運ばれてきました。匂いを辿ると角の空き地に大きなニオイバンマツリ(匂蕃茉莉)が植えられています。紫色と白色、そしてその中間色の花が混じり合って、実に上品な色合いです。普通は４月〜８月上旬の温暖な気候の時期に咲く花ですが、直射日光を避けて、涼しい風が吹き抜ける場所なので今も勢いがあるのでしょう。
漢字の”匂蕃茉莉”は、匂（香り）があり、蕃（外国）からの、茉莉（ジャスミン類）の意味で「香りのある外国からのジャスミン」と言う意味合いからきています。花は咲き始めは濃い紫色で、次に薄い紫色、2日ほどで最後には白色になり、強い芳香があるのが特徴です。

Jugoya, or the 15th night of the eighth lunar month, falls on September 29th this year. Known as the ‘Harvest Moon Festival’ or ‘Mid-Autumn Festival,’ Jugoya is a day for appreciating the full moon during the autumn season. People adorn their surroundings with Aki-no-nanakusa (Seven Herbs of Autumn), enjoy moon-viewing, and display items like mooncakes, sweet potatoes, fruits, and vegetables harvested during the fall. Alongside the 13th night, observed two days earlier, the moon on the 15th night is considered the most beautiful of the entire year, illuminating the clear autumn night sky.
The first mention of the seven autumnal plants can be found in a poem by Yamabe no Akahito in the Manyoshu anthology. Among these plants, the Ominaeshi (Patrinia scabiosifolia) is one, deeply ingrained in Japanese culture as it appears not only in “The Tale of Genji” but also in other classical literature. Ominaeshi is a perennial herb widely distributed from Japan to East Asia, boasting the longest flowering period among the seven autumnal plants, blossoming from early summer to fall. Its dried and boiled form, known as ‘Haisho,’ has been utilized in traditional medicine and herbal remedies.
By the way, the “Haru-no-nanakusa (Seven herbs of spring)” are enjoyed by “food”, such as eating “Seven herbs porridge”, but the “Aki-no-nanakusa” seem to be enjoyed by “seeing” the flowers.

今年の十五夜は９月29日。十五夜は「中秋の名月」とも言い、秋の七草を飾り、月見団子、芋類、果物や野菜などの秋の収穫物を飾って月見をする日です。２日前の十三夜と共に、秋の澄み切った夜空に浮かぶ月が一年中で一番美しいとされてきました。
秋の七草が最初に散見されるのは、万葉集の山上憶良の歌です。女郎花(おみなえし)はその秋の七草の一つで、源氏物語やその他の古典にも登場する日本人には古くから馴染みの深い植物です。日本～東アジアにかけて広く分布する多年草で、秋の七草のうち最も花期が長く、初夏から秋にかけて花を咲かせます。乾燥させて煎じたものを「敗醤（はいしょう）」といい、生薬や漢方として利用されて来ました。
ちなみに、「春の七草」が 「七草がゆ」にして食べるなど、 ”食”を楽しむものですが、 「秋の七草」は花を”見る”ことを 楽しむもののようです。

Until recently, I had been thinking that summer vacation would last until August 31st. However, it seems things have changed. Just looking at the Kansai region, Shiga and Hyogo prefectures go until the 31st, while Osaka, Kyoto, and Wakayama prefectures end on the 24th. The reason I’m mentioning this is because I heard that my granddaughter in Tokyo, who is at her mother’s hometown in Hokkaido, is almost starting school. When I asked if she had finished her homework since school is about to start, I was surprised to learn that school had already begun. Furthermore, she said she had finished her homework on July 21st and 22nd, right after summer vacation started, which surprised me again. As for me, I used to struggle with my homework around this time of summer vacation because I played too much.
I found out that recently there’s a trend of shortening the summer vacation. They say it’s because the curriculum has expanded and weekends have become days off, which caused a shortage of school days. You know how people have always said, ‘Play a lot and learn a lot.’ While studying at school is important, there’s also a lot to learn from play. In the long run, I sometimes feel that prioritizing play over school studies might be a good thing.

夏休みは８月31日までとばかり思っていたら、最近は違うんですね。関西圏だけを見ても、滋賀県と兵庫県が31日まで、大阪府、京都府と和歌山県は24日までなんですね。と言うのも、東京の孫娘が、母方の実家がある北海道に行っていると聞いたので、もうすぐ学校が始まるけど宿題は終えたのと聞いたら、学校はもう始まっていると言うんで気付いたんです。しかも、宿題は、夏休みの始まった７月21日と22日に片付けた言うから、二度びっくり。僕なんか、夏休みは遊び過ぎて、夏休みの今頃は宿題を片付けるのに四苦八苦していましたよ。
調べてみたら、最近は夏休みが短縮される傾向にあるんですって。学習内容が増えたし、土日が休みになったので、授業日数が足りなくなったのも大きな理由だそうです。昔からよく言うじゃないですか、「よく遊びよく学べ」って。学校で学ぶ勉強も大切ですが、遊びことから学ぶ事も沢山ある。学校の勉強を削って遊びに回す事の方が、長い目でみたら、いい様な気もするんですがね。

The flowers of the grove begonias have bloomed. They look just like a flower lei worn around the neck of a hula dancer. Begonias come in three main types: grove begonias, rhizomatous begonias, and tuberous begonias. Grove begonias have upright stems that stretch out, showcasing a variety of beautiful flowers and leaves. Rhizomatous begonias have thick stems that crawl along the ground as they grow, and they are enjoyed more for their beautiful leaves than their flowers. Tuberous begonias, being among the showiest types within the begonia family, produce large flowers. With excellent longevity as cut flowers and the ability to bloom year-round, begonias are found in flower beds everywhere and are a familiar sight to all. Grove begonias are particularly popular as indoor ornamental plants, with prices ranging from several times to tens of times that of other begonia varieties.

木立ベゴニアの花が咲きました。まるでフラダンサーが首に飾るフラワーレイの様です。ベゴニアには、木立ベゴニア、根茎ベゴニア、球根ベゴニアがあります。木立ベゴニアは、茎がまっすぐに立って伸び、花が美しいもの、葉が美しいものなど多種多様です。根茎ベゴニアは、茎が太く、地面をはうようにして成長し、花よりも美しい葉を楽しむタイプのベゴニアです。球根ベゴニアは、ベゴニアの中では大きな花を咲かせるところから、最も華やかな種類ともいえます。花持ちが良く、一年を通じて咲き続けるベゴニアは、どこの花壇にも植えられていて、誰もが見かける花です。木立ベゴニアは、その点、室内で観葉植物としても人気があり、価格も他のベゴニアの数倍から十数倍する物もあります。

In the small open space by the waterway flowing alongside the rice paddies, Hanatoranoo (Tiger Lily) is blooming. I remember seeing it bloom around early summer last year. Hanatoranoo is a common flower seen all over the country from summer to autumn. The sight of the gentle pink flowers blooming in clusters brings a momentary sense of coolness even in the lingering summer heat. Although it’s a familiar flower, upon closer inspection, each individual flower has a unique shape. The flower spikes are slender, elongated pyramids, and the flowers bloom in a regular pattern in all directions. Due to its flower’s shape, it is also called Kakutoranoo. Originally native to the eastern parts of North America, it was introduced to Japan during the Taisho period and rapidly spread due to its resilience and vigorous growth. Despite the continued heat, you can indeed feel a faint touch of autumn in the mornings and evenings. It’s probably the Hanatoranoo that had been blooming throughout the summer, but its dignified appearance, standing firm against the heat, truly strikes a chord in the heart.

田んぼの脇を流れる水路の僅かな空き地にハナトラノオ(花虎の尾)が咲いています。去年は初夏の頃に咲いていたのを見かけた様に思います。ハナトラノオは夏から秋にかけて、全国いたるところでよく見かける花です。優しいピンクの花が群れ咲く様子は、残暑の中でも、つかの間の涼しさを感じさせてくれます。ありふれた花ですが、よく見ると一つ一つの花の形もユニークで、花穂は細長い四角錐で、花は四方に向かって規則正しく並んで咲きます。その花の形からカクトラノオ(角虎の尾)とも呼ばれます。北アメリカ東部原産で、日本へは大正時代に入り、丈夫でよくふえるため急速に広まりました。相変わらずの暑さですが、さすがに朝晩は僅かに秋の気配を感じます。多分夏中咲いていたハントラノオですが、暑さを凌いだ凛とした姿に心打たれます。

There seems to be no sign of the heat diminishing even after the Obon period has passed. Yesterday’s high school baseball championship game between Keio and Sendai Ikuei had the whole of Japan excited and even more heated. The day before yesterday, I participated in the battle for those tickets and managed to barely secure infield seats, for which my grandchildren were grateful as well. Experiencing high school baseball so intimately like this is also a first for me. After seeing off my grandchildren, I watched the game on TV, and I was surprised to see the vast Koshien Stadium packed to capacity. However, what surprised me the most was that Keio won the championship by a wide margin of 8 to 2, going against most predictions. Regardless of the outcome of the competition, the admirable performance of the players from both schools, the fervent cheering battle between the two schools, and the vibrant colors of the summer vegetables harvested from the fields all were deeply engraved in my heart as the most cherished memory of this summer.

お盆が過ぎても暑さが衰える気配はありません。昨日は高校野球決勝戦、慶應対仙台育英に日本中が湧き立ち、いっそうヒートアップしました。一昨日はそのチケット争奪戦にも参加し、かろうじて内野券が獲得できて、孫達からも感謝されました。高校野球をこんなにも身近に体験できたのも初めてです。孫達を送り出した後は、テレビで観戦しましたが、あの広い甲子園のスタンドが満杯状態にも驚きましたが、あらかたの予想を裏切って、慶應が８対２の大差で優勝したのにも驚きました。勝負の勝ち負けはともかく、両校選手の立派な戦いぶり、両校の熱烈な応援合戦、そして畑から収穫された夏野菜の色鮮やかさと共に、この夏一番の思い出として深く心に残りました。

Shiga (志賀), known for the waka poem by Tadanori Taira: ‘The capital of Shiga, with its ripples, how the wild cherry trees still flourish there.’ Shiga (志賀) was a place name referring to the cu rrent area of Otsu City. It’s a name that also contributed to the origin of Shiga (滋賀) Prefecture’s name. The name ‘Shiga (志賀)’ remains in the region adjacent to Takashima City in the northern part of Otsu City. This narrow area is nestled between the Hira Mountain Range and Lake Biwa, and during winter, it often gets a considerable amount of snowfall. Most of the land is dedicated to rice paddies, with early-harvested rice planted, soon to be harvested. This area boasts clear waters from Lake Biwa and stretches of sandy beaches, making it a popular destination for swimmers. The scent of barbecues wafts through the air, adding to the atmosphere.
Shiga Prefecture, blessed with abundant water resources from Lake Biwa, is renowned for its temperate climate and fertile soil, making it one of the leading rice-producing areas in the country. It is known for producing high-quality strains of Omi rice like ‘Mizukagami’ and ‘Koshihikari,’ and next year, a new variety called ‘Kiramizuki’ will be introduced, said to rival or even surpass the taste of ‘Koshihikari’.

平忠度の和歌「さざなみや志賀の都は荒れにしを昔ながらの山桜かな」で知られる志賀は、今の大津市一帯を表す地名でした。滋賀県の県名の由来にもなった地名です。大津市の北部、高島市に隣接する地に志賀の名前が残っています。比良山系と琵琶湖に挟まれた狭い地域で、冬にはけっこう雪も積もります。ほとんどが田んぼで早稲が植えられていて、間もなく収穫です。この辺りは琵琶湖の水も澄み、砂浜が広がっているので、水泳客も多く、バーベキューの匂いと煙が立ち込めています。「琵琶湖」という豊富な水資源を有する滋賀県では、その温和な気候と豊かな土壌が稲作に適していることもあり、全国でも有数の米所です。「みずかがみ」や「コシヒカリ」といった近江米の産地としても知られ、来年は新品種の「きらみずき」が発売されます。「コシヒカリ」と同等以上の食味らしいです。

At 10:00 am, reservation tickets for the high school baseball finals that will be held tomorrow will go on sale. For my son and grandson who came all the way from Tokyo to watch the semi-finals and finals, I was forced to participate in the hot battle to get tickets. I promptly opened the ticket reservation site and waited for the start time of sales. As soon as 10 o’clock arrived, I tried to access the site, but the internet wouldn’t connect. The message “Due to an overwhelming number of reservations, it is difficult to establish a connection” appeared repeatedly, over and over again. This cycle repeated dozens of times. Even if I thought I had finally connected, I was rejected again during the process of the procedure. In this way, I managed to secure tickets for both the semifinal and today’s final game, but I am simply amazed by the fervor of this tournament. What will be the result of the final match between Sendai Ikuei and Keio tomorrow? The cheering match is also worth seeing.

朝10時、明日開かれる高校野球決勝戦の予約チケットが発売されます。東京から準決勝戦と決勝戦を見にやって来た息子と孫の為に、そのチケット獲得の熱き戦いに参戦するすることになりました。チケット予約サイトを早々と開けて発売開始時刻を待ちます。10時とともにサイトに入ろうとしまししたが、ネットが繋がりません。「予約が殺到して繋がりにくい状況です」と何回も何回もでます。繰り返すこと数十回。さあ繋がったと思っても、手続きの過程でまた弾かれます。こうして、準決勝戦も今日の決勝戦のチケットも何とか獲得できましたが、今大会の熱狂振りには只々驚くばかりです。あすの仙台育英と慶應の決勝戦の行方はいかん。その応援合戦も見ものです。