The summer heat continues as usual. Though autumn festivals across the regions have ended and I would normally want to recite something like ‘autumn deepens,’ the heat and summer-like scenes still frequently catch my eye. Nearby, the fallow fields are full of blooming sunflowers, and visiting families are dressed in summer attire, enjoying shaved ice as if it were the height of summer. Yet, around the sunflower fields, some late-blooming cluster amaryllis are blossoming. However, as you go a little further into the hills, the scenery turns fully into autumn. Golden rice fields stretch out as far as the eye can see, with some already harvested. The persimmons are ripening nicely, and red dragonflies flutter through the air. And yet, in the distance, the sound of cicadas still echoes. My head is in a state of chaos. Is it summer or is it autumn? When I look at the calendar, I realize it’s already well past the middle of October.

相変わらず夏日が続いています。各地の秋祭りも終わり、本来なら「秋深し」と詠みたいところですが、この暑さといい、夏を思わせる光景もしばしば目にします。近くの休耕地にはヒマワリが咲き乱れていますし、訪れた親子連れも夏姿。かき氷を美味しそうに食べています。そのくせ、ヒマワリ畑の周りには咲き遅れた彼岸花が咲いています。しかし、その景色も少し山手に入ると、やはり完全に秋景色です。黄金色に染まった稲穂が一面に広がっていますし、刈り終えた田んぼもあります。柿もしっかり熟し、赤トンボも舞っています。そのくせ、遠くでツクツクボウシが鳴いています。もう頭はカオス状態です。夏なのか秋なのか、カレンダーを見れば、もう10月も半ばを過ぎているんですよ。

Sitting on the beach, listening only to the sound of the waves crashing, I find myself drifting into a light slumber. Then, I hear the faint sound of a boat engine in the distance. Though hazy, the sunlight shines brightly, illuminating the far-off sea. A small fishing boat bobs on the waves as if a spotlight were shining directly upon it. It’s hard to believe that the days were so hot just a short while ago. I can feel the coolness of autumn in the occasional sea breeze. At the same time, an inexplicable loneliness wells up inside me. What is this loneliness? Is it because this landscape, carved by the passage of time, reminds me of the fleeting nature of life, born and disappearing into this scene? Ah, a crab just scuttled by at my feet, waving its claws at me as it passed.

打ち寄せる波音だけが聞こえる海辺に座って微睡んでいると、微かに船のエンジン音が聞こえてきます。朧に霞んではいますが陽光は明るく、遥か沖合の海を照らしています。その中に小さな漁船が一隻、まるでスポットライトに照らし出されたように、波間に揺れています。ついこの前まであれだけ暑かった日々が嘘のよう。時より吹き寄せる潮風にも秋の涼しさを感じます。と同時に言いようのない寂しさが込み上げてきます。この寂しさはなんでしょう。悠久の歴史を刻むこの景色の中に生まれ、やがてこの景色の中に消えていく命の儚さを思い起こさせるからでしょうか。あれっ、足元をカニが一匹、ハサミをこちらに振りながら通り過ぎていきました。

The red spider lilies in the garden, which had been buds until yesterday, finally bloomed beautifully this morning. It’s already October. Of course, this is the first time we’ve had such a late blooming. While the mornings and evenings have become somewhat cooler, the daytime temperatures still exceed 30°C, feeling like midsummer. This is the same across the country. According to the app ‘Weather News,’ a survey conducted among users revealed that one week ago, in 25 prefectures, more than 30% of respondents reported that the flowers were ‘blooming.’ However, in this week’s survey, that number rose to 43 prefectures. Over the past week, it seems that the red spider lilies have finally started blooming widely from western Japan to the Tohoku region.
Looking at the percentages by prefecture, Kagoshima leads with 86%, followed by Miyazaki with 83%, and Kochi with 82%. While the Kyushu and Shikoku regions show high blooming rates, in the Kanto region, Chiba is at 43%, Saitama at 51%, and even Tokyo is only at 39%, indicating a rather delayed blooming. On TV news, shaved ice is still a big hit at various tourist spots that are crowded with many foreign visitors. One wonders when the real arrival of autumn will come.

昨日まで蕾だった庭の彼岸花が今朝は見事に花を咲かせました。もう10月です。もちろんこんな遅い開花は初めてです。朝晩ははいくぶん涼しくなりましたが、昼間はまだ30度を超える真夏日です。これは全国どことも同じで、アプリ「ウェザーニュース」によると、ユーザーに対して調査を行った結果、１週間前に「咲いている」との回答が3割以上となった地域が25県でしたが、今週の調査では43都府県だったとのことです。この一週間でやっと西日本から東北まで彼岸花が広く咲き始めていることが分かったそうです。
都道府県別では、トップが鹿児島県の86%、次いで宮崎県83%、高知県82%と九州や四国はともかくとして、関東地方ではまだ千葉県43%、埼玉県51%、東京都でも39%ということですからかなり遅い開花であることが分かります。テレビニュースを見ても、外国人観光客が多く押し寄せている各地の行楽地でもカキ氷が大流行りです。本格的な秋の到来はいつになるんでしょうね。