The rice terraces in Asuka, Nara are in the midst of fruit.  Scarecrows are standing everywhere, protecting the hanging rice ears from sparrows.  At its feet, Higanbana(cluster amaryllis) is blooming bright red flowers as if to support the scarecrow.  It is a scene in the midst of fall.  Unlike the usual year, there are a few peoples who visit on weekdays.  There are a lot of red dragonflies, and they fly slowly in the cool breeze that occasionally blows.

奈良明日香野の棚田は実りの真っ只中です。至る所に案山子が立っていて、垂れ下がった稲穂を雀から守っています。足元にはその案山子くんを応援するかのように彼岸花が真っ赤な花を咲かせています。秋たけなわの光景です。いつもの年と違って平日に訪れる人は三々五々。赤とんぼだけがやたら多く、時折り吹く涼しい風にのってゆったりと飛び交っています。

No other flower blooms at the right time like Higanbana(cluster amaryllis).  It always blooms just on the Ohigan(equinoctial week) in autumn.  The color and shape of the flowers are remarkably different from other flowers, and because they bloom on the Ohigan, they capture the hearts of people even more.  While the remnants of summer are still there, it is time to feel the arrival of autumn, so looking at Higanbana deepens the nostalgic feelings and loneliness.  There are three people who join the majority.  In memory of those people, I cut three   Higanbanas  and gently poured them into the clear water.

彼岸花ほど時期ぴったりに咲く花はありません。秋のお彼岸には必ず咲きます。花の色といい形状といい他の花とは違う上に、お彼岸に咲くからなおいっそう人の心を捉えます。まだ夏の名残りを留めるなか、秋の訪れも確かに感じる時期なので、彼岸花を見るとノスタルジックな思いと寂しさが一段と深まります。鬼籍に入った人が三人。その人たちを偲びながら、彼岸花を三つ手折って、澄み切った疏水にそっと流しました。

Sanma(Pacific saury) on the market today is a coastal fish by a small boat.  Sanma landed in August was 850 tons, the second lowest ever.  Looking at the amount of landings over the past three years, 2018 was 8,890 tons, 2019 was 990 tons, and last year 2020 was 170 tons, the lowest ever.  The first landed Sanma was 3,780 yen per fish.  From now on, Sanma by large boats will be on the market, and the price will be much cheaper, but it will still a poor catch, and last year’s saury catch was 29,566 tons, the lowest ever. Compared to 2008-09, which exceeded 300,000 tons, it is less than one-tenth.  It is said that the causes are that due to the recent rise in temperature, the seawater temperature near Japan has risen and Sanma, which prefers cold water, has moved north of Hokkaido, and that large ships from Taiwan and China have advanced into the open sea area and have begun to catch a large amount of Pacific saury. Pacific saury is now changing from cheap and nutritious fish to high-class fish that can only be eaten at high-end restaurants.

今出回っている秋刀魚は小型船による近海魚です。８月に水揚げされた秋刀魚は850tで過去２番目の低さでした。過去３年の水揚げ量を見ても、2018年が8,890t、2019年が990t、そして昨年2020年は170tで過去最低でした。初水揚げの秋刀魚は一尾3,780円だったそうです。これからは大型船による秋刀魚が出回り、値段もうんと安くなりますが、それでも不漁であることは変わらず、昨年のサンマ漁獲量2万9566トンと過去最低に落ち込みました。30万トンを超えていた2008～09年に比べると10分の1以下にすぎません。最近の気温上昇で日本近海の海水温が上昇し、冷水域を好む秋刀魚が北海道以北に移動したこと、公海域には台湾や中国の大型船が進出し、秋刀魚を大量に漁獲するようになったことが原因だとされています。今や秋刀魚は安くて栄養豊富な魚から高級料亭でしか食べられない高級魚になりつつあります。

This year, the full moon will be reached around 8:55 am on Tuesday, 21st today, and the dates of the harvest moon and the full moon will match.  It is the first time in eight years that the dates of the harvest moon and the full moon match.  It is said that the moon viewing during the harvest moon was from China during the Heian period, and it was initially a custom only for aristocrats, but it became popular among the common people during the Edo period.  On the day of the full moon, Imoni was cooked with taro and served with autumn flowers such as Japanese pampas grass.  It is the origin of the harvest moon, which was also called “Imonazuki”.  It wasn’t until after that dango（ a kind of dumpling, usually made of rice or wheat flour) was offered and now there are various shapes such as circles and bales depending on the region.  In haiku, August 14th and 15th of the lunar calendar are called “Matsuyoi(waiting night)”, and 16th and 17th are called “Izayoi(16th night)”, and the months before and after the famous moon are loved.

今年は、今日21日(火)の午前8時55分ごろに満月になり、中秋の名月と満月の日付が一致します。中秋の名月と満月の日付が一致するのは8年ぶりです。中秋の名月にお月見をするのは平安時代に中国から渡ってきたとされ、当初は貴族のみの風習でしたが、江戸時代に庶民に広まりました。十五夜の日には里芋で芋煮を作り、ススキなど秋の草花を添えてお供えしました。中秋の名月を「芋名月」とも呼んだ由来です。団子を供える様になったのはその後のことで、今では地方によって、丸や俵型などさまざまな形が存在します。俳諧では旧暦の８月14日・15日を「待宵」、16日・17日を「十六夜」と称して名月の前後の月を愛でます。

Black pearl, more specifically called black pearl pepper, is a plant of the same family as red peppers.  The fruit turns black and looks like a black pearl, so it must have been named black pearl.  However, the leaves are also black as shown in the photo.  The leaves are green when young, but gradually turn black.  Purple flowers bloom between the black leaves, and eventually purple fruits are produced, and the fruits change from purple to black-purple to red.  Although it is a member of the capsicum, it is only for ornamental purposes and cannot be eaten.  By this time of autumn, colorful fruits such as red, yellow, orange, black, and purple are formed between the black leaves, which is very beautiful.  It is native to the tropics of South and North America and is also known as the onyx red.  Onyx means a black gem, and you may have taken notice of that the fruit changes from black to red.

ブラックパール、詳しくはブラックパールペッパーと言い、唐辛子と同じ仲間の植物です。実が黒くなって黒真珠の様になるからブラックパールと言う名が付いたのでしょう。しかし写真の様に葉も真っ黒です。葉は若葉の時は緑色ですが徐々に黒色に変化します。その黒葉に紫色の花が咲き、やがて紫色の実ができ、その実は紫から黒紫、そして赤へと変化します。トウガラシの仲間ですが、あくまでも観賞専門で食用にはできません。秋の今頃には赤、黄色、オレンジ、黒、紫などカラフルな色合いの実が、真っ黒な葉の間にできて、とても美しいです。南アメリカから北アメリカの熱帯地域が原産で、この地域ではオニキスレッドともよびます。オニキスとは黒い宝石のことで、実が黒色から赤色に変化する事に注目したのでしょう。

The “Kishiwada Danjiri Festival”, known for its brave danjiri, has begun on the 18th.  Due to the corona disaster, it was virtually canceled last year, and the Danjiri Festival, which has been held for the first time in two years, has been reduced in scale and is held by “no spectators” who do not attract spectators from the outside.  The roadside is divided by red and white curtains, and measures have been taken to prevent it from being seen, but many spectators rushed in and there were many places where it became denser.  The Kishiwada Danjiri Festival is a traditional festival that has continued for more than 300 years since the Edo period, hoping for abundant five grains, and it is known for its “Yarimawashi”, which bravely pulls a danjiri that weighs more than 4 tons with a powerful shout. Whether Danjiri wins or Corona wins, it seemed like an uncontrollable battle.

勇壮なだんじりで知られる「岸和田だんじり祭」が18日始まりました。コロナ禍で昨年は事実上中止となり、2年ぶりのだんじり祭りは規模を縮小し、外部から観客を呼び込まない「無観客」での開催です。沿道は紅白の幕で仕切られ、見えないように対策は講じられていますが、沢山の観客が押し寄せ、かえって密になる箇所がいくつも見受けられました。岸和田だんじり祭は、五穀豊じょうを願って江戸時代から300年以上続く伝統の祭りで、力強い掛け声とともに重さ4トン余りあるだんじりを勇壮にひく「やりまわし」で知られています。だんじりが勝つか、コロナが勝つか、どちらも抑え切れない戦いにも思えました。

かやのみを　かげばうかぶは　じょうもんびと

Kaya(torrea) an evergreen tree that grows up to 25m in height and 2m in diameter, and has a lifespan of 1000 years.  There are 4 species in China, 2 species in the United States, 1 species in Japan, and 7 species in the world. In Japan, they are distributed south of Iwate and Yamagata prefectures.  The growth of the tree is extremely slow, and therefore the grain is fine and robust, and the go board and shogi board of Kaya tree have long been prized by enthusiasts as the finest products.  It is said that Japanese Kaya existed in the Jomon period, and there are traces of eating Kaya nuts along with Tochi nuts.  It has spread throughout Japan since the Heian period, and was actually used as a preserved food to prepare for poor crops, and the oil squeezed from the fruit was used as cooking oil and kerosene.  Even now, Kaya nuts are used for roasting and eating, as well as for candy and sugar-covered sweets, and until a while ago, it was also used as an insecticide and Chinese medicine for the stomach.  Having such a history, it used to grow naturally in the mountains of Japan and was also close to temples and farmhouses, but since the Meiji era, logging has progressed, so Japan Kaya is now nearly extinct.

榧は高さ25ｍ、直径２ｍ程度にまで育つ常緑樹で、寿命は1000年にも及びます。中国に４種、アメリカに２種、日本に１種と、世界には７種の榧があり、日本では、岩手県、山形県以南に分布しています。榧の木の成長は極めて遅く、それ故に木目が細かく堅牢で、本榧の碁盤・将棋盤といえば、古くから最高級品として愛好家に珍重されています。日本の榧は縄文時代には存在していたといわれ、栃の実とともに榧の実が食べられた跡が残されています。日本各地に広がったのは平安時代からで、実は凶作に備える保存食料に、また実から搾った油は食用油や灯油に利用されました。今でも榧の実は、炒って食べたり、飴や砂糖掛けのお菓子などに使われているほか、少し前まで、お腹の虫くだしや漢方としても利用されました。そうした歴史を持ち、かつては日本の山々に自生し、お寺や農家の庭先などの身近なところにもあった榧ですが、明治以降に伐採が進んだため日本の榧は今絶滅に近い状態にあります。

I received Nagano Purple and Shine Muscat.  Nagano Purple is a grape similar to Kyoho and Shine Muscat is a grape similar to Muscat, both of which are the newest grapes that can be eaten with the skins that are in fashion now.  Delaware native to the United States first came to Japan, and speaking of grapes, it means this Delaware, Delaware is still widely used.  This is because it was easy to cultivate because it was suitable for the climate of Japan.  European grapes have large fruits and are easy to eat, but the heat and humidity of the summer did not suit them, and cultivation was delayed.  However, Japan’s agricultural technology has become the world’s leading grape-producing country by repeatedly improving varieties that take advantage of the strengths of each grape.

ナガノパープルとシャインマスカットをいただきました。ナガノパープルは巨峰に、シャインマスカットはマスカットに似た葡萄で、どちらも今流行りの皮ごと食べる事ができる、最も新しい葡萄です。日本に初めに入ってきたのはアメリカ原産のデラウェアで、葡萄と言えばこのデラウェアをさし、今でも幅広く親しまれています。日本の気候に適し栽培され易かったからです。ヨーロッパ系の葡萄は実が大きく食べ易いのですが、夏期の高温多湿が合わず栽培に遅れをとりました。しかし、日本の農業技術はそれぞれの葡萄の長所を活かす品種改良を重ねる事によって、今や世界をリードする葡萄生産国になっています。

After Murasaki Shikibu, who serves Michinaga’s daughter Shoushi Empress, saw off the monks who had finished praying for a safe delivery, and is looking at the garden wet with morning dew.  At that time, Akiko’s father, Michinaga, presents Ominaeshi flower to Murasaki Shikibu in the garden as she passes by. Murasaki’s heart of a single mother who has passed thirty and still has a young child is shaken.  She sings to Michinaga, saying, “In spite of the fact that the morning dew has given the flower itself more beauty, It is sad that the same morning dew does not give me grace”.  As a return song, Michinaga replies, “Morning dew does not discriminate between you and Ominaeshi.  Morning dew dyes you in a beautiful color by your heart trying yourself to be beautiful.  It’s up to you”.  Michinaga is 43 years old at that time.  In this era, both Murasaki and Michinaga are elderly men and women, but they have not been quiet yet.  I have something to be unfailingly interested in exchanging love songs between the most powerful person representing the Heian period and the literary person representing Japan.

道長の娘中宮彰子仕える紫式部は、安産祈願を終えた僧侶達を見送り、朝露にぬれた庭を眺めています。その時彰子の父親の道長が通りすがりに庭の女郎花を紫式部に差し出します。三十を過ぎてまだ幼な子を抱えるシングルマザーの紫の心が揺れないはずがありません。「女郎花 盛りの色を見るからに 露のわきける 身こそ知らるれ」と道長に歌を送ります。返歌として道長は「白露は わきてもおかじ 女郎花 心からにや 色の染むらむ」と返します。道長、この時四三歳。この時代、紫も道長も初老の男女とはいえ、まだまだ枯れてはいません。平安時代を代表する最高権力者と日本を代表する文学者の恋歌の遣り取りに興味尽きないものがあります。

You can hear the flute and drum hayashi from the other side of the rice ears, which they tilt their heads in the morning calm.  This is a lesson for the autumn festival, which will be held for the first time in two years.  The event was held while the state of emergency due to the coronavirus was being extended, and it is reported that the governor of the prefecture has announced a discourse requesting the cancellation of the event while the state of emergency due to the coronavirus is being extended. It’s a difficult problem.  In order to prevent infection, it is better to cancel the festival, which is difficult to avoid crowding.  However, it is natural that it is not good for such a depressed situation to continue forever, both psychologically and economically. Even if you are infected with corona, things will get worse if you do not concentrate your wisdom so that you can have festivals and economic activities.

朝凪で首を傾げるだけの稲穂の向こうから、笛と太鼓のお囃子が聴こえてきます。2年振りに開催される秋の大祭に向けてのお稽古です。コロナウイルスによる緊急事態宣言が延長される中での開催で、府知事からもじんわりと中止を求める様な談話が報じられています。難しい問題です。感染を防ぐ為には人の密集を避けることが難しい大祭開催は中止した方がいい。しかし心理的にも経済的にもこんな鬱屈した状況がいつまでもでも続いていていい訳がない。もっと知恵を絞って、こう言うコロナ感染下でも大祭が開催されるとか、経済活動ができるようにしなければ状況がいっそう悪化する様な気がする。