The first snowfall was observed on Mt. Fuji on the morning of September 28th. The first snowfall on Mt. Fuji was observed two days earlier than normal and 24 days earlier than last year. Autumn is finally here. The arrival of autumn in the Japanese archipelago, which is long from Okinawa to Hokkaido from north to south, varies. The cherry blossom front moves north in spring and the autumn leaves front moves north in autumn. And when the front comes to Mt. Fuji, which is located in the center of the Japanese archipelago, its season is at its peak. Since ancient times, informations on Mt. Fuji has spread all over Japan in a blink of an eye. There is no mountain in the world that is loved and adored by all the people.

９月28日朝、富士山で初冠雪が観測されました。富士山の初冠雪は、平年より2日早く、去年と比べて24日早い観測となったそうです。いよいよ秋の本格的到来です。沖縄から北海道まで南北に長い日本列島の秋の到来はまちまちです。春は桜前線、秋は紅葉前線が北上します。そして日本列島の中心に位置する富士山にやって来た時がその最盛期です。古来、富士山の情報は瞬く内に日本全国に伝わりました。これほど全国民から慕われ、敬愛される山は世界にありません。

When I finished shopping in the evening and walked down the road, Kibana cosmos was in full bloom in the evening sun. When the cool evening breeze blows through, it sways to the right and to the left. Unlike ordinary delicate cosmos, Kibana cosmos is tall and wild, as if a dancer is dancing flamenco. When I approached and tried to take a picture, my shadow overlapped and I was dancing flamenco together.

夕方買い物を終えて道を歩いていると、向こうの方にキバナコスモスが夕陽を受けていっそう鮮やかに咲き乱れています。涼しい夕風が吹き抜けると右に左にと大きく揺れます。繊細な普通のコスモスと違ってキバナコスモスは背も高く野生的で、まるでダンサーがフラメンコを踊っているようです。近付いて写真を撮ろうとすると、自分の影が長く溶け込み、一緒にフラメンコを踊っていました。

The long beard and the bent waist of Ise shrimp are considered to be a symbol of longevity and are known as auspicious food. The ban on Ise shrimp fishing has been lifted in various parts of Japan from September to next April, and the best season for one is from October to January. You can enjoy the poppable Ise shrimp dishes. Especially, it is an indispensable ingredient for New Year’s osechi dishes. The body length is usually about 20-30 cm, but in April 2017, the largest individual in Japan with a body length of 38.5 cm and a weight of 2.33 kg was landed in Shima City, Mie Prefecture. It will take about 20 years to grow to this point. Ise shrimp is also famous for surprising cry in surprise.

伊勢えびの長いヒゲと曲がった腰を持つ姿は長寿のシンボルとされ、縁起の良い食べ物として知られています。9月～4月に日本各地で漁が解禁され、旬は10月～1月ごろ。ぷりぷりの伊勢えび料理を味わえます。特にお正月のお節料理には欠かせない食材です。体長は通常20 – 30cmほどで、日本では2017年4月に体長38.5cm、体重2.33kgという国内最大クラスの個体が三重県志摩市で水揚げされました。ここまで成長するには20年ほど掛かるそうです。また伊勢えびは驚くとギーギーと鳴くことでも有名です。

Gladiolus, which blooms many flowers on its slender spikes, is one of the popular flowers that decorate the flowerbed in summer. Characterized by hard leaves shaped like a sword, the scientific name Gladiolus means “small sword” in Latin and is named after the shape of the leaves and buds. Just past the equinoctial week in autumn, I noticed a gladiolus in full bloom. It has gentle flowers that do not resemble the characteristic names. It is a rare variety. This Gladiolus is blending into the autumn atmosphere without greedily competing for beauty.

すらりと伸びた花穂に沢山の花を咲かすグラジオラス は、夏の花壇を彩るポピュラーな花のひとつです。剣のような形の硬い葉が特徴で、学名のグラジオラス（Gladiorus）はラテン語で「小さな剣」という意味があり、葉や蕾の形からつけられています。秋の彼岸を過ぎたばかりの今、ポツンとひとつ咲いているグラジオラス が目に留まりました。特徴を表す名に似ず優しい花を咲かせています。珍しい品種です。妍(けん)を競うでなく、秋にふさわしいグラジオラス です。

In the olden days, Rindoh was often found on the ridges of rice fields on the outskirts of town. Recently, I don’t see much in country mountains. Even so, on the equinoctial week Rindoh is almost always attached to the flowers offered to the graves or to the flowers in front of the Buddhist altar. For some reason, it remains a bud. The Rindoh that blooms in the plateaus and mountains is dark purple and has bell-shaped flowers that bloom toward the sky. Along with Kikyo, it is a flower that represents autumn, and its chic colors heal our heart. Although it is written in kanji as “dragon’s liver”, it is also used as a stomach medicine in Chinese medicine and is very bitter, so it got this name. The flower language is “I love you best when you are sad”.

リンドウは昔は町外れの田んぼの畦道にもよく見かけたものです。最近は里山でもあまり見かけなくなりました。それでもお彼岸のお墓参りや仏前にお供えするお花には必ずと言っていいほどリンドウが添えられています。それも何故か決まって蕾のままです。高原や山野に咲くリンドウは濃紫色で釣り鐘状の花を空に向かって咲かせます。キキョウとともに秋を代表する花で、シックな色合いが心を癒します。漢字で「竜胆」と書きますが、漢方の胃薬としても使われ、とても苦いのでこの名がつきました。花言葉は「I love you best when you are sad（悲しんでいるあなたを愛する）」です。

Typhoon No. 12 did not land in the end, and it seems that it will move north over the eastern sea of Japan and become a tropical cyclone. It was good. This year’s typhoons have continued abnormally, and so far no typhoons have landed on the mainland (Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku, Hokkaido). It is said that landing 0 until September is the first time in 11 years. The first typhoon occurred on May 12th, which is unusually late, and the second typhoon in June and 0 in July mean that there are two typhoons that have occurred by July, so this is also abnormal. The number of typhoons increased in quick succession in August, and typhoon No. 10 that occurred on September 1 was a super-large one that was rarely seen in the history of observation and even issued a “special warning”, but it did not land in the end and we got it finished without large troubles. Typhoon No. 19, which landed in Chiba last year and caused enormous damage, was in early October, so it’s best to be alert. Anyway, it’s sure that the whole earth seems to be crazy.

台風12号も結局は上陸せず、日本の東海上を北上して熱帯低気圧になるようです。良かったです。今年の台風も異常続きで、今のところ本土(本州、九州、四国、北海道)に上陸した台風はありません。９月まで上陸０は11年ぶりだそうです。台風第１号の発生も５月12日と異常に遅く、６月に第２号、７月は０と言うことで、７月までに発生した台風は２個と言うことですから、これも異常。８月に入ると立て続けに発生するのですが、９月１日に発生した台風10号は観測史上稀に見る超大型で「特別警報」まで出ましたが、これも結局は上陸せず事なきをえました。昨年千葉に上陸し甚大な被害をもたらした台風19号は10月の初めでしたから、まだまだ油断ができません。ともかく地球全体が狂ってきているようです。

This flower has various names such as “Manjushage”, “Manjushaka”, and “Higanbana”. “Manjushaka” is a name that comes from Sanskrit “manjusaka” and means “a flower that blooms in heaven”, which means a congratulatory flower. On the other hand, there are also some scary names such as “Dead person’s Flower”, “Ghost Flower”, and “Hell Flower”. At first glance, it is gorgeous, but it is a mysterious flower hiding devilish character. While the flowers are in bloom, there are no leaves at all, and when they are finished blooming, the leaves come out, and the bulb looks like lily bulb, but they contain deadly poison.

この花は「マンジュシャゲ」「マンジュシャカ」「ヒガンバナ」のように様々な呼び方があります。「マンジュシャカ」はサンスクリットからきた名前で「天界に咲く花」と言うことでおめでたい花と言う意味があります。一方、「死人花（しびとばな）」「幽霊花（ゆうれいばな）」「地獄花（じごくばな）」のようなちょっと怖い呼び名も付いています。姿といい、形といい、咲き方といい、一見華やかですが、魔性を秘めた不思議な花です。花が咲いている時は葉は全くなく、咲き終わると葉が出て、球根はユリネそっくりですが、猛毒が含まれています。

The golden rice is spreading all around, and the bright red cluster amaryllis are scattered and blooming. It is a blissful time and the paradise of this world to sit on the engawa where the cool autumn breeze blows, eat the hagi, and look at the scenery of the equinoctial week in front of me. Autumn equinoctial week is a time when only the lives that have survived the harsh heat, bloomed, and lived can be met and enjoyed.

黄金色に実った稲がいちめんに広がり、真っ赤な彼岸花が点在して咲いています。涼しい秋風が吹き寄せる縁側に座って、お萩を食べながら、前に広がる彼岸の景色を見ているこの時こそ至福の時であり、此の世の極楽というものです。厳しい暑さを凌いで咲き、実り、生きながらえた命だけが邂逅し、交歓できるひと時が秋のお彼岸です。

When I go down the village road, it becomes a fork, and a small shrine stands at the corner. Jizo is enshrined inside and is watching over the people who pass by. It’s usually a murky and inconspicuous shrine, but the cluster amaryllis is in full bloom around it, and it’s a lively landscape even if there are no people. When I ring the bell with the red string and put the money in the money box of the candy can, the sound of some money will bounce back. It makes me heartwarming to think of Tsuji Jizo, who has been protecting the villagers and the passers-by on rainy days, windy days, snowy days, and hot sun days.

里道を行くと分かれ道になっていて、角に小さな祠(ほこら)が立っています。中にはお地蔵さんが祀られていて、道行く人を見守っています。普段なら殺風景な目立たない祠でしょうが、周りには今を盛りの彼岸花が咲いていて、人はいなくても賑やかな風景です。赤い紐の付いた鈴を鳴らし、菓子缶のお賽銭箱にお金を入れると、何枚か入ったお金の音が跳ね返ってきます。雨の日も風の日も、はたまた雪の日も炎天下の日も、里人を守り、道行く人を守り、こうして幾星霜も年月を重ねてきた辻地蔵のことを思うと、ほのぼのとした気持ちになります。

The annual “Scarecrow Contest” is held in September every year at the Tanada (the terraced paddy fields) in the “Inabuchi District” of Asuka Village, Nara Prefecture, which is famous for the Takamatsuzuka Tomb. The terraced paddy fields, which are one of the most famous spots for Higanbana (cluster amaryllis) in the prefecture, are lined with Scarecrows who applied from all over the country, and many tourists come to see the “original scenery of rural areas”. However, this year, as in the case of the whole country, both the “Scarecrow Contest” and the “Higanbana Festival” have been canceled to prevent the infection of the new coronavirus. Last night, I had a dream of having an online date with Scarecrow by means of ZOOM which became a hot topic this year.

高松塚古墳で有名な奈良県明日香村の「稲渕地区」の棚田では、毎年9月になると恒例の「かかしコンテスト」が開かれます。県下有数の「彼岸花」の名所でもある棚田には、全国から応募した案山子が並び、「農村の原風景」を見るために多くの観光客が押し寄せます。しかし今年は全国の例に漏れず、新型コロナウイルスの感染防止のため、「かかしコンテスト」も「彼岸花祭り」も中止になりました。昨晩は、今年一気に話題になったZOOMで案山子とオンラインデートする夢をみました。