Today is the summer solstice. Specifically, it is the first day of the summer solstice. The summer solstice is the tenth solar term of the twenty-four solar terms, which serves as a seasonal indicator. It refers to a period that generally occurs from around June 21st to July 7th each year. On this day, the daylight hours are the longest in the Northern Hemisphere. The exact times of sunrise and sunset on the summer solstice vary depending on the location in Japan, but on average, the sunrise is around 4:30 a.m. and the sunset is around 7 p.m. In other words, the duration of daylight on the summer solstice is approximately 14 hours and 30 minutes, while on the winter solstice, it is about 9 hours and 45 minutes. Therefore, the summer solstice has approximately 5 hours more daylight than the winter solstice. About two weeks after the summer solstice, we enter the period of “shōsho” (small heat), marking the peak of summer. On the day of the summer solstice, various events are held not only in Japan but also around the world, expressing wishes for abundance and prosperity of offspring. In countries like Sweden and Finland in Northern Europe, the summer solstice is even celebrated as a national holiday.

今日は夏至です。詳しくは夏至の初日です。夏至は季節の指標である二十四節気の10番目の節気で、毎年6月21日〜7月7日頃までの期間を指します。この日、北半球では１年のうちで昼の時間が最も長くなります。日本各地によって違いますが、夏至の日の日の出時刻は大体４時30分位、日の入り時刻は19時位です。つまり、夏至の日照時間は14時間30分程度、冬至の日照時間は9時間45分程度ですから、夏至のほうが約5時間も日が出ている時間が長い訳です。夏至の約半月後には小暑を迎え、いよいよ夏本番に突入する訳です。夏至の日には、日本はもちろん、世界中で豊穣と子孫繁栄を願う行事が執り行われます。北欧のスェーデンやフィンランドでは夏至が国の祝日になっています。

At this time of year, when you go to the park, the spring roses that have not been pruned are still blooming with vigor. As you pass by them, you enter a hydrangea garden. Indeed, hydrangeas are the stars of this season. Roses have also undergone selective breeding, with varieties that bloom for a season, throughout the year, and even bi-seasonal roses, making them visible almost year-round except in winter. On the other hand, hydrangeas stubbornly adhere to blooming only during this rainy season. For those who come to see them, it’s a state of mind where they can enjoy both hydrangeas and roses, a true “let the flowers enchant you, lalala” feeling. “Let the flowers enchant you, lalala” – This is the opening line of “Hanauri Musume” by Misora Hibari, which became a number one hit on the charts in 1951 (Showa 26). It’s worth noting that television broadcasting started in 1953. Along with “Hanauri Musume,” I recall passionately cheering for Rikidozan on the street-side television.

この時期、公園に行くと、剪定を終えていない春バラがまだ勢いを留め咲いています。そこを通り過ぎると紫陽花園です。やはりこの時期の主人公は紫陽花です。バラも品種改良が進み、一季咲やら四季咲きやら、さらに二季咲のバラもあり、冬を除いてほとんど年中見られます。その点紫陽花は頑なに梅雨のこの季節にだけ咲くことを守っています。見る方にとっては、紫陽花も見られるし、バラも見られると言うことで、まさに「花を召しませらんららん」の心境です。「花を召しませらんららん」ーこの一節で始まる美空ひばりの『花売り娘』をご存知の方も少なくなりました。1951年(昭和26年)のヒットチャートNo.1になった曲です。テレビの本放送が始まったのが1953年ですからね。『花売り娘』と同時に、街頭テレビで力道山を必死で応援したことを思い出します。

In the haiku by Saisei Muroo, there is a line that says, ‘Apricots are sweet and people are sleepy.’ It’s a line that makes you wonder what makes it a haiku, but you can still sense the feeling behind it. A ripe Anzu looks inherently sweet, and perhaps due to the thin covering of fuzz around it, it gives a soft and cozy impression, reminiscent of a futon. Anzu bloom slightly earlier than cherry blossoms and bear pale pink flowers similar to plums. They enter the harvesting season from June to July, and the Anzu fruits, resembling plums, ripen to a bright orange-yellow color, with the flesh taking on a reddish tint and easily separating from the pit. Anzu have a long history in Japan, as they are mentioned in the oldest Japanese pharmacological book called ‘Honzo Wamyo’ (918 AD). They were originally called ‘Karamomo’ at that time, and the name ‘Anzu’ came into use during the Edo period. Initially cultivated for medicinal purposes, their beautiful flowers led to their early use for ornamental purposes, and they became widely popular among the common people during the Edo period. Nowadays, they are not only consumed fresh but also widely cherished as jams. The main producing prefectures are Aomori and Nagano, which account for about 98% of the national production, with the top producer prefecture changing every year.

室生犀星の俳句に「杏あまさうな人は 睡むさうな」と言うのがあります。どこが俳句なのかなと思える句です。しかし感じは分かります。熟した杏は見るからに甘そうで、周りが薄毛で覆われているせいかほんわりとしていて布団を連想します。杏は桜よりもやや早く、梅によく似た淡紅色の花を咲かせます。6 〜7月には収穫期を迎え、ウメによく似た果実は橙黄色に熟し、果肉は赤みを帯びて核と離れやすくなります。日本に渡来したのはかなり古く、日本最古の本草書『本草和名』（918年）に「杏子」の記載があります。当時は「カラモモ」と読んだそうで、「アンズ」と呼ぶ様になったのは江戸時代からだと言われています。渡来当初は薬用として栽培されていましたが、花が綺麗なので、早くから鑑賞用としても用いられ、江戸時代には広く庶民にも行き渡った様です。今では生食用としてはもちろん、主にジャムとして愛用されています。生産県は青森県と長野県で、この二県で全国の約９８％を生産し、毎年トップが入れ替わっています。

The heat is intensifying day by day. It seems that there were several areas today that experienced scorching heat exceeding 35 degrees Celsius. Standing on a small elevated area surrounded by trees, Oni-yuri (devil lilies) are blooming, resembling a canopy placed upon them. Oni-yuri is also known as “Tengai-yuri (canopy lily),” precisely because they serve as a canopy that conceals the sun. A canopy refers to a parasol-shaped decorative object that is hung over Buddhist statues, teachers, coffins, and the like. The Oni-yuri’s resemblance to this canopy gave rise to the name “Tengai-yuri.” The Oniyuri is said to have been named based on its ability to bloom large flowers and its orange petals that evoke the image of a red demon. However, it’s a little cruel to call such a lovely flower a “Oni-yuri (devil lily).” Its English name is said to be “Tiger Lily,” but if it were up to me, I would call it “Betty Lily.” There used to be an animated character named Betty with freckles, and whenever I see the Oni-yuri, it always reminds me of that Betty-chan.

日に日に暑さが募ります。今日も35度を超える猛暑日を迎えた地域が何箇所かあった様です。木々に囲まれた小高い所に立つ鬼百合が被さる様に花を咲かせています。鬼百合は別名「天蓋百合」とも言いますが、まさしく陽を隠してくれる天蓋です。天蓋とは仏像・導師・棺などにさしかけてつるす、笠状の装飾品のことです。鬼百合の花がこの天蓋に似ていることが「天蓋百合」の由来です。鬼百合は、大きな花を咲かせることや、オレンジ色の花びらが赤鬼をイメージさせることから名付けられたらしいですが、こんな可愛い花に「鬼百合」とはちょっと可哀想です。英名でも「Tiger I don’t Lily」と呼ぶそうですが、僕なら「Betty Lily」と呼びます。昔、そばかすのあるベティと言うアニメキャラクターがあって、鬼百合を見るといつもそのベティちゃんを思い出すからです。

“An outstanding characteristic of the Japanese national temperament is the innate love for flowers even among the common people. If the love for flowers as a national characteristic is considered proof of the cultural level of a society, then it seems that the common people of Japan are far superior to those of our country”. These are the famous words of Robert Fortune, a plant hunter from the British East India Company who came to Japan in the late Edo period. The Japanese fondness for flowers was already known to plant hunters from around the world during the late Edo period, and many plant hunters and flower merchants visited Japan. They were surprised to find cacti and aloe, which were unknown in China, already being appreciated in Japan, as well as strawberries from England being sold. The passion for gardening among the people of Edo can also be seen through ukiyo-e prints. They depict people enjoying various flowers at home, as well as showcasing selective breeding, variations, and chrysanthemum shaping, which were renowned as spectacles. The depiction of people admiring plants during that time is not so different from us in the present day. This tradition has been passed down to the present, and many tourists from around the world flock to Japan to see the cherry blossoms and various other flowers throughout the four seasons.

「日本人の国民性の著しい特色は、庶民でも生来の花好きであることだ。花を愛する国民性が、人間の文化的レベルの高さを証明する物であるとすれば、日本の庶民は我が国の庶民と比べると、ずっと勝っているとみえる。」ー江戸時代末期に日本にやって来た、英国東インド会社のプラントハンター、ロバート・フォーチュンの有名な言葉です。日本人の花好きは、江戸時代末期には世界のプラントハンター達に知れ渡っていて、多くのプラントハンター達や花商人達が日本を訪れています。中国でも知られていないサボテンやアロエがすでに日本で鑑賞されていたり、イギリス産の西洋イチゴが売られていたという事実に彼等は驚いています。江戸の人々の園芸熱は浮世絵を通しても知ることがでできます。そこには、家で様々な花を育てて楽しみ、品種改良や変種、造菊など見世物として評判を呼んだものも描かれています。植物を愛でる当時の人々の姿と、現代の私たちはそう変わらないことが良くわかります。その習慣は現代にも引き継がれ、桜の花見をはじめ、日本の四季折々の花々を見るために、世界から多くの観光客が日本に押し寄せています。

Already in the Chuuka season (the season from June 6th to July 6th), the sunrays that shine through the gaps in the rainy season have been growing stronger day by day. However, the white clouds beyond the sky are not the clouds of midsummer. When entering the shade, it still feels chilly, almost as if a cool breeze is blowing. In the photo sent from Shimoda, Izu, vibrant hydrangeas are depicted in colors that cannot be seen here. I wonder if there’s even a drizzle of rain falling, and in the distance, Shimoda fishing port appears faintly veiled. It seems that Shimoda is currently having a hydrangea festival. As it’s a place I have visited several times since I was young, a sense of nostalgia wells up within me.
Today is the day for my injection, which comes once every three months. Upon entering the Red Cross Hospital in Osaka, Uehommachi, I noticed the names and words of encouragement of the staff members who have been dispatched for Ukraine support displayed. In hopes of their safety and an early ceasefire in Ukraine, I instinctively boarded the escalator and headed towards the reception.

もう季節も仲夏。梅雨の晴れ間にさす日差しも日増しに強く成って来ました。しかし空の向こうの白雲は真夏の雲ではありません。日陰に入るとまだ肌寒ささえ感じるほどです。伊豆の下田から届いた頼りにには、咲き乱れた紫陽花がこちらでは見られない彩りで写っています。こぬか雨でも降っているのか、遙か向こうの下にはおぼろに霞む下田漁港が見えます。下田では今あじさい祭りだそうです。小さい時から何度か訪れた場所なので、懐かしさが蘇ってきます。今日は３ヶ月に一度の注射の日です。大阪上本町にある赤十字病院を入ると、ウクライナ支援に派遣されている職員の名前と激励文が張り出されていました。思わず職員の無事とウクライナの一日も早い停戦を願ってエスカレーターに乗り、受付に向かいました。

I always see two large Yama-nomo trees planted in the garden of the sports gym I go to. One of the trees is full of ripe Yama-nomo fruits. There are plenty of fallen fruits around its roots, but most of them have been stepped on and crushed. What’s a wast!. However, since it faces the street, you hesitate to pick the fruits from the tree. In the park too, there is also a place where Yama-nomo trees are planted. Several people gather there, pluck the fruits from the trees, put them in bags, or enjoy eating them. The only drawback is that the seeds are large, but the fruits are pleasantly tart and quite delicious. They used to sell them in stores in the past, but these days they are hard to find. Yama-nomo trees have both male and female trees, but even the female trees can bear fruits on their own. This is because the pollen from the male flowers floats in the air and can travel far away. It is even said that they bear fruits through pollen that flew all the way from China.

いつも通っているスポーツジムの庭に二本の大きな山桃の木が植っています。一方の木には山桃の実が鈴なりです。根っこの周りにも沢山の実が落ちていますが、ほとんどの実が踏み潰されています。もったいない話です。といって、通りに面した場所ですから、木に成った実を取るのも憚れます。公園にも山桃の木が植った場所があって、ここでは三々五々人が集まっていて、木から実を捥いで袋に入れたり、口に頬張ったりしています。種が大きいのが難点ですが、甘酸っぱくて結構美味しいんです。昔は店にも売っていましたが、最近はとんと見かけません。山桃の木は雌と雄がありますが、雌だけでも実を付けます。雄の花粉が空中を漂って遙か彼方にまで飛ぶからです。中国から飛んできた花粉で実を結ぶとも言われているくらいです。

The roses bloomed earlier than usual and have almost finished blooming, and now it’s the season of hydrangeas. Hydrangea gardens everywhere are in full bloom. Lately, there’s no time to leisurely reflect on the changing seasons, although Kenko Hosshi said, ‘It is precisely in the changing of the seasons that things are transient and flavor.’ Since the New Year, not only plants but also the natural changes have been occurring one to ten days earlier. Before you know it, flowers bloom, and before you know it, they scatter, making way for the flowers of the next season. The roses, sensitive to climate fluctuations, bloom earlier than usual, while the tranquil roses bloom as usual. Thanks to this, it feels like the period when roses are blooming this year was longer than usual. The world has completely changed compared to 40 or 50 years ago, and even the natural environment has undergone a complete transformation. I worry about the future, whether this change will bring good fortune or misfortune for the next generation.

例年になく早く咲いたバラの花も咲き切って、紫陽花の季節になりました。どこの紫陽花園も花は満開です。最近は兼好法師が言う様に「折節の移り変るこそ、ものごとにあはれなれ」なんて悠長なことを言ってられません。正月からこっち、草木はもちろん、自然の変化が１週間から１０日は早い。あれあれと言う間に花が咲き、あれあれと言う間に花が散り、次の季節の花が咲いている。気候の変動に敏感なバラは例年より早く咲き、おっとりしたバラは例年通り咲く。お陰で、今年なんか、バラの咲いている期間が何時もより長かった様な気がします。世の中も4、50年前とはすっかり変わってしまったけれど、自然環境まですっかり変わってしまいました。これから先、この変化が吉とでるのか凶と出るのか、次の世代の方々の事が気に掛かります。

Once again this year, the Lupine flowers are blooming beautifully. In Japanese, they are called ‘Noborifuji’ (climbing wisteria) or ‘Tachifuji” (standing wisteria), which refers to their resemblance to wisteria flowers blooming from bottom to top. Indeed, if you turn the photo upside down, they look just like wisteria flowers. However, unlike wisteria, Lupine flowers come in a wide variety of colors, such as red, pink, purple, and yellow. Originally native to North and South America, they are said to be distributed in over 200 species worldwide. I remember there was a restaurant called ‘Rupan’ somewhere, and I thought that it was named after the famous fictional thief Arsène Lupin from the globally renowned detective novel ‘Arsène Lupin, but instead of that, I once heard from the owner that Lupine is called “Rupan” in French. Speaking of which, in the novel, Phantom Thief Lupine is depicted planting Lupine flowers in his garden during his later years. Nowadays, if you mention Lupin, most young people would probably think of the anime character Lupin III. By the way, the English name is ‘Lupin,’ spelled the same as in French.

今年も見事にルピナスの花が咲いています。和名は、花がフジに似て下から上に咲いていく様から、昇藤(ノボリフジ)、あるいは立藤(タチフジ)と付けられています。なるほど、写真を逆さまにして見たら藤の花そっくりです。ただ藤と違ってルピナスの花色は、赤やピンク、紫、黄色などとバリエーションが豊富です。もともとは南北アメリカ原産で、世界中に200種類以上分布しているそうです。どこだったか「ルパン」と言うレストランがあって、あの世界的に有名な推理小説『アルセーヌ・ルパン』の怪盗ルパンから名を取ったのかと思ったら、フランス語でルピナスはルパンと言うんだと店の主人から聞いたことがありまます。そう言えば、小説では、ルパンは晩年に庭にルピナスを植えていたと場面があります。今の子はルパンと言えば、アニメのルパン三世のことだと思うでしょうね。ちなみに英名はLupinでフランス語と同じ綴りです。

From the hedge along the well-traveled road, Duranta is once again gracefully hanging its flowers this year. Among the numerous purple blooms, only Duranta has flowers with white edges. The refreshing appearance of these flowers brings to mind wisteria, but they are smaller and exude an elegant and dignified charm. It is said that there are approximately 30 species of Duranta, primarily found in Central and South America. The variety I am currently seeing is called Duranta Takarazuka. In Japan, three types are popular: Takarazuka, the white-flowered Duranta, and Duranta Lime, which does not produce flowers. Duranta Lime, despite not flowering, is favored for its beautiful leaves that are a shade between green and yellow, resembling the color of citrus fruit lime. All of them are tropical plants and rarely bear fruit in Japan, but it seems they bear fruit abundantly in tropical regions.

よく通る道沿いの生垣から、今年もまたデュランタが涼しげに花を垂らしています。紫色の花はたくさんありますが、白い縁取りのある花はデュランタだけです。清涼感のある花の姿は藤を連想させますが、小ぶりで凛とした気品のある花です。デュランタは中南米を中心におよそ30種あるそうで、今目にするのはデュランタ・タカラヅカと言う品種です。日本では、このタカラズカと白花デュランタと花の咲かないデュランタ・ライムの三種が人気があるそうです。デュランタ・ライムは花は咲きませんが、緑と黄色の中間色で、柑橘系の果実ライムの色をした葉が綺麗で人気があるそうです。いずれも熱帯性植物で、日本ではほとんど実がなりませんが、熱帯地方ではタワワに実がなるそうです。