When I go around the precincts of a small temple early in the morning, I hear people’s voices even though there are no people. It’s a female voice. Looking over there, a young woman knelt in front of the child-rearing Jizo standing in a corner of the precincts, chanting the Heart Sutra as if she murmurs. It was a wake-up appearance. I don’t know if she has a strong faith or if she has something to complicate, and I left the place quickly. I thought about various things along the way. Consideration for women is still insufficient, including in Japan. It is only when, whatever the circumstances, how difficult it is for a woman to give birth to a child is shared by everyone, and everyone blesses the born child that a better society and a brighter society come true.

早朝、狭いお寺の境内を回っていると、人影もないのに人の声がします。女性の声です。向こうの方を見ると、境内の片隅に立つ子育て地蔵の前に跪いて、若い女性が呟くように般若心経を唱えています。ハッとするような姿です。信仰心の厚い方なのか、何か事情があってのことなのか、知る由もありませんが、足早にその場を離れました。道すがら色んなことを考えました。我が国も含めまだまだ女性に対する配慮が足りません。どんな事情であれ、女性が子供を産むと言うことがどんなに大変なことなのか、その大変さを誰もが分かち合い、生まれてくる子供には誰もが祝福してこそ、より良き社会、明るい未来が約束できます。

This year began in Corona and will close in Corona. It became completely autumn, and the harvest moon began to rise in the cloudless night sky. I held my smartphone and took a picture. Look closely, the lamps of two airplanes near the moon can be seen. I’m happy. Recently, the number of flights has decreased, and I have never seen two planes at the same time. Just about now the flight is rush hour. Planes will go across the night sky of the moon one after another. The company under my eyes has also closed, and the salespeople who are preparing to go home are going back and forth. They look fine too. Good luck, Japan!

今年一年はコロナに明けコロナに暮れそうです。すっかり秋らしくなって、雲一つない夜空に中秋の名月が上り始めました。スマホを構えて写真を撮りました。よく見ると名月の近くに二機の飛行機のランプが映っています。嬉しくなりました。最近はとんと飛行機便も少なくなり、二機を同時に見かけることはなかったからです。丁度飛行機便もラッシュアワー。次から次と名月の夜空を横切って行きます。眼下の会社も営業を終え、帰り支度の営業マン達が右往左往しています。元気そうです。頑張れ、ニッポン！

In autumn, Susuki (pampas grass) prairie, which is said to be the best in the Kansai region, spreads out on the Oishi plateau, which extends to the foot of Oishigamine (elevation 870M), one of the 100 famous mountains in the Kansai region. The ears are pale crimson at first, but turn silver as autumn deepens. By the time the sun sets on the plateau in the evening, Susuki that receives the west sun turns golden. On a clear day, you can enjoy a 360-degree panoramic view of the mountains of Kishu and Mt. Rokko, Awaji Island, and Shikoku in the distance.

関西百名山のひとつ、生石ヶ峰（標高870Ｍ）の裾野に広がる生石(おいし)高原には、秋になると、関西随一と言われるススキの大草原が広がっています。穂は初めは淡い紅色をしていますが、秋が深まるにつれて銀色に変わります。夕方太陽が高原に沈む頃には西日を受けたススキは金色に変わります。晴天の日には、３６０度の大パノラマが広がり、紀州の山並み、遠くは六甲山や淡路島、四国を見渡すことができます。

Hime-Ringo (princess apple) is spherical and 2-2.5 cm in diameter. When ripe, it turns from yellow to crimson and bears cute little fruits. In Japan, even ripe ones have a strong acidity, so their edible value is low, and because of the cuteness of flowers and fruits, they are popular for ornamental purposes such as bonsai and garden trees. However, the “Ringo-ame (candy apple)” that you can see at festival stalls is a variety called “Otome of the Alps”, and the skin is astringent, the flesh is a little hard, and you can feel the sweetness and sourness firmly, and it has a small but rich taste. It is characteristic.

姫りんごは球形で直径が2-2.5cm。熟すと黄色から紅色になり、可愛い小さな実を付けます。日本においては、熟したものであっても酸味が強いため食用価値が低く、花や実の可愛らしさから、盆栽や庭木など観賞用として人気があります。ただ、お祭りの屋台で見かける「りんご飴」は、「アルプスの乙女」と言う品種で、皮は渋みが強く、果肉はやや硬め、甘味と酸味をしっかり感じることができ、小さいながら濃厚な味が特徴的です。

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。