Around the 4th century, in Myra, a small city in the Eastern Roman Empire (present-day Turkey), there was a priest named Saint Nicholas. Preaching the teachings of Christianity, Saint Nicholas was a compassionate figure who helped the poor and the weak. One day, he encountered a father contemplating selling his three daughters due to extreme poverty. Touched by this plight, Saint Nicholas, in the dead of night, secretly threw gold coins down the chimney to assist the family. The fireplace, without even a fire burning, had stockings hung for drying. By chance, the coins landed inside one of the stockings. The next morning, the family discovered the coins and rejoiced. The three daughters were saved from being sold, and all were able to marry. The father, who had been seeking his benefactor, eventually found Saint Nicholas repeating the generous act in another poor household. Overwhelmed with gratitude, he fell to his knees, crying.
The story of Saint Nicholas spread throughout Europe, and the Dutch pronunciation of Saint Nicholas, “Sinterklaas,” eventually evolved into the name “Santa Claus.” From this tale, the tradition of Santa Claus placing presents in stockings became established.

４世紀頃、東ローマ帝国のミュラ(現在のトルコの小都市)に聖ニコラウスと言う司祭がいました。聖ニコラウスはキリスト教の教えを説きながら、貧しい人や弱い人を助ける心優しい人物でした。ある日、貧しさのあまり3人の娘の身売りを考える父親に出会います。心を痛めた聖ニコラウスは、何とか家族の手助けにならないかと真夜中にこっそり暖炉の煙突から金貨を投げ入れました。焚べる薪もない暖炉には靴下が吊るしてありました。聖ニコラウスの投げいれた金貨は偶然その靴下の中に入ります。翌朝金貨を見つけた家族は大喜び。３人の娘たちは身売りをせずにすみ、全員が結婚もできました。恩人を探していた父親は、同じ様に貧しい家に金貨を投げ入れる聖ニコラウスの姿を見つけ、ひれ伏して大泣きし感謝しました。
聖ニコラウスの噂はヨーロッパ中に広がり、聖ニコラウスのオランダ語読みである「シンタクラース」がやがて「サンタクロース」という呼び名になりました。この話から、サンタクロースは靴下にプレゼントを入れる、という文化が定着したと言われています。

Today is the day of ‘Shogatsu Kotohajime,’ beginning the preparation  for the New Year. To welcome the ‘Toshigami’ (deity of the year) who descends to bring good fortune in the new year, preparations for the New Year, such as cleaning, welcoming pine branches, and pounding rice cakes, gradually begin from this day. In the past, when there were Kamado (stoves) in the kitchen, special attention was given to cleaning the kamado, especially because it was under the jurisdiction of the deity ‘Kojin god.’ Kojin god, who not only presides over the kamado as the god of fire but also governs the fortune of the house, was believed to flee from a home that did not keep the kamado (kitchen) clean.
Coincidentally, today I happened to visit one of Japan’s three major Kojin, Kasayama Kojin, who is enshrined to pay respects. However, the main purpose was not to visit Kasayama Kojin but to eat new buckwheat noodles at ‘Kasa-soba’ just in front of it. ‘Kasa-soba,’ located deep in the mountains beyond Hase-dera Temple in Sakurai City, Nara Prefecture, is a well-known soba restaurant in the Kansai region. However, when we finally arrived at Kasa Soba along a narrow winding mountain road, we found out that it was closed on a day. It seems we were punished.
Once again, I sincerely apologize to Kasayama Kojin god.

今日は「正月事始め」の日です。新しい年に福をもたらすために下って来られる『年神様』をお迎えするため、この日から煤払い、松迎え、餅つきなどの正月準備を少しずつ始めます。まだ台所に竈(かまど)があった頃、特に荒神様が司る竈の掃除は念入りに行われていました。火の神であるとともに家の運を司る神様でもある荒神様は、竃周り(台所)をきれいにしていないと、その家の運も逃げてしまうと言われていたからです。今日は偶然にも、その荒神様をお祀りする、日本三大荒神の一つ、笠山荒神を訪ねる事になりました。
と言っても、笠山荒神を訪ねるのが目的ではなく、その前にある「笠そば」で新そばを食べるのが目的であったわけです。奈良県桜井市の山深くにある長谷寺の更に山深くにある「笠そば」は知る人ぞ知る関西の蕎麦処です。ところが、ところが、曲がりくねった細い山道をやっと辿り着いた「笠そば」はなんと休業日。バチが当たった訳です。
改めて、笠山荒神様にお許しを乞う次第です。

After completing pruning, the street trees stand exposed, lined up in a cold and barren row. Amidst them, a pyracantha surrounds one, its branches adorned with abundant bright red berries. Thinking back, around the beginning of summer, it was adorned with lovely white flowers. Now, after six months, it has quietly adorned itself with these red berries, signaling the imminent arrival of the New Year. I feel bewildered by the swiftness of time passing. While pyracantha bears these red berries, I ponder what I have accomplished. In the midst of this barren winter, not only pyracantha but many plants display red berries. It’s not merely for the pleasure of human eyes; rather, it attracts the attention of hungry birds, serving as both attraction and sustenance for the preservation of seeds. Reflecting on this, one realizes the vastness of the myriad ways of nature, and how humans often impose their own perspectives.

剪定を終えて丸裸になった街路樹が寒々しく並んでいます。そんな中の一本を囲む様にピラカンサが枝もたわわに真っ赤な実を付けています。思えば、夏の始め頃には可愛い白い花をいっぱい咲かせていました。それから半年、いつの間にかこんな赤い実を付けて、もう間もなく正月です。時の流れの速さに戸惑いを感じます。ピラカンサはこうして赤い実を付けているのに、自分は一体何ができたんだろう、そんな自省の念にも駆られます。ピラカンサに限らず、この冬の殺風景ななか、赤い実をつける植物が多いですね。別に人の目を楽しませる為に赤いのではなく、餌の乏しい鳥達の目を惹き、餌になって種を保存する為の摂理なんでしょうが、そう考えると、森羅万象、人間が自分勝手に考えていることがいかに多いかに気付きます。

It’s a vivid morning glow. There’s a saying about the weather: ‘Red sky at night, shepherds delight; red sky in morning, shepherds take warning.’  While this saying is generally accurate, it’s not always definitive. Generally, when the morning glow transitions from pink to orange and then to yellow, the day tends to be sunny. Similarly, in the evening, when the sky is covered with clouds and the sunset turns extremely red or ominously red, it often indicates rain the next day.
In general, the vibrant colors in the sky are due to the abundance of water vapor in the air. In the morning and evening, when the sun is low, the short-wavelength ‘blue light’ scatters in the atmosphere, while the long-wavelength ‘red light’ reaches the ground without much scattering. When there’s a considerable amount of water vapor in the air, it scatters just enough, making it more visible to the eye. Particularly during the rainy season, when there’s an increased amount of water vapor in the air, the chances of having vibrant morning and evening glows are higher.
The saying  ‘Red sky at night, shepherds delight; red sky in morning, shepherds take warning’  is applicable mainly during the seasons of spring and autumn when there’s a tendency for mobile high-pressure systems alternating with low-pressure systems. It’s not very reliable during winter or summer. This saying is most accurate during the seasons of spring and autumn when there’s a higher likelihood of the formation of migratory high-pressure systems caused by the alternating passage of high and low-pressure areas.
By the way, it was recently reported that the Northern Lights were visible in Hokkaido after several decades. This phenomenon is different from morning and evening glows and is attributed to increased solar activity.

色鮮やかな朝焼けです。「朝焼けは雨、夕焼けは晴れ」というお天気のことわざがありますが、概ねは当たっていますが、一概には言えません。朝焼けも、ピンク色からオレンジ色、そして黄色へと、順に明るい色に変わっていく日は晴れることが多く、夕焼けも、雲がかかっていて、極端な赤色、不気味な赤色となると翌日は雨になることが多いです。
一般的に、空が濃く鮮やかな色に染まるのは、空気中の水蒸気が多いことが要因です。朝と夕方は太陽高度が低く、波長の短い「青い光」は空気中に散乱しますが、波長の長い「赤い光」はあまり散乱されずに地上に届きます。そして、空気中に水蒸気が多いと、適度に散乱し、目に入って来やすくなるのです。特に、梅雨時期は空気中に水蒸気が多くなっているため、より鮮やかな朝焼けや夕焼けになる可能性が高くなります。
「朝焼けや雨、夕焼けは晴れ」が当たるのは春と秋のみの季節限定ネタで、冬や夏はあまり当てになりません。このことわざがよく当たるのは、高気圧と低気圧が交互に通過する移動性高気圧が発生し易い春と秋に限るわけです。
ちなみに、つい最近、北海道で何十年ぶりにオーロラが見えたそうですが、これは朝焼けや夕焼けと違って、太陽活動が活発になったせいです。

As Christmas approaches, in addition to Christmas trees, flower arrangements such as Christmas wreaths and Christmas bouquets are adorned. Among them, Christmas wreaths have become increasingly popular recently. While other decorations are placed indoors, wreaths are displayed at the entrance, making them more noticeable. Common materials for the base of the wreath include wisteria, mountain grapes, tsuru-umemodoki, kiwi, and kudzu, chosen for their pliability and ease of handling. In contrast, nobudou grapes, are less suitable for crafting wreaths. The young parts are not sturdy, and the older portions become woody and rigid, making them challenging to bend.
However, the nobudou grapes undergo a fascinating transformation, starting as green and gradually changing from light green to pink, purple-red, blue, and finally black. The evolving colors are so beautiful that it is also known as the Nishiki grape. During this season, the nobudou grapes mature into thirteen jewel-like colors, making them perfect for Christmas wreaths.
Nobudou grapes are found all over the country and have been used traditionally as herbal medicine and as a tea substitute. Recent research indicates that nobudou grapes have the highest polyphenol content among fruits. Since polyphenols are said to exist in as many varieties as there are colors, the changing colors of nobudou grapes accurately represent the diversity of polyphenols in the fruit.

クリスマスが近づくと、クリスマスツリーの他に、クリスマスリースとかクリスマスブーケといったフラワーアレンジメントが飾られます。中でも、最近よく見かけるようになったのが、クリスマスリースです。他が室内に飾られるのに対して、リースは玄関に飾られるのでよく目に付くようになったためかもしれません。リースの土台になる蔓には、フジ、ヤマブドウ、ツルウメモドキ、キウィ、クズなどがよく使われます。木に粘り気があって扱い易いからです。
その点、ノブドウは若い部分は丈夫でなく、古い部分は木質化して硬いので曲げにくく、クラフトをするには扱いづらい素材です。しかし、ノブドウの実が、でき始めは緑色ですが、徐々に薄い白緑色からピンク、赤紫、青、黒へと変化します。色の移りゆく様が美しく、錦ブドウという別名があるほどです。そしてこの時期、13色ものまるで宝石のような実が出揃います。クリスマスリースの素材にはもってこいです。
ノブドウは全国どこにでもあって、昔から生薬として使われたり、お茶の代わりにもつかわれてきました。最近の研究では、ポリフェノールの含有量が果実類の中でダントツ１位だそうです。ポリフェノールは色の数だけ存在すると言いますから、正しくノブドウの実の色がポリフェノールの種類を表しているわけです。

Mayumi-chan is a commonly heard name for girls. Nowadays, there are many variations in the spelling, such as Mayami-chan, but originally, it seems to have derived from the name ‘真弓’ (Mayumi). I was not aware that there is a plant named ‘マユミ’ (Mayumi). While strolling through a park with many trees turning bright red in autumn, I noticed a tree, about 3 meters tall, adorned with delicate pink fruits. Intrigued, I took a photo with my smartphone and upon further investigation, I found that it was called ‘マユミ’ (Mayumi). The immediate connection was with the girl’s name. Simultaneously, I learned that there is a plant with this name. There are various theories about the origin of the name, but it is said that the tree came to be called ‘真弓’ (Mayumi) because of its flexible and strong material, which was used for making bows. It seems that when naming a girl, someone saw the fruit of the Mayumi tree and decided to name her Mayumi.

まゆみちゃんはよく聞く女の子の名前です。今でこそ、まゆみと呼んで表記が違うまやみちゃんは沢山いらっしゃいますが、元は真弓から派生したのでしょう。マユミと言う名の植物があることを知りませんでした。真っ赤に紅葉する木が多い公園で、淡いピンク色の実をいっぱい付けた、丈が3mほどの木が目に止まりました。スマホで写真に撮り調べたら「マユミ」とあります。すぐ思い浮かんだのは女の子の名前です。と同時にこんな名前の植物があるんだと言う事を知りました。名前の由来は諸説あるらしいですが、しなりのある強い材質で弓の材料になったことからこの木が「真弓」と呼ばれるようになったと言われています。女の子の名前を付ける際に、このマユミの実を見て真弓と名付けたのでしょう。

Today, December 8th, marks the “Day of Commencement” of the Japan-U.S. war that began in 1941 (Showa 16). Now, 82 years have passed since that day, and the proportion of those born after the war accounts for 87% of Japan’s total population. As the number of individuals who can recount the firsthand experience of war diminishes, passing on the baton of those memories has become an important challenge. I understand that the tragic situation in Palestine and the war situation in Ukraine, which are reported daily, are unfortunate, but they are still other people’s problems. Following the proverb “Once it’s past my throat, I forget the heat” even with firsthand experiences, memories tend to fade. Therefore, passing on these memories to generations who haven’t experienced them is indeed a formidable task.
On the trees along the promenade where I take my morning walks, I noticed children’s Santa Clauses climbing ladders again this year. May children worldwide receive stockings filled with peace and goodwill.

今日12月８日は、1941（昭和16）年に始まった日米戦争「開戦の日」です。その日から82年経った今、日本の総人口のうち戦後生まれの割合は87％に達しました。戦争の実体験を語ることのできる人が減っていく今、その記憶のバトンを受け継いでいくことが重要な課題となっています。連日報道されているパレスチナの悲惨な状況も、ウクライナの戦況も、気の毒な事は分かるのですが、やはり他人事であるのには変わりありません。「喉元過ぎれば熱さを忘れる」の諺通り、実体験をしてもその記憶は薄れていくのですから、実体験をしていない世代にその記憶を受け継いでいってもらうの事は本当に難しい事です。朝散歩をする遊歩道の木に、今年も梯子を登る子供のサンタが掛かっていました。世界のどこの子供達にもピース、平和の詰まった靴下を届けたいものです。

From ancient times to the medieval period, faith in the Kumano Sanzan of Hongu, Shingu, and Nachi grew, attracting pilgrims ranging from the retired emperor and empress to common people. Many people are said to have continuously visited Kumano, to the extent that it is metaphorically described as the “ant’s pilgrimage to Kumano.” Now registered as a World Heritage site, the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trail offers three routes: Nakahechi, Ohechi, and Kohechi. Among them, Nakahechi is considered the route most traveled by pilgrims. The Kumano Kodo, traversing the deep mountains of the Kii Peninsula, presents a series of challenging ascents and descents.
Amidst such mountainous journeys, solace was found in the hot springs, an ageless source of rejuvenation. Along the Nakahechi route, particularly near Kumano Hongu Taisha, you’ll find Yunomine Onsen, Watarase Onsen, and Kawayu Onsen. The featured hot spring in the photo is the Senninburo (Hermit Bath) of Kawayu Onsen. The entire river is heated by the hot spring, with the waters of the Kumanogawa River’s tributary, Ootou River, constantly mixing with the source spring, which exceeds 70 degrees Celsius. Here, you can fully enjoy your personalized open-air bath. Taking a dip in these hot springs during the pilgrimage to Kumano surely added a unique and exceptional dimension to the journey.
As a side note, Emperor Meiji was the first emperor or retired emperor to visit Ise Grand Shrine. However, although no emperor has ever visited Kumano Taisha, there have been many retired emperors and popes, including retired Emperor Goshirakawa, who has visited Kumano Taisha 33 times. It’s a historical mystery.

古代から中世にかけ、本宮・新宮・那智の熊野三山の信仰が高まり、上皇・女院から庶民にいたるまで、多くの人々が熊野を参詣しました。「蟻の熊野詣」と例えられるほど、多くの人々が切れ目なく熊野に参詣したと伝えられています。今では世界遺産に登録されている「熊野参詣道」には、「中辺路」、「大辺路」、「小辺路」の３ルートありますが、最も多くの参詣者が歩いたとされるねが「中辺路」です。山深い紀伊山地を辿る熊野古道は難行苦行の連続です。
そんな山行の中で癒されたのが、今も昔も変わらない温泉です。特に中辺路には「湯の峰温泉」、「渡瀬温泉」そして「川湯温泉」が熊野本宮大社を目前にした所にあります。写真の温泉は川湯温泉の仙人風呂です。川全体が温泉で、川底から絶えず湧き出す70度以上の源泉に、熊野川の支流大塔川が混ざり合い、自分だけのオリジナル露天風呂を満喫できます。熊野詣での行き帰りに浸る温泉はまた格別なものがあったに違いありません。
余談になりますが、歴代の天皇・上皇で伊勢神宮を参拝したのは明治天皇が初めてです。ところが、熊野大社を参拝した天皇はいませんが、上皇や法王は沢山あり、後白河上皇などは33回も熊野大社を参詣しています。歴史の謎ですね。

The impact of global warming is being felt in various places. One example is the auspicious ingredient for New Year’s osechi cuisine, Ise-ebi (spiny lobster), commonly used. As its name suggests, it was named “Ise-ebi” because it was once plentiful in the waters near Ise in Mie Prefecture. However, due to the rising water temperatures in the Ise nearshore areas, it has become scarce in recent years. In contrast, Ise-ebi, not traditionally found there, are now abundantly caught in the distant northern regions of Fukushima and Miyagi Prefectures, surprising and delighting those in the fishing industry. This trend is not limited to Ise-ebi. In the fishing grounds traditionally known for Kan-buri (winter yellowtail), Katso (bonito) is being caught instead, and massive catches of Ma-iwashi (pilchard) are reported. While Katso is acceptable, there are cases where the abundant Ma-iwashi is discarded due to uncertainty about its use. Even Aki-sanma (autumn saury), initially scarce and anticipated as another poor catch this year, suddenly became abundant in October, leading to struggles with price adjustments. Similar phenomena are occurring throughout Japan, leaving those in the fishing industry grappling with how to adapt to these changes.

温暖化の影響で様々な所で影響が出ています。お正月のお節料理でよく使われる縁起物の伊勢海老もそうです。その名が示す通り、三重県の伊勢でよく獲れたから伊勢海老と名が付いたのですが、伊勢近海の水温が上昇し、近年はすっかり獲れなくなったそうです。代わって、遥か北の福島県や宮城県で今までとれたことのなかった伊勢海老が大量に獲れ、漁業関係者もびっくりするやら嬉しいやら。伊勢海老だけではありません。これもお節料理には欠かせない寒ブリの漁場で寒ブリに代わってカツオが獲れたり、マイワシが大量に獲れたりしているそうです。カツオはまだしも、マイワシは獲れてもその利用方が分からず廃棄される事もあるそうです。秋のサンマも、初めはほとんど獲れず、今年も不漁だと諦めていたら、10月に入ったら豊漁続きで価格調整に四苦八苦。日本の至る所でこうした現象があるようで、この変化にどう対処すべきか漁場関係者も頭を悩ましているそうです。

As autumn deepens, signaling the arrival of winter, the Sasanqua blooms prominently during the season of scarce flowers. Originating from Japan, this evergreen shrub has been traditionally used as a garden plant and hedge. The Sasanqua grows wild in the mountains of Shikoku, Kyushu, and the Okinawa Islands, bearing white flowers. However, the Sasanqua commonly seen is more often red than white. The white double-flowered varieties, as shown in the photograph, are cultivated species. It is closely related to the camellia (tsubaki), making it difficult to distinguish between the two. The flowering season for Sasanqua is from October to December, while camellias bloom from January to March. In Chinese characters, Sasanqua is written as “山茶花” (sazanka). The Chinese name for camellia, “山茶花” (sanshahua), was mistakenly transcribed as “茶山花” (sasanka), which evolved into the current pronunciation ‘sazanka.’ The Chinese name for Sasanqua is “茶梅” (chamei), and its scientific and English name is also Sasanqua Camellia. The white Sasanqua may seem to convey a frightening language of flowers, such as ‘you reject my love,’ but it is associated with the fleeting nature of white Sasanqua and does not literally carry a scary meaning.

秋が深まり、冬の訪れを感じる頃、花の少ない時期に人目をひくのがサザンカの花です。古くから庭木や生け垣として利用されてきた日本原産の常緑小低木です。サザンカは四国、九州の山中、沖縄諸島に野生し、白い花が咲きますが、普段目にするサザンカは白いものより赤い方が多いようです。白いサザンカも写真の様な八重咲も栽培種です。ツバキとは近縁種で見分けもつけ難いですが、サザンカの花期は10～12月で、ツバキは１月〜３月です。サザンカは漢字で「山茶花」と表記されますが、ツバキの中国名「山茶花（さんさか）」が誤記により「茶山花（ささんか）」になり、それが訛って『さざんか』になったとも言われています。サザンカの中国名は「茶梅」で、学名も英名もサザンカ（sasanqua camellia）です。白いサザンカには「あなたは私の愛を退ける」といった、一見すると怖い花言葉の様に思えますが、これは白いサザンカがはかなさを連想させることにちなんでいて、言葉のまま怖い意味を持つわけではありません。