A splendid bougainvillea blooms gracefully, draping itself over an old concrete wall with cracks. I look forward to witnessing this sight and visit here every year. Bougainvillea is a tropical climbing plant belonging to the Nyctaginaceae family. Its bold and vibrant colors, characteristic of tropical regions, are captivating. It originates from Central and South America. In Japan, this flower is commonly seen in Okinawa, but recently it has started to be seen in other parts of Japan as well. Bougainvillea is hardy and easy to cultivate, producing flowers in various colors such as red, pink, white, purple, and yellow for an extended period. Although it is sensitive to cold, you may still spot its flowers in Japan even in November and December. Perhaps Japan has become more tropical in recent times. Bougainvillea, with its name evoking an exotic ambiance, is a sight to behold against the backdrop of Greek white houses. However, seeing it like this, entwined with a weathered concrete wall, also adds a touch of sabi  (a special kind of beauty that results from aging) and beauty.

割れ目の入った古いコンクリート塀に覆い被さる様に立派なブーゲンビリアが咲いています。この光景を見るのが楽しみで、毎年の様にここを訪れます。ブーゲンビリアはオシロイバナ科のつる性熱帯植物です。南国らしい大胆で鮮やかな色合いが魅力的な花で、中南米が原産地です。日本では、沖縄あたりでは普通に見かける花ですが、最近は日本各地でもよく見かける様になりました。丈夫で育てやすく、赤やピンク、白、紫、黄色などの花を長期間咲かせます。さすがに寒さには弱いですが、日本でも11月、12月になっても花を見かけることがあります。それだけ日本も熱帯に近くなったのでしょう。名前からして異国情緒を感じさせるブーゲンビリア、ギリシャの白い家々を背景に咲き誇るブーゲンビリアの写真を見たことがありますが、こうして見るブーゲンビリアも寂が効いていいものです。

While walking along the road, I came across a small agricultural shed, and there were about 5 or 6 gourds hanging haphazardly between the rafters. I distinctly remember seeing them hung there last year as well. Whenever I see gourds, it reminds me of the song ‘Hyoutan wa Hyokorintan.’ This song was featured in a radio drama series called ‘Nichiyomaru,’ which was broadcasted on NHK radio about 65 years ago. I can’t quite recall if that was the exact title, but the theme song was indeed ‘Hyoutan wa Hyokorintan.’ As it being just a four-episode radio drama, I’ve tried reaching out to NHK and conducted various searches, but I haven’t been able to find the title, lyrics, or, of course, the music. I’m attaching the song that I vaguely remember.

♭♯♭ Hyoutan wa Hyokorintan♭♯♭

道を歩いていると農作業小屋が立っていて、取って間のない瓢箪が5、6個無造作に吊るしてあります。確か去年も吊ってありました。瓢箪を見るといつも思い出すのは「ひょうたんはひょこりんたん」と言う歌です。65年ほど前に、NHKラジオで放送された、豊臣秀吉の少年時代の連続ラジオドラマで、「日吉丸」と言う題名だったかどうか忘れましたが、その主題歌が「ひょうたんはひょこりんたん」なんです。連続ラジオドラマと言ってもたった４回放送されただけで、その後NHKにも問い合わせたり、いろいろ調べたのですが、題名も歌詞も、もちろん曲もわからんじまいです。うる覚えで覚えていた歌を添付しておきます。

Like maple leaves with deep serrations, the fence was densely covered with foliage, but lately, enticed by the cool morning and evening breezes, the Rukosou (Rukosou) has begun to bloom cute flowers reminiscent of miniature red hibiscus. The character “縷” means slender and long, describing the characteristics of its leaves. Rukosou produces small star-shaped flowers one after another from late summer to early autumn. While its leaves thrive in the summer, it doesn’t bloom much, as it is a short-day plant and begins to flower more profusely around late August when the days become shorter. During the Edo period, Rukosou, which had just been introduced, was called “Kabocha Asagao” because of its flower’s resemblance to morning glory and its origin from Cambodia. By the way, “Kabocha” in this context is a word derived from Cambodia. Its native habitat is tropical America, where it thrives in heat, and in Japan, it quickly naturalized. There are two main types of Rukosou: the featherleaf Rukosou and the roundleaf Rukosou, with the red-leaved Rukosou differentiating from the featherleaf variety. The photo depicts the red-leaved Rukosou. Apart from red, there are also pink and white varieties of Rukosou, and they will continue to bloom more and more as we head towards the end of autumn.

深い切れ込みのあるもみじ葉のような葉が柵いっぱいに茂っていましたが、このところの朝晩の涼風に誘われて、ルコウソウ(縷紅草)が赤いハイビスカスを小さくした様な可愛い花を咲かせ始めました。「縷」は細長いと言う意味で、葉の特徴を表しています。ルコウソウは星型の小さな花を夏の終わり頃から秋にかけて次から次へと咲かせます。夏は葉がよく茂りますが、あまり花は咲かず、短日植物なので日が短くなった８月下旬頃からよく花を咲かせるようになります。江戸時代に入ってきたルコウソウは、当時は朝顔のような花であることと、カンボジアから来た花であることから、「カボチャアサガオ」と呼ばれていました。ちなみに、このカボチャは、カンボジアが「カボチャ」と転じた言葉です。原産地は熱帯アメリカで暑さに強く、生育旺盛で、日本では早くから野生化していました。ルコウソウは葉の特徴から羽衣ルコウソウと丸葉ルコウソウがあり、羽衣ルコウソウから紅葉葉ルコウソウが分化しました。写真は紅葉葉ルコウソウです。赤以外にもピンクや白のルコウソウもあり、これから秋の終わりにかけてどんどん花を咲かせます。

On Thursday, August 31st, the moon that rose was the last full moon of this summer in the northern hemisphere, and it was the biggest, brightest, and most splendid “Super Blue Moon” of the year. When a “Super Moon” coincides with a “Blue Moon,” it is referred to as a “Super Blue Moon.” A “Super Moon” is when the moon is at its closest approach to Earth and is in sync with a full moon. Its apparent size from Earth increases by about 14%, and its brightness increases by about 30% compared to a full moon at its farthest point. On the other hand, a “Blue Moon” does not actually turn blue; it refers to a second full moon occurring within the same month. The previous “Blue Moon” occurred on August 2nd. In terms of frequency, “Super Moons” occur once to a few times a year, while “Blue Moons” happen roughly once every two and a half years. As for the “Super Blue Moon,” the last one occurred in December 2009, and the next occurrences are projected for January and March 2037, making it a celestial event that takes place roughly every 14 years.

8月31日木曜日に昇った月は、北半球でこの夏最後の満月であり、今年最も大きく、最も明るい、最高の「スーパーブルームーン」でした。「スーパームーン」と「ブルームーン」が重なったお月さんを「スーパーブルームーン」と言います。「スーパームーン」とは、お月さんが地球に再接近した時と満月が一致したお月さんで、一番遠い時の満月と比べて、地球から見たサイズは約14％、明るさは約30％増します。一方、「ブルームーン」とは、お月さんが青くなるわけではなく、月に満月が２度あって、同じ月で2度目の満月のことをさします。前回の「ブルームーン」は８月２日でした。頻度としては、「スーパームーン」が１年に１〜数回、「ブルームーン」は約２年半に一度の割合で起こります。そして「スーパーブルームーン」となると、前回は2009年12月でしたが、次回は2037年1月と3月と言いますから、だいたい14年に一度の天体ショーと言うことになります。

As you enjoy chilled soba on the riverside terrace of Kifune, the back parlor of Kyoto, the season has come when the cicadas , known as ‘Tsukutsuku-boshi’ chirp vigorously. This year, nationwide records of scorching and midsummer days have been rewritten due to the intense heat. In Kyoto, the 29th marked the 38th scorching day of the year. Until now, the most scorching days recorded in Kyoto within a year were 36 days in 1942, a record that has now been surpassed for the first time in 81 years. The streak of consecutive scorching days was interrupted on the 30th, as it turned into just a midsummer day, but the 31st today seems likely to be another scorching day.
Usually, the cicadas, known as ‘Tsukutsuku-boshi,’ begin their cries around the time of the Obon festival, but this year they started chirping even earlier. As the extremely hot days continue, the tsuk tsukuboshi also mistakenly believe that autumn has not yet arrived, and it seems like it will be late to start singing, but this is contradictory. Since the weather conditions have changed so much, Tsukutsukuboushi may have gone crazy. However, this is no time for such carefree talk. The Earth is teetering on a crisis from which there is no turning back. The ignorance and nonchalance of the world’s leaders are concerning.

京都の奥座敷、貴船の川床で冷やし蕎麦を食べていても、ツクツクボウシが盛んに鳴く季節になりました。今年は全国的にも猛暑日、真夏日の記録が塗り替えられていますが、京都では29日も今年38回目の猛暑日でした。これまで京都で1年間に記録した猛暑日は、1942年の36日間が最多でしたが、これを81年ぶりに更新したわけです。30日は真夏日で猛暑日の連続記録は中断しましたが、今日31日も猛暑日になりそうです。ツクツクボウシは、普通ならお盆が過ぎた頃から鳴き出すのですが、今年はもっと早くから鳴いていました。猛暑日が続くので、ツクツクボウシも秋の訪れを勘違いして、鳴き出すのも遅れそうなのに、矛盾していますよね。こうも気象状況が変わったので、ツクツクボウシも感が狂ったのかもしれません。しかし、こんな呑気なことを言っている場合ではありません。もう後戻り出来ないほどの危機的状況に地球は差し掛かっています。世界の指導者達の無知と呑気さが気になります。

When you light an incense firework, initially a small ball of fire resembling a bud forms, then vigorously bursting sparks fly out, much like peony flowers blooming one after another. Gradually, it builds up to a climax, exploding in shapes reminiscent of pine needles, and soon the momentum of the sparks wanes, with long and slender ones cascading like willow branches. In the end, it releases sparks akin to chrysanthemums, which, while beautifully blossoming, drop their petals one by one, eventually releasing a final fiery droplet. This incense firework was created during the Edo period and has been passed down to the present day. However, the origin, Kansai-style incense fireworks, have gunpowder attached to straw tips, whereas the Kanto fireworks that inherited it have gunpowder attached to the tip of the paper string. Incense fireworks, scattering sparks as if tracing a person’s lifetime, still enjoy enduring popularity. Nevertheless, there are only two firework companies in Japan that produce incense fireworks, and more than 99% of these, including incense fireworks, are imported from China.

線香花火に火を付けると、最初に蕾のような火の玉ができ、次に牡丹の花が咲くように勢いよく火花が飛び出します。やがて松の葉の形のように弾けてクライマックスを迎え、間もなく火花の勢いは衰え、柳の様に細長い火花が垂れ下がります。最後には、美しく咲きながらも、花びらひとひらずつ落としてゆく菊の様な火花を放って、ぽたっと火玉を落とします。この線香花火は江戸時代に作られ、そのまま今に引き継がれています。ただ発祥の地、関西の線香花火は藁の先に火薬が付いていますが、継承の地、関東の線香花火は紙こよりの先に火薬が付いています。人の一生を辿るかの様に火花を散らす線香花火はいまだに根強い人気があります。しかし、線香花火を作る花火会社は日本には２社しかなく、線香花火も含めて、99%以上が中国からの輸入品です。

As I walked through the alleys of the town, a sweet fragrance wafted through the blowing breeze. Following the scent, I discovered a large Nioi-Ban-Matsuri planted in the vacant lot at the corner. Its flowers, a mixture of purple and white, along with intermediate shades, created an elegantly subtle blend of colors. While these flowers typically bloom from April to early August in a warm climate, this location, shielded from direct sunlight and caressed by cool winds, seems to maintain its vigor even now.
The characters “匂蕃茉莉 (Nioi-Ban-Matsuri)” break down to “匂” meaning fragrance, “蕃” signifying from a foreign land, and “茉莉” representing jasmine, collectively suggesting “fragrant jasmine from a foreign land.” The flowers start as a deep purple when they first bloom, then transition to a lighter purple, and within two days, they finally turn white. Their distinctive feature lies in their potent and enchanting aroma.

街中の路地裏を歩いていると、吹き抜ける風に混じって甘い香りが運ばれてきました。匂いを辿ると角の空き地に大きなニオイバンマツリ(匂蕃茉莉)が植えられています。紫色と白色、そしてその中間色の花が混じり合って、実に上品な色合いです。普通は４月〜８月上旬の温暖な気候の時期に咲く花ですが、直射日光を避けて、涼しい風が吹き抜ける場所なので今も勢いがあるのでしょう。
漢字の”匂蕃茉莉”は、匂（香り）があり、蕃（外国）からの、茉莉（ジャスミン類）の意味で「香りのある外国からのジャスミン」と言う意味合いからきています。花は咲き始めは濃い紫色で、次に薄い紫色、2日ほどで最後には白色になり、強い芳香があるのが特徴です。

Jugoya, or the 15th night of the eighth lunar month, falls on September 29th this year. Known as the ‘Harvest Moon Festival’ or ‘Mid-Autumn Festival,’ Jugoya is a day for appreciating the full moon during the autumn season. People adorn their surroundings with Aki-no-nanakusa (Seven Herbs of Autumn), enjoy moon-viewing, and display items like mooncakes, sweet potatoes, fruits, and vegetables harvested during the fall. Alongside the 13th night, observed two days earlier, the moon on the 15th night is considered the most beautiful of the entire year, illuminating the clear autumn night sky.
The first mention of the seven autumnal plants can be found in a poem by Yamabe no Akahito in the Manyoshu anthology. Among these plants, the Ominaeshi (Patrinia scabiosifolia) is one, deeply ingrained in Japanese culture as it appears not only in “The Tale of Genji” but also in other classical literature. Ominaeshi is a perennial herb widely distributed from Japan to East Asia, boasting the longest flowering period among the seven autumnal plants, blossoming from early summer to fall. Its dried and boiled form, known as ‘Haisho,’ has been utilized in traditional medicine and herbal remedies.
By the way, the “Haru-no-nanakusa (Seven herbs of spring)” are enjoyed by “food”, such as eating “Seven herbs porridge”, but the “Aki-no-nanakusa” seem to be enjoyed by “seeing” the flowers.

今年の十五夜は９月29日。十五夜は「中秋の名月」とも言い、秋の七草を飾り、月見団子、芋類、果物や野菜などの秋の収穫物を飾って月見をする日です。２日前の十三夜と共に、秋の澄み切った夜空に浮かぶ月が一年中で一番美しいとされてきました。
秋の七草が最初に散見されるのは、万葉集の山上憶良の歌です。女郎花(おみなえし)はその秋の七草の一つで、源氏物語やその他の古典にも登場する日本人には古くから馴染みの深い植物です。日本～東アジアにかけて広く分布する多年草で、秋の七草のうち最も花期が長く、初夏から秋にかけて花を咲かせます。乾燥させて煎じたものを「敗醤（はいしょう）」といい、生薬や漢方として利用されて来ました。
ちなみに、「春の七草」が 「七草がゆ」にして食べるなど、 ”食”を楽しむものですが、 「秋の七草」は花を”見る”ことを 楽しむもののようです。

Until recently, I had been thinking that summer vacation would last until August 31st. However, it seems things have changed. Just looking at the Kansai region, Shiga and Hyogo prefectures go until the 31st, while Osaka, Kyoto, and Wakayama prefectures end on the 24th. The reason I’m mentioning this is because I heard that my granddaughter in Tokyo, who is at her mother’s hometown in Hokkaido, is almost starting school. When I asked if she had finished her homework since school is about to start, I was surprised to learn that school had already begun. Furthermore, she said she had finished her homework on July 21st and 22nd, right after summer vacation started, which surprised me again. As for me, I used to struggle with my homework around this time of summer vacation because I played too much.
I found out that recently there’s a trend of shortening the summer vacation. They say it’s because the curriculum has expanded and weekends have become days off, which caused a shortage of school days. You know how people have always said, ‘Play a lot and learn a lot.’ While studying at school is important, there’s also a lot to learn from play. In the long run, I sometimes feel that prioritizing play over school studies might be a good thing.

夏休みは８月31日までとばかり思っていたら、最近は違うんですね。関西圏だけを見ても、滋賀県と兵庫県が31日まで、大阪府、京都府と和歌山県は24日までなんですね。と言うのも、東京の孫娘が、母方の実家がある北海道に行っていると聞いたので、もうすぐ学校が始まるけど宿題は終えたのと聞いたら、学校はもう始まっていると言うんで気付いたんです。しかも、宿題は、夏休みの始まった７月21日と22日に片付けた言うから、二度びっくり。僕なんか、夏休みは遊び過ぎて、夏休みの今頃は宿題を片付けるのに四苦八苦していましたよ。
調べてみたら、最近は夏休みが短縮される傾向にあるんですって。学習内容が増えたし、土日が休みになったので、授業日数が足りなくなったのも大きな理由だそうです。昔からよく言うじゃないですか、「よく遊びよく学べ」って。学校で学ぶ勉強も大切ですが、遊びことから学ぶ事も沢山ある。学校の勉強を削って遊びに回す事の方が、長い目でみたら、いい様な気もするんですがね。

The flowers of the grove begonias have bloomed. They look just like a flower lei worn around the neck of a hula dancer. Begonias come in three main types: grove begonias, rhizomatous begonias, and tuberous begonias. Grove begonias have upright stems that stretch out, showcasing a variety of beautiful flowers and leaves. Rhizomatous begonias have thick stems that crawl along the ground as they grow, and they are enjoyed more for their beautiful leaves than their flowers. Tuberous begonias, being among the showiest types within the begonia family, produce large flowers. With excellent longevity as cut flowers and the ability to bloom year-round, begonias are found in flower beds everywhere and are a familiar sight to all. Grove begonias are particularly popular as indoor ornamental plants, with prices ranging from several times to tens of times that of other begonia varieties.

木立ベゴニアの花が咲きました。まるでフラダンサーが首に飾るフラワーレイの様です。ベゴニアには、木立ベゴニア、根茎ベゴニア、球根ベゴニアがあります。木立ベゴニアは、茎がまっすぐに立って伸び、花が美しいもの、葉が美しいものなど多種多様です。根茎ベゴニアは、茎が太く、地面をはうようにして成長し、花よりも美しい葉を楽しむタイプのベゴニアです。球根ベゴニアは、ベゴニアの中では大きな花を咲かせるところから、最も華やかな種類ともいえます。花持ちが良く、一年を通じて咲き続けるベゴニアは、どこの花壇にも植えられていて、誰もが見かける花です。木立ベゴニアは、その点、室内で観葉植物としても人気があり、価格も他のベゴニアの数倍から十数倍する物もあります。