The first cicada has started chirping. Under the roadside trees, there are discarded cicada shells. A little further away, the morning glories are in full bloom on the same hedge. The end of the rainy season is near. While it varies from year to year, the average date for the rainy season to end in the Kinki region is around July 19th. Last year it was on July 23rd, but this year it seems to be advanced a little earlier than that. On the other hand, the news on TV has been reporting the damages caused by heavy rain in northern Kyushu for several days. It’s a devastating sight that makes you want to cover your eyes. It seems that natural disasters caused by climate change like this are increasing year by year. Without relying solely on past data, we need to take proactive measures as early as possible to avoid being struck by even greater disasters in the future. This is an era where a significant shift in consciousness is required.

1番ゼミが鳴きました。街路樹の下の生垣にはセミの抜け殻があります。少し離れた同じ生垣には朝顔が一面満開です。梅雨明けが間近です。年によっても変動がありますが、近畿での梅雨明けは平年で7月19日頃で、昨年は7月23日でしたが、今年はそれよりも少し早めに梅雨明けしそうです。一方、テレビでは連日、九州北部の豪雨による被害状況が報じられています。目を覆いたくなる様な惨状です。年々歳々、こうした気候変動による自然災害が増えてきている様です。過去のデータに頼る事なく、早め早めに対策を講じていかなければ、今後更なる大災害に見舞われないとも限りません。ここでも意識の大変革を求められる時代です。

Although I thought the Tanabata Festival and the Wind Chime Festival were separate events, I was surprised to find that many shrines and temples hold a joint festival called the Tanabata Wind Chime Festival. It makes sense since both festivals are held in early summer and share the common practice of hanging strips of paper on bamboo branches, as well as wind chimes. Even the Kamigamo Shrine in Kyoto holds the Tanabata Wind Chime Festival every year during this season. The sight of wind chimes hanging on both sides of the Kagura stage, with shrine maidens performing sacred dances, is truly a summer tradition. Kamigamo Shrine, located north of Shimogamo Shrine across the Kyoto Botanical Garden, is one of the oldest shrines in Japan. Its history is documented in the Nihon Shoki and Kojiki, but in reality, it remains a shrine full of mysteries and is important for understanding the origins of Japan. As the evening darkens and the cicadas chirp, the sound of wind chimes resonates while watching the Kagura dance performed by the shrine maidens, drawing you into a world of enchantment.

七夕祭りと風鈴祭りは別物と思っていたのですが、七夕風鈴祭りと謳って一緒にお祭りする神社仏閣が多いのにびっくりしました。時期的にも初夏を彩る行事ですし、七夕の笹にも風鈴にも短冊を吊るす共通点があるので納得です。京都の上賀茂神社でも毎年この時期に七夕風鈴祭りが催されます。神楽舞台の両側に風鈴を吊るし、巫女神楽が舞われる光景はまさに夏の風物詩です。上賀茂神社は京都府立植物園を挟んで南にある下鴨神社と合わせて日本でも最古の神社です。日本書紀や古事記にも来歴が書かれていますが、実際には謎だらけの神社で、日本の成り立ちを知る上でも重要な神社です。夕闇が迫り、ヒグラシが鳴く中、風鈴が鳴り、神楽舞曲に合わせて巫女が舞う神楽舞を見ていると、いつしか幻想の世界に誘い込まれます。

♭♯♭ヒグラシ ♭♯♭

On my way back from the gym, I happened to stop by a temple and heard the sound of Higurasi (clear-toned cicada). Come to think of it, it reminded me of the time ｗhen I lived on the hillside of Mt. Ikoma Every summer, I would always suffer from lack of sleep due to the incessant chirping of these Higurashi. They start chirping around the end of the rainy season and continue every morning and evening until around the time of the Bon Festival. I particularly remember the early mornings. When the day has yet to fully break, the first cicada would start singing. Then, in response, a second cicada would chirp from a distance. Soon after, the third, fourth, and countless others would join in, and in an instant, the entire area would be filled with the chorus of Higurashi. It was like there was a conductor orchestrating their performance, sometimes softly, sometimes loudly. They would chirping loudly in one area and softly in another, creating a magnificent harmony. It was a time when smartphones didn’t exist, so I couldn’t record their sound, but I have never heard a Higurashi chorus as beautiful as that. Although there are many videos of Higurashi on YouTube, I have searched again this time, hoping to find such a beautiful Higurashi’s voice, but I couldn’t find any.

ジムからの帰り、ひょっと立ち寄ったお寺でヒグラシの声を耳にしました。そう言えば、昔、生駒の山中(やまなか)に住んでいた頃、夏になると、このヒグラシの声でいつも寝不足になっていたことを思い出します。梅雨明けの頃に鳴き出し、お盆あたりまで、毎朝、毎夕鳴くのです。特に明け方のことが忘れられません。まだ朝が開け切らない時、まず１番目のヒグラシが鳴きます。すると、少し離れたところで、それに応えるかの様に２番目のヒグラシが鳴きます。そして３番目、４番目、瞬くうちにあたり一面にヒグラシが鳴き始め、もう山中、ヒグラシの大合唱です。指揮者がいるかの様に、時には弱く、時には強く、あちらでは強く、こちらでは弱く、見事なハーモニーです。その頃はまだスマホもない時代でしたから、録音もできませんでしたが、こんなに美しいヒグラシのコーラスを聞いたことがありません。Youtubeにも沢山なヒグラシの動画が出ていますが、いつかこんな美しいヒグラシの声を聞きたいものだと、今回も探しましたが、ありませんでした。

最近やたら線状降水帯という言葉を聞く様になりました。特にこの一週間は毎日の様にテレビでも報じられています。お気の毒なことに、九州や中国地方は毎年の様にこの線状降水帯によって大きな被害を被られています。昔は線状降水帯という言葉はありませんでした。調べてみたらやはりそうで、線状降水帯という用語が頻繁に用いられるようになったのは、平成26年８月豪雨による広島市の土砂災害以降らしいです。線状降水帯とは 次々と発生する発達した積乱雲が列をなし、線状に伸びる長さ50～300km程度、幅20～50km程度の強い降水をともなう雨域をいうそうです。昔は夕立という現象や言葉がありましたが、最近は滅多に聞かなくなりました。昼間に発達した積乱雲が夕方に猛烈な雨を降らせる現象です。ほんの１時間もすればすっかり晴れ上がり、あとは涼しくなるので、夕立は歓迎するものでした。俳句でも夕立は夏の大切な季語です。愛すべき季語でした。線状降水帯とは大違いです。

About a 20-minute walk east from JR Nara Station, you will find the ancient temple of Gango-ji, surrounded by trees. As you enter through the East Gate, you will see the national treasure, Gokuraku Hall, directly in front of you. During this season, numerous pots filled with planted lotus flowers are lined up in front of it. In the center of the still blooming flowers, small lotus seeds can be seen peeking out. If you go around the back of the Gokuraku Hall, you will find another national treasure, the Zen Hall, with a group of stone pagodas in front of it. The Futoden, a field of stone pagodas, is filled with blooming bellflowers. Gango-ji Temple was originally established by Soga no Umako in Asuka as Hōkō-ji Temple, which was the oldest and most authentic Buddhist temple in Japan. It was relocated to the capital city of Heijō-kyō (Nara) during the transfer of the capital. At the time of the relocation, it was considered one of the Seven Great Temples of Nanto, along with Todai-ji Temple and Kōfuku-ji Temple, and it was a large temple alongside them. However, since the capital moved to Kyoto in the Heian period, it gradually declined. As Pure Land Buddhism became rooted in the common people’s faith, Gango-ji Temple gained attention as a temple of popular devotion and has been cherished. Currently, the main hall, Gokuraku-do, the Zen meditation room, and the five-story pagoda are designated as national treasures, and numerous cultural properties are registered as important cultural assets of the country. In 1998 (Heisei 10), along with Todai-ji Temple, Kōfuku-ji Temple, Yakushi-ji Temple, and others, Gango-ji Temple was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Gango-ji Temple uses some of the “oldest roof tiles in Japan” from the time of Hōkō-ji Temple’s construction, and it is said to be the beginning of roof tile architecture in our country.

JR奈良駅から東に徒歩20分、木々に囲まれた古刹元興寺があります。東門を入った正面には国宝の極楽堂があって、この時期、その前にはハスを植えた沢山な鉢が並んでいます。まだしっかり咲いている花の中心には、小さなハスの実が顔をのぞかせています。極楽堂を裏に回ると、これも国宝の禅堂があって、その前の石塔群が並んだ浮図田(ふとでん)には、桔梗が咲き乱れています。元興寺は、蘇我馬子が飛鳥に建立した日本最古の本格的仏教寺院である法興寺(飛鳥寺)を、平城京遷都に伴って平城京内に移転した寺院です。移転時は南都七大寺の一つに数えられ、東大寺や興福寺と並ぶ大寺院でした。都が京に移った平安時代以降、衰退の一路をたどりましたが、浄土信仰が庶民のものとして根づいてゆくにつれ、庶民信仰のお寺として注目されるようになり大切にされてきました。現在、本堂「極楽坊」や禅室、五重小塔は国宝に指定されており、多数の所蔵品が国の重要文化財になっています。１９９８年（平成１０年）には、東大寺や興福寺、薬師寺などとともにユネスコの世界遺産に登録されることになりました。元興寺には、法興寺の創建当時の「日本最古の瓦」が一部使われていて、わが国における瓦屋根を用いた建築の始まりと言われています。

The thoughts that arise from looking at a single photograph vary from person to person. They reflect one’s worldview and way of life. Dream and illusion represent something ephemeral. It is a metaphor for the transient nature of things and a universal sentiment deeply rooted in the Japanese people. It also conveys the concept of impermanence, that there is nothing in the world that is eternal and immortal, everything is constantly changing and will eventually decay. The opposite of the ephemeral is the idea of infinity and eternity. In the Western world, infinity is represented by a straight line, seen as something that continues indefinitely, while in the Eastern world, it is represented by a circle, believed to endlessly revolve. The circle also symbolizes emptiness, reaching the highest state of mind in Zen Buddhism. Mathematically, emptiness is represented by a circle, in other words, zero. The numerals we use, known as Arabic numerals or calcurating numerals, are the only ones that survived among over 500 numeral systems created worldwide. Chinese numerals and Roman numerals are a few remaining examples, but they are not suitable for practical use because they lack zero. Arabic numerals, which include zero, were actually born in India, so they should be called Indian numerals. The birth of zero was accompanied by the representation of infinity and emptiness. Emptiness endlessly revolves in infinity and dream-like illusions.

一枚の写真を見て思い起こすことは人さまざまです。その人の人生観とか生き様が反映します。夢幻とはゆめとまぼろし、儚いことの喩えです。日本人の根底に横たわる普遍的な心情です。無常にも通じ、神羅万象、永遠不滅なものはなく、常に変化し、いつかは朽ち果てるという考えです。夢幻の対極に置いたのが無限、永遠という考えです。西洋は無限を直線で表象し、永遠に連続するものと考え、東洋は円で表象し、永遠に巡ると考えたのです。円は同時に無に通じ、禅宗においては最高の境地を表します。数学的には無は円、つまり０で表します。私たちが使っている数字はアラビア数字もしくは算用数字といいますが、世界で作り出された５００以上の数字で唯一残ったのが算用数字です。漢数字、ローマ数字も残った数少ない数字ですが、実用には適しません。０がないからです。０があるアラビア数字は、実はインドで生まれたから本当はインド数字と呼ぶべきです。０が生まれた背景には無限の表象、無があったわけです。無は無限に、そして夢幻にと巡ります。

Orihime (Vega) and Hikoboshi (Altair), who were deeply in love, neglected their assigned tasks. Angry with their behavior, the gods of the heavens separated the two lovers. They were given only one day a year to meet, known as the ‘Tanabata’ or ‘Star Festival.’ Orihime and Hikoboshi started working hard, looking forward to the night of Tanabata. In Japan, in accordance with this Tanabata legend, it is a custom to write wishes on colorful strips of paper called ‘tanzaku’ and hang them on bamboo branches on the night of July 7th. It is believed that these wishes are entrusted to the gods. In ancient China, the Tanabata festival was considered a ‘Water God Festival’ for praying for rain. At the Kibune Shrine, dedicated to the water deity Takaokami God, the Tanabata festival is held along with the ‘Mizu Matsuri’ or ‘Water Festival’ on July 7th each year. In line with this, from July 1st to August 15th, when the Bon Festival ends, people light up Tanabata decorations after dusk and offer their ‘prayers’ and ‘gratitude’ during those days.

愛に溺れ、任された仕事を怠けてしまった織姫と彦星。それに怒った天の神様は愛し合う二人を引き離します。そして２人に年に１度だけ会うことのできる日「七夕」を与えました。織姫と彦星は七夕の夜を楽しみに仕事に励むようになったとさ。そんな七夕伝説にちなんで、日本では7月7日の夜に願いごとを書いた短冊を笹の葉に吊るして、願いを神様に託すという慣わしがあります。七夕神事は古代中国では、雨乞いの「水神祭」であったと考えられていることから、水を司る神、高龗神(たかおかみのかみ)を祀る貴船神社では、毎年7月7日に雨乞神事「水まつり」とともに「七夕神事」が執り行われます。それに合わせて、毎年７月１日からお盆が終わる８月１５日まで、夕暮れ以降七夕笹飾りをライトアップして、「祈り」と「感謝」を捧げる日々をおくります。

The godparent of this flower is Dr. Tomitaro Makino, the protagonist of the currently airing NHK morning drama “Ranman.” Dr. Makino is a lover of flowers and adores them, seeking their affection in every flower. However, he has given this particular flower the name “Waru Nasubi” (“Wretched Eggplant”), believing it to be a fitting name for this troublesome and useless weed with no practical value. He proudly recounts how he named it “Waru Nasubi.” When he first discovered this flower on a farm, he was delighted and immediately brought it home, planting it in his garden. However, the leaves, buds, and flowers of the plant all possess sharp thorns, and its fruits contain a deadly poison. It becomes a nuisance as it spreads uncontrollably, invading even neighboring gardens. Hence, Dr. Makino named it “Waru Nasubi” with a strong sense of animosity. It is also known by notorious names such as “Apple of Sodom” or “Devil’s tomato” in English, representing its notoriety worldwide. Nevertheless, whether knowingly or unknowingly, due to its charming appearance, people can occasionally be seen planting it in parks and gardens.

名付け親は、今放映中のNHKの朝ドラ「らんまん」の主人公、牧野富太郎博士です。花が好きで好きで、どの花にも擦り寄る様に愛おしがる博士ですが、この花だけは、「この始末の悪い草、何にも利用のない害草に悪るナスビとは打ってつけた佳名であると思っている」と言って、「悪るナスビ」と名付けたことを自慢げに語っています。最初に牧場でこの花を見つけた時は嬉しくて早速自宅に持ち帰り、庭に植えたのですが、葉にも蕾にも花にも鋭い棘があり、できた実も猛毒を含んでいる。これは困ったと除草しようとしても仕切れない。隣の庭まで侵入する。と言う事で、さすがの博士も憎しみを込めて名付けたのが「悪るナスビ」です。英語名でも「Apple of Sodom」とか「Devil’s tomato」などの悪名で呼ばれている、世界の嫌われものです。しかし、そんな花とは知ってか知らずか、見た目が可愛いので公園や庭先に植えているのを時々見かけます。

It has become the season when Bon Odori (Bon dance) is a hot topic. While Bon Odori was once thought to be a unique event in Japan, it is now becoming a worldwide phenomenon. Last year, due to the impact of the spread of the novel coronavirus, the Bon Odori festival near Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, was held for the first time in three years, attracting approximately 50,000 participants, including Malaysians and Japanese residents living in the area. Until now, the locations where Bon Odori was particularly concentrated were the three regions of Hawaii, California, and Brazil. However, Bon Odori has now spread throughout the entire North American continent, including Canada, and the entire South American continent, including Argentina and Paraguay. Moreover, its popularity continues to grow, reaching various places such as Southeast Asia, Australia, Granada in Spain, Hamburg in Germany, and Copenhagen in Denmark. Its influence shows no signs of stopping. In 2019, before the Ukrainian conflict, Bon Odori was even held in Moscow, Russia, with many Russians participating. The events held vary widely, including Awa Odori in Tokushima Prefecture, Hanagasa Odori in Yamagata Prefecture, Nebuta Festival in Aomori Prefecture, and various other Bon Odori festivals and portable shrine processions from all over Japan. In this way, along with Japanese cuisine, various aspects of Japanese culture and customs are gaining attention from around the world.

盆踊りが話題になる季節になりました。盆踊りは日本だけの行事と思いきや、今や世界中の行事になりつつあります。新型コロナウイルスの感染拡大の影響を受けて、昨年、3年ぶりの開催となったマレーシアの首都クアラルンプール近郊の盆踊り大会には、マレーシアの人たちや、現地で暮らす日本人などおよそ5万人が参加しました。今までは、特に盆踊りを開催している場所が集中していたのは、「ハワイ」「カリフォルニア」「ブラジル」の３地域でした。しかし、カナダなどを含む北米大陸、そしてアルゼンチンやパラグアイなどを含む南米大陸全体に盆踊りは広がっています。それどころか、今では東南アジア各地やオーストラリア、パリやスペインのグラダナ、ドイツのハンブルク、デンマークのコペンハーゲンなどなど、その広がりは止まることを知りません。ウクライナ戦争前の2019年には、ロシアのモスクワでも開催され、多くのロシア人が参加しました。開催される催し物も徳島県の阿波踊りを筆頭に、山形県の花笠踊り、青森県のねぶた祭など日本各地の盆踊りを初め、神輿担ぎなど多種多様です。こうして日本の食文化と共に、日本のあらゆる文化、風習が世界から注目を浴びています。

The situation in Ukraine seems to be increasingly serious. Speaking of Ukraine, its national flower is the sunflower, but even this national flower has a complex history. Originally, the national flowers of Ukraine were the European cranberry bush and the sour cherry. Sunflowers have been the national flower of Russia from the beginning. On the other hand, since Ukraine was also a constituent republic of the former Soviet Union, it seems that the people of Ukraine traditionally regarded the sunflower as their national flower, and after the collapse of the Soviet Union and Ukraine’s independence, the sunflower was officially designated as the national flower. Russia and Ukraine were originally sister countries within the Soviet Union, so that’s why the sunflower became the national flower of both countries. Russia is like the eldest sister, and Ukraine is like the younger sister. There are Ukrainians living in Russia, and there are also Russians living in Ukraine. However, both Ukrainians and Russians belong to the same Russian ethnicity. It’s similar to the difference between Kansai people and Kanto people in Japan. However, Ukraine and Russia have different national systems and different ideologies. It is due to the appearance of the biased-minded dictator Putin that the current complex Ukraine conflict exists.

ウクライナ情勢はますます深刻さを増している様です。ウクライナと言えばその国花はヒマワリですが、この国花にも複雑な歴史があります。ウクライナの国花は、元々はセイヨウカンボクとスミミザクラでした。ヒマワリの花は元からロシアの国花です。一方ウクライナも又、旧ソ連の連邦国であったため、慣習的に国民はヒマワリを国花として見なしていた様で、ソ連邦が崩壊し独立国になってからはヒマワリを正式に国花と定めました。ロシアとウクライナは元は同じソビエト連邦の兄弟国であったため、ヒマワリが両国の国花になったわけです。ロシアが長男でウクライナが次男のようなものですね。ロシアにもウクライナ人が暮らし、ウクライナにもロシア人が暮らしています。しかし、ウクライナ人もロシア人も同じロシア民族です。日本で言えば、関西人と関東人みたいなものですね。しかし、ウクライナとロシアは国花体制が違うし、主義主張も違う。ここに偏向した歴史観を持った独裁者プーチンが現れたことによって、今の複雑なウクライナ戦争があるわけです。