There is a place I always want to visit around this time of year. It’s a small marsh in the nearby mountains, where I can meet Kawataro-kun, a kappa who spends his days fishing. I first met Kawataro-kun at the banks of Kappa Bridge in Kamikochi. He was abducted by a kappa who had settled in the Azusa River and was forced to live in a completely different world from the human realm, a world that was the opposite of everything he knew. In the kappa world, romance is driven by the females, and they find amusement in things that humans consider serious, while taking seriously things that humans find amusing—it’s a completely upside-down world.
At first, it was not boring due to the novelty, but eventually, he started to long for the human world. Finally, he managed to escape the kappa world with great difficulty, only to find himself confined to Room 23 of a psychiatric ward. There, his companion was Ryunosuke Akutagawa. Akutagawa also passed away, and eventually, Kawataro-kun settled near this marsh, living a life immersed in fishing all day long.

毎年この時期になると行きたくなる場所があります。近くの山の中に小さな沼があって、そこで日がな一日魚を釣っている河童河太郎くんに会うためです。河太郎くんと初めて会ったのは、上高地の河童橋の袂です。河太郎くんはここで梓川に住み着く河童に拉致され、人間世界とはまるで正反対なkappaの国で生活するのを余儀なくされました。恋愛はメスが積極的で、人間の真面目に思う事を面白がり、面白がる事を真面目に思う、まるであべこべの世界です。最初は物珍しさもあって退屈しませんでしたが、やがて人間世界が恋しくなりやっとの思いでkappaの世界を脱出しましたが、待ち受けていたのは精神病棟23号室です。そこで話し相手になったのが芥川龍之介です。その彼も死に、やがて河太郎くんはこの沼の近くに住み着いて、日がな一日魚釣り三昧の生活を送っているという事です。

This afternoon, the weather is clear and sunny as if yesterday’s heavy rain was just a lie. The trees along the streets, now lush with leaves, are vibrant and full of life. The lilies, blooming in various colors as seen in the photo, are also thriving. However, I was shocked by yesterday’s heavy rain. The smartphone alerts kept ringing incessantly. It was my first experience with such a thing. Even while watching TV, the term “linear rain band” keeps appearing frequently. This word seems to have started being used recently. Although the word itself seems to have already existed as a meteorological term, it appears that it became commonly used in Japan after the Hiroshima landslides caused by heavy rain in August 2014, during the 26th year of the Heisei era. According to the analysis by the Meteorological Research Institute of the Japan Meteorological Agency, the frequency of “concentrated heavy rain” brought about by phenomena such as the “linear rain band” has increased by about twice over the past 45 years. Especially during the rainy season, it is said to be approaching four times the previous frequency. The main cause seems to be global warming after all.

今日の午後は、昨日の豪雨が嘘の様な、まさに天晴れなお天気です。葉が生い茂ってきた街路樹も生き生きとしています。色取り取りの花を咲かせている百合達も写真の通りです。しかし、昨日の豪雨にはびっくりしました。ともかくスマホからの警報が鳴りっぱなし。こんな事は初めての体験です。テレビを見ていても「線状降水帯」と言う言葉がやたら出てきます。こんな言葉が出始めたのはつい最近です。言葉自体はすでに気象用語としてあったらしいですが、日本でこの用語が頻繁に用いられるようになったのは、平成26年(2014年)年の８月豪雨による広島市の土砂災害以降らしいです。気象庁気象研究所の分析によると、「線状降水帯」などでもたらされる「集中豪雨」の頻度がこの４５年間で約２倍に増えてきているとのこと。特に梅雨時期は約４倍に迫っているそうです。原因としては、やはり地球温暖化が理由の１らしいです。

Stokesia blooms from early summer to summer, and its cool-looking flowers leave a lasting impression. The flower is associated with the meaning of “pure and modest maiden” due to its appearance. It continues to bloom from around June to October and is highly valued during the period when there are few flowers in midsummer, as it is very robust and can bloom well even in partial shade. Due to its flower color, it harmonizes well with both Japanese and Western styles, making it popular as a purple-themed cut flower in summer and also beloved as a flower for flower beds. On the other hand, in Western culture, blue and purple are considered colors that symbolize “sadness,” hence it has the floral language of “remembrance.” As it is also called ‘Ruri-giku’ in Japanese, there was a lot of interest in the azure-colored Yaguruma-giku flower-like flower. Stokesia is a hardy perennial native to the southeastern United States and was introduced to Japan in the 1910s. It is a rare flower with only one species in its genus and without any closely related species.

初夏から夏に咲く花らしく、涼しげな花が印象的です。その花の見た目から「清楚な娘」という花言葉が付いたそうです。花は6月頃から10月頃まで咲き続け、とても強健で半日陰でもよく咲かせるため、真夏の花の少ない時期にはとても重宝されています。花色によって和風、洋風ともに調和するので、夏の紫系の切り花としても人気があり、花壇用としても親しまれています。一方、西洋では青や紫は“悲しみ”をあらわす色だとされていて、「追想」という花言葉が付きました。和名でも「瑠璃菊」と呼ぶ様に、瑠璃色の矢車菊に似た花に関心が向きました。ストケシアは北アメリカ南東部原産の耐寒性多年草で、日本には1910年代に渡来しました。近縁種をもたず１属1種の珍しい花でもあります。

The entrance of the apartment building is filled with a profusion of rose flowers. It’s truly amazing. It instantly brightens up the mood. This sensation is not just my personal feeling, but rather something imprinted in the DNA of humanity as a connection between flowers and humans. In the 1960s, in the Shanidar Cave in Iran, several types of pollen, including Saw-wort and Oxeye Daisy, were discovered in large quantities along with the fossils of Neanderthals who lived during the Paleolithic period approximately 50,000 to 60,000 years ago. The discovery sparked discussions. Dr. R.S. Solecki, the American archaeologist who made the discovery, suggested the theory that Neanderthals had a sense of mourning for the deceased and had the custom of burying them with flowers as grave goods.
One clear example of floral tributes adorning a cemetery is the cave cemetery in Mount Carmel in northern Israel, dating back approximately 12,000 years. Fragrant herbs such as mint and sage, after returning to the soil, left their traces engraved in the soft mud. By offering flowers as a tribute to the deceased, which is the greatest sorrow for humans, they found solace and we do so.

マンションのエントランスに籠いっぱいにバラの花が盛られています。えらいものですね。気分が一変に晴れやかになります。この感覚は私個人の感覚ではなく、花と人間の関わりとして、人類の脳裏に刻み込まれたDNAによるものなんでしょうね。1960年代にイランのシャニダール洞窟で、今から推定五〜六万年前の旧石器時代に暮らしていた ネアンデルタール人の化石とともに、ノコギリソウやヤグルマギクなど数種類の花粉が大量に発見され、話題になりました。発見者のアメリカ人考古学者R・S・ソレッキ博士は、「ネアンデルタール人には死者を悼む心があり、副葬品として花を遺体に添えて埋葬する習慣があった」との説を唱えたそうです。 明らかに墓地を花で飾った献花の例としては、イスラエル北部カルメル山の洞窟にある、約1万2000年前の墓地があります。ミントやセージといった香りのある草花が土に還った後、その痕跡が柔らかい泥に刻まれていたそうです。人間にとっていちばんの悲しみである死者への弔いにも花を手向ける事によって、慰みを得たわけです。

The Kuchinashi (Gardenia) that blooms at the beginning of the rainy season has an unparalleled whiteness. As the rainy season progresses, it turns cream-colored and eventually wilts, resembling the color of custard cream. The leaves undergo the same transformation. They start off as young leaf green and gradually change to deep green. The original Kuchinashi is a large plant that produces pure white six-petaled flowers with a strong fragrance, and in autumn, it bears orange-red fruits. The photo shows a variety called “Ooyaekuchinashi,” which is more popular and has double flowers but does not produce fruits. The delightful fragrance is one of the great charms of the Kuchinashi. The three trees, Kuchinashi, Kinmokusei (Fragrant Olive), and Jinchoge (Mock Orange), are sometimes referred to as the “Three Major Fragrant Trees.” Particularly during their blooming season, you can enjoy their sweet scent. While the Kuchinashi is originally from Asia, it was introduced to Europe in the 19th century, where the fragrant white flowers became popular and used as a raw material for perfumes. Additionally, it is used in traditional Chinese medicine, as well as in dyes and food coloring. In Fujieda City, Shizuoka Prefecture, there is a yellow-colored rice dish called “Seto no Some-meshi” that has been sold since the Sengoku period. It is also colored using Gardenia. Eating this rice ball instantly relieves the fatigue of a long journey on the Tokaido road. Most likely, both Yaji-san and Kita-san have also eaten it.

梅雨初めに咲くクチナシはこれほどの白さはない白さです。梅雨が深まるに連れてクリーム色に、最後にはカスタードクリームのような色になって萎れていきます。葉も同じ。初めは若葉色ですが、深緑に変わっていきます。元々のクチナシは大型で純白の6弁花を咲かせて強い香りを漂わせ、秋には橙赤色の果実をつけます。写真はオオヤエクチナシと言う品種で、こちらの方がポピュラーで、八重咲で実はつけません。香りの良さはクチナシの大きな魅力のひとつです。クチナシ・キンモクセイ・ジンチョウゲの3つの木は、三大香木と呼ばれることもあります。特に開花時期には甘い香りを堪能できます。クチナシはアジア原産の花ですが、19世紀にアジアからヨーロッパに渡り、ヨーロッパではこの純白の甘い香りのする花が気に入られ、香水の原料となりました。また、漢方薬を始め、染料や食紅にも使われます。静岡県藤枝市には、戦国時代から販売されている「瀬戸の染飯（せとのそめいい）」と言う黄色いおこわがあります。これもクチナシで色付けされています。このおむすびを食べると東海道の長旅の疲れもすっ飛びます。多分、弥次さん喜多さんも食べたことでしょう。

The Japan Meteorological Agency announced yesterday, May 29th, that the northern part of Kyushu to the Tokai region is expected to have entered the rainy season. The rainy season arrived six days earlier than the average year in northern Kyushu, seven days earlier in Shikoku, and eight days earlier in the Chugoku, Kinki, and Tokai regions. The rainy season in May is the first in 10 years for the Tokai and Kinki regions, marking the beginning of a season of prolonged rain this year as well. Under the cloudy sky, on days when occasional sunshine breaks through, two dandelions with their cotton-like seeds are seen side by side, enjoying each other’s company. They close up when it rains, but open up when the sun shines. Dandelions, which adorned the spring, must scatter their seeds before the rainy season to leave behind the next generation. It is the activity of all living things. Occasionally, a breeze blows and carries away one or two cotton-like seeds. When I gently blow on them, numerous seeds flew away. I wonder if the dandelions were pleased. Perhaps I meddled unnecessarily.

気象庁は、昨日5月29日、九州北部～東海地方が「梅雨入りしたとみられる」と発表しました。九州北部地方では平年より6日早く、四国地方では平年より7日早く、中国・近畿・東海地方では平年より8日早い梅雨入りです。5月の梅雨入りは、東海・近畿地方では10年ぶり、今年も長雨の季節が始まりました。曇天が続き、たまの晴れ間が見える日、綿毛を７割がた飛ばしたたんぽぽ二つが仲良く並んでいます。雨が降ると閉じますが、日がさすと開きます。春を彩ったたんぽぽも梅雨までには綿毛を飛ばし次の子孫を残さねばなりません。生きとし生けるもの全ての営みです。たまに吹く風にまた一つ二つ綿毛を飛ばします。ふっと息を吹きかけると何倍もの綿毛が飛びました。果たしてたんぽぽは喜んでくれたのでしょうか。要らぬお節介をしたのかもしれません。

The name “Utsugi” means “hollow tree” and is given due to its characteristic hollow trunk. It is said that the month in which Utsugi flowers bloom became known as “Uzuki” in the lunar calendar. By the way, the origin of the name “Uzuki” comes from the term “嫵之花 (Bu no Hana),” which means “a tree with beautiful flowers.” The name “Uno-hana” for tofu lees (okara) is also derived from the resemblance of its appearance to the white blossoms of Utsugi. The famous poem “Natsu wa Kinu (the spring comes)” also describes Uzuki flowers as pure white, which is the typical color for these flowers. There are various claims about the number of Uzuki flower species, ranging from 7 to 12, but the Uzuki flower in the photo is a type of Utsugi called Sarasa Utsugi. It is a double-flowered variety with white on the inside and reddish-purple on the outside. “Sarasa” refers to a colorful, patterned cotton cloth originating from India. Due to its hard material, Utsugi wood is used for nails in chests and small boxes, as well as for barrel spouts and flutes.

ウツギの名は「空木」の意味で、幹が中空であることからの命名であるとされています。そして、ウツギの花が咲く月だから旧暦の四月を「卯月」と呼ぶ様になったと言われています。ちなみに卯の花の名前の語源は「嫵之花」で「美しい花の咲く（木）」という意味です。豆腐のしぼりかす（おから）をウノハナと呼ぶのも、この白い小花の咲いている姿と似ているからです。有名な『夏は来ぬ』に歌われている卯の花も純白で、これが一般的な花色です。卯の花は７種とも12種とも言われていますが、写真の卯の花はサラサウツギと言うウツギの一種です。八重咲き品種で、花の内側が白色、外側が紅紫色をしています。サラサ(更紗)とは、インドを起源とする、美しい文様を持つ多色染めの木綿布のことです。ウツギは材質が堅いので、たんすや小箱の木釘に使われたり、樽の呑み口や笛にも利用されています。

At lunchtime, I noticed a sign for a seafood conveyor belt sushi restaurant, so I went up to the front of the shop. At the entrance, there was a bright red maple tree planted. In the backdrop, the sky was filled with early summer cumulus clouds, creating a rather peculiar scene. While there are indeed plants with red leaves during the transition from spring to early summer, there are not many trees as red as this one. I can’t say for certain, but it seems to be a maple tree called “De-shoujou.” Similarly, there are maples that have red leaves among their young foliage, gradually turning green, and then becoming red again in autumn. One well-known example is the “Nomura Maple.” There is also a maple called “Chishio (blood) Maple,” which is precisely like that. The phenomenon of tree leaves turning red is due to a pigment called anthocyanin, and it seems that various types of maples are born depending on the amount of this pigment. With that in mind, I entered the restaurant with a mixed feeling of early summer and autumn.

お昼時、海鮮回転寿司の看板が目に付いたので店の前まで行くと、入り口に真っ赤なモミジが植っています。バックの空には初夏の綿雲が一面に広がっています。なんとも奇妙な光景です。春から初夏にかけて葉が赤い植物は確かにありますが、こんなに赤い木はありません。確かなことは言えませんが、どうも「出猩々」というモミジの様です。同じ様に若葉の間は赤く徐々に緑色になって秋にはまた赤くなるモミジはあります。有名なところでは「ノムラモミジ」がそうです。その名もズバリ「チシオモミジ」と言うモミジもあります。木の葉が紅葉するのはアントシアニンと言う色素の性ですが、その加減で様々なモミジが生まれる様です。と言うことで、初夏と秋が入れ混じった気分でお店に入りました。

Underneath the hidden path beneath the mountainous expressway, a cluster of pure white  ‘鉄線’ (Tessen)  blossoms. It is unclear whether these Tessens are wild or planted by someone. However, the name ‘鉄線’ (Tessen) was given to these flowers, which seems rather insensitive. Originally, Tessen is considered one of the original species of Clematis and has a history of being brought to Japan from China during the Muromachi period. As a result, it has been popular as a beloved flower in Japan since ancient times. The name ‘鉄線’ (Tessen) was given due to the way its tendrils become as rigid as iron. Tessen blooms from spring to early summer, with its best viewing season being around May to June. It delights viewers with its beautiful petals in shades of blue-purple, purple, white, and various other colors. On the other hand, Clematis blooms slightly later than Tessen, and there are varieties that continue to bloom until around October.

山間を抜ける高速道路下の隠れ道に真っ白な鉄線が群咲いています。野生の鉄線なのか誰かが植えたものなのか知る由もありません。しかし、鉄線とは無粋な名前を付けたものです。鉄線は元々クレマチスの原種の一つだとされていて、日本原産のカザグルマと近縁で、室町時代には日本に中国から渡来した歴史を持っているそうです。このため日本では、昔から親しまれている花として人気を集めています、。「鉄線」という名前は、ツルが鉄のように固くなる様子から付けられました。鉄線は春から初夏にかけて花を咲かせます。5～6月頃が見頃の季節で、青紫や紫、白、複色などのきれいな花びらで見る人を楽しませてくれますよ。一方クレマチスは、鉄線より少し遅れて咲き始め、10月頃まで花を咲かせる品種もあります。

In front of the main gate of Osaka Castle, surrounded by enormous rocks weighing dozens of tons, the magnificent Delphinium flowers are blooming vibrantly. They are of a size that does not pale in comparison to the massive rocks. “Oo-Hiensou”  is the Japanese name for this flower, which is generally known as “Delphinium” in English. It is widely distributed in mountainous regions with elevations ranging from 1300 to 2300 meters in the Pyrenees and Alps mountains of Europe, Siberia, Central Asia, southwestern China, as well as cold regions like Siberia and Mongolia. Due to this, they are particularly sensitive to heat, and in hot years like this one, their blooming period is shorter, which is a cause for concern.
The name “Delphinium” is derived from the Greek word “Delphin,” meaning “dolphin,” because the shape of the flower buds resembles a dolphin. In Japan, Delphinium was introduced in the early Meiji period, and the variety that bloomed and spread its light petals resembled the sight of swallows flying in the sky, hence it was named “Oo-Hiensou” (Great Flying Swallow Grass). Delphinium is also cherished as a cut flower in many occasions, and recently, it has been used in wedding ceremonies and funeral altars as well.

一個何十トンもある様な巨岩に囲まれた大阪城大手門の前に、大飛燕草(オオヒエンソウ)が華やかに花を咲かせています。巨岩に見劣りしない大きさです。大飛燕草はもちろん和名で、一般にはデルフィニウムで知られています。ヨーロッパのピレネー山脈からアルプス山脈、シベリア、中央アジアから中国西南部における標高1300～2300mの山岳地帯や、寒地のシベリアからモンゴルなど、主に寒地に広く分布しています。そのせいで、暑さにはめっぽう弱く、今年の様に暑いと花期も短く心配です。デルフィニウムという名前は、ツボミが「イルカ」に似ているところから、ギリシャ語の「デルフィン（イルカ）」にちなんでいます。 日本には、明治時代の初期に渡来し、開花してパッと薄い花びらを広げたデルフィニウムが、ツバメが空を飛ぶ姿に似ていることから「大飛燕草」と名づけられました。デルフィニウムは多くの場面で切り花としても親しまれており、最近では結婚式や葬儀の祭壇などに使われることもあります。