It’s a warm and sunny day today, with temperatures exceeding 20 degrees Celsius. I went to a soba noodle making experience class at the “Fureai Farm Village” in the Yamate suburbs of Izumi City. However, as someone with limited mobility, I couldn’t make the soba noodles myself. So, I joined two friends and my main goal was to enjoy the soba noodles served after the class, as I had fond memories of the taste from a previous visit. Unfortunately, my plan was thwarted because of the impact of COVID-19, and the soba noodles were not being served. It was disappointing. Nonetheless, the suburban area we visited was a refreshing change of pace. Although it was slightly overcast, the occasional sunshine made it feel like spring, and dandelions were blooming along the agricultural roadsides. I felt my spirits lift, and my enthusiasm for life was rekindled.

今日は20度を超えるポカポカ陽気。和泉市郊外の山手にある「ふれあい農の里」の蕎麦打ち体験教室に行きました。と言っても、足腰の不自由な私には蕎麦打ちなどはできません。お友達二人に便乗させていただいて、蕎麦打ちが終わった後に振る舞われるお蕎麦がお目当てです。以前に参加した時に振る舞われたお蕎麦の味が忘れないからです。でも結局は目算外れでした。コロナの影響で、今はお蕎麦は振る舞われていないからです。がっかりです。でも、久しぶりで出かけた郊外は、薄曇りではあるけれども、時折差す日差しは春の陽気で、農道のあちらこちらにはタンポポが咲いていて、大いにリフレッシュ。生きる元気がまた湧いてきました。

Today, March 11th, marks the 12th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake.  I sincerely pray for the souls of the victims of the earthquake. 
Whether you know it or not, the trunks of old cherry trees nearby are already in full bloom.  Even if you look up, the buds are swollen, but the flowers have not yet bloomed.  It seems that it is a phenomenon called “body blooming cherry blossoms.” It is a kind of aging phenomenon, especially in somei-yoshino, when the crown of the tree becomes stressed and weakened, adventitious branches often grow from the trunk and roots.  It’s getting old, but it’s a sign from the old tree that says, “I’m living hard!”

今日は３月11日、東北大震災が起こって12年目を迎えます。震災の犠牲になられた方々には心からご冥福をお祈りいたします。
そんなことを知ってか知らずか、近くの桜の古木の幹にはもう花が満開です。上を見上げても、蕾は膨らんでいますが、まだ花を咲かせていません。「胴吹きさくら」とか「胴咲きさくら」とかいう現象だそうです。一種の老化現象で、エネルギーの落ちた、特にソメイヨシノでは、樹冠部にストレスがかかって衰弱すると、幹や根から不定枝がよく伸びて起こるそうです。歳はとっても「一生懸命に生きています！」と言う老木からのサインなんですね。

Under the rows of cherry blossoms with large swollen buds, the yellow flowers of Rengyou(the Forsythia) are in full bloom, their brightness bouncing off the spring sunshine. Along with the early blooming Rohbai(Japanese wax tree), there are many other yellow flowers such as Nanohan(rapeseed flowers), Tanpopo(dandelions), Acacia, and Kochia. However, compared to the plum and cherry blossoms, they are all relatively plain flowers. While there are plum orchards and cherry tree-lined streets, there are no such things for yellow flowers. At best, there are fields of Tanpopo. Even so, Tanpopo blooming along the Kawazu cherry tree-lined street are beautiful, and the Kawazu cherry blossoms with Tanpopo in bloom look even more stunning.

大きく蕾が膨らんだ桜並木の下にレンギョウの花が満開です。春の日差しを跳ね返す黄色が鮮やかです。春先に咲く蝋梅を始めとして、菜の花、たんぽぽ、アカシア、コキア等々、黄色い花々も沢山あります。しかし梅や桜に比べたらみんな地味な花です。梅には梅園があったり、桜には桜並木があったりしますが、黄色い花にはそう言ったものはありません。せいぜい菜の花畑くらいでしょうか。それでも河津桜の並木道に咲く菜の花は綺麗ですし、菜の花が咲く河津桜はいっそう美しく見えますね。

Asebi(the azaleas) are in full bloom on Tobihino, located within the grounds of Kasuga Grand Shrine in Nara Park. Until late February, the park held the traditional “Shika-yose(deer gathering)” event, where the sound of natural horns would attract a large group of deer from the forest. Asebi begins to bloom around the same time. Known and loved since the Manyo period, the Asebi’s poem “My love is like the flowers of the mountain, now in full bloom” is accompanied by white or pale pink vase-shaped flowers. The plant contains a toxic component called “grayanotoxin” in its branches and leaves, which causes horses to become intoxicated and lose their footing when consumed, hence the name “馬酔木(the horse drunk tree)” in Chinese characters.

奈良公園内、春日大社境内地の飛火野（とびひの）は馬酔木(あせび)が満開です。その飛火野では、冬の風物詩になっている「鹿寄せ」が２月下旬まで開催されました。ナチュラルホルンを吹き始めると、その音色に誘われ、森の奥からたくさんの鹿たちが集まって来ます。馬酔木はその頃から咲き始めます。「わが背子に わが恋ふらくは　奥山のあしびの花の　今盛りなり」 と万葉の昔から親しまれた馬酔木は、白色や薄紅色の壷形の花をいっぱい咲かせます。枝葉に「アセボチン」という 有毒成分を含んでいて、馬がこれを食べると 酔って足がなえることから 漢字の「馬酔木」がその名に当てられたそうです。

Yesterday (3/7) was a full moon. When I opened my smartphone, I saw numerous photos of the full moon from various places, accompanied by the term “Worm Moon”. Recently, I have noticed an increase in the use of katakana expressions to describe full moons. “Worm Moon” is one such term that originates from The Old Farmer’s Almanac in the United States. It signifies the time when the ground warms up and earthworms emerge or when worm-like beetle larvae come out of trees, indicating the beginning of the farming season. Japan’s twenty-four solar terms are also based on agricultural calendars. Just two days ago (3/6) was “Keichitsu,” which refers to the season when insects start moving as the cold weather eases and the spring weather arrives.

昨日(3/7)は満月でした。スマホを開けると各地の満月の写真と同時に、「ワームムーン」と言う書き込みが溢れています。最近は、こうした満月をカタカナで表した表現がよく目につきます。「ワームムーン」もその一つで、アメリカの農事暦（The Old Farmer’s Almanac）からきています。暖かくなって地面からミミズ（Earthworm）が出てくる頃、またはカブトムシの幼虫（Worm）が木から出てくる頃という意味からきていて、農耕を始める時期を示唆しています。日本の二十四節気も基本的には農事暦からきています。ちょうど一昨日(3/6)はその「啓蟄」の日で、寒さが緩んで春の陽気になってきたことで、土の中から虫たちが動き出す季節のことを指します。

There are countless examples throughout history of the loss of human life due to the intellectual mistakes of rulers. The 20th century, including the world wars, was also a century of slaughter, with the Holocaust by Hitler, Stalin’s Great Purge, and Mao’s Cultural Revolution, among others. And today, in the 21st century, there is a large-scale massacre happening in Ukraine due to Russian President Putin’s unilateral view of history. Putin is the worst mass murderer of this century. No one can catch him or bring him to justice. Can today’s society, which has gone through many revolutions, truly be called a civilized society?Human history is filled with tragic examples of the loss of life due to political power, and even today, there are situations where political leaders make intellectual mistakes and cause suffering for many people.In particular, the conflict in Ukraine by the Putin regime has caused a serious humanitarian crisis. Many people have become victims of this conflict, and the international community cannot ignore the seriousness of the human rights violations. However, there are civilized societies around the world that support the rule of law and respect for human rights, and the international community supports these principles. International frameworks such as the United Nations, International Criminal Court, and International Human Rights Law exist to address such issues. Whether today’s society is a civilized one depends on our individual actions. We can respect human rights, support the rule of law, and promote peace and justice through international cooperation. It is also important for us to hold our political leaders accountable and urge them to respect human rights and the rule of law.

人類の歴史は、政治的権力によって多くの犠牲が出た悲しい事例で満ちています。そして、今日においても、政治的指導者が知的錯誤を犯し、多くの人々が苦しんでいる状況は存在しています。特に、ロシアのプーチン政権によるウクライナでの紛争は、深刻な人道的危機を引き起こしています。この紛争により、多くの人々が犠牲になり、国際社会は重大な人権侵害の深刻さを認識せざるを得ません。しかしながら、世界中で法の支配と人権を尊重する文明的な社会が存在し、国際社会はこのような原則を支持しています。国際連合、国際刑事裁判所、そして国際人権法などの国際的な枠組みが、このような問題に対処するために存在しています。現在の社会が文明社会であるかどうかを決定するのは、我々個人の行動にかかっています。我々は、人権を尊重し、法の支配を支持し、国際的な協力によって平和と正義を促進することができます。また、我々は、自分たちの政治的指導者に責任を求め、彼らが人権と法の支配を尊重するよう促すことが重要です。

Japan Weather Co., Ltd. announced on March 2nd the forecast for the 6th cherry blossom season in 2023.  According to it, the flowering in Tokyo is the earliest, it seems that it is March 16th.  There are many regions that are warmer than Tokyo, so why is the flowering of Tokyo the best?  It snowed just the other day in Tokyo, but not even a single piece of snow fell in Osaka.  Anyway, the cherry blossoms will bloom in 10 days.  The cherry blossom season is finally here.  Without thinking about that, the plum blossoms in the park are blooming beautifully.  Cherry blossoms have many flowers at the tip of the branch, but plum blossoms only have one flower at the base of the branch.  Cherry blossoms are clustered and gorgeous, but each plum has its own flavor.  Are you a cherry blossom person or a plum person?

日本気象株式会社は、3月2日に2023年第6回桜の開花･満開予想を発表しました。 それによると東京の開花が一番早く、3月16日だそうです。東京より暖かい地方が沢山あるのに、なぜ東京の開花が一番なんでしょうね。つい先日も東京には雪が積もったのに、大阪は雪のかけらも降らなかったんですよ。まあそれはともかく、あと10日もすれば桜が咲き出すんですね。いよいよ桜シーズンの到来です。そんな事は他所に、公園の梅が美しく咲き切っています。桜は枝の先のほうに花が多く付きますが、梅は枝の付け根の方に花がひとつ付くだけです。桜は群れて豪華絢爛ですが、梅はひとつひとつに味わいがありますね。皆さんは桜派ですか、梅派ですか。

At my friend’s house, every February, a splendid hinadan is displayed.  It seems that my friend’s parents bought it for their only daughter. The daughter had already been married a long time ago and had two sons, but she divorced early. Her two sons, that is to say my friend’s grandchildren, are now grown up. Still, she still decorate hina.  It seems that it has become her habit.  She thinks about what to do with this doll every time she decorate it.  When her two grandchildren were children, she used to decorate the hina dolls because even boys would be happy whenever they came.  It seems that this year, he has decided to consult with a temple she knows and have him deal with it.

友人宅には毎年２月になると立派な雛壇が飾られます。一人娘のために友人のご両親が買ってくれたそうです。その娘はもうとっくにお嫁に行き、二人の息子をもうけましたが早々と離婚。二人の息子は、つまり孫は今では立派に成人しました。それでもいまだにお雛様は飾ります。習い性になっているそうです。このお雛様をどうしようか、飾る度に思います。二人の孫が子供の頃は、お雛様を飾っていると、男の子でも来る度に喜ぶので飾っていましたが、いつの頃からか、孫たちも来なくなった。今年こそは知り合いなお寺にでも相談して、始末してもらおうと決めているそうです。

Happy Hinamatsuri today.  For those who have followed the history of the postwar period, I realize that these traditional events are becoming more popular year by year.  Although I have heard some critical opinions, such as that they are being put on a commercial basis, it is a pleasure to see that the economic activities generated from this will enrich society economically and spur innovative movements. However, when I see the various incidents that are reported on a daily basis, I feel that it is not enough to just be happy, and I also feel the distortion of society.  Some are rooted in economic disparity, some are rooted in a sense of alienation in human relationships, and the causes are also becoming more complex.  Looking at the world situation, it seems that the pessimistic situation outweighs the optimistic one.  It seems that the situation is similar to the situation around 1925, 100 years ago.

今日は楽しい雛祭り。戦後史を辿ってきた者にとっては、こうした伝統行事が年々盛んになっていくことを実感します。商業ベースに乗せられていると言った様な批判的意見も聞きますが、そこから生み出される経済活動によって社会が経済的に潤い、革新的な動きが活発になることは喜ばしいことです。ただ毎日のように報じられる様々な事件を見ていると、ただ喜んでいるだけでは済まない、社会の歪みも感じます。経済的格差に根ざすもの、人間関係の疎外感に根ざすもの、原因も複雑化しています。世界の情勢を見渡しても、楽観的な状況よりも悲観的な状況が上回っている様に思います。状況的にも今から100年前の1925年あたりの状況に似ている様にも思えます。

Omizutori has started at Todaiji Nigatsu-do in Nara.  In the Kansai region, many people think that spring has finally begun when Omizutori begins.  Omizutori is the main event of Shunie, which is held from March 1st to March 14th.  The official name of Shuni-e is “Jyuichimen-keka” in which we confess the various mistakes we make in our daily lives in front of the eleven-faced Kanzeon Bodhisattva, the principal image of worship at Nigatsu-do. At the same time, we also pray for the protection of the nation, the peace and stability of the world, the happiness of all people, and the bountiful harvest.  It was started in 752 by Jicchu, a senior disciple of Ryoben Sojo, the founder of Todaiji Temple. Only the Buddhist memorial service has been handed down uninterruptedly to this day as a “non-regressive practice” for more than 1250 years.  The climax on the 12th is the “Omizutori” event, in which perfume drawn from the Wakasai well on the grounds is offered to the principal image of Nigatsu-do.

奈良東大寺二月堂のお水取りが始まりました。関西ではこのお水取りが始まるといよいよ春が始まったと思う人が多い様です。お水取りは3月1日～3月14日の間行われる修二会(しゅにえ)の本行です。修二会の正式名称は「十一面悔過(じゅういちめんけか)」と言い、われわれが日常に犯しているさまざまな過ちを、二月堂の本尊である十一面観世音菩薩の前で懺悔し、鎮護国家・天下泰安・万民豊楽・五穀豊穣などを祈願します。752年に東大寺の開山・良弁僧正の高弟・実忠（じっちゅう）が始め、東大寺の長い歴史にあって、二度までもその大伽藍の大半が失われてしまった時ですら、修二会だけは「不退の行法」として、1250有余年もの間一度も絶えることなく、連綿と今日に至るまで引き継がれてきています。二月堂の本尊に境内の若狭井（わかさい）から汲み上げたお香水（おこうずい）を供える「お水取り」の12日がクライマックスです。