The Omicron strain of coronavirus is rampant in Europe and other parts of the world. However, although it is highly infectious, it seems that there are no more symptoms than ever before. Vaccination has progressed considerably, and innate immunity has penetrated, so if we overcome this Omicron strain, the pandemic at the beginning of this century will end. Next summer must be the usual summer free from coronavirus contamination.
The rose garden has also been completely pruned, and there are still a few winter-blooming roses. The park was almost deserted. The cafe in the park is heated and has a faint baroque music. It is a comfortable space. Looking at the open garden where the blue sky spreads, I remembered the NHK drama “Lion Snack” that I saw in the summer. Shizuku, who was sentenced to life expectancy at a young age, chose the hospice “Lion’s House” where she can see the sea in Setouchi as a place to spend her last days. Then, there she meet wonderful Madonna and friends in the same situation. It is such a work. I decided to go home.
The nearby park is full of Santa logs. In the first place, the origin of Santa Claus is, “At one point, Bishop Nikolaus of Asia Minor during the Byzantine Empire learned of the existence of a family who had to sell his three daughters because of poverty. He visited the house and threw gold coins through the window. At this time, the fireplace had socks hanging down, and the gold coins went into the socks. The gold coins prevented the family from selling their daughter” (Wikipedia). This anecdote also gave birth to the tradition of Santa Claus today: “Santa Claus enters the house from the chimney in the middle of the night and puts gifts in his socks.”
If you search for “illuminations” on Google, you will find that there are illuminations all over Japan from Hokkaido in the north to Okinawa in the south. Most of the places were canceled last year, but most of them are held this year even if there are various restrictions. It was two years after the coronavirus, but finally the light began to appear. I’m worried about the global spread of Omicron strains, but I’m sure we can overcome them next year. However, it is a pity that the nearby Kobe Luminarie has been cancelled.
It gets cold in the mornings and evenings, but the daytime sunshine still retains the remnants of autumn. Salvia potted in the room opens flowers one after another, and it seems as if they are dancing octopus. Normally, the flowering time of salvia should be over at this time, but it is still blooming probably because of recent weather changes. I said “Huyubiyori(winter weather)”, but there is a similar word “Koharubiyori(Indian summer)”. When I looked it up, “Koharubiyori” is a term that refers to a calm day from November to the beginning of December in lunar calendar. On the other hand, “Huyubiyori(winter weather)” is a term that refers to a mildly sunny winter day after the beginning of December, a day with a very winter-like sky. The phrase “winter weather” in Haiku is subtle.
There is a soba restaurant known as “Kasasoba” in the mountains of Sakurai City, Nara. It doesn’t have such a long history, and it is a soba restaurant that opened about 30 years ago as part of the village revitalization. The Kasa area has an altitude of 400 to 500 m, and the temperature difference between morning and evening is large, and it is blessed with the best climate and climate for making soba. Soba flowers are in full bloom around September, and soba made with new soba begins in November, and many people come to enjoy the taste. Right in front of it is Kasayama Kojin Shrine, which is said to be the birthplace of Sanpo Kojin(A shrine that enshrines the god of fire). Together with Kiyoshikojin in Takarazuka City, Hyogo Prefecture, and Tachisato Kojin in Nosegawa Village, Nara Prefecture, it is one of the three major Kojin in Japan. Kasayama Kojin, which has been enshrined at Washigamine mountain in Kasayama since ancient times, which is said to be 3,000 or 6,000 years old, is located in Oku-Hase, just 20 minutes by car from Makimuku, the birthplace of the early Yamato Kingship. The mountains are deep, and there is a mysterious spirit that hides the unknown history of deep faith.
Is it better to say late autumn or early winter? Let’s say late autumn because the autumn leaves remain. The rain that falls at this time is called Hisame(ice rain), which sounds lonely. The Hisame are mercilessly pouring onto the autumn leaves that are about to fall tomorrow. What a beautiful view though it is lonely!. “While knowing that I’m falling, I feel nostalgic for Momiji leaves and people.” The song of Princess Kazumiya, who was at the mercy of the waves of the late Tokugawa period, suddenly reminded me of it, and my heart became hot.
On the way home after getting drunk with the autumn leaves, when I went down the approach to the temple, Santa Claus came in from the temple gate. If I look closely, she is a woman in a bright red coat with a white collar. It is the outfit that stands out among the autumn leaves around. It is a very interesting combination of autumn leaves and Santa Claus. This photo was taken with a nice shot. This is my favorite photo.
There is news that Kobe Luminarie will be canceled from the morning this year as well. Kobe Luminarie was held for the first time in December of the same year with the intention of lighting the “Reconstruction Light” in Kobe City, which was severely damaged by the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake that occurred in January 17, 1995. It’s the beginning. Since then, Kobe Luminarie has become popular year by year, and it has become a major feature at the end of the year, attracting people from all over the country. About 3.47 million people visited the 20th Kobe Luminarie in 2019. However, it was canceled last year due to the influence of the new coronavirus, and it was canceled again this year. As an alternative event, nine successive light decorations installed in the Luminarie since the first time in 1995 will be exhibited in seven places to convey the significance of the Luminarie praying for the victims of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake.
If you walk a little along the village road, you will find a tall tree and the fruits hung down like bells. It is a tree of Sendan(Chinaberry). As with many vegetation, the fruit of Sendan is poisonous when eaten by humans and livestock, and in severe cases it contains deadly poison. However, this poison can also be a medicine depending on the formulation. The fruit of Sendan is an important drug in Chinese medicine, and it has been heavily used as an external medicine for cracks, and chilblains, as an intestinal regulator, and as an internal medicine by decoction as an analgesic. In addition, it was also used as an anthelmintic (insect repellent) and an insecticide for farmers, and recently, the extract component of Sendan has been attracting attention as it is effective against influenza virus. Sendan is a typical plant of “there’s only a slight deference between poison and medicine”. By the way, the bulbul is a favorite of the fruit of Sendan, and it seems to be okay no matter how much you eat.