My friend sent me this picture. At first, I thought it was a rose flower, but the leaves in the background were not rose leaves, so I wondered if she picked up the rose flower and put it on it. When I contacted her, she said that she made it from ginkgo leaves. I didn’t know until I contacted her, but it was such a wonderful winter rose.
友人からこんな写真を送ってきてくれました。最初はてっきりバラの花だと思ったのですが、背景の葉がバラの葉ではないし、バラの花を摘んで載っけたのかなと思ったわけです。友人に問い合わせてみたら、銀杏の葉っぱで作ったんですって。問い合わせるまで分からなかった僕も僕ですが、それほど見事な冬のバラでした。
Alstroemeria is often used for bouquets and flower arrangements. It is a colorful and exotic flower with abundant flower colors, from colorful to pastel and chic. The scientific name “Alstroemeria” is said to have been named after his best friend by the Swedish botanist Linne, who was collected during a trip to South America. In Japanese name, it is also called “Yurizuisen”, but it is also called “Peruvian lily” because of its flower appearance. It is native to Chile, Peru and Brazil in South America, and about 100 species grow naturally. Based on these original species, breeding was promoted in the Netherlands and England, and it was introduced to Japan in 1926. Compared to roses and tulips, alstroemeria may be a less familiar flower.
アルストロメリアは花束やフラワーアレンジに多く利用されます。花色が豊富で、色鮮やかなものからパステル調やシックな感じのものまで、多彩でエキゾチックな花です。学名の「Alstroemeria」は、南米の旅行中に採取したスウェーデンの植物学者であるリンネが、親友の名前にちなんでつけたといわれています。和名では「ユリズイセン」とも呼ばれますが、その花姿から「ペルーのユリ」などとも呼ばれています。南米のチリやペルー、ブラジルが原産で、約100種が自生しています。これらの原種をもとに、オランダやイギリスで品種改良が進められ、1926年に日本に伝わりました。バラやチューリップに比べて、アルストロメリアはあまり聞き馴染みのない花かもしれません。
On November 26, the World Health Organization (WHO) named the new mutant strain of the new coronavirus confirmed in South Africa and other countries as the “Omicron strain”. Initially, WHO used the name of the country where the mutant strain was first confirmed, and called it “British strain” or “Indian strain”. However, from the end of May this year, WHO switched to the policy of using Greek letters because it may lead to discrimination against the country to be named. There are 24 Greek letters from α (alpha) to ω (omega). Mutant strains started from the first “British strain” (α-alpha strain) to the twelfth “Colombian strain” (μ-mu strain). This mutant strain “South Africa strain” was the 13th and was supposed to be named “ν-new strain”, but it was supposed to be named the next ξ (kusai) strain because it is confusing with the English word “new”. However, this ξ is pronounced “xi”, which is the same pronunciation as “Xi” by President Xi Jinping of China. With that in mind, WHO named it “ο-omicron strain” using the 15th Greek letter ο (omicron).
世界保健機関（ＷＨＯ）は１１月２６日、南アフリカなどで確認された新型コロナウイルスの新たな変異株を「オミクロン株」と命名しました。当初、ＷＨＯは変異株が初めて確認された国名を呼称に使用し、「英国株」とか「インド株」とか呼んでいました。しかし、今年の５月末から、呼称となる国への差別につながる恐れがあるとしてギリシャ文字を使う方針に切り替えました。ギリシャ文字はα(アルファ)からω(オメガ)まで24文字あります。変異株は最初の「英国株」(αアルファ株)から始まって12番目の「コロンビア株」(μミュー株)まで発生しました。今回の変異株「南アフリカ株」は13番目で、「νニュー株」と命名されるはずでしたが、英語の「new」と紛らわしいので、次のξ(クサイ)株と命名されるはずでした。しかしこのξは「xi」と発音し、中国の習近平主席の「習」と発音が同じです。WHOはそれを慮ってか、15番目のギリシャ文字ο(オミクロン)を使い「οオミクロン株」と命名しました。
On the last day of November, I receive news of the first snow and the first frost from all over the country. Even in Osaka, when you enter the mountains, the fields are frosty. The sasanqua flowers that have begun to bloom also have a white frost border, and look like a lady wearing frills. Sasanqua is so familiar that it is sung as “Sasanqua, Sasanqua, Blooming Road” even in nursery rhymes. Originally from Japan, it was introduced to Europe from Dejima in Nagasaki during the Edo period, and its Japanese name became the scientific name (Camellia sasanqua). It will continue to bloom all winter, and it will be soothing to you from time to time.
11月も最後の日、全国から初雪、初霜の便りが届きます。大阪でも山間部に入ると田畑にも霜が降りています。咲き始めた山茶花にも霜の白い縁取りがされていて、フリルを纏った貴婦人の様です。童謡でも「さざんか さざんか 咲いた道」と歌われているほど山茶花は身近な花です。日本原産で、江戸時代に長崎の出島からヨーロッパに伝わり、和名がそのまま学名（Camellia sasanqua）になった植物です。この冬中咲き続けて、折に触れ目にし、心を和ませてくれることでしょう。
Today 29th (Monday) was the coldest of the season. It was the coldest in the season at more than half of the observation points nationwide, and it seems that the first frost and the first snow of the year were observed in various places such as Kyoto and Sendai. The first frost in Sendai was two weeks later than normal, while Okayama was observed more than two weeks earlier, and it seems that the season has advanced at once. Even so, the daytime is still warm and cheerful, and the winter cherry blossoms along the river are in bloom. There are only two days left in November, and the climate has been chaotic in recent years, but the annual event is definitely moving towards the year-end and New Year holidays.
今日29日(月)は今季一番の冷え込みになりました。全国の観測地点でも半数以上で今季一番の冷え込みになり、京都や仙台など各地で初霜や初氷が観測されたそうです。仙台の初霜は平年に比べて2週間も遅かったのに対し、岡山は2週間以上早い観測で、一気に季節が前進した様です。それでも昼間はまだまだポカポカ陽気の小春日和で、川沿いの冬桜が花を咲かせています。11月もあと二日、気候はこのところカオス状態ですが、年中行事は確実に年末年始に向けて動いています。
I sang about Kominka(an old folk house), but I’m not sure if it’s Kominka. There is no clear definition of Kominka, but in general, a building built before the war and built in traditional Japanese architecture that does not use nails is called Kominka. Focusing on its retro atmosphere and durability, the regeneration of Kominka has become a kind of boom. No one lives in this Kominka where Pyracantha blooms in the garden. The splendid garden, where the flowers of the four seasons would have bloomed in the past, is overgrown with dead grass, and only the momentum of the pyracantha stands out.
古民家とは歌ったものの、果たして古民家なのかどうか定かではありません。古民家のはっきりした定義はありませんが、一般的には、戦前に建てられ、その建築方式が釘などを使わない伝統的日本建築で建てられた建物を古民家と言うそうです。そのレトロな雰囲気と耐久性に着目し、古民家再生が一種のブームになっています。ピラカンサが庭いっぱいに咲いたこの古民家も住んでいる人はいません。往時は四季の花々が咲いたであろう立派な庭は枯れ草が生い茂り、ピラカンサの勢いだけが目立ちます。
Speaking of Nanten(Nandina), I remember the round red can “Nandina throat lozenge”. In addition, Nanten, which bears beautiful bright red fruits from late autumn to early winter, can be found everywhere and is an indispensable flower material for the New Year as a happy lucky charm. The origin of Nanten is Japan and China, but it has been prized as a lucky tree because the sound of the name leads to “rolling through difficulties”, and it seemed that it had come to be planted in the house. The flowering time of Nanten is from June to July, and white flowers come in bloom. However, in general, Nanten is enjoyed by the red fruits and the change in the color of the leaves during the autumn leaves rather than enjoying the flowers that have bloomed, so the best time to see them is around October when the autumn leaves are beautiful and around November to February when they bear fruit. It is almost always planted in the precincts of shrines and temples.
南天と言えば、丸い赤い缶の「南天のど飴」を思い浮かべます。また、晩秋から初冬にかけて真っ赤な美しい実を付けた南天はどこにでも見かけ、めでたい縁起物としてお正月にも欠かせない花材です。南天の原産地は日本や中国ですが、名前の音が「難を転ずる」に通じることから縁起木として珍重され、江戸時代になると火災除けとしても植えられるようになり、さらに魔除けとしても多くの家に植えられるようになったそうです。ナンテンの開花時期は6〜7月頃で、白い花を咲かせます。しかし、一般的にナンテンは開花した花を楽しむというよりも、赤い実や紅葉期の葉色の変化を楽しむため、見頃は、紅葉が美しい10月頃や、実を付ける11～２月頃とされています。神社やお寺の境内には必ずと言っていいほど植えられています。
About 20 minutes by train from Demachiyanagi Station of Kyoto Eizan Electric Railway to Kurama Station, there is a place called “Maple Tunnel” between Ichihara Station and Ninose Station (about 250m). This section is surrounded by about 280 Iroha-momiji(Japanese maples) and O-momiji(Acer amoenum), and in early November, the color of the maples, which had been green first, begins to change little by little, and there is a sign of autumn. In the middle of the autumn, the trees show various colors such as green, yellow, orange, and crimson, creating a vivid landscape with a mixture of leaf colors. Furthermore, the trees continue to be dyed every day toward the end of the month, eventually becoming a crimson “maple tunnel”. In the daytime, the powerful sights approaching both sides of the railroad track continue, and the voices of admiration from the passengers are constant. At night, the illuminated autumn leaves are mixed with the images of the autumn leaves reflected from the car windows as well as behind the car window, and it looks like a kaleidoscope.
京都叡山電鉄の出町柳駅から鞍馬駅行きの列車で約20分、市原駅～二ノ瀬駅間(約250m)に「もみじのトンネル」と呼んでいる場所があります。 この区間はおよそ280本のイロハモミジ、オオモミジに囲まれ、11月上旬になるとこれまで緑であったモミジの色が少しづつ変わり始め、秋の気配が漂います。中旬になると緑、黄、橙、紅と様々な色づきを見せ、葉の色が混ざり合った鮮やかな風景となります。さらに、下旬に向けて日々木々は染まり続け、真紅の「もみじのトンネル」となります。昼間には 線路の両側に迫りくる迫力満点の光景が続き、乗客からの感嘆の声がしきりです。夜間はライトアップされた紅葉が車窓の向こうにはもちろん、車窓どうしに反射した紅葉が混じり合い、まるで万華鏡のような具合です。
The dead grass was frosted and shimmered in the morning sun, but now it has completely disappeared and my silhouette is casting a shadow. The number of people infected with corona has decreased completely, and I was surprised at the large number of people on the holidays the other day, but I am glad that the liveliness is gradually returning. A Christmas tree is already displayed in a nearby department store, and Christmas songs are playing. This busyness is the same as usual, but this year I feel special. I haven’t seen my grandchildren overseas for two years, but I would like to see them as soon as possible.
枯れた芝に霜が降り朝日にキラキラと煌めいていましたが、今はすっかり消えて、自分のシルエットが影を落としています。コロナ感染者数もすっかり減り、先日の祭日の人出の多さには驚きましたが、徐々に活気が戻ってきている事は嬉しい事です。近くのデパートにはもうクリスマスツリーが飾られ、クリスマスソングが流れています。この気忙しさは例年の事ですが、今年は格別な思いがします。海外にいる孫達とも二年は会っていませんが、出来るだけ早く会いたいものです。
The beauty of Kinkakuji Temple surrounded by the five colors of autumn leaves is exceptional. It is said that the view seen from the south side of Kyoko Pond in front of Kinkakuji Temple is the most beautiful. That’s right, Kyoko Pond was originally designed so that the Golden Pavilion is reflected on the surface of the lake from any angle. However, when you look at Kinkakuji Temple from the back side, you can clearly see the golden phoenix placed on the top of the roof between the autumn leaves, and it looks like you are flying in the sky. This phoenix is said to be a symbol of the builder, Yoshimitsu Ashikaga, who planned to seize the throne. It seems that the fact that there was actually such a movement remains in historical fact.
五色の紅葉に囲まれた金閣寺の美しさはまた格別です。中でも金閣寺の前に広がる鏡湖池の南側から見た光景が一番美しいといわれています。それもそう、元々鏡湖池はどの角度から見ても金閣が湖面に映るように設計されてされているそうです。しかし、裏側から金閣寺を見ると、紅葉の間から屋根の天辺に据えられた金色の鳳凰がはっきり見え、まるで天空を飛翔している様です。この鳳凰には曰わくがあり、建造者の足利義満が皇位簒奪を画策した象徴だと言われてきました。実際にそう言う動きがあった事は史実にも残っているそうです。