Several pairs of parents and children was visiting a small shrine nearby with “七五三(Shichigosan) celebration”.  It’s a scene that doesn’t change at any time.  On both sides of the hall of worship, there are many fine chrysanthemum pots made of Sanbon-sitate(triple cordon). The scent of chrysanthemums smells even to me, who is aware of the decline in my sense of smell. Shichigosan is said to be based on three rituals that have been held in the palace since the Heian period.  In those days when the mortality rate was very high, children were treated as “of God (children of God) until the age of seven” and were recognized as the first to be full-fledged at the age of seven.  In the Edo period, it spread to samurai and merchant houses in the Edo period, and eventually to Osaka and other regions.  It was called “Shichigosan” in the Meiji era and spread to the common people, and it is said that the current shape was completed after the Taisho era.

近くの小さな神社に七五三詣でで親子連れが何組か訪れていました。いつの時代になっても変わらぬ光景です。拝殿の両脇には三本仕立ての立派な菊が何鉢も置かれています。嗅覚の衰えを自覚する身にも菊の香が匂ってきます。七五三は平安時代の頃から宮中で行われていた3つの儀式が基になっているそうです。死亡率がとても高かった時代は、子供は「7歳までは神のうち(神の子)」として扱われ、7歳になって初人として一人前であると認められていました。江戸時代に入って江戸圏内の武家や商家に広がり、やがて大阪そして地方に広がりました。それが明治時代には「七五三」と呼ばれて庶民にも広まり、大正時代以降に現在のような形ができあがったとされています。

Tohno-no-sato is located on the prefectural border far from the center of Kyoto and the center of Nara.  From ancient times, it is said that a monk who was strongly influenced by Nanto Buddhism and who was reluctant to secularize Nara Buddhism built Sōan(a thatched cottage) as a place of tranquility and devoted himself to Nembutsu.  It is said that Sōan eventually transformed into a temple, and the tower heads lined up to form a “tower ridge,” which eventually became known as “Tohno”.  The road connecting Gansenji and Joruri-ji is called the “Stone Buddha Road,” and stone Buddhas such as “Warai Buddha,” “Ippon Fudo,” and “Buddha’s Head and Shoulder Buddha” appear one after another.  These stone Buddha statues are still gentle guides to the people who pass by.

京都の中心部からも奈良の中心部からも遠く離れた県境辺りに当尾の里(とうののさと)があります。古来、南都仏教の影響を色濃く受け、世俗化した奈良仏教を厭う僧侶が穏遁の地として草庵を結び、念仏に専心したと伝えられています。やがて草庵が寺院へと姿を変え、塔頭が並び「塔の尾根」ができ、いつしか「当尾」と呼ばれるようになったといわれます。岩船寺と浄瑠璃寺を結ぶ道は「石仏の道」と呼ばれ、「わらい仏」や「一願不動」「藪の中三尊磨崖仏」など、石仏たちが次々と姿を現します。道を行き交う人々を今も優しく見つめてくれる道しるべとしての石仏達です。

When I open the website of my smartphone, it is lively with autumn leaves from all over the regions.  I won’t get tired of seeing the autumn leaves of famous temples and the autumn leaves of parks.  I may have seen the same scene last year and two years ago, and I will review it with new thoughts. When I’m looking at the past photos, I found a photo of Japanese sweets with the same date as today.  Even if I trace my memory, I can’t remember where I got the Japanese sweets.  I wonder that it was Kyoto or Nara, or somewhere.  Anyway, I just remember that I was impressed with the beauty and cuteness of the Japanese sweets and hesitated to put on chopsticks for a long time.

スマホのウェブサイトを開けると、各地からの紅葉便りで賑やかです。名刹の紅葉、公園の紅葉、どれを見ても見飽きません。昨年も一昨年も同じ光景を見ただろうに、また新たな思いで見直します。過去の写真を見ていたら、日付けが今日と同じ、和菓子の写真です。記憶を辿っても、どこで頂いた和菓子やら思い出せません。京都か奈良か、はたまたどこであったのでしょう。兎も角、その和菓子の美しさと可愛さにお箸を付けるのを長くためらったことだけは覚えています。

Even if it is bright in the photo, the fallen leaves that were blown up by the small storm last night covered the road without any gaps in the morning when the streetlights were still on.  The exhaled breath is still slightly white, but the warmth of the deciduous road is transmitted.  A person who looks like a dot is walking ahead, but I can’t see the trace of walking.  I sometimes see foxes around here, but is that true?

写真に撮ると明るくても、街灯の灯がまだ点っているほどの朝方、昨晩の小嵐で吹き積もった落ち葉が道を隙間なく覆っています。吐く息もまだ微かに白味を感じる程度の寒さですが、落ち葉道の温かさが伝わってきます。先には、点の様に見える人が一人歩いていますが、歩いた跡が見えません。この辺りはたまにキツネを見掛けますが、まさか？

It is written as “木守柿” and read as “Kimorigaki” or “Komorigaki”.  Also, it is written as “子守柿” to match the sound of “Komorigaki”.  There are only a few persimmon fruits on the top, which had grown in clusters.  The tree is almost completely naked as the leaves had been completely carried away.  The moss and Huuran(vanda falcata) clinging to the tree are slightly green.  There are various legends about Kimori persimmons, whether they are the remaining persimmons that will survive next year or the remaining persimmons that are at least for the birds.

木守柿と書いて「きもりがき」と読んだり、「こもりがき」と読んだりします。また、「こもりがき」の音に合わせて「子守柿」とも書きます。鈴なりにになっていた柿の実も、今ではてっぺんの方に幾つか残っている程度です。葉も木枯らしがすっかり運び去りほとんど丸裸です。木にへばり付いた苔とフウランが僅かに緑を留めています。明日に命を継なぐ残り柿なのか、鳥たちにせめての残り柿なのか、木守柿には様々な言い伝えがあります。

There are still a few blooming roses in the rose garden, which is just waiting for pruning.  It keeps its dignity as much as possible in the setting sun, but it even feels painful.  I noticed a rose flower that might be the last glossy figure today with the dead roses by its side. I’m sure they’ve supported each other and made the flowers bloom, so I feel really sad at the figure.  Pruning is important for beautiful roses to bloom in spring.  Vine roses are pruned at this time, and wood roses are pruned in midwinter.  Roses seem to be confused by the recent climate change.

もう剪定を待つばかりのバラ園にまだ僅かに花開いたバラが残っています。夕日を受けて精一杯の凛々しさを保っていますが、痛々しさえ感じます。傍のバラは萎れ、今日が最後の艶姿かもしれないバラの花が目に止まりました。支え合って花を咲かせてきたでしょうから、身につまされる思いがします。春に美しいバラを咲かせるためには剪定は大切です。蔓性のバラはこの時期に、木生のバラは真冬に剪定されるそうです。最近の気候変動にはバラも戸惑っているようです。

Kibune, the Okuzashiki(destination area) of Kyoto, is about a 40-minute drive north of Kyoto Station.  There are many culinary inns along the Kibune River, which runs between Mt. Kibune and Mt. Kurama, and in the summer it is flooded with people and cars.  At “Kawadoko”, which is located above the Kibune River, cool summer guests who visit to avoid the hot and humid summer of Kyoto enjoy cool summer dishes.  As autumn deepens, the people of Kibune move away, and only Mogaribue(the tiger-falling whistle), played by wind from Mt.Kurama and trees with completely fallen leaves, and the murmuring of the river echo in the isthmus.  At dusk, only one house is lit, and steam is rising from the open-air bath surrounded by bamboo fences.

京都の奥座敷、貴船は京都駅から北へ車で約40分の所にあります。貴船山と鞍馬山に挟まれて流れる貴船川沿いには料理旅館が立ち並び、夏季には人と車で溢れ返ります。貴船川の上に設けられた『川床』では、蒸し暑い京都の夏を避けて訪れた納涼客達が涼しい夏料理に舌鼓を打ちます。その貴船も秋が深まるにつれ人は遠ざかり、葉もすっかり落ちた木々が奏でる鞍馬下ろしの虎落笛と、川のせせらぎだけが地峡に響いています。夕暮れ時、一軒だけ明かりが灯り、竹垣で囲った露天風呂から湯気が立ち上っています。

I went to a nearby temple while the autumn weather continued.  When I finish my visit and go down the pilgrimage route along the waterway, the autumn leaves colored with yellow and red leaves spread throughout the space around us.  Even though it is a natural beauty, I’m just breathless with the beauty.  It is a landscape like a drop curtain that is suitable for ending the year after spring and summer.

秋晴れが続く中、近くのお寺にお参りに行きました。参詣を終えて水路沿いの参詣道を下ると、黄葉赤葉に彩られた紅葉が辺りの空間いっぱいに広がっています。自然の造形美とは言え、あまりの美しさにただ固唾を飲むばかりです。春、夏を終え、一年を締めくくるに相応しい緞帳が天から下された様な景観です。

The word “kimono” is accepted worldwide as the international word “kimono”.  In modern Japan, the number of opportunities to wear kimono may be very limited, such as coming-of-age ceremonies, receptions, and fireworks displays.  However, kimono is one of the world-class “traditional cultures of Japan” that has been passed down and nurtured over a long history.  There are various types of kimono, and silk fabrics are used for most of the fabrics, but there are also cotton, linen, etc. in addition to silk. Even if silk is taken up, various techniques such as rinzu, crest design, crepe, roast, and gauze have been created depending on the weaving method. And Nishijin-ori, Kyo-yuzen, Kaga-yuzen, Oshima tsumugi, Honbakihachi, etc. were woven from the materials, and kimono and obi as works of art were created.  Amid internationalization, kimono culture is spreading all over the world through foreigners visiting Japan.

「着物」という言葉は国際語「kimono」 として世界に通用しています。現代の日本では、着物を着る機会は、成人式・披露宴・花火大会など、非常に数が限られていることが多いかもしれません。しかし、着物は長い歴史の中で受け継がれ育まれてきた世界に誇れる「日本の伝統文化」のひとつです。着物には様々な生地の種類があり、大半の生地には絹織物が使われますが、絹以外にも綿・麻などがあり、絹の中でも織り方により綸子・紋意匠・ちりめん・絽・紗など様々の技法が生み出されました。その素材から西陣織・京友禅・加賀友禅・大島紬・黄八丈などが織り出され、芸術品としてのキモノ、オビが生み出されたわけです。国際化のなか、日本を訪れる外国人を介して、キモノ文化が世界に広がっています。

The setting sun is about to set on Mt. Hiei on the opposite bank of Lake Biwa.  The evening light that arrives from there is dying the trees of the cafe “Chale Mizugahama” in Omihachiman even more red.  A lot of people are gathering around the log house building to see this beautiful sight.  The location from the terrace seats in the store is excellent, there is nothing blocking in front of me , and the magnificent Lake Biwa spreads out.  A line of light from Mt. Hiei continues to this point.  In a comfortable space with a feeling of openness and warmth, when I sip coffee made with natural groundwater and my heart will dance in the air.

琵琶湖対岸にある比叡山に夕日が沈もうとしています。そこから届く夕照が、近江八幡にあるここ、カフェ「シャーレ水ヶ浜」の木々をいっそう赤く染めています。ログハウス作りの建物の周りには、この美しい光景を見ようと大勢の人達が押し寄せています。店内のテラス席からのロケーションは最高で、目の前には何も遮るものがなく、雄大な琵琶湖が広がっています。比叡山から連なる一筋の光の帯がここまで連なっています。開放感と温かさ漂う心地の良い空間で、天然地下水仕立てのコーヒーを啜れば心が宙に舞います。