At the entrance of a house in what is known as a so-called declining village, every year without fail, various seasonal flowers are displayed. In the past, it was a village where families prospered from growing oranges, with impressive warehouses reminiscent of old times. Nowadays, it’s said that 70% of the national citrus harvest comes from just four prefectures: Wakayama, Ehime, Shizuoka, and Kumamoto, with Osaka representing only a fraction of Wakayama’s production. This decline in the village is evident. Most of the residents are elderly, and the village is quiet. Yet, the elegance of the homeowner who still displays seasonal flowers at the entrance recalls their character. A declining village is defined as a community where over 50% of the population is over 65 years old, and where the outflow of youth and the maintenance of social activities such as weddings and funerals are approaching a limit. According to a 2015 survey by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, there are 3,614 such declining villages nationwide.

いわゆる限界集落と呼ばれる集落の一軒の門前に、毎年決まって四季折々の生花が飾ってあります。昔はみかんの栽培が盛んで、それで財を成した家々が並ぶ集落です。大きな蔵の様な立派な倉庫があって往時を偲ばせます。今は和歌山県を筆頭に、愛媛県、静岡県、熊本県だけで全国の収穫量の70%を占め、大阪府は和歌山県の14分の１と言いますから、この集落の凋落がわかります。住民のほとんどが高齢者だそうで、集落は静まり返っています。それでもこうして門前に四季折々の生花を飾る主人の風流が、その人柄を偲ばせます。限界集落とは、地域人口の50%以上が65歳以上の集落で、若者が流出し、冠婚葬祭などの社会的共同生活を維持することが限界に近づきつつある集落のことだそうです。2015年の国土交通省の調査では、こうした限界集落が全国に3,614集落あるそうです。

The rose garden in Hamadera Park, spreading from Sakai City in southern Osaka to Takaishi City, is now at its best. Hamadera Park, one of Japan’s oldest parks established in 1873, boasts a lush greenery with remnants of beautiful pine groves known as ‘Hakusha-Seisho,’ selected as one of the ‘100 Famous Pine Trees.’ The rose garden, located in one corner of the park, reaches its peak in spring and autumn. It consists of five zones designed as a Japanese-style stroll garden and a zone inspired by European gardens. The park showcases 6000 rose bushes of 500 varieties, displaying vibrant colors and elegant fragrances. Particularly, native Japanese species like Rugosa roses and Hamanasu roses enrich the scenery, creating a ‘Japanese rose garden’ that blends harmoniously with the surroundings.
This area was requisitioned by the American military from 1945 to 1958. After its return, land reclamation began on the seaside, transforming it into a coastal industrial zone within three years. While the white sands mentioned in the poem of Ki of Princess Yūshi in the “Kokin Wakashū” anthology have disappeared, only the pine groves of Hamadera Park remain, allowing us to reminisce about the past. The abandoned ship in the photo also serves as a remnant of that time.

今、大阪南部の堺市から高石市に広がる「浜寺公園」のバラ園が見頃を迎えています。浜寺公園は、明治6年(1873年)に造られた日本最古の公園の一つで、｢名松100選｣にも選ばれている、美しい松林を誇る白砂青松の面影を残す緑豊かな公園です。その一角にあるバラ園は、春と秋に見ごろを迎え、和風の回遊式庭園に見立てられた５つのゾーンと、ヨーロッパの庭園をイメージしたゾーンで構成されています。園内には、500種6000株のバラが華やかな色を見せ高貴な香りを漂わせます。特にノイバラやハマナスなど日本の自生種が充実し、周囲の風景に溶け込む｢日本のばら庭園｣を演出しています。
この一帯は、1945年（昭和20年）〜19458年（昭和33年）までの１４年間、駐留アメリカ軍に接収されました。解除後、海側はわずか３年で埋立造成がはじまり、今ではすっかり海浜工業地帯に変貌しました。『小倉百人一首』にある祐子内親王紀伊の「音に聞く 高師の浜の あだ波は かけじや袖の 濡れもこそすれ」と歌われた当時の白砂は姿を消しましたが、浜寺公園の松林だけがかろうじて残り、往時を偲ぶことができます。写真の廃船もその名残りです。

When I look at the photos I took, this photo of a rose reminds me of something. On January 6th of this year, NHK BS aired a documentary program titled “Saudi Arabia, One Thousand and One Nights ～ Sahel Rose～”,  which introduces that the Kingdom of Arabia, a country of desert and Islam, has opened its doors to non-Muslim tourists in recent years. Our guide is actor and talent Sahel Rose. It was my first encounter with Sahel Rose through this program, and it left a strong impression on me, prompting further research later on.
She was born as the youngest of 14 siblings in a small town near Holashahr in western Iran. At the age of four, during the Iran-Iraq War in 1989, she became separated from her family due to bombings. She grew up in an orphanage until she was seven years old, and was adopted by Flora Jasmine, a young woman from a noble family who was taking care of her there. As Sahel Rose’s birth year and name were unknown due to the bombings, she began using the birth year and name devised by Flora. Sahel Rose means “rose blooming on the beach,” a name given by her foster mother who loved roses, wishing her to possess the strength to confront difficulties on her own.
To escape the war, at the age of eight, she came to Japan with her foster mother. Sahel Rose began her entertainment career in high school, starring in the play “The Respectful Prostitute.” Her films “Northwest West” and “Cold Floor,” in which she starred, were officially selected at various international film festivals, and she even won the Best Actress Award at the Milan International Film Festival in Italy. While expanding her activities in film, stage, and acting, she also served as a goodwill ambassador for the international human rights NGO “A Home for Every Child,” and her support activities, both public and private, were recognized. In 2020, she received the Human Rights Activist Award in the United States.
Surely, Sahel Rose’s journey to Mecca, as a Muslim herself, held special significance. Her tears shed upon seeing the holy site truly touched the heart.

自分で撮った写真を見ていて、このバラの写真で思い出すことがあります。今年の1月6日にNHKのBSで、砂漠とイスラムの国アラビア王国が、近年イスラム教徒以外の観光客に門戸を開放したことを紹介するドキュメンタリー番組、『サウジアラビア千夜一夜～サヘル・ローズ メッカへの旅～」が放映されました。案内するのは俳優でタレントのサヘル・ローズです。サヘル・ローズはこの番組で初めて知りました。とても印象に残ったので、後で色々調べました。
彼女は、イランの西部、ホランシャハルに近い小さな町で14人の大家族の末っ子として生まれました。1989年のイラン・イラク戦争で、４歳の彼女は家族と生き別れになりました。７歳まで孤児院で育った彼女は、そこで世話をしていた高貴な家庭出身の若きフローラ・ジャスミンの養女になります。サヘル・ローズは空爆のため出生年・出生名が不明だったので、フローラが考えた出生年や名前を使用することになるになります。サヘル・ローズとは「砂浜に咲く薔薇」という意味で、薔薇が好きな養母が「薔薇は砂浜に咲かないはずだが、自らの力で困難に立ち向かう力強さを持ってほしい」という想いでつけた名前です。
戦争から逃れるために８歳の時彼女は養母とともに来日します。サヘル・ローズは高校生の時から芸能活動を始め、舞台『恭しき娼婦』では主演を務め、映画『西北西』や主演映画『冷たい床』はさまざまな国際映画祭で正式出品され、イタリア・ミラノ国際映画祭で最優秀主演女優賞を受賞するまでになります。映画や舞台、俳優としても活動の幅を広げる一方、国際人権NGOの「すべての子どもに家庭を」の活動で親善大使を務めたり、公私に渡る支援活動が評価され、2020年にはアメリカで人権活動家賞を受賞しました。
イスラム教徒でもあるサヘル・ローズのメッカへの旅は特別な思いがあったに違いありません。聖地を目にして流す涙が心を打ちました。

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of wheelchairs is the Paralympics. This year, it will be held in Paris, France from August 28th (Wednesday) to September 8th (Sunday). Many athletes from Japan are participating, and there are plenty of contenders for the gold medal. The origin of the Paralympics dates back to 1948 when Dr. Ludwig Guttmann, a British physician, proposed it as an archery competition held at Stoke Mandeville Hospital on the outskirts of London. Initially organized as part of the rehabilitation process for soldiers, mainly those with spinal cord injuries, from World War II, the event evolved into an international competition in 1952. From the Rome Games in 1960, it became customary for the Paralympics to be held in the same location as the Olympic Games host country, and from the Seoul Games in 1988, it has been held immediately after the Olympics. While initially intended as a sports event for rehabilitation, the Paralympics have developed into competitive sports for athletes. ‘Do not count what is lost. Live to the fullest with what remains.’ These words of Dr. Ludwig Guttmann are not only advice to para-athletes who have lost some bodily functions during their lives on how to face reality and expand their possibilities but also a message to everyone, from children to adults who have experienced some form of loss such as failing exams, unemployment, or separation. It speaks to each of us, reminding us that denying our abilities and potential, losing our dreams and goals, is the true ‘disability’.

車椅子ですぐ思い浮かぶのはパラオリンピックです。今年は８月２８日(水)〜９月８日(日)までフランスのパリで開催されます。日本からも多くの選手が参加し、金メダル候補が目白押しです。パラリンピックの起源は1948年、イギリスの医師ルードウィッヒ・グッドマン博士の提唱によって、ロンドン郊外のストーク・マンデビル病院内で開かれたアーチェリーの競技会です。第2次世界大戦で主に脊髄を損傷した兵士たちの、リハビリの一環として行われたこの大会は回を重ね、1952年に国際大会になりました。さらに1960年のローマ大会からはオリンピック開催国で、1988年のソウル大会からはオリンピックの直後に同じ場所で開催されるようになります。当初はリハビリテーションのためのスポーツだったパラリンピックですが、現在はアスリートによる競技スポーツへと発展しています。『失われたものを数えるな。残されたものを最大限に生かせ』、これはルートヴィヒ・グットマン博士の言葉です。人生の途中で体の一部の機能を失ったパラアスリートたちに、その現実とどのように向き合い、自己の可能性を拓いていくのかを諭したことばです。しかし、博士のこの言葉は、受験の失敗や失業、別離など、何らかの喪失体験を経験した子どもから大人まですべての人にとって、自分の能力や可能性を否定してしまうこと、夢や目標をもてなくなってしまうことこそが「真の障害」である、と私たち一人一人に向けられたものでもあるのです。

In a corner of the promenade leading to the gym, orchids are now blooming in full glory. Like reflecting the May sunlight, both the flowers and leaves shimmer brightly. Generally, plants of the orchid family are known for their beauty, often boasting uniquely shaped flowers. It’s said that there are over 700 genera and 15,000 species worldwide, with Japan hosting 75 genera and 230 species. Many of them hold high aesthetic value, and cultivation and breeding have been pursued worldwide, regardless of geographic location. On the other hand, some species are endangered due to over-collection. Orchids are classified into epiphytic species, which attach themselves to tree bark or rocks, and terrestrial species, which grow on the ground in forests or grasslands. Most orchids, especially those for ornamental purposes, thrive indoors or in moist, shaded areas in the wild, showing a general dislike for direct sunlight. However, orchids like the purple orchid are remarkably resilient plants, adapting well to partial shade or sunlight, enduring both drought and excessive moisture, making them easy to cultivate and commonly planted for ornamental purposes in gardens and flowerbeds.

ジムに通う遊歩道の一角にシラン(紫蘭)が今を盛りに咲いています。５月の太陽の光を跳ね返す様に、花も葉もギラギラと輝いています。一般に、ラン科植物はその多くが美しく、独特の形の花を咲かます。世界に700属以上15000種、日本に75属230種があると言われています。鑑賞価値の高いものが多く、昔から洋の東西を問わず、栽培や品種改良が進められています。他方、採取のために絶滅に瀕している種も少なくありません。ランは樹木の樹皮や岩の上などに根を張り着生している着生種と、林の中や草原などの地面に生育する地生種に分けられます。ランの多くが観賞用として室内で育てられるか、野生種なら湿潤な日陰に育つ種が圧倒的に多く、あまり日向を好みません。しかし、シランは極めて丈夫な植物で、半日陰から日向まで適応し、乾燥にも過湿にもよく耐え、栽培しやすいため、観賞用として庭や花壇にもよく植えられます。

When you mention Hasedera Temple, you think of peonies, and when you mention peonies, it’s said you think of Hasedera Temple. Hasedera Temple is renowned for its peonies, with about 150 varieties and approximately 7,000 bushes blooming around the corridors leading from the Niomon Gate to the main hall. It’s a sight befitting of being called the ‘Temple of Flowers.’ The relationship between Hasedera Temple and peonies extends beyond mere admiration for the flowers; it has a deep historical significance.
According to the temple’s tradition, the origin of Hasedera’s peonies dates back around 1,100 years. In the latter half of the 800s, Empress Ma, the fourth consort of Emperor Xizong of Tang Dynasty, crossed distant seas to pray at Hasedera Temple’s main deity, the Eleven-Headed Kannon, and as a token of gratitude for her prayers being answered, she presented ten treasures along with peonies. This is said to be the origin of the peonies at the temple. Empress Ma, known for her long face resembling that of a horse and her deep and modest nature, was favored by the emperor more than anyone else. However, her appearance troubled her. Seeking advice from a sage named Soshin, she was told, ‘Only the Kannon Bodhisattva of Hasedera Temple in Japan can fulfill your wish. Pray to the Kannon Bodhisattva of the East morning and evening.’ Following this advice faithfully, Empress Ma’s face reportedly became even more divine.
While this is a temple legend, it reflects the long-standing admiration Japan has received, even from China since the time of Emperor Qin Shi Huang long before this incident.

長谷寺といえば牡丹、牡丹といえば長谷寺と言われる牡丹の名所が長谷寺です。長谷寺には仁王門から本堂に通じる登廊周辺に約150種・約7,000株の牡丹が咲き、「花の御寺」に相応しい光景です。長谷寺と牡丹の関係は、単なる牡丹の名所にとどまらない深い歴史があります。
長谷寺の寺伝によると、長谷寺の牡丹の由来は今から1,100年ほど前に遡ります。800年代の後半、唐の第21代皇帝・僖宗（きそう）の第四の后・馬頭夫人（めずぶにん）が遠く海を越えて長谷寺の本尊・十一観世音に願いを込めて祈願し、その願いが叶った御礼に十種の宝物に牡丹を添えて献上したのが牡丹の起源とも言われています。馬頭夫人は顔が長く、鼻が馬に似ていましたが、情が深く、奥ゆかしいことから、誰よりも皇帝から寵愛されていました。ただ気になるのは顔のことです。素神と言う仙人に相談すると、「日本国においでになる長谷寺の観世音菩薩様だけが、貴女の願いを叶えて下さる。朝な夕なに、東の観世音菩薩様にお祈りしなさい。」とのこと。馬頭夫人はこの教えを忠実に実行すると、みるみるお顔がいっそう神々しくなったそうです。
寺伝とは言え、この件のずっと以前の秦の始皇帝の頃からもそうですが、日本は中国からもずっと羨望されていたことが窺われます。

In Higashiosaka’s Yao City, there is a prominent peony garden in Osaka at the Kyuhouji Green Space. This year, it is open for about three weeks from April 28th (Sunday) to May 19th (Sunday). It is said that within the garden, approximately 1,600 peony plants of 55 varieties are in full bloom. When we think of peonies, the famous dodoitsu (a type of Japanese humorous song) goes: ‘Standing, a peony; sitting, a peony; walking, a lily.’ This well-known phrase is often interpreted as meaning a person who is attractive whether standing, sitting, or walking. However, among practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine and Oriental medicine, it is understood that this phrase originally referred to the usage of medicinal herbs for women’s health. This means that women who are easily irritated should use Shakuyaku root, sedentary women should use Botan root bark, and women who walk unsteadily should use Lily root. This interpretation is actually applied in practice. Shakuyaku are still considered a major medicinal herb in traditional Chinese medicine today. Shakuyaku roots are believed to have anti-inflammatory, analgesic, hemostatic, antispasmodic, and astringent effects, and they are included in many Chinese herbal medicines such as Kakkonto, Juzentaihoto, and Daikenchuto.

大阪の八尾市にある「久宝寺緑地」に大阪でも屈指のシャクヤク園があります。今年は４月28日(日)から５月19日(日)の約３週間開園しています。園内には55品種、およそ1600株のシャクヤクが咲き誇るそうです。シャクヤクと言えば、「立てば芍薬 座れば牡丹 歩く姿は百合の花」という有名な都々逸(どどいつ; 三味線に合わせて歌う七・七・七・五音でできた俗曲)がよく知られています。その意味は、『立っても、座っても、歩いても、姿が魅力的な美人の人』と一般には解釈されています。しかし、漢方や東洋医学関係者の間では、この文言は元々は婦人の生薬の使い方を示す漢方の処方方で、イラ立ちやすい女性には芍薬の根を、座りがちの女性には牡丹の根の皮を、フラフラ歩く女性には百合の根を用いると良いという意味だとし、実際にも応用されているそうです。シャクヤクは現在でも漢方で非常にメジャーな生薬のひとつとされています。根には消炎・鎮痛・止血・抗けいれん・収斂などの効果があるとされ、葛根湯や十全大補湯、大柴胡湯といった多くの漢方薬に配合されています。

Takeda Castle, famous as a castle in the sky, is located in Wadayamacho, Asago City, Hyogo Prefecture. It was built on the summit of Mt. Kojo (also known as Mt. Torafusa), which has an elevation of 353.7 meters and overlooks the Ritsuunkyo Gorge, known for its cherry blossoms to the east. In autumn, its appearance floating in the river mist of the Maruyama River flowing at the foot of the mountain is beautiful, and it is called “Castle in the Sky” or “Japan’s Machu Picchu.” It is said to have been built in 1443 by Yamano Sozen, the guardian of Tanba, who was also famous as the supreme commander of the Western Army during the “Onin War” of the Muromachi period. After that, it was inherited by Hidenaga, the younger brother of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and his vassals during the Azuchi-Momoyama period, but in the Edo period, it was abandoned in 1600 at the command of Tokugawa Ieyasu. It has been about 400 years since it was abandoned, but the stone walls are still in almost the same condition as when they were built. Usually, the stone walls of abandoned castles are often destroyed to prevent reconstruction, but for some reason, the stone walls of Takeda Castle have been preserved until modern times. The stone walls, which were stacked with natural stones with little processing, consist of stones of various sizes. The stone walls, which are said to have been stacked by the group of stone workers called “Anoushu” who stacked the stone walls of Takeda Castle with the craftsmanship of “listening to the voice of the stone and placing it where the stone wants to be,” still show a solemn appearance even after more than 400 years.

天空の城として有名な竹田城は兵庫県朝来市和田町にあります。東にサクラの名所として知られる立雲峡を望む標高353.7mの古城山（虎臥山）の山頂に築かれ、秋には麓を流れる円山川の川霧に浮かび上がる姿が美しく、「天空の城」とか「日本のマチュピチュ」と呼ばれます。室町時代、「応仁の乱」の西軍総大将としても名高い但馬守護の山名宗全によって1443年に築城されたと言われています。その後、安土桃山時代には豊臣秀吉の弟、秀長やその家臣によって受け継がれましたが、江戸時代になって、徳川家康の命で1600年に廃城になりました。廃城から約400年を経っていますが、石垣はほぼ築城時のままの状態で残っています。通常は廃城になった城の石垣は、再建を防ぐために石垣も壊されることが多いのですが、なぜか竹田城の石垣は現代まで残されることになりました。自然石をほとんど加工せずに積み上げられた石垣は、大小さまざまな大きさの石が組合わさっています。当時、竹田城の石垣を積んだとされる石工（いしく）集団「穴太衆（あのうしゅう）」の「石の声を聴き、石のいきたいところへ置け」という職人技で積まれた石垣は、400年以上たった今も荘厳な姿を見せてくれています。 

Today is “Children’s Day”. The declining birthrate shows no signs of stopping. As of April 1 this year, the number of children (under 15 years old) is 14.01 million, a decrease of 336,000 from the previous year, with an annual decrease rate of 2.3%. Based on these figures, Professor Yoshida of Tohoku University estimates that as of May 5, Children’s Day, there are 13,979,189 children. According to the Child Population Clock, if the current rate of decrease continues, it is predicted that there will be only one person left on January 5, 2720, 696 years from now. Setting aside the issue 696 years from now, the declining birthrate is an urgent issue. Various backgrounds and measures for the declining birthrate are being discussed, but the fundamental problem is “housing”. Ensuring safe childbirth, raising children, and preserving offspring are essential not only for humanity but also for all animals, and the basic is “nest building”. Taking condominiums as an example of human nests, the average price per unit of newly built condominiums nationwide in 2023, announced by the Real Estate Economic Institute on April 28 last month, was 59.11 million yen, an increase of 5.911 million yen from the previous year. Let’s make a repayment plan using Haseko’s repayment simulation. Assuming a loan interest rate of over 20 years = 3%, repayment period = 35 years, and no bonus repayment (equal installment), the result is astonishing: monthly repayment amount = 227,485 yen, total repayment amount = 95,543,678 yen. According to the National Tax Agency’s “FY2022 Private Sector Salary Survey”, the average annual income of Japanese people is about 4.58 million yen, so it’s about 38 yen per month. This is insufficient even for stork nest building.

今日は「こどもの日」。少子化傾向は止まるところを知りません。今年４月１日時点の子ども（15歳未満）は前年比33.６万人減の1401万人で、１年間の減少率は2.３%だそうです。その数字を基に、東北大の吉田教授は、こどもの日の５月５日時点では1397万9189人と推計。そして子ども人口時計は、このままの減少ペースが続けば、「696年後の2720年１月５日」に１人になると予測しています。696年後のことはともかくとして、少子化問題は喫緊の課題です。出生数が減少している背景や対策はいろいろと語られていますが、根本問題は「住まい」です。無事に子供を産み、育て、種を保存していくのに欠かせないのは、人類を含めた動物全体に言えることですが、基本は「巣作り」です。人間の巣をマンションに例にとります。不動産経済研究所が先月28日発表した2023年の全国新築マンションの１戸あたりの平均価格は前年より5911万円です。これを長谷工の返済額シュミレーションで返済プランを立てます。20年越えのローン金利＝3%、返済年数＝35年、ボーナス返済分なし(均等割)とします。結果はなんと、月額返済額＝227,485円、返済総額＝95,543,678円です。国税庁「令和4年分 民間給与実態統計調査」によると、日本人の平均年収は約458万円ですから、月額に直して約38円。これではコウノトリの巣作りにも及びません。

At the foot of the beautiful World Heritage site, Mount Fuji, still adorned with snow, the Fuji Shibazakura Festival is being held by the shores of Lake Motosu. The shibazakura, which typically begin blooming in mid-April, reach their peak shortly after Golden Week, continuing to bloom one after another for a month. Covering the vast, undulating park centered around Ryujin Pond, the shibazakura spread across the entire area, boasting 500,000 plants of seven varieties such as MacDaniel Cushion and Autumn Rose, displaying shades of pink and purple. The landscape, with the majestic Mount Fuji as a backdrop, still adorned with snow reaching down to its foothills, is truly spectacular and has been selected as one of Japan’s 31 Most Beautiful Landscapes. Like elsewhere, this year is no exception as foreign tourists flock here even more than Japanese visitors. Japan is currently the number one country in the world that people want to visit. Japan, the holy land of peace, is the goal of the 21st century.

残雪の美しい世界遺産・富士山の麓、本栖湖畔では春の風物詩「富士芝桜祭り」が開催されています。例年４月中旬から咲き始めたシバザクは、ゴールデンウィーク直後頃にピークを迎え、1ヶ月の間に次々と咲き続けます。竜神池を中心とした起伏のない大きな公園内一面に広がるシバザクは、マックダニエルクッションやオータムローズといったピンクやパープルなど7品種の芝桜50万株が咲き誇り、残雪がまだ山裾まで残る霊峰富士を背景にした風景は正に圧巻で、「日本の美しい風景31選」にも選ばれています。ここも、今年の例外に漏れず、日本人以上に外国人観光客が押し寄せています。世界で今一番行きたい国の１番に選ばれているのが日本です。平和の聖地ニッポン、21世紀の目標です。