What's that?

I was staggered. When I opened a push-button plastic umbrella, I found something brown falling from above my head to the ground. It was a cicada’s shell. Closely watching around there, I also noticed a cicada just casting off its shell. Its wings were still wet and it seemed the insect needed more minutes to dry itself and take off the ground. I was wondering whether I put it on a tree, but I left it as it was. I decided to leave it to nature. Am I right?

More Butterflies

I had a job interview yesterday. The group of interviewers consisted of five members. Each of them has a specialty. A barrage of interviews made me a little nervous. “Am I right in understanding their questions?” I felt more butterflies in my stomach.

Job Interview

I have had a job offer. A person responsible for recruiting called several times. I am going to have a job interview next Monday with a section chief. They are offering me a position to enter data about cancer examination. I am feeling a little nervous. Please keep your fingers crossed for me.

水無月

水無月も残すところわずかになりました。今年も和菓子の「水無月」を食すことができました。なんと今年は家内の手作りではありませんか。

清盛は蓬入りの水無月を好んだとか。彼の創建と伝わる若一神社の夏越の大祓で馳走に預かれるとか。平家物語が伝えるほどの悪人ではなさそうだ。800年以上たってもその食の好みが伝えられているということを鑑みれば…

平家物語

中学生の頃に買った「平家物語」（河出書房昭和48年第3版）を読了。細かな文字で上下2段。中学生にはハードルが高すぎたようで、50年近く積読状態。この巣ごもり期間にやっと読めました。

平家とか源氏とかに初めて興味を持ったのは、やはりNHK大河ドラマ「源義経」でした。僕の名前は漢字一文字。「義経」は二文字。二文字だったら格好良かったのに、なんて子供心に思いました。だって、クラスで勉強ができて、スポーツもうまくて、女子にも「もてた」のはみんな名前二文字。

薩摩守忠度が藤原俊成に自らの和歌を託すシーンがありました。当時は俊成のことなど知らずただのお公家様と思って見ていました。定家のお父さんですね。朝敵として都を落ちていく。後に勅撰集など編纂されるようなことがあればと是非選んでもらいたいと、和歌の書いてある巻物と渡していく。

俊成は「千載集」に詠み人知らずとして載せた。題は「故郷の花」。

さざなみや　志賀の都は　あれにしを
昔ながらの　山桜かな

以下は161ページ下段からの引用です。

題の「故郷の花」の故郷は、天智天皇時代の昔の都であったことをさし、その古い都も時とともに荒れてしまったが、その背後にある長等山の桜は、今なお美しく咲き続けている、という歌意。

長等山と言えば三井寺（園城寺）。ここの観音堂から望む琵琶湖はさぞや絶景であっただろう。今はビルなどに遮られ、かすかに往時がしのばれるだけ。10年ほど前に家内のご両親とドライブに行きました。

物語には武蔵坊弁慶役で緒形拳さんが出演。前年の太閤記では主役でしたね。その太閤記での信長は高橋幸治さん。僕の中の信長のイメージは彼によって作られています。残されている数枚の肖像画以上に、信長本人に似ているのではないかと。

「平家物語」の最後は「灌頂（かんじょう）の巻」。多くの場面が嵯峨野で展開されています。寂光院は数年前に火災にあったと聞いていますが、一度訪れてみようかな。拝観の停止も解除されたようなので。
 

Twenty Four Eyes

Have you ever read a novel “Twenty Four Eyes” written by Sakae Tsuboi? I have enjoyed this story through a young female actress voice, listening to the radio. This is an NHK’s program: Recital Time.

What an amazing voice she has! She is very good at narrating the story as if she were each character, including boys, girls. men, women and her mother, changing the tone of her voice accordingly. That’s great.

This short novel is also famous for protesting wars. Some boys were killed in the war. A boy lost his eyesight. One of the thriving businesses went bankrupt. Some girls lost their house to live in as a debtor. Boys and girls went through who Ohishi Sensei met in a classroom of a fishery village of the top of a cape.

She looks brighter for pupils than a female teacher who taught them during the past academic year. They welcome the new teacher, but on the other hand it takes time for their parents to accept her. She is in western-style clothing, not in kimono and hakama. On top of that, she rides on a bicycle on way to or from school. These things make them feel strange and isolated from them.

I hope she knows an old saying: Every cloud has silver lining.

Function of Cerebellum

What should you do to reduce the risk for falling?

 It is generally pointed out that strengthening the muscle of your legs and hip joint leads to keeping your balance. I instruct my mother to open or close her legs; to alternate putting her left and right legs in the air for a while and stepping each leg forward or backward ten times.

In addition to that, there is another training to keep a balance. To stand upright, your cerebellum, part of the brain at the back of the skull in vertebrates, plays a key role. This part of a brain coordinates and regulates muscular activity. To improve its function, you stretch your arms forward, keeping them at shoulder level and making both thumbs up. Then, you quickly move your eyeballs right and left, alternatively seeing a thumb.

It is difficult for me to instruct her. This is a high hurdle to prevent her from falling.

Sakamoto Castle

Have you ever been to Azuchi Castle Ruins? I have gone there twice. It is said that it was the first castle with a high-story building called Tenshu.

According to a recent and research of Sakamoto Castle, it seems that Nobunaga used the castle as his model. It was constructed by Mitsuhide. He was known as a great castle architecture.

When the water level of lake Biwa goes down much lower than usual due to draughts, the original structure of stones shows up. That demonstrates that there are many similarities between two castles.

A missionary left a document about these castles. In it, Sakamoto castle was also magnificent palace next to Azuchi castle. He appeared to encourage Mitsuhide to construct a building with a high tower.
 

Solution to ...

Is it possible for Japan to increase the birth rate? A demographic statistics says that babies born in 2019 was the lowest in 120 years.

Under the recent circumstance, there is no chance that women and men have an opportunity to meet, fall in love, hold each other tightly and make love. Is it possible to strike a balance between keeping a social distancing and creating a private contact? As long as you keep the principle of avoiding “confined spaces,” “crowded places,” and “close contact with people”, you are not allowed to touch your sweetheart or partner.

I happened to come up with a solution to overcome this challenge. Before getting a room and making out, you each other should check your partner’s temperature with a clinical thermometer. But pay attention to the time. Use it before you both get excited; otherwise, your bodies are already higher than usual.

Happened to Know

Are you interested in Japanese history? You may not care who did what. If you enjoy this year’ samurai drama: “Kirin ga kuru”, it is better to know that tomorrow falls on the anniversary of Akechi Mitsuhide’s death.

I happen to know this, listening to a radio program. Its title is “Rediscovery of Japanese history”. A series of lectures is being presenting by Owada Tetsuo, a professor of Shizuoka University, who is engaged in providing for historical accuracy of this drama.

According to a local document, Mitsuhide lived in near Ichijoudani for a decade. The residents respect him for his achievements and hold kind of a memorial service in from of a small shrine located on his house. Obviously, the shrine has enshrined him for hundred years and the festival is held on his death day.

I hope that the shrine is filled with blue hydrangeas, Their color is the same of balloon flowers. His family emblem is based on balloon flowers. Do know some of the languages of this flower? Honesty and Obedience. He tried to maintain traditional cultures, opposed to his master, Nobunaga, destroying them. 

清明山公園の紫陽花です。桔梗と同じ色とはいいがたいが…、話の落ちですね。