小説「輝山(きざん)」澤田瞳子 を読む
小説「輝山(きざん)」澤田瞳子 を読む日本は17世紀ごろ、世界の銀の1/3近くを産出、そのかなりの部分を島根県の石見銀山が占めたという。「石見銀山遺跡とその文化的景観」は2007年に鉱山遺跡としてはアジアでは初めて世界遺産に登録された。江戸時代の石見銀山を舞台に懸命に生きる人々を描いたのが澤田瞳子の小説『輝山(きざん)』だ。「どうせおれたち堀子が40才まで生きられない。気絶(けだえ)でやられる」 銀山で働く鉱夫たちは、ガス、湿気、油煙、石粉によって鉱山病になって若くして命を落す。銀山には、命の危険にさらされながら掘る人、運ぶ人、選鉱・製錬する人、それをたばねる鉱山経営者、それら人々の家族、飲食や商品を提供する商売人や、町を治める代官と役人たちがいた。主人公の金吾はそこに勤める下役人、上司から命ぜられ江戸から赴任してきた。かれはそこを治める代官の落ち度を見つけるという密命を帯びてきた。しかし、代官に問題は見つからない。鉱山では事故がおこり、病がはやり、働くため連れてこられた「無宿人」の逃亡がおこる。男女の思いが交差し、強い男、弱い男、働く子ども、それを見つめる僧侶がいる。金吾はそこで銀山を支え、懸命に生きる人々との出会い、さまざまな思いに触れ、金吾はいつしか彼らに魅せられていく。私は２度、石見銀山を訪れている。最初に訪れたのは2009年６月。世界遺産となった２年後だ。「銀山遺跡を守る活動は戦後間もない1950年代から行われてきました。世界遺産の話は最近です。」と当時のボランティアガイドさんは胸を張った。山陰本線太田駅から大森町までバスで30分、今でも古い町並みが残されている。さらに山奥の鉱山町には、かつて20万人！もの人が暮らしていたという。人々がくらした町並みがあったらしい野道を歩き、「間歩」とよばれる鑿の跡がのこる坑道にはいる。鉱山で懸命に働き、暮らし、亡くなっていた人々におもいをはせた。Read the novel "Kizan・Shining mountain" Toko SawadaIt is said that Japan produced nearly one(三分)-third(の一) of the world's silver around the 17th century, and Iwami Ginzan in Shimane Prefecture occupied a large(大) part(部分) of it. "Iwami Ginzan Site and its Cultural Landscape" was registered(登録) as a World Heritage Site for the first time in Asia as a mining(鉱山) site in 2007.Toko Sawada's "Kizan" depicts(描く) people who live hard in the Iwami Ginzan silver mine during the Edo period."We, Horiko, can't live until the age of 40. We are killed by Kedae " Miners working in the silver mine get mine(鉱山) disease(病) due to gas, humidity(湿度), oil smoke, and stone powder, and die young.In the silver mine, there are people who dig(掘る) at risk of life, people who carry it, people who mine(掘って) and smelt(製錬) it, miners who run(運ぶ) it, their families, merchant who provide(飲食店) food and drink and goods, and a local administrator(代官) who govern(統治) the town(町). There were officials(役人).The main character, Kingo, has been appointed from Edo by being ordered by his boss, a subordinate(下役人) who works there. He has had the secret of finding the fault of the local administrator who governs it. However, no problem was found in the local administrator. An accident occurs in the mine, the illness goes away, and the "non-resident" who was brought in to work escapes. Men and women cross their thoughts, and there are strong men, weak men, working children, and monks staring(見つめる) at them. There, Kingo meets people who support the silver mine and live hard. Touching various thoughts, Kingo is fascinated(魅せられて) by them.I visited Iwami Ginzan twice. I first visited in June 2009. Two years after it became a World Heritage Site. "Activities(活動) to protect(守る) the remains of the silver mine have been carried out since the 1950s, shortly after the war. The story of World Heritage is recent," said a volunteer guide at the time. It takes 30 minutes by bus from Ota Station on the San-in Line to Omorimachi. The old townscape still remains. During the Edo period, there were 200,000 people in the mining town in the mountains! Walk along the wild road that seems to have been the townscape where people lived, and enter the mine tunnel where the traces(痕跡) of the chisel(ノミ) called "Mabu" remain. I thought of those who worked hard, lived and died in the mine.
