When I returned home from work
and turened on the TV,
Tokiko Kato was singing
"Kuro no Funauta (Black boat song)".
Famous for the lyrics,
"Even though it's a river that no one cross,
"Enyakora,
they will set sail tonight.
Raw & Raw, Raw &Raw,
don't look back,
Raw & Raw
"
When I changed the channel.
I saw news that Pugacheva criticized
the Putin administration in
”Hyakuman Bon no Bara
(One Million Roses)"
is a song about the sorrow of the people of Latvia
under Soviet occupation,
and it has an anti-war message.
I was drinking alcohol
while listening to Tokiko Kato's song.
Speaking of Tokiko Kato,
she is famous for her
"Horoyoi Concert
(tipsy concert)",
and I felt like I went to that concert.
The next day,
I took a bus tour to Kikuchi Onsen.
Kikuchi is located in the northern part of
Kumamoto prefecture.
I went to Kikuchi Gorge,
Emu tourist ranch,
and Kikuchi Castle.
While waliking along the river
in Kikuchi Gorge,
I hum
"Kuro no Funauta"
for no reason.
"Sometimes I've seen paradise,
and sometimes I've seen hell.
Raw & Raw, Raw & Raw,
don't look back,
Raw & Raw
"
Surrounded by clear streams,
lush forests,
and 600-year-old cedar trees,
it's a very comfortable space,
but in such a setting,
"Kuro no Funauta"
has heavy lyrics.
I thought it was a terrifying,
magical song.
The emu dude ranch became a hot topic
when some emues escaped a year ago.
The explanation of the president explaining
the ranch with the news
in the bakground was interesting.
Kikuchi Onsen is a weakly alkaline natural hot spring,
and the water feels like body lotion.
Kikuchi is not well known outside the prefeture,
but i thought it was a charming place.
