Beautiful sunset

今日はお彼岸、私は昼から河南町にある
両親のお墓に行きました。年末以来です
がここに来ると懐かしい気持ちになりま
す。父が亡くなった後、母を連れて何度
も来たからでしょう。今は母もここで眠っています。金剛、葛城、二上山に抱かれた自然がいっぱいで気持ちがいい所です。帰りに夕日があまりにも美しかったので撮った写真がこれです。
夕日ってなんとなく郷愁を感じますね。
部活を終えて友人と家路についたときに見たような光景…。
「赤い夕日が、、、」「夕日の丘の､､､」

It’s sprig equinox so I went to my parents’grave located at the foot of Mt.Kongo, Katsuragi and Nijyo surrounded with nice and rich nature.
On the way home, I happened to see a beautiful sunset. It reminded me of a scene of sunset I would see on the way home in my school days.

Vernal equinox tomorrow

It’s a vernal equinox tomorrow.
We call it ‘Higan’ that is one of the important Buddhist festivals in Japan. I’m going to visit our family grave to pray to Buddha and our ancestors.
In Osaka area, there is a saying, “Atsusa Samusa mo higan made”.
It means the hot weather of summer and the cold weather of winter end at the autumnal and vernal equinoxes.

明日はお彼岸、関西地方では「暑さ寒さも彼岸まで」と言われます。
熱帯育ちの妻はこの日を12月からずっと指折り数えて待っていました。日本に来て何十年も経っても冬は彼女にとっては厳しい季節です。
やっと春が来た、良かったね！

Mt. Nijyo reminds me of a poem

Recently some of our class members went on a hiking to Mt.Nijyo located in the southeast of Osaka prefecture which has twin peaks called Odake (male peak) and Medake (female peak).
It’s not a high mountain but rather steep. In my student days, I would often climb Mt.Nijyo for hiking. There is a tomb of prince Ohotsu, a son of an ancient emperor on the top of Odake.
I remember I saw a poem written on a wooden board beside the tomb. Prince Ohotsu was killed by his rivals after his father’s death.
The poem was made by his elder sister with deep sadness. It said, “Since I am a living person in this world, I have no choice but to see this mountain as my brother from tomorrow.”
うつそみの　人なるわれや　明日よりは
二上山を　弟世とわが見む
by 大伯皇女