無念！・・・落雷により山車蔵が焼失

　かつて日本は「四季の国」と呼ばれてました。しかし、春と秋を楽しむ日々は年々短くなり、近年は夏と冬のみの「二季」のようにさえ感じます。昔から「暑い寒いも彼岸まで」と言いましたが、今日も夏日であり、このままでは「暑い寒いは彼岸過ぎまで」と修正しなければなりません。それでも、暑くても時には夕立がありますが、雨の降り方が極端に強いときがあり、確かに、以前とは気象が変動しています。

　ところで、先日の深夜の物凄い雷の音は地響きがする程で誠に恐ろかったです。今まで、あのような体験は少ないです。実は、あの深夜に、倉賀野町では横町の冠稲荷の山車蔵に落雷があり、火災になって山車が全焼しました。おそらく幕末頃より１月14日の晩の倉賀野の祭りで活躍した山車でしょう。

　今朝、私は現場に行き、落雷の爪痕を目の前にし、自然の恐ろしさをまざまざと感じました。付近の２本の高い銀杏の木も炎で煽られ褐色になってます。昔から「雷が落ちる」ということは聞いてましたが、今回、初めて落雷の現場を見ました。しかし、隣接する冠稲荷の本殿へは燃え移らず、不幸中の幸いです。今後、横町の山車の復興を願ってやみません。

Dear my friends who like the traditional festival

　Japan used to be known as the "Land of Four Seasons". However, the days when we could enjoy spring and autumn are getting shorter year by year. In recent years we feel like there are only two seasons, summer and winter. There has been an old saying that "It's hot and cold until the equinox day", but today is also a summer day, and if the national environments continue like this, we have to amend it to "It's hot and cold until after the equinox day". Even so, when it's hot, when we get showers, but, sometimes the rain is extremely heavy, and it's true that the climate has changed from before.

　By the way, the terrible sound of thunder in the middle of the night the other day was so terrifying that it sounded like the earth was rumbling. I have rarely experienced before. In fact, that night in Kuragano-town, lightning struck the float storehouse of Kanmuri Inari Shrine in Yoko-machi district, and a fire broke out and the float was completely burned. I guess, this float was probably used in the Kuragano Festival on the evening of January 14th since around the end of the Edo period.

　This morning, I went to the site and saw the damage caused by the lightning strike with my own eyes, and I felt the terror of nature. Two tall ginkgo trees in the vicinity were also burned and browned by the flames. Since childhood, I had heard that "lightning strikes" , but this was the first time I saw the site of lightning strike. However, it was lucky it wasn't worse that the fire did not spread to the main hall of the adjacent Kanmuri Inari Shrine in the photo. I sincerely hope that the float of Yoko-Machi will be restored.

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ウォーキングには良い季節！

　夕食が美味しくなるように、というより実際は一杯が美味しくなるようにかも知れません。これから倉賀野町の東南部をウォーキングします。散歩より少々早めに歩きますが、呼吸が乱れない程度です。意識して手を前後に振ろうと思います。

　なるべく、緑の多い中を選んで歩きます。倉賀野中学校時代の同級生は１８０名程いましたが、果たして一人くらい会うでしょうか。それでは「緑地公園」に向かって出発！

　Aiming to delicious dinner, or rather, delicious cup, from now on, I will be walking in the southeastern part of Kuragano-Town. I walk a little faster than taking walk so as not to be in breathing disorder. I try to consciously wave my hands back and forth.

　If possible, I choose a place where there is a lot of greenery to walk. There were about 180 classmates of Kuragano Junior High School, but I wonder if I will meet at least one of them. Then, I will leave for "Greenery Park" named Ryokuchi!

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一際鮮やか・・・今日の紅梅

　群馬県の今日は雨天ですので、却って紅梅が色鮮やかになりました。二階の窓から撮りました。画像を拡大すると臨場感が出て、花見してる感じになるでしょう。

　私一人で眺めているだけではもったいないです。時々は前の道を行き交う人が足を止めてます。概して、若い人は歩きスマホで、そちらに集中してます。

　今日の午後は眼科に行って、点眼薬をお願いして来ます。1週間に１回ほど、悲しくないのに涙が出るのです。本質はやはり、今の環境に身体が反応してるのでしょうか。幸運にも、遠くは良く見えるので運転には差し支えません。

Dear my overseas friends

　It's rainy today in Gumma Prefecture, Japan, so that the red plum blossoms are even more colorful. I took this photo from the second floor's window. Enlarging the image will give you a sense of realism, and you'll feel like you're viewing plum blossoms near by.

　It would be a waste to look at it by myself only. Sometimes people passing by on the path in front of the garden are viewing. Generally speaking, young people use their smartphones while walking and concentrate on that without seeing the plum blossom.

　By the way, I'm going to the eye doctor's office from now on to ask for eye drops. About once a week, my tear flows even though I'm not sad. Is my body reacting to the current environment? Fortunately, I can see distance well, so driving is fine.

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今日、倉賀野神社は秋の例大祭

　今日１０月１９日は私の地元の倉賀野神社が「秋の例大祭」で、巫女の舞が披露されたり、神輿が街中に繰り出し、一日中、神社を参りする町民で賑わいます。

　ところで、今日の群馬県の日の出は５時５４分で、日の入りは１７時０７分です。しかし、群馬県の西部は山岳地帯ですから、実際には４時４５分頃には陽が沈みます。このため、今後は益々「つるべ落とし」になります。

　調べてみると、南の宮古島では日の出が６時３８分で、日の入りが１８時０９分であり、北の稚内市では日の出が５時５４分で、日の入りが１６時４２分です。「あれっ!」と思いましたが、群馬県と稚内市では日の出時刻が同じです。この原因は日の出の太陽の位置が東南東に移動したからです。

　庭の樹木も紅葉と落葉が始まってます。秋はますます深まり、屋外の散策を通して自然との対話には最も良い季節です。人生１００年時代に突入し、私は今日もしっかり身体を動かします。

Dear my overseas friends

　The simultaneous interpretation for you will be later, because from now on I will participate to the radio gymnastics held at the park and take a breakfast. Then I'll interpret into English for your understanding above mentioned contents.

　Today, October 19th, the "Autumn Festival" will be held at my local Kuragano-Shrine, where shrine maiden dance will be performed, and mikoshi (portable shrine) will be carried around the town, and the shrine will be crowded with townspeople visiting the shrine all day long.

　Not change the subject, but, today's sunrise in my Gumma Prefecture is 5:54 and sunset is 17:07. However, as you know, since the western part of Gumma Prefecture is a mountainous area, so that the sun actually sets around 4:45. For this reason, it will become more and more of a Tsurube Otoshi" that means the autumn sun sets really fast like a well bucket in Edo-period.

　When I looked it up and found that in Miyako-island in the southwest in Japan, today's sun rises at 6:38 and sunset at 18:09, at the same time, in Wakkanai-City in the Hokkaido, the sun rises at 5:54 and sunset is at 16:42. "Oh!" I discovered that the sunrise time is the same in Gumma Prefecture and Wakkanai-City. This is because the position of the sunrise has moved to the east-southeast.

　The trees in the garden are starting to turn red and fall. As autumn deepens, it's the best season to commune with nature through a walk outdoors. As we entered the era of 100-year lifespans, I will continue to move the body and train the brain to avoid senile dementia by memorizing English words which are used in daily life in US.

※上記の英文をネイティブの発音で聴くには英文をドラッグしてコピーし、次に貼り付けて下さい。なお、右上の欄を必ずUS Englishにしてください。https://ttsreader.com/ja/

  

改めて 不思議な穴を じっくり観察

　以前にご紹介したことがありますが、今日の午後、ウォーキング中に再度見に行ったところ、現在は落葉中なので「不思議な穴」がよく見えました。

　この樹木は欅です。現在、私の住む倉賀野町で最も背の高い樹木で推定樹齢は５００～７００年ほどではないでしょうか。右に少し見えてる建物は二階建て家屋の屋根です。穴もかなり高い所に開いてます。夏は数千匹の蝉の棲家となり、蝉時雨は３００mほど離れた私の家まで聞こえます。

　この穴は倉賀野の七不思議ですが、家人に訊いても昔から開いていたというだけで、その方もすでに亡くなりました。しかし、「穴が開いた原因は何かあるはず」です。穴の大きさは５０cmほどの楕円形です。もしかして戦争の傷跡でしょうか。

Dear my friends abroad who are interested in Seven wonder

　I have introduced it before, but while walking I went to see it again this afternoon. I could see the "mysterious hole" well because the leaves were falling now.

　"This tree is zelkova." It is currently the tallest tree in Kuragano-town where I live, and is estimated to be 500 to 700 years old. The building on the right is the roof of a two-story house. The hole situates quite high. In summer, it becomes a home for thousands of cicadas, and the twitter of cicadas can be heard at my residence which is about 300 meters away in a bee-line.

　This hole is one of the Seven Wonders of Kuragano-town. When I asked a family member about it, he only said that it had been open since the ancient time, but, he had already passed away. However, there must be something that caused the hole to open. The hole is oval and about 50cm in size. If possible, this hole might be the scar of World War Ⅱ?

※上記の英文をネイティブの発音で聴くには英文をドラッグしてコピーし、次に貼り付けて下さい。なお、右上の欄を必ずUS Englishにしてください。https://ttsreader.com/ja/..

今日から人権週間

　群馬県では、1年で日の入り時刻が最も早いのは今日１２月４日から１２月８日までで、１６時２８分です。しかし、これは経度・緯度から計算した時刻です。群馬県西南部は山岳地帯ですから、実際にはこの時刻より１０分ほど早く陽が沈みます。

　因みに、日の出時刻が最も遅いのは来年１月４日から１月１０日までで、６時５６分です。ですから、冬至は昼の長さが最も短い日で、９時間４１分です。

　ところで、昨日の午後は寒冷でしたが、陽射しがあり、風がなかったので、暫くぶりに家から倉賀野緑地まで往復４Kをウォーキングしました。ご覧の通り、紅葉してつい目を奪われました。

　この辺りは昔の恋人の家の近くですが、半世紀以上前に埼玉にお嫁に行ったとのことで、今頃どうしているでしょう。近年、年賀状も来なくなりました。

　今日の午前は植木屋巡り、寒さ厳しき折、午後はお気に入りの「吉井ドリームセンター」の日帰り温泉へ、青い愛車で身と心を温めに行こうと思います。今日から人権週間。人間として最も大切なことを考える日です。

https://www.facebook.com/.../pcb.../700568961656595 　

 　

Dear my friends abroad who want to soak into a hot spring for relax

　In my Gumma Prefecture, Japan, the earliest sunset time in a year is from December 4th to December 8th, at 16:28. However, this is the time calculated from the longitude and latitude. As you know, the southwestern part of Gumma Prefecture is a mountainous area, so actually the sun sets about 10 minutes earlier than this time above mentioned.

　On the other hand, the latest sunrise time will be from January 4th to January 10th next year, at 6:56. Therefore, the winter solstice is the shortest daytime, that will be 9 hours and 41 minute.

　Not change the subject, but yesterday afternoon was cold, but there was sunshine and no wind, so I walked from my residence to Kuragano Ryokuchi that means a Greenery Park in 4km after a long interval. As you can see, the marvelous autumnal leaves caught my eye.

　This area is near the house of my old sweetheart, but I heard that she married in Saitama Prefecture more than half a century ago, so I wonder how she is now. In recent years, New Year's cards have also stopped coming.

　This morning, I'm going to visit garden plants, and in the afternoon, due to cold, I'm going to go to my favorite day-trip hot spring named "Yoshii Dream Center" by my blue car to warm my body and soul. Human Rights Week starts today in Japan. It's a day to think about the most important thing as a human being.

※上記の英文をネイティブの発音で聴くには英文をドラッグしてコピーし、次に貼り付けて下さい。なお、右上の欄を必ずUS Englishにしてください。https://ttsreader.com/ja/..

ウォーキング 利点は健康 そして考える

【画像を拡大すると臨場感が出ます。】

　昨日の夕方、倉賀野町の南を流れる烏川付近をウォーキングしてたところ、通称・城山に隠れる日没に運よく出合いました。空には偶然に、飛行機雲が新潟方面へ伸びつつある光景です。現在は急に陽が沈む感じで、晩秋の陽は「釣べ落とし」と言われる所以です。

　調べてみると群馬県では、年間で最も早い日没時刻は１２月４日から１２月８日までの１６時２８分です。冬至になるとすでに５分ほど日が伸びます。

　ウォーキングコースは倉賀野城址から井戸八幡神社、そして旧・倉賀野河岸一帯の烏川の崖の上です。高い位置から見る烏川の流れは湖の如く穏やかで、川面にはシベリア方面から飛来したと想われるカモ類が５０羽ほど羽を休めてる長閑な佇まいです。

　歩きながら考えました。「何故、この地は倉賀野という地名であるか」です。

　ある講演会の講師の説では、日本では昔から、このように高い崖のことを「倉」と呼んでいたようです。一例として、有名な谷川岳に急峻な崖を持つ「一ノ倉」という山がある如くです。こう考えると、高い倉の上に広がる野であったことから倉賀野と命名されたと言えるようです。現在でも、南の阿久津方面から眺めると、倉賀野は長い崖の上に存在してます。

Dear my overseas friends whom I met and including internet friends

　Yesterday evening, when I was walking near the Karasu-River, which flows south of Kuragano-Town, I was lucky enough to come across a sunset hidden behind Mt. Shiroyama as you see. Coincidentally, in the blue sky, there is a long contrail extending toward the city of Niigata. I feel the sun goes down suddenly. This is the reason why the late autumnal sun is called “Tsurubeotoshi” that means the autumn sun sinks really fast like a bucket used at the well in old days.

　According to research, in Gumma Prefecture, the earliest sunset time of the year is from December 4th to December 8th at 16:28. At the winter solstice, the sunset will be later 5 minutes.

　This time, my walking course was from the Kuragano castle ruins to Well Hachiman Shrine that situates on the cliff of the Karasu-River along the Kuragano River Harbor in Edo era. Viewed from a high position, the Karasu-River flows as calmly as a lake, so that about 50 ducks which are thought to have flown in from Siberia, are resting on the surface of the river.

　Not change the subject, but "I thought while walking." "Why is this place called Kuragano?"

　According to the theory of a lecturer at a lecture, a high cliff like this has been called a "Kura" in Japan since ancient times. As an example, there is a mountain called "Ichinokura" with a steep cliff in the famous Mt. Tanigawa. Considering this, it seems that it was named Kuragano because here was a field that spreads over a high cliff. Even today, when viewed from Akutsu-town direction in the south, Kuragano exists on a long cliff still now.

※上記の英文をネイティブの発音で聴くには英文をドラッグしてコピーし、次に貼り付けて下さい。なお、右上の欄を必ずUS Englishにしてください。https://ttsreader.com/ja/..

渡り鳥 既に飛来し 羽休め

　倉賀野駅の北東側にはご覧の通り、広い通称「鯉池」があります。何かと運動不足の折、昨日ウォーキングに行きましたら、２週間前には１羽もいなかった鴨が５００羽ほど飛来しており、安らぎの光景でした。

　夏季に住んでたと推定されるカムチャッカやシベリアの現在は、私たちには考えられないほど寒冷であり、きっと餌の確保が難しいのでしょう。ロシア～日本間の渡りは有史以前より繰り返されていたと想われます。今春ロシアで生まれた雛たちも親に連れられて来ています。生まれて６ヶ月ほどで数千キロの海原を飛ぶとは、素晴らしい飛翔力と方向判定能力です。

　ところで、この鯉池について歴史を紐解くと、活火山・浅間山(標高２５６８m)の大噴火があった天明３年(１７８３)以降、倉賀野でも火山灰が２０～３０cm降り積もったと記されてます。実は私の庭でも２０cmほど掘ると浅間砂が出てきます。火山灰を集めた灰塚だったようです。

　天明年間は史上まれに見る多難な時代で、田畑は壊滅的な被害を受け、その後も天候不順が続き、大凶作となり、いわゆる天明の飢饉が続きました。

　この堤は当時の農家の人たちが総出で、足掛け４年かかって作った人造湖で、以来２３０年以上経過した現在でも、倉賀野東部の田畑を潤してます。また、このように北からの使者の憩いの場として長閑な風景を醸し出してます。そばに行くと鴨たちは近寄って来ます。

　

Dear my friends abroad who are interested in history and migratory birds　

　As you can see, on the northeast side of JR Kuragano-Station, there is a large pond for carp. When I didn't get enough exercise, I went for a walk yesterday, there were about 500 ducks which hadn't even existed two weeks ago, and it was a peaceful sight.

　Kamchatka and Siberia which are believed to be unimaginably cold now. The migratory birds have lived there in summer. But recently they must be difficult to secure food. Migration between Russia and Japan is thought to have been repeated since prehistoric times. Chicks born in Russia this spring also came accompanied by their parents. Flying over thousands of kilometers of the ocean in about 6 months of age is a marvelous ability of flying and the sense of direction.

　By the way, looking at the history of this carp pond, it is written that 20 to 30 cm of volcanic ash fell on Kuragano-town after Temmei 3 (1783), when the active volcano Mt. Asama (altitude 2,568 m) erupted. In fact, if I dig about 20 cm in my garden, Asama's volcanic sand came out. It seems that my garden was an ash mound where volcanic ash was collected.

　The Temmei era was a period of unprecedented hardship with devastating damage to the fields, followed by unseasonable weather and a severe crop failure, followed by the so-called Temmei famine.

　This spacious pond is an artificial lake that needed 4 years to build by all the farmers at the time, and even now, more than 230 years later, it continues to irrigate the fields in the eastern part of Kuragano-town. In addition, it creates a tranquil scenery as a resting place for messengers from the northern continent. If I go near the ducks, they come closer.

※上記の英文をネイティブの発音で聴くには英文をドラッグしてコピーし、次に貼り付けて下さい。なお、右上の欄を必ずUS Englishにしてください。https://ttsreader.com/ja/..

晩秋に 見事な紅葉 夏蝉しぐれ

　写真は私の家から歩いて５分の所にある欅の木で、樹齢５００年程と想われる倉賀野一の巨樹です。晩秋を迎え、ご覧の通り、見事な紅葉になってます。拡大してご覧になると臨場感が出ます。

　５月の新緑に始まり、夏季は数千匹と推定される蝉しぐれを呈し、早朝から鳴き声に癒されます。江戸時代中期より続く生命は自然の猛威に打ち勝った揺るぎない姿、そして四季折々の光景は我々人間に強靭な精神の在り方と共に、柔軟な生き方を教えているように見えます。

　太い幹の地上から１０m付近には、不思議にも、大きな穴が開いており、家の方に尋ねても「昔から開いてました。」というだけで、穴が開いてる理由は謎です。私はウォーキングコースとして、この木のすぐ北を通過します。

　

   

　ところで、ウォーキングの目的は下肢の筋肉増強や血流促進のほか、このように自然界の変化する姿を味わいつつできます。ウォーキングで大切なことは、ある程度の歩数と共に、たまたま私の足は長いこともあり、ストライドの広さに重点を置いてます。今日も秋晴れと予報され、温かい時間帯に歩きます。

Dear my overseas friends who like nature and health

　The picture shows a huge zelkova tree located five minutes on foot from my house. It's late autumn in Japan, and as you can see, the leaves are turning beautiful. If you zoom in, you will get a sense of presence.

　Beginning with the fresh greenery in May, estimated thousands of cicadas are chirping in the summer, and we are soothed by their chirping from early morning. Life that has continued since the middle of the Edo period has an unwavering appearance that has overcome the rage and ferocity of nature, and the scenery of the four seasons seems to teach us human beings how to live a flexible way of life along with a strong spirit.

　Strangely enough, there is a large hole in the thick trunk about 10m above the ground. I have ever asked the householder about the reason of this hole, but he said there was the hole since he was born only. So it is a miracle riddle. I pass just north of this zelkova tree for my walking course.

　Not change the subject, but the purpose of walking is not only to strengthen the muscles of my lower extremities and promote blood circulation, but also to enjoy the changing appearance of the natural world. The important thing in walking is a certain number of steps, and my legs are so happen to be long, I focus on the width of my stride. The forecast is for clear autumn weather today, so I will walk during the warmer hours.

※上記の英文をネイティブの発音で聴くには英文をドラッグしてコピーし、次に貼り付けて下さい。なお、右上の欄を必ずUS Englishにしてください。https://ttsreader.com/ja/..

夏惜しみ 歴史の倉賀野 ウォーキング

　以前より幾分か夕方は涼しくなったので、倉賀野を流れる一級河川・烏川の畔を往復４Kウォーキングしました。ここは流れが穏やかなので、江戸時代には江戸から高瀬舟がここに到着し、海産物を荷揚げしたターミナルであった倉賀野河岸の雰囲気が今でも感じられます。

　烏川の北側は広大な倉賀野緑地となっており、人々は愛犬を散歩させたり、ウォーキングする人たち、野球やサッカーをする人たち、また、時々、倉賀野中陸上部の生徒さんたちが走りにやってきます。

　彼らが走り過ぎると、私は倉賀野中校歌を歌いました。すると彼らは振り返ります。実は、倉賀野中校歌は私の姉が作曲し、すでに６０年ほど歌い継がれています。

Dear my friends who like song of your alma mater

　The evening has become a little cooler than before in Japan, so I walked a round trip 4km along the banks of Karasu River which is the first-class river that flows south of my Kuragano-town. The current of this river here is calm, so I can still feel the atmosphere of the Kuragano river harbor which was a terminal for the sail-boat named takasebune that arrived here from Edo and unloaded seafoods during the Edo period(1600〜1868).

　On the north side of the Karasu-River is the vast Kuragano Greenery Park where people walk with their dog, walk, play baseball and soccer, and sometimes students of Kuragano Junior High School Athletics Club come to run.

　After they run too far, I sang the Kuragano Junior High School song. Then they look back. In fact, the Kuragano Junior High School song was composed by my eldest sister and has been sung for about 60 years.

※For the Japanese people 　　

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