【寿司ネタの誘惑、蕎麦粉のいざない（笑）】

温暖化傾向は北海道周辺の海産物に広く及んできて、イマドキの鮮魚では「イナダ」とか「カツオ」という大型のお魚さんたちがこれくらいの値段で入手できる。
　「こんなの捌いたら冷凍庫、満杯になるっしょ」「なに考えてるのさ」みたいなコワい顔をしてカミさんが横からにらみつけてくるので隠れて（笑）しげしげと見ております。こういった魚体を捌いていく快感に脳味噌が刺激され続けています。読者のみなさんご承知のように、わたしの最大の趣味傾向は「握り寿司」フェチなので、こういう海の幸には深くとらわれてしまうのです。
　たぶんこれくらいのサイズの魚からは、数百カンの寿司ネタが供給されるでしょう。調理の魅力はこういう「素材」とのふれあい、対話という要素が大きい。人間はかれらのいのちをいただくことで支えられてきた。そういう思いから、根深いところでの愛情が育っているのかも知れませんね。物言わぬかれらの表情から、「食べるんなら、うまく捌けよ！」と訴えてきているように思えるのです。
　イキモノ同士のながい「付き合い」からこういった交感は続いてきたのでしょう。

　一方で、スタッフのみんなからはこういう「そば打ちセット」もプレゼントされている。「お寿司もいいんだけど、ぜひ蕎麦をふるまって欲しいなぁ（笑）」というかれらからのメッセージもアタマのなかにこだましている。工務店関係の知人たちのなかでは蕎麦の「挽き」からこだわって石臼で挽いて仕上げている猛者たちもいる。あの蘊蓄満載の世界もまた刺激的で、底なし沼の様相を感じさせてくれる。
　たしかに食べている分にはメッチャうまい。蘊蓄の深淵ぶり、魅力はよくわかりますね。
　しかしどうなんだろうか、寿司職人さんは同時に蕎麦職人の志向性も兼ねているモノなのだろうか。たしかに和食の２大領域であることは間違いないし、寿司と蕎麦は相性も抜群にいい。しかし「作り手」としてはどうも志向性の方向がすこし違っているように思える。・・・
　という料理大好き高齢者の「不惑」すぎの迷い満開であります（笑）。
　当面、蕎麦については自分で石臼を買って蕎麦粉づくりから、みたいなのめり込みはせず、手軽に蕎麦粉を入手して、せっかくの「セット」を生かして使ってみたい、まずは手ごねから始めたいと思っております。しかしやがてどっぷりとハマり込みそうなドツボの予感。・・・


English version⬇

[The temptation of sushi items, the lure of buckwheat flour...]
I am 40 years old, but I have not had enough training and I am far beyond that age, but I am still confused between sushi and soba. I am now far beyond the age of 40, but I am still confused between Sushi and Soba, and I am thinking of joining Soba as well. I'm not sure.

The warming trend is spreading to marine products around Hokkaido, and large fish such as “inada” and “katsuo” (bonito) are now available at prices around this level.
　My wife glares at me from the side with a scary look on her face, as if to say, “The freezer will be full if we process this kind of fish,” or “What are you thinking? The pleasure of processing these fish continues to stimulate my brain. As readers know, my greatest hobby is my “nigiri-zushi” fetish, so I am deeply attracted to this kind of seafood.
　A fish of this size would probably supply several hundred kan of sushi material. The fascination of cooking lies in the element of interaction and dialogue with these “ingredients. Human beings have been sustained by receiving their life. Perhaps it is from this thought that we have developed a deep-seated affection for them. The expression on their faces, which do not say much, seems to be appealing to us, “If you are going to eat them, handle them well! If you are going to eat them, handle them well!
　This kind of communication must have continued through the long “relationship” between the creatures.

　On the other hand, the staff members also presented me with a “soba noodle making set” as a gift. I am also thinking of the message from them, “Sushi is good, but we would like you to serve Soba (buckwheat noodles) to the guests. Among my acquaintances in the construction industry, there are some who are particular about the “grind” of buckwheat noodles and grind them on a millstone to make their own buckwheat noodles. This world full of knowledge is also exciting and makes me feel like a bottomless swamp.
　It is true that the food is very tasty. I can understand the fascination of the abundance of knowledge.
　However, I wonder if sushi chefs also have the orientation of buckwheat noodle chefs. There is no doubt that sushi and soba are two major areas of Japanese cuisine, and sushi and soba go very well together. However, as a “creator,” it seems to me that the direction of his orientation is a little different from that of a sushi chef. The “cooks” are not so different from the elderly who love to cook.
　I am an elderly person who loves cooking, but I am too “confused” to think about it (laugh).
　For the time being, I do not want to buy a millstone to make buckwheat flour by myself, but I would like to get buckwheat flour easily and make the best use of the “set” of buckwheat flour. However, I have a feeling that I will be addicted to it before long. I am looking forward to getting some more.

【オモシロ野菜発見、農産物市場探訪】

　札幌の近郊、長沼には国道沿いに広大な駐車スペースをそなえた農産物市場があります。ときどき手軽な行楽として季節の野菜類を探すことが習慣化しています。
　きのう、ちょっと朝寝坊したので長距離移動を避けて、こちらに向かった。行ってみたら各店舗棟が建て替えられていて、リニューアルしていた。わたしの実家、父親は入植した祖父から受け継いだ畑で「まるで野菜類の品評会だ」といわれるほど多種多様な野菜生産に取り組んでいた。そこでいろいろ実験して成果の得られた野菜類をほかの農家に伝え製法の勘所などを教えて、多量生産にして、その生産物を遠く大阪の市場に出荷して北海道野菜の販路拡大に取り組んでいた。そういうなかで「ユリ根」は大当たりしたと聞いている。
　その生産にあたっては当時のもっとも先端的農業者だった岐阜県からの移住者一家で育った母親が、その生産技術で取り組んでいた。わかい夫婦が手を取り合って新品種開拓に取り組んでいたのだというのですね。３歳までしか農家にいなかったわたしとしてはすべてが伝聞。
　だけれど、こういう農産物市場に来ると、無意識でそういう新品種に目が行く。はるかな父母のことをそういうカタチで「探している」のかも知れません。
　そんな目に飛び込んできたのが写真の「コールラビ」。〜アブラナ科の越年草。原産地は地中海北部。球状に肥大した茎部を、皮をむいて食用とする野菜である。茎は緑色系と紫色系があり、キャベツやブロッコリーの茎に似た味で、サラダやピクルスなどにする。語源はドイツ語で、キャベツを指すkohlとカブを指すrabiより。〜


　値段を見るとなんと「100円」。買ったときにはその素性詳細はわからなかったのだけれど、内面から「騒ぐ血」を感じて即座に購入（笑）。市場の売り場でもカンタンに説明があった通り、浅漬けにしてみた次第です。
　ということで頃やよし、ということでさっそく食してみた。軽く塩を振って「浅漬けのもと」を加えて厚手のビニールパックに入れ、なおコンブを小さく切って混ぜ合わせて加圧しまくる。で、放置して数時間。口に入れてみた。
　まぁライトな「大根」か。大根よりもちょっと「キャベツ」っぽい味わいがあって、大根よりも皮が厚くてごつい。「あ、こりゃぁ皮は向いた方が無難かな」というところですが、切り方を薄くしたヤツだと、それなりの柔らかさは出てくる。まぁワルくはないといった一品でありました。
　店頭ではこれ一個だけの出品だった（売り切れ寸前だった？）ので、まだ実験的段階なのでしょう。さて日本人の味覚ワールドに参入できるかどうか、でありますね。でも姿はカワイイ。


English version⬇

Discovering New Vegetables, Exploring Produce Markets
I have a strong desire to pioneer new vegetables from my parents' farming days, and my eyes tend to swim at the market. What is the reaction of the Japanese market to the “in-between cabbage and daikon” variety? ...

In Naganuma, a suburb of Sapporo, there is a produce market with a large parking lot along the national highway. It has become a habit for me to look for seasonal vegetables as an occasional easy outing.
　Yesterday, I overslept a bit so I headed here to avoid a long-distance trip. When I got there, I found that each store building had been reconstructed and renovated. In my family, my father was engaged in the production of a wide variety of vegetables in the fields inherited from my grandfather, who settled in the area, to the extent that it was said, “It's like a vegetable fair. He experimented with a variety of vegetables and taught other farmers the secrets of their production methods, which led to mass production and the shipment of their products to markets as far away as Osaka, thereby expanding the sales channels for Hokkaido vegetables. The “lily bulb” was a big hit among such efforts.
　The mother, who grew up in a family of immigrants from Gifu Prefecture, the most advanced agricultural community of the time, was the one who used the most advanced production techniques. As I was only a farmer until I was three years old, this is all hearsay to me.
　However, when I come to a farmers' market like this, I unconsciously pay attention to such new varieties. It may be that I am “looking for” my parents in that way.
　The one that caught my eye was the “kohlrabi” in the photo. 〜Kohlrabi is a perennial herb of the Brassicaceae family. It originates from the northern Mediterranean. It is a vegetable whose globularly enlarged stems are peeled and used for food. The stems are green or purple in color and taste similar to cabbage or broccoli stems, and are used in salads and pickles. The word is derived from the German words kohl for cabbage and rabi for turnip. ~ (from the German kohl, meaning cabbage, and rabi, meaning turnip)

　When I looked at the price, I saw that it was 100 yen. When I bought it, I didn't know the details of its identity, but I felt its “noisy blood” inside and bought it immediately (laugh). I tried to make asazuke (pickled in soy sauce), just as the explanation at the market had explained.
　So it was about time, and I tried it right away. I lightly sprinkled salt, added “Asazuke no Moto” and put it in a thick plastic pack, cut kelp into small pieces, mixed them together, and pressurized it. And left it for a few hours. I put it in my mouth.
　It was a light “daikon”. It tasted a little more like cabbage than daikon, and the skin was thicker and tougher than daikon. It was a bit like “Oh, it would be safer to peel the skin off,” but if you cut it thinner, it would have a certain softness to it. It was not bad at all.
　This was the only one of its kind on display at the store (or was it on the verge of being sold out?), so it is still in the experimental stage. So, it is probably still in the experimental stage. Now, it remains to be seen if it will be able to enter the world of the Japanese taste buds. But it looks cute.

【素木（しらき）造の神社と光のふしぎな美感】

　東北を横断して大きな被害をもたらした台風５号は熱帯低気圧に変わったけれど、北海道南西部の海上に停滞しているということで、お盆の最中ですが、１日中不安定な天気に翻弄されている札幌。
　どこにも出掛けられず、仕方なく「肉じゃが」をノンビリと作り置き（笑）。大鍋にいっぱい作って子どもに連絡したら、平らげるのに協力を申し出られた。ありがたく料理の腕をふるってほぼ８割方は持って帰ってくれた。いろいろな趣味があると思いますが、わたしの場合は、どうも最大の趣味は料理のようです。カミさんよりもノンビリ自由に作れるという男料理の気楽さを勝手に満喫している。ほんとうはそういうスタンスは良くないだろうと思いつつ、そういう自由さはウレシイ。
　ときどきスタッフに寿司を握ったりするのは、そういう勝手気ままの発露と思っています。ただ、わたしの場合は日常の３食の料理でもあれこれと工夫と任務は果たしてはおりますので誤解なきよう。
　本日の写真は、数日前の好天の朝に参詣していた北海道神宮末社「開拓神社」の本殿の様子。素木の簡素な造りの社殿なのですが、参詣時にちょうど朝日が差し込んできて、光のコントラストで抽象絵画っぽい、ちょっと不思議な反射ぶりを見せてくれていた。
　朝日の照射角度は季節によって微妙に変化するし、その日の日射条件によっても万化する。素木という素地はそういった環境のうつろいの一瞬の美感を映し出す鏡のような効果を持つのですね。
　単純に素材としての木の表情の自然さに惹かれていたけれど、このような美感装置にもなるということに今更ながら気付かされた次第。
　日本の神性感覚にはこういう美感感受の側面が大きいのかも知れないと思わされた。
　素木造りといえば、伊勢神宮社殿の式年遷宮で知られるけれど、日本建築のひとつの極点を表しても居るのでしょう。ひいては日本人の心性に強く影響して「伝統」を形成してきたと思われる。
　簡素な形式だからこそ、自然の豊穣なうつろいを象徴的にそこに反映できるのか。たぶん、こういった「効果」の認識は日本建築の中のひとつの大きな柱のような美感認識なのでしょう。
　さてお盆休み後半戦。台風から変わった熱帯低気圧からの天候不順も気になりますが、北海道らしいパノラマ景観、もうすこし楽しみたいと思っています。みなさんも良い休暇を。


English version⬇

The mysterious beauty of light and a shrine made of shiraki wood.
The simplicity of this sacred stage allows it to beautifully reflect the changes of the four seasons in the fertile Japanese archipelago. Is this an honest achievement of Japanese architecture? The shrine and the light

　Typhoon No. 5, which crossed the Tohoku region and caused great damage, has turned into a tropical cyclone but is now stagnant over the southwestern seas of Hokkaido, so Sapporo is at the mercy of unstable weather all day long, even though it is the middle of the Bon Festival.
　Unable to go out anywhere, I had no choice but to make "meat and potatoes" in a nonchalant manner (laugh). I made a big pot full of it and called my children, who offered to help me flatten it. Thankfully, they took almost 80% of it home with them with their cooking skills. I know there are many different hobbies, but in my case, apparently my biggest hobby is cooking. I enjoy the ease of men's cooking, which allows me to cook more freely and nonchalantly than my wife. While I think this is not a good stance to take, I appreciate the freedom.
　I sometimes make sushi for my staff as a manifestation of that kind of self-indulgence. However, in my case, I do fulfill my duties and devise various ways of cooking for the three daily meals, so please don't misunderstand me.
　Today's photo is a view of the main shrine of Kaitakushi Shrine, a branch of Hokkaido Jingu Shrine, where I paid a visit on a fine morning a few days ago. The shrine is a simple wooden structure, but the morning sun was shining just as I was visiting the shrine, and the contrast of the light gave the shrine a slightly mysterious reflection, almost like an abstract painting.
　The angle of the morning sun's rays changes slightly with the seasons, and the light changes depending on the day's solar radiation conditions. The bare wood has a mirror-like effect that reflects the beauty of the momentary changes in the environment.
　I was attracted to wood simply for its natural expression as a material, but now I realize that it can also be used as an aesthetic device in this way.
　It made me think that the Japanese sense of divinity may have a large aspect of this kind of aesthetic perception.
　Speaking of "sukimoku-zukuri," the Ise Jingu shrine pavilions are known for their ceremonial relocation of shrines, but they may also represent the extreme point of Japanese architecture. It is thought to have strongly influenced the mentality of the Japanese people, and thus to have formed a "tradition.
　Is it because of its simple form that it is able to symbolically reflect the fertile changes of nature? Perhaps, the recognition of such "effects" is an aesthetic perception like one of the major pillars in Japanese architecture.
　Now, the second half of the Bon vacation. Although I am concerned about the bad weather from the tropical depression that has changed from a typhoon, I would like to enjoy the panoramic landscape that is typical of Hokkaido a little more. I hope you all have a nice vacation.

【お盆につき菩提寺参詣、ご本尊「不動明王」さま】

　お盆の休み期間に入って、ことしは連休が続いていますね。だんだん加齢とともに自分自身のこととして身近になってくる。ということで、ときどきは参詣しているわが家の菩提寺参詣。小学校低学年ころ家族で、母親と次兄の３人でこの菩提寺に預かっていただいていた祖父と祖母の遺骨に詣っていたときの写真記録がある。そのときの空間の空気感を鮮明に覚えている。もう65年ほど以前の記憶。
　お骨は骨壺に収められていて、父はふさわしい墓地をどこにするか決めかねていたのだと思う。わが家系は広島県福山市近郊の「今津」から北海道に移住してきた。祖父は移住にあたって自分がどこに永遠の住み処を求めるのか、明確ではなかったのだと思う。そして末子でありながら結果として祖父の遺骸を管理する「家長」としての役柄が自分に下ってきて、父はさて、その亡骸を広島県に埋めるか、それともはるかに移住してきた北海道の地に埋めるべきか、という決断に迫られたのだろう。
　事実として、父の長兄・叔父の家はやがて福山に墓所を求めていくことになる。
　やがて父は札幌市の里塚霊園に墓所をもとめてそこに祖父・祖母とともに自分の遺骨も納骨した。結局父はそのように祖父を「北海道に骨を埋める」結論を出したのだ。自分の遺骨は北海道でと一択だったことと、同時に両親の遺骨もいっしょに葬ってもらったのだ。残された母は、その父の意思に忠実に従った。
　その墓所に納骨した日のことも記憶がある。
　ときは巡って、わたしたち兄弟世代のそういう瞬間もやがてやってくる。で、わたし自身はその家系の家の末子として、自分自身のことはまた別に思案せねばならない。ときどきわたしたち夫婦でそんなことを話題にすることがある。カミさんの家もほぼ同様のことをやがて選択せねばならなくなる。
　いま、北海道の住宅についての諮問会議に委員として参加しているけれど、自分自身の「行く末」自体も決めていかなければならないのだと思う。いま、人口減少期に入ってきてわたしたちの世代が管理しなければならない住宅は相当程度「複数」になってくる。それと似たようなテーマ構図が、人の世のNEXTの世界でも起こってきているのだと思う。

　この寺は1993年にこの本堂を新築した。そのときの「芳名録」があって、うかつにもはじめてそれを見た。そこに30年以上前の自分の意思と名前を発見して、菩提寺というコトバが現実的に感じられた。
　あ、こちらの寺院のご本尊は「不動明王」さま。密教特有の尊格である明王の一尊。大日如来の化身とも言われる。また、五大明王の中心となる明王でもある。 謹んで合掌。


English version⬇

The main deity of the temple, Fudo Myoo, is the Buddhist deity of the family temple.
Nobunaga is said to have said, "When you die, you have nothing. However, "Nobunaga's Tomb" is located by the approach to the inner sanctuary of Koyasan where Kukai is laid to rest. Is this the truth of the Japanese people? ...

　We are now in the Obon vacation period, and things have been going on for consecutive holidays. As I age, I gradually become more and more familiar with the holiday as my own personal matter. So, I have been paying a visit to my family's family temple from time to time. I have a photo record of the time when my mother, second brother, and I visited the remains of my grandfather and grandmother who were kept at the temple when I was in the early elementary school years. I vividly remember the atmosphere of that time. It was about 65 years ago.
　The bones were in an urn, and I think my father was trying to decide where to place them in a suitable cemetery. My family had immigrated to Hokkaido from Imazu, near Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture. I think my grandfather was not clear about where he wanted his eternal home when he emigrated. As the youngest son, he was given the role of "patriarch" in charge of my grandfather's remains, and my father was faced with the decision of whether to bury his remains in Hiroshima Prefecture or in Hokkaido, where he had moved far away from his family.
　As a matter of fact, my father's eldest brother and uncle's family eventually sought a cemetery in Fukuyama.
　Eventually, my father found a cemetery in the Satozuka Cemetery in Sapporo, where he buried his own remains as well as those of his grandfather and grandmother. In the end, my father concluded that my grandfather's remains should be buried in Hokkaido. He had no other choice but to have his own remains buried in Hokkaido, and at the same time, his parents' remains were buried there as well. My mother followed my father's wishes to the letter.
　I remember the day I laid their ashes in the cemetery.
　Time goes by, and such a moment for my siblings' generation will soon come. As the youngest child in the family, I have to think about my own life separately. Sometimes my wife and I talk about such things. My wife's family will have to make a similar choice.
　I am currently participating as a member of the Hokkaido Housing Advisory Council, but I think that I must also decide my own "future" as well. Now that we are entering a period of declining population, the number of houses that our generation will have to manage will be considerably "multiple". I believe that a similar thematic composition is occurring in the NEXT world of the human world.

　The temple built a new main building in 1993. The temple built a new main hall in 1993, and there was a "Houmeiroku" from that time, which I saw for the first time inadvertently. I found my name and my intention more than 30 years ago, and the word "Bodhidai-ji" seemed realistic to me.
　The main deity of this temple is "Fudo Myoo," a deity unique to esoteric Buddhism. He is one of the Myoo, a deity unique to esoteric Buddhism. He is said to be an incarnation of Dainichi Nyorai. He is also the central Myoo of the Five Great Myoo. We respectfully bow our hands in prayer.

【東京都心宿泊予約大失敗〜救世主カプセルH（笑）】

　いやはやこの年齢になってのお恥ずかしい大失敗。仕事現役のころとそう変わりなく全国をあちこち出張して「深掘り型」住宅取材を行動していますが、そういうなかで予想もしていなかった大失敗。予約を入れていたと思っていたホテルについてきちんと確認することなく、夜になっていざ行ってみたら、宿泊予約の不通を知らされ、なお、当日の宿泊予約は満杯で、露頭に迷ったという恥ずかし体験。
　つい先日、7/28夕刻に問題の事態は発生した。当日は東京都内でよく行く博物館施設を参観した後、有楽町でちょっと大きな講演会があってそちらに長時間参加。終わる時間が20時頃だったので、新橋でホテルを予約した（つもりだった）。前日までの千葉県内ホテルに戻るには1.5時間くらいの移動時間がかかるので、面倒なので新橋にしたのですが、数軒みていて「ここにしよ」と決めたつもりが、「じゃらん」での予約が「どうしようかな」と宙ぶらりんのままになっていたのです。
　で、20時過ぎに「ようやく寝られる」と思って現地に行ったら、自分の勘違いを思いっきり知らされてしまった。こういう間違いはわたし人生初であります。自分でも心底驚いたのですが、しょがない。仕方なくそこから宿泊ホテル探しin現地対応。こういう体験もはじめて。いまいる新橋周辺で探そうと思った。その近くでそのホテルで１軒は聞いて向かったのですが、足下を見られてか、とんでもない高額を言われたので退却。カプセルでたしか20,000円近いふっかけぶり。値段以上に安心できる環境とはとても言えない。そこでスマホに探索をさせる手も考えたけれど条件設定が相当にメンドイ。
　ということで、以前に１度宿泊のそこそこ便利で清潔感のあった上野のカプセルホテルに向かった。こういう時間に宿泊難民になった心境というのは、まことに心細く、東京サラリーマン暮らしをしていた酒飲み人生まっ盛りのときにも経験がなかった。一瞬は、宿泊場所がなくこのまま大都会で流浪しながら野宿して時間を潰さなければならないかもと覚悟した。
　さすがにそういうのは若くない身にはちょっと堪える。けどまぁ、それもしょがないとまで思っていた。翌日には札幌までの帰還フライト予定だったので「早めに空港に向かって待合でゴロ寝しているか」と考えたりしていた。万が一を考えて札幌のわが家のカミさんに相談連絡。「もしなんかあったら、後、頼むな」。

　新橋−上野はJRで６駅。そこから歩いて３分ほどの目的地。夜にも及んで総歩数は18,000歩超レベルに達していた。たしか時間は21:00過ぎ。そうしたところ、ラッキーにも下段の場所が空いていた。価格も5,500円ということで緊急避難にしては格安。
　上の写真はすこし落ち着いてから撮影した「室内」写真。カプセルだけれど、この室内左手前側にキー付きの洋服・荷物の収納があって、無事一宿の場を確保できた。
　現代版・高齢者放浪人。世間にご迷惑にならないように、慎重な計画性が不可欠だと思い知らされた次第です。深く反省。
　
English version⬇

[Tokyo Central Accommodation Reservation Fiasco - Savior Capsule H (Laughs)
No, it is not a laughing matter. A stable lodging environment for rest and relaxation is essential for the elderly. Confirmation of reservations, not just sitting around. ...

　Well, this is an embarrassing fiasco at my age. I have been traveling around the country to conduct "in-depth" housing interviews, much as I did when I was still working, but in the midst of all this, I made a huge mistake that I did not anticipate. I had an embarrassing experience when I went to a hotel I thought I had made a reservation for without checking it properly, only to find out at night that the reservation was not available and that the hotel was fully booked on the day of my visit.
　The problem occurred just the other day, on the evening of July 28. On that day, after visiting a museum facility that I often go to in Tokyo, I attended a rather large lecture in Yurakucho, which I attended for a long time. Since the lecture was to end around 20:00, I booked a hotel room in Shinbashi (or so I thought). It would take about 1.5 hours of travel time to return to the hotel in Chiba Prefecture where I had stayed the day before, so I decided to stay in Shimbashi because it was too much trouble.
　When I arrived there after 8:00 p.m., thinking that I could finally sleep, I found out to my surprise that I had made a mistake. This was the first time in my life that I had made such a mistake. I was deeply surprised at myself, but I had no choice. I had no choice but to look for a hotel to stay in and deal with the situation locally. This was also the first time for me to have such an experience. I thought I would look for a hotel in the Shimbashi area where I am now. I heard about one hotel near there, but I was told that the price was outrageously expensive, so I retreated. I think it was close to 20,000 yen for a capsule. It was not a very secure environment for more than the price. I thought about having my phone search for me, but it would be too much trouble to set up the conditions.
　So I headed for a capsule hotel in Ueno, where I had stayed once before and found it to be convenient and clean. I had never experienced the feeling of being a lodging refugee at this time of the day, not even when I was in the prime of my drinking life as a salaryman in Tokyo. For a moment, I thought I might have to pass the time wandering around the metropolis and staying in the open.
　As one might expect, it was a bit hard on my young body. But I thought, well, that's just the way it is. I was scheduled to fly back to Sapporo the next day, so I thought, "I'll head to the airport early and sleep in the waiting area. I called my wife in Sapporo for advice, just in case. She said, "If something happens, don't forget to take care of it.

　Shimbashi - Ueno is 6 stops by JR. From there, the destination is a three-minute walk away. The total number of steps had reached the level of over 18,000 steps over the course of the night. The time was after 21:00. Luckily, the lower level was available. The price was 5,500 yen, which was cheap for an emergency evacuation.
　The photo above is an "indoor" photo taken after I had settled down a bit. Although it is a capsule, there is a storage space for clothes and luggage with a key on the left front side of the room, and I was able to secure a place to stay for the night.
　A modern-day version of an elderly vagabond. I am reminded that careful planning is essential so as not to cause trouble in the world. Deeply regretful.