【132カン、たのしく握りまくった寿司三昧】

　昨日の続き。午前７時頃までにお寿司パーティの準備段取り完了させ、ひと休みしたあと家族が集まってくる正午に向けて午前９時くらいから、握り初めであります。お米は結局、約１升を炊き上げました。
　シロウトの場合はその日の気分と感覚で、シャリの握りの大きさは微妙に変化する。いや、かなり変化する。自分のカラダの食欲を正確に反映するのでしょうか？よくわからない潜在意識領域の表出のように思います。それとわさびの利かせ加減も、連動していることも間違いない。その日の感覚のままに、寿司飯の握り大きさと、ネタの切り身の大きさとが合体して次々と握り寿司が生まれ出てきてくれる。


　握りの大きさ、堅さの選択〜ネタとの合体のバランス感覚。その繰り返し動作から来る体内リズム感に無心に身を委ねていくのですね。三昧〜ざんまいという境地にはもちろん到底至ることは出来ませんが、その入口の付近くらいの「感じ」は見えてくる気がします。
　それとやはり、ネタのことをいろいろ考えて、それらがおいしく仕上がってくれるようにと念じてこの段階まで至ったことに、心理的な達成感は味わわせてくれる。叶うなら、それぞれの１カンずつが独自の、世界にひとつだけの魅力を持って欲しいと願いながら作業することになる。
　体動作ではあるのだけれど、それに付随してさまざまな想念も表出するような気がする。
　で、そうしたひとつひとつが盛り付けられていくときに、楽しさや見た目、色合いのハーモニーなどもオリジナルで創出することもできる。料理の楽しさのど真ん中なんでしょうね。その日その時に得られている食材を使って、精一杯の食の楽しさに昇華させるこころみ、充足感。
　「また今度もね」みたいな気分が、終わってからも余韻として残っている。またやるぞ！


English version⬇

132 Kan, the sushi feast that was so much fun to make.
After all the preparation, the people who will eat the food gather and the ingredients gather on the table. A fleeting encounter. A once-in-a-lifetime encounter. ...

　Continued from yesterday. We completed the preparations for the sushi party by around 7am, and after a short break, we started nigiri at around 9am towards noon, when the family was gathering. In the end, we cooked about 1 square kilo of rice.
　For shirouto, the size of the rice nigiri changes slightly, depending on the day's mood and sensations. No, it varies considerably. Does it accurately reflect your body's appetite? It seems to be an expression of an unfamiliar subconscious realm. That and the degree to which the wasabi has been used are also definitely linked to each other. As per the sensations of the day, the size of the sushi rice grip and the size of the fish fillet merge to create a succession of nigirizushi that come out one after the other.

　The selection of the size and firmness of the nigiri - the sense of balance of merging with the neta. You surrender yourself to the sense of rhythm in your body that comes from the repetitive movements of the nigiri. Of course, it is impossible to reach the state of samadai or zammai, but I think I can see a ‘feeling’ in the entrance to that state.
　And also, I can feel a sense of psychological achievement in having reached this stage of thinking about the ingredients and hoping that they will turn out delicious. If it comes to pass, I will be working with the hope that each individual can of fish will have its own unique, one-of-a-kind charm.
　Although it is a physical movement, I feel that various thoughts and feelings are expressed along with it.
　And when each of these dishes is served, it is possible to create original harmony in terms of enjoyment, appearance and colour. I guess that's the middle of the fun of cooking. The spirit and satisfaction of using the ingredients available at the time and sublimating them to the fullest in the enjoyment of food.
　The feeling of ‘see you next time’ lingers afterwards. I'll do it again!

【握りネタ10品の「仕込み」完了、さて握るぞ！】

さて本日は昼飯どきに４箇所に分散している親族・家族が集まっての身内の誕生会を名目にした寿司食事会。ま、わたしの握り欲求を満たすのが主たる目的（笑）。昨日までに準備完了させていたお魚さんたちを冷蔵庫・冷凍庫から出してきて、ネタ準備。そして寿司飯の焚き上げ。
　その最中に、「あ、ブログ書かなきゃ」とMacに急ぎ向かっております。上の写真は捌いてネタに仕上げたお魚さんたち。ホタテ・ホッキ・ソイ・カレイ・サーモン・マグロ・タコ・イカ・カツオで、これとは別に、温かめ系でウナギ蒲焼きも用意しています。全部で10品。これらで150カンくらいは握る予定。
　箸休めには、下のような「タコとんび」を用意して、前日までに料理して冷蔵保存。

　さらに汁物として、鉄砲汁を用意しております。こちらはカニのぶつ切り（タラバ１kg）を大鍋で加温して、多少の野菜類を炊き込んだ一品。寿司のあわせなので、味噌の薄味に仕上げております。

　ということで、昼飯の方がメインなので朝食はこれから雑炊を作って、簡単に済ませたあと、ようやく本格的に「握り」始めたいと思っております。料理はみんな同じでしょうが、仕込み段階までが主戦場で、最後の仕上げ工程が握り。いわば「力仕事」と「リズミカルな体技」みたいな気分であります。
　魚の捌きからたくさんの戦場をくぐり抜けて、最後は「楽しく」音楽的にカラダいっぱいにリズムを奏でながら、皿に美しく装飾していく、みたいな気分であります。
　ということで本日ブログは料理途中での、アタマのなか・食の追求一択篇でした。オソマツ！！

English version⬇

Ten items of nigiri have been prepared, now let's get to work!
Sushi is more invigorating than buckwheat noodles, and it makes your brain active and your blood boil. It is as if the raw life of the fish is boiling and stimulating. ...

Today, my relatives and family members, who are spread out over four locations, gathered at lunchtime for a sushi dinner under the guise of a birthday party for my relatives. The main purpose is to satisfy my nigiri craving (laughs). The fish that had been prepared by yesterday were brought out of the fridge/freezer and the ingredients were prepared. Then, I fired up the sushi rice.
　In the middle of all this, I thought, ‘Oh, I have to write a blog’ and rushed to my Mac. The photo above shows the fish that have been processed and made into sushi. There are scallops, hokki, soi, flounder, salmon, tuna, octopus, squid, bonito, and we also prepared a warm eel kabayaki. There are 10 items in total. We plan to serve about 150 cans with these.
　For a chopstick rest, we have prepared ‘octopus tonbi’ as shown below, cooked the day before and kept refrigerated.

　In addition, teppo soup is available as a soup. This is a dish made by heating up a large pot of crab (1 kg of king crab) and cooking it with some vegetables. As it is a sushi combination, it is lightly flavoured with miso.

　So, since lunch is the main meal, I will now make zosui for breakfast, and after a quick and easy meal, I finally want to start ‘nigiri’ in earnest. I know it's the same for everyone in cooking, but the main battle is up to the preparation stage, and the nigiri is the final finishing process. It's like ‘hard work’ and ‘rhythmical body movements’, so to speak.
　It's like going through many battlefields from the fish processing stage, and finally decorating the plate beautifully while playing the rhythm with your body in a ‘joyful’ musical way.
　So today's blog is about my mind's pursuit of food, in the middle of cooking. Osomatsu!

【魚をさばく、寿司を握る 「三昧」の週末】

わたしは長く続けてきた仕事、その組織から身を引いて、やや自由なスタンス、立ち位置に自分の生きる場所を変えてきているのですが、そうすると自分の本然の「好み」というものと段々と近づいてくるような感覚になってきます。
　料理というのも自分の本来としてはたいへんに数寄なんだと思っています。その料理の中でも「蕎麦打ち」は人気が高いでしょうが、わたしの場合はどうも、魚料理により大きな興味がある。蕎麦って、要するに「こねる」料理なんでしょうが、魚料理の「捌く」醍醐味により惹かれる。
　写真はことし、久方ぶりの「群来」に沸いている北海道沿岸で獲れているニシン。

　だいたい30cmは超えている魚体。ここのところ、毎週のように鮮魚店で購入して捌くのが習慣化しております。身も丸々として、いかにも北海道近海の大自然がこの全身にみなぎっている。刺激的な姿態で、どうだとでも叫んでいるかのように感じられる。
　であれば、こちらも襟を正して、正面からその美しい姿に向き合って行く。
　包丁の刃先から、その身を捌き上げていく。真剣に向き合い、その肉体と対話するような静かな時間が流れていく。一種「命のやり取り」というような気分も沸き立ってくる。

　三枚におろしてそれでも残る小骨に対して、丁寧に包丁を入れていく。あした日曜には家族が集まっての寿司握りを予定しているのですが、そのネタにもできると思うのですが、カミさんの判断でいつものように、焼き魚として食べることにします。
　あ、アラも出ますので、それらはニシンのアラ汁として調理して無駄なくいただきます。
　このニシンの他にも寿司ネタはたくさん入手しているので、それらをあしたは握っていきたいと思います。北海道周辺の海の幸に深く感謝。


English version⬇

[Catching fish, making sushi, ‘samadhi’ weekends
A ‘dialogue’ with fresh seasonal herring with knife work. In a sense, it's a time to enjoy the very best of samadhi. Respect for nature wells up in the heart. ...

　I have stepped away from the work I have been doing for a long time and from its organisation, and I have changed my place of living to a somewhat freer stance and position, and in doing so I feel that I am gradually getting closer to my natural ‘tastes’.
　Cooking is also a very special kind of cuisine for me. Soba making is probably the most popular type of cooking, but in my case, I am more interested in fish dishes. Soba is a dish that requires kneading, but I'm more attracted to the real pleasure of processing fish.
　The photograph shows herring caught off the coast of Hokkaido, which is enjoying its first ‘schooling’ in many years.

　The fish body is usually over 30 cm. It has become a habit of mine to buy them from fresh fish shops and process them every week. The meat is rounded, and the nature of the seas around Hokkaido is all over this fish. It's an exciting sight, as if it's screaming out to you, ‘How are you doing?
　If so, we straighten up and face the beautiful figure from the front.
　From the edge of the knife, I handle the body. The time passes quietly, as if you are seriously facing and conversing with the body. A kind of ‘exchange of life’ is felt.

　I carefully cut the fish into three pieces and then carefully cut the knife against the small bones that still remain. Tomorrow, on Sunday, we are planning to have a family gathering for sushi nigiri, and I think it could be used for that, but Kami has decided that we will eat it as grilled fish, as we always do.
　Oh, we will also get some ara, which we will cook as kipper ara soup and eat it without wasting any of it.
　In addition to this herring, we also have a lot of other sushi items available, which we will be making tomorrow. We are deeply grateful for the seafood around Hokkaido.

【仕事が目に見えて進展する「特異日」】

　きのう、事業譲渡後、約２年掛けてずっと取り組んできている案件について、ようやく峠を超えるような進展が見られた。すこしホッとした達成感を味わいつつ、より慎重に取り組むことで、最後の仕上げに向けて立ち向かっていきたいと兜の緒を締めております。
　多くのスタッフと協働して行っていく仕事と違って、個人企業として取り組んでいく仕事は多くの外部関係者との「呼吸合わせ」のようなことが大きい。くれぐれも自分勝手にならないように、相手の立場を考えムリのない方法で、謙虚な姿勢で対応するのが基本。そんな「呼吸法」がだんだんと少しは理解できるようになって来たのかもと、そんなことを実感させられております。
　こういう特異日のように進展が見られる日というのは、たぶん目には見えない水面下でのアヒルの水かきのような段取り仕事が表に顔を出す瞬間なのでしょうね。　
　写真は散歩道の途中でよく見ている「廃屋」の様子。札幌の市街地でこういった廃屋が放置されているというのはあまり遭遇しないけれど、わたしが知っているだけでもこの廃屋は5-6年前くらいから存在している。建物真ん中当たりで「不同沈下」が顕著に見られていて、ここのところの急激な積雪もあって、屋根の積雪荷重にどこまで耐えられるのかと、やや不安に見つめ続けています。
　不思議なモノで、そんなふうに見つめ続けていると、それはそれなりに心理に「馴染み」感が形成されてくる。こころの底で「がんばれ」と応援するような気分がしてくるのですね。いとおかし。
　この木造住宅も、そこで暮らした家族の暮らしを支え続け、廃屋になってもなお、わたしのような通行人に命の叫びのようなものを伝えている。永続的な力、縁の下でがんばる、みたいな忍耐心を教えてくれているかのよう。わたしの仕事の展開とも共鳴するように感じております。


English version⬇

[A ‘singular day’ when work visibly progresses].
A derelict landscape that seems to silently tell us how to work steadily and over time. Mysterious mental synchronisation. ...

　Yesterday, we finally made progress on a project that we have been working on for a long time, taking about two years since the transfer of the business, and we have finally reached the end of the pass. While experiencing a slightly relieved sense of achievement, we are tightening our helmets to face the final touches by working more carefully.
　Unlike work that is carried out in collaboration with many staff members, the work we work on as a private company is largely a matter of ‘breathing together’ with many external parties. The basic rule is to respond in a humble manner, in a way that is not unreasonable and with the other party's position in mind, so as not to be selfish. I am made to realise that I may have gradually come to understand such a ‘breathing’ method a little better.
　I think that these days when progress can be seen, like a singular day, are probably the moments when the unseen, under-the-water arrangements like a duck's waterer come to the surface.　
　The photo shows an ‘abandoned house’ that is often seen along the walking path. It is not very common to see abandoned houses like this in the city centre of Sapporo, but this one has been around for five or six years, if I know it at all. There is a noticeable ‘unequal settlement’ in the middle of the building, and I keep looking at it somewhat anxiously, wondering how far it can withstand the snow load on the roof, partly due to the rapid snowfall in recent days.
　It's a strange thing, when you keep staring at something like that, it forms a sense of ‘familiarity’ in your psyche in its own way. Deep down inside, you feel as if you are cheering them on, saying ‘Go for it’. Cute.
　This wooden house also continues to support the lives of the family who lived there, and even though it has been abandoned, it still conveys something like a cry of life to passers-by like me. It is as if it is teaching me about enduring strength, perseverance to work hard behind the scenes and so on. I feel that this resonates with the development of my work.

【日本的「作庭」とHokkaidoの「雪かき」営為】

　きのうの続きです。日本的庭造りマインドと北海道での雪かきとの対比論。
　断熱気密などの住宅性能的な部分などへの「比重の掛け方」の北海道人のマインドからは、いわゆる和風庭園づくりマインドには距離感がある。その実感が強まってくるのですね。上の写真は神戸市の新神戸駅にほど近い「竹中大工道具館」のすばらしい庭。さすがに竹中「工務店」企業ポリシーの表現らしいみごとな建築と作庭で、行く度に打たれております。って、初参観以来、もう10回くらい訪問。公開している企業建築の庭、その「奥行き感」に魅了される。

　ところが、そういう夢想的な空間美から帰ってくると、職住一体のわが家では毎冬否応なく「雪との対話」が半年は継続する。公共事業による重機除雪と、住民側の自助・公共への奉仕のないまぜな雪かき作業、その「やるぞ」マインドの維持が不可欠なものになっている。
　これまではこうした両者の「関係論」というのを気付いたことがなかったのですが、北海道人は冬の間、いつもこうしたわが家とその周辺の雪対応・環境メンテナンスにこころの大きな部分が占領されているのだと最近強く気付かされている。これってより切実な「自然環境との対話」そのもの。
　そして上の写真の竹中大工道具館の庭も、この神戸の土地・場所のもつ環境との相関・対話であることはあきらか。こちらはもちろん日本人的感性「数寄」の表現で芸術的に訴えかけてくる。
　で一方、北海道人の雪との対話も、カタチはまったく違うし、数寄どころではない「ヤリキレナイ」心理がベース旋律ではあるけれど「自然環境との対話」そのものではある。
　こういう花鳥風月こころをはるかに超える強制的な対話を続けざるを得ない北海道人は、雪が融けたら、より広大で魅力たっぷりの北海道のナマな自然景観により大きな美感を見出していく。どうも「作庭」というような深遠な数寄心理には向かいにくい。違和感。北海道のアウトドア環境作りでは「ジンギスカンパーティ会場志向」的なマインドに向かいやすいと推測させられるのです。
　毎年の冬の雪かき営為を積み重ねてきた個人的実感なのですが、みなさんはさていかがでしょうか？


English version⬇

Japanese-style ‘gardening’ and Hokkaido's ‘snow shoveling’ activities
Hokkaido people, who are motivated to shovel snow by their ‘yarikirenai’ mentality that it will snow heavily again, are drawn to the charms of nature in the six months of the year when there is no snow. ...

　Continued from yesterday. A contrasting argument between the Japanese garden-making mindset and snow shoveling in Hokkaido.
　There is a sense of distance from the so-called Japanese garden-making mindset from the Hokkaido people's mindset of ‘putting more weight’ on housing performance aspects such as insulation and airtightness. This feeling is becoming stronger. The photo above shows a wonderful garden at the Takenaka Carpenter's Tools Museum near Shin-Kobe Station in Kobe City. I am struck every time I visit by the magnificent architecture and gardens, which are indeed an expression of Takenaka Corporation's corporate policy. Since my first visit, I have visited the Takenaka Taikogukan about 10 times. I am fascinated by the ‘sense of depth’ of the garden of the corporate architecture, which is open to the public.

　However, after returning from such a dreamy and beautiful space, we inevitably have a ‘dialogue with the snow’ every winter for at least half a year in our house, which is a combination of work and residence. The heavy snow removal by public works and the residents' self-help and service to the public are intertwined, and maintaining this “can-do” mindset has become indispensable.
　I have never been aware of the ‘theory of relationship’ between these two, but I have recently been reminded that a large part of Hokkaido people's minds are always occupied with such snow-related environmental maintenance in and around their homes during the winter months. This is a more serious ‘dialogue with the natural environment’ itself.
　And the garden at the Takenaka Carpenter's Tools Museum, pictured above, is clearly in correlation and dialogue with the environment of the land and place here in Kobe. This garden is of course artistically appealing in its expression of the Japanese sensibility of ‘sukiyaki’.
　On the other hand, the Hokkaido people's dialogue with the snow has a completely different form, and although the base melody is based on a psychology of ‘yarikirenai’, which is more than sukiyomi, it is a ‘dialogue with the natural environment’ itself.
　Hokkaido people, who have no choice but to continue this kind of forced dialogue that goes far beyond the Kacho Fugetsu (flower, bird, wind and moon) mentality, find greater beauty in the vast and attractive natural landscape of Hokkaido once the snow melts. Apparently, it is difficult for them to move towards a profoundly numerical psychology such as ‘Sakutei’. Discomfort. It is easy to assume that the creation of outdoor environments in Hokkaido tends towards a ‘Genghis Khan party venue-oriented’ mindset.
　This is my personal feeling based on the experience of shoveling snow every winter, but how about you?

【雪まつりが終わると春へ・・・かなぁ？】

　昨日は週の半ばの祝日休日。どうも中間の月曜日が変調させる日程で、どうも休日気分が盛り上がらないままで過ごしておりました。そんな浮かない気分でいたら、元気いっぱいの除排雪車両群がわが家前の道路に出動してくれていました。
　「中学校通学路」になっているので、わが家前の道路は除排雪作業では優先度が高いし、当然頻度も高い。土地選びのときにそういうメリットを勘案していましたが、人生時間でもっとも長い時間を経過してきて、こういうメリットはやはり大きかったと再認識しています。わが家前の中学校はかなりの人口密集地域の中学校として生徒数も高い水準で推移しているようだし、今後の人口減少局面でも、こういうメリットの存続可能性は高いのではないかと、カンを働かせています。
　こういう集中除排雪が継続的に行われることから、自ずとそのことを前提にした自宅敷地＆自宅前道路「雪かき」行為の計画性が担保されるように思う。
　札幌暮らしがながい人間からすると、このやむを得ない雪との「対話」、それも11月くらいから4月くらいまでの半年に及ぶ期間の雪かき計画期間というのは、もっとも主要な外部環境との関わり。関東以南地域での「庭仕事」以上に、自然との「対話」機会だと思うようになってきました。いわゆる伝統的日本美意識の花鳥風月とは乖離した独自の自然対話感覚。
　わが家では、狭めの敷地の平面部分にはロードヒーティングを敷設して表面にはレンガを敷いて、造園ではない庭としてきました。職住一体型住宅としては、わかりやすいコンセプト。最初はロードヒーティングをよく使っていたのですが、しかし札幌は年間積雪が5mを超える多雪都市。＜図は2/11AM9:00現在のことしの年間降雪量データですでに70%程度で推移＞　このような世界でも奇跡的な多雪大都市なので、融雪地面と非融雪地面の「高低差」がハンパなく発生する。厳冬期３ヶ月程度は、その高低差に悩むことになる。そこで敷設したロードヒーティングは数年で中止。まぁ、こういう用途に化石燃料を使うことにためらいが感じられるようになってもいた。
　以降、ほぼ30年以上は前面道路を含めての雪かきを自分自身に課してきた。比較的健康体で人生を過ごしてきたのには、こういう条件設定も大きかったかも知れません。今後の高齢期については、健康面との兼ね合いで考えて行くことになりますね。オモシロい課題。


English version⬇

[After the Snow Festival, it's spring... or is it?
For the people of Hokkaido, the dialogue with snow is an earnest feeling of the flower, bird and wind seasons. A huge divergence from the traditional Nippon ‘mono no aware’ warm-weather sensibility. Shin Kacho Fugetsu? ...

　Yesterday was a mid-week public holiday. The mid-week Monday schedule was a bit of a challenge, and I was not feeling very happy about the holiday. When I was in this mood, a group of snow clearing vehicles were out on the road in front of our house.
　The road in front of our house has a high priority in snow removal work because it is a ‘junior high school route’, and of course the frequency is high. We took these advantages into account when we chose the land, and now that we have lived here for the longest time in our lives, we realise that these advantages were still significant. The junior high school in front of our house seems to have a high number of students as a junior high school in a densely populated area, and I have a hunch that these advantages have a high chance of surviving even in the future when the population is declining.
　The fact that this kind of intensive snow removal is carried out on a continuous basis seems to naturally guarantee the planning of the act of ‘snow shoveling’ the home site & the road in front of the home on that basis.
　For those of us who have lived in Sapporo for a long time, this unavoidable ‘dialogue’ with the snow, and the planning period for snow shoveling, which extends over a period of six months from November to April, is the most important relationship with the external environment. I have come to think that this is an opportunity to ‘dialogue’ with nature even more than ‘garden work’ in the Kanto region and southwards. A unique sense of dialogue with nature that diverges from the so-called traditional Japanese aesthetic of Kacho Fugetsu.
　In our house, we have laid road heating and bricks on the surface of the flat part of the narrow plot, making it a non-landscaped garden. This is a straightforward concept for a house with an integrated work/residential area. At first, road heating was often used, however, Sapporo is a city with heavy snowfall, with an annual snowfall of more than 5m. <The figure is already at around 70% of the annual snowfall data for this year as of 9:00AM 11 Feb> As this is such a miraculously snowy metropolis in the world, the ‘height difference’ between the snow-melting ground and the non-snow-melting ground occurs without a hump. For about three months during the severe winter season, the difference in height is a problem. The road heating system installed there was discontinued after a few years. Well, we also began to feel hesitant about using fossil fuels for this kind of application.
　Since then, I have been obliged to shovel snow myself, including on the front road, for almost 30 years or more. This kind of conditioning may have been a big part of the reason why I have spent my life in relatively good health. I will have to think about my future old age in combination with my health. An interesting challenge.

【SNSの政治活動利用でも「広告収入」への疑問】

　大手新聞の凋落は止まることはないけれど、テレビメディアも今回のフジテレビ問題を契機に、見直しが進んで行く趨勢でしょう。そこに今回トランプ政権から「USAID」への大ナタが振るわれて、アメリカのいわゆる「DS」がどのように世界のメディアをコントロールしてきたのか、その「金の流れ」が解明されようとしてきている。いまのところ情報不足で断片的ではあるけれど、どのような「支配構造」がこれまでにあったのか、世界の言論についての情報操作の実態の開示はぜひ求めたい。
　わたし自身、戦後教育を受けてきてその脳内支配構造の中で生きてきた人間なので、その教育のベースに「戦勝国家」アメリカとくに、戦争指導でアメリカを勝利に導いた「民主党」＝ルーズベルト（ローズベルトという方がより正確な発音表記とも言われるけれど）の方針によって戦後日本国家は大枠を嵌められてきたことはあきらか。今回の共和党トランプ政権の動きは、こういう基幹部分についても本当にどこまで情報開示することになるのか、非常に興味深い。自分自身がどう影響されてきたのか、ひとりの人間として棺桶に入るまでに確認できる機会だと思っています。
　さて、一方で最近の日本では政治動向にSNSが顕著に影響を拡大してきている。兵庫県知事選挙などに典型的でそれ自体は自然なことですが、国政段階でもいろいろな動きが出てきている。
　そういうなかで、一般人として疑問に思っていることが、表題のようなことです。youtube動画などでは再生時に広告表示されて、その再生回数に応じて広告収入が得られている。そのこと自体はシステム上、当然のことだろうとは思うけれど、しかし政党活動・政治活動での利用でも、広告収入が得られるというのは、政治を大きくゆがめてしまうのではないか。まさに政治と金問題そのもの。
　通常のメディア的な情報活動について広告が付くのはいいけれど、政治活動・言論にこういうバイアス要因があり得るというのは、危険性を感じさせられる。非常に偏った言説、それもヒステリーを煽る傾向に「金儲け・ビジネス的な動機」を与えてしまう危険性があり、拍車を掛けることになるのではないだろうか。実際、一部でそのような「煽られた集団」とおぼしき傾向も見られている。
　より良識的な民意の判断力を維持するために、考えて行かなければならないのではないか？


English version⬇

[Questions about ‘ad revenue’ even in the use of social networking sites for political activities].
The reality of USAID's activities has been brought to the surface by the Trump administration. The question of whether our brains have been warped in the form of post-war education? ...

　The decline of the major newspapers will not stop, but the TV media is also likely to undergo a review following the Fuji TV issue. Then, the Trump administration has taken a major swipe at USAID, and the so-called ‘DS’ in the US is about to reveal how it has controlled the world's media and the ‘flow of money’. Although information is currently lacking and fragmentary, we would like to know what kind of ‘control structure’ has existed so far, and we would like to see the disclosure of the actual state of information manipulation in the world's speech.
　I myself was educated in the post-war education system and have been living in its brain-controlling structure, so my education was based on the policy of the ‘victorious nation’ of the US, especially the ‘Democrat’ Roosevelt (although it is said that Rosevelt is a more accurate pronunciation), who led the US to victory in the war and who, in the post-war period, was responsible for the establishment of the Japanese state. It is clear that the Japanese state has been largely framed by the policies of the ‘Democrats’, who led the US to victory in the war. It will be very interesting to see how far the Republican Trump administration will really go in disclosing information about these core elements. I think it is an opportunity for me, as a human being, to check how I myself have been affected by the situation before I go into the coffin.
　Now, on the other hand, social networking has been remarkably expanding its influence on political trends in Japan recently. Typical examples include the Hyogo Prefecture gubernatorial election, which in itself is a natural phenomenon, but there have also been various developments at the national political level.
　In this context, as a member of the general public, I have a question about the above-mentioned matter: on Youtube videos, advertisements are displayed during playback, and advertising income is earned according to the number of times the video is played. This in itself is a natural part of the system, but the fact that advertising income can be earned even when used for party and political activities distorts politics greatly, doesn't it? This is the very problem of politics and money itself.
　It is fine that advertising is attached to normal media-like information activities, but the fact that this kind of bias factor is possible in political activities and discourse is a danger. There is a danger of giving a ‘money-making/business motive’ to a very biased discourse, a tendency that could also fuel hysteria, and spur it on. In fact, there is a tendency in some quarters to dread such ‘agitated groups’.
　We have to think about this in order to maintain a more sensible judgment of public opinion, don't we?

【危険化するオーバーツーリズムに遭遇 in 小樽】

　昨日、高齢夫婦の休日の過ごし方として、札幌市近郊の小樽市の温泉施設に向かっておりました。こちらはその泉質がカミさんの好みに合っているので、ここのところの雪かき作業でお疲れモードの彼女の肉体疲労回復に最適と判断しての温泉行脚。
　小樽は明治14（1881）年 明治天皇の北海道行幸の上陸地。8月30日明治天皇は当時の参議・大隈重信らとともに軍艦「扶桑」で青森から小樽に上陸、札幌・手宮間の幌内鉄道の「義経号」で札幌に入られた。北海道の歴史にとってもきわめて重要な土地。そういう故地であるのでわたしのような年代の人間には、どこか、小樽は遠雷のように北海道で「日本が始まった」地域というような記憶心象がある。
　すっかり国際的な観光地になってしまっている運河通りのメインストリート「臨港線」を避けて、上の地図にある裏道「小樽港縦貫道」を通って手宮方面に抜ける車道を往来するのが、日頃からのわたしたちのドライブルート選択であります。冬の道路脇に堆雪した大きな雪山のある小樽市街の様子も、青春期以来のいろいろな記憶残像があるので、高齢期の人間には人生ノスタルジックな脳内回想を刺激される。わたしの数寄。
　そんな記憶回廊のなかを走行していたら、交差点でも信号があるワケでもないその道路脇の雪山の陰から突然、車道にアイスクリームを食べながら異様な毛糸帽子をかぶった男性が飛び出してくるではありませんか（！）。
　咄嗟ではありましたが、脳内回想もあってクルマのスピードは控えめにしていたので、急減速して事なきを得ました。すでに日が高くなっていた晴天で道路面が表れていたので、スリップせず減速が効いたことも良かった。当方の必死の様子に別に悪びれる風もなく、その人物は自分だけの世界に閉じこもられて、なにごともなげに立ち去られていった。
　まぁ確かめる術はありませんでしたが、風体からして海外観光客、それも全体状況からして某国の方であろうことも推認できた。運河街のレンガ造の倉庫古建築にさかんにカメラを向けているひとが異常に多かったことも状況を証立てている。
　今朝のYahooニュースをチェックしたら、CNN発出の記事が見られていた。「映画「Ｌｏｖｅ　Ｌｅｔｔｅｒ」ロケ地の小樽市、観光客殺到でオーバーツーリズム深刻化CNN.co.jp」〜
　わたしたちにできることとして、ぜひみなさん、くれぐれも普段の日常生活にお気を付けてください。


English version⬇

Dangerous overtourism encounters in Otaru
The daily lives of citizens in Kyoto and other cities are becoming increasingly difficult, but Hokkaido, a scenic beauty with snow, is now also facing a growing danger of overtourism. ...

　Yesterday, as a way of spending a holiday for an elderly couple, we headed to a hot spring facility in Otaru City, a suburb of Sapporo. The quality of the hot springs here is to Kami's liking, so we decided it would be the best place for her to recover from the physical fatigue of shoveling the snow recently.
　Otaru was the landing place of the Meiji Emperor's Hokkaido excursion in 1881, when he and his councilor at the time, Shigenobu Okuma, landed in Otaru from Aomori on the warship Fuso on 30 August and entered Sapporo on the Horonai Railway's ‘Yoshitsune-go’ between Sapporo and Temiya. This is an extremely important land in the history of Hokkaido. As such a place of origin, people of my age have a memory of Otaru as the place where ‘Japan began’ in Hokkaido, as if it were a distant thunderbolt.
　Our daily driving route of choice is to avoid the main Canal Street ‘Rinko Line’, which has become an international tourist attraction, and take the back road shown in the map above, the ‘Otaru Port Traverse Road’, which leads to the Temiya area. The view of Otaru city with large snow piles composted on the side of the road in winter also stimulates nostalgic brain recollections of life for people in their old age, as there are various memory afterimages since their youth. My Sukiyoko.
　As I was driving through such a memory corridor, a man in a strange woollen hat suddenly jumped out from behind a snowy mountain on the side of the road, where there was neither an intersection nor a traffic light, eating an ice-cream on the roadway (!).
　
I had to slow down quickly, but I had a recollection in my brain that the speed of the car was moderate, so I was able to slow down quickly and save the day. It was a good thing that the road surface was already sunny and the sun was already high in the sky, so the deceleration worked without slipping. The person who had been driving the car was not offended by our desperation, but kept to himself and walked away without a care in the world.
　Well, there was no way to be sure, but I could guess that he was a foreign tourist from his appearance, and from the whole situation, I could also guess that he was from a certain country. The fact that there were an unusually large number of people pointing their cameras at the old brick warehouse buildings in the canal district also attests to the situation.
　I checked Yahoo News this morning and found an article from CNN. The city of Otaru, where the film Love Letter was shot, is facing serious overtourism problems due to the influx of tourists.CNN.co.jp」〜
　As for what we can do, we urge everyone to take care in their daily lives.

【列島雪景色 金閣とSapporoスヌーピー雪像】

やっぱり毎日更新のブログでは、時事ネタに自分の興味が向かってしまいますね。いまは、たくさんの校正ゲラや、企画書まとめ作業に追われているのですが、仕事関係でそのようにギリギリの瀬戸際感が迫ってくるほどに、息抜きではないけれど別次元の場所に憩いたくなる。
　きのう、ご近所のお宅の身近な芸術造形をご紹介したら、むしろ建築の専門家の方からよろこびの声が寄せられていました。大雪という自然の摂理に対しての人間社会の反応として、それに立ち向かうとか、克服するというような向き合い方ばかりではない反応として、好感を持ったというお知らせ。言われてみてはじめて、そうか、そういうとらえ方も出来るかと得心した。
　一方、関東以南地域で雪が降ったら象徴的によく紹介されるのが、金閣。建築美との相乗作用でその光景に多くの人が魅了される。わたしもこの時期になると、そういう便りに期待してしまう。写真は日テレNEWS-NNNのyahoo記事から引用ですが、この美感を狙ってニュースメディアに限らず多くの人が、写真映えを意図して早朝から金閣を訪れるのだそうです。三島由紀夫の作品でもわかるように日本人的美意識のひとつの典型としてこの景観美があるのでしょう。その背景の水と緑環境のコントラストは、深く日本人を捉え続けている。
　しかし一方の下の写真ですが、北の地の民は、こんな雪像を自分の家の前に造形して道行く子どもたちに、なにかの心情を伝えようとしている。スヌーピーに目が入って、耳にも着色されてどうやら完成のようですが、金閣の美感とはまことに対比的な人間的な感覚。
　伝統文化の京都では、究極的な美が求められ、一方の北国ではまことに「身近」な雪に対して、一種の愛情を持って儚くも心温まる造形で訴求してくる。そのどちらにも心をわしづかみされてしまう。折から、さっぽろも雪まつりで世界からのオーバーツーリズムの洗礼を受けていますが、街の住宅街の片隅でも、こんな「雪まつり」もあるんだよ、と語っているようです。


English version⬇

Snowy Landscape of the Archipelago - Golden Pavilion and Sapporo Snoopy Snow Statue
The ultimate snow-covered Golden Pavilion, a symbol of the Japanese sense of beauty in landscape, and the snow sculptures of the people of the north, which convey warmth. The contrast between the two is striking. ...

In a blog that is updated every day, my interest tends to be on current affairs. At the moment, I am busy with a lot of proofreading and proposal compilation work, but the more I feel on the edge of my work, the more I want to take a break in another dimension, not to relax.
　Yesterday, when I introduced the familiar art forms of my neighbour's house, I was rather pleased to hear from an architectural expert. They said they liked it because it was a reaction of human society to the natural order of heavy snowfall, and not just a reaction of confronting or overcoming it. I was surprised to learn that this is one way of looking at it.
　On the other hand, when it snows in the Kanto region and southwards, the Golden Pavilion is often introduced as a symbolic site. Many people are attracted by the synergy between the beauty of the architecture and the sight of the Golden Pavilion. I, too, look forward to such news at this time of year. The photo is taken from a yahoo article by Nittere NEWS-NNN, but many people, not only from the news media, visit the Golden Pavilion early in the morning with the intention of being photographed, aiming for this sense of beauty. As can be seen in the works of Yukio Mishima, this scenic beauty is typical of the Japanese sense of beauty. The contrast between the water in the background and the green environment continues to deeply capture the Japanese.
　But on the other hand, in the picture below, the people of the northern part of the country are trying to convey some kind of sentiment to the children on the street by sculpting such a snow sculpture in front of their house. Snoopy's eyes and ears have been coloured to complete the picture, but it is a very human sensation that contrasts sharply with the beauty of the Golden Pavilion.
　In the traditional culture of Kyoto, ultimate beauty is sought after, while in the northern countries, snow, which is so ‘close’ to us, is appealed to with a kind of affection in a fleeting but heart-warming form. Both of these appeal to the heart. Since then, Sapporo has also been baptised by overtourism from around the world with the Snow Festival, but even in a residential corner of the city, it seems to be saying that there is also such a ‘Snow Festival’.

【わが家近隣「スヌーピー雪像」に感動】

　いやぁ、まことに感動してしまっております。
　ちょっと以前から近隣のお宅のアプローチ前、道路側に雪を貯めてボックス状になっていたのは確認していたのですが、どうも昨日日中にその雪塊に対して雪像作りをチャレンジされている様子が見られるではありませんか（！）
　道行く人びとも、なんとなく気になるようで注目を集めていたようでした。で、さらに時間が経過して見てみたら、写真のような光景に変貌していたではありませんか。いや、お見事！　素晴らしい。
　周辺道路は中学生の通学路になっているし、さらに近くの保育園児たちもときどき保母さんたちに連れられて、通行することがある。たしか毎年のようにこうした雪像作りを趣味にされているようで、こどもたちが大喜びしている様子に、強いリスペクトを感じさせられていましたが、それを今年も実行されている。
　先日、北海道民・札幌市民の雪かき営為について、単なる「自分だけがよければ」という枠を超える「公共奉仕」的な営為ではないかという心意で、本州以南地域での「庭仕事」への思い以上のものかも知れないと書いたのですが、この雪像作りには、そういった公共への気配りとか配慮、子どもたちへの地域のこころのようなものが表出している。こどもたちに笑顔を届けるというサンタクロース的な心情とも言えましょうか。まことに感動。
　こういう「街の市井のこころ」に触れられる子どもたちが、どんな受け止め方をしてくれるだろうかと想像すれば、同じ市街地空間を共有するものとして、まことに頭が下がる思い。感謝の念でいっぱいです。


English version⬇

The ‘Snoopy snow sculpture’ in our neighbourhood is a moving sight.
Residents of the north have a common love of snow, and there is something about the snowman that touches their heartstrings. An expression of love for the children growing up in the area. ...

　Well, I am really impressed.
　We had seen that the snow had been stored in a box on the road side in front of the approach to a neighbour's house, but yesterday during the day, we saw them trying to make a snow sculpture out of this snow mass (!).
　People on the road seemed to be somewhat curious about it, and it seemed to be attracting a lot of attention. And when I looked at it after some more time had passed, it had transformed into a scene like the one in the photo. No, it's brilliant!　It's wonderful.
　The surrounding roads are used as a route for junior high school students to go to school, and nursery school children sometimes pass by, accompanied by their mothers. I remember that you seem to make snow sculptures as a hobby every year, and the children's delight in this activity made me feel a strong respect for you, which you are doing again this year.
　The other day, I wrote about the snow shoveling activities of Hokkaido and Sapporo citizens as a kind of ‘public service’ that goes beyond the mere ‘as long as it's good for me’, and that it may be more than the kind of ‘garden work’ that people in the south of Honshu do, This snow sculpture shows a kind of community spirit towards children. Could it be said to be a Santa Claus-like sentiment to bring smiles to the children? It is truly moving.
　Imagining how children who are exposed to this kind of ‘heart of the city’ would perceive it, as people who share the same urban space, I feel truly bowed down. I am filled with gratitude.