１０月２６日（日曜日）２０２５　
　あいにくの雨の中、「石と石垣の魅力」の講座にお集まりくださった皆様、ありがとうございました。

　講師は安土で石垣の設計・施工を行う石垣作家の西澤伊織氏でした。西澤さんは工務店の家に生まれ、小学生の一時期ドイツでシュタイナー教育を受けて、芸術や自然、体験を通して自分の存在を考え、さらにアメリカで四年間の大学生活を送るなど、かなりユニークな道の行き着く先が、石垣造りであり、そこに芸術性を見出したのが今日の西澤伊織さんだとお見受けしました。

　お城の石垣にしても積み方には変遷があること、山肌に石垣を造る時の日本と西欧の根本的な違い、石垣の構造と石垣造りの工程、多賀石の特徴と使われ方、穴太衆（あのうしゅう）の石垣と西澤さんの石垣の違い、石垣造りに使う道具、海外の石垣、などなど、これまで石垣を気にも留めずにいた私でさえ、西澤さんの話す石垣に引き寄せられ、石垣の魅力にハマってしまいました。

    石垣が好きな人やお城に詳しい人も参加してくださり、興味深い質問をたくさんしてくださいました。「イシアタマ」という言葉もありますが、皆さんの頭の中には石への想いがたくさん詰まって、今後、石垣のそばを通る時、今日のことを思い出して楽しく鑑賞できるに違いありません。

I am greatly appreciative of the participation to the talk about "Stone and Stonewall" by Iori Nishizawa at Taga Asahiya despite the rainy weather. Mr. Nishizawa is a drystone wall designer from Azuchi in Shiga and he does both construction and design of stonewalls. He was not raised in a building contractor family and his path leading up to today was very unique. He had a Waldorf education (Steiner education) for about a year in Germany which probably developed his identity and creativity through the intellectual, artistic and practical skills in the method of the school. Later he went to the US to spend four years of college life there and he finally found his destination to become a stonemason in which he expresses himself most.

We learned a lot of things in his talk. For example, the stone walls in Japanese castles had changed in the structure and method, and the masonry work method at the mountain surface have an essential difference between Japan and Western cultures. He described the stone walls structure and method, tools stonemasons use, what Taga stones are and how to use them, the difference between stonewalls by Anoh-shu Guild ( a group of craftspeople who installed stone walls) and the one by Mr. Nishizawa, oversea's stonewalls, etc. I haven't been paying much attention about stonewalls before, but it was so interesting and I was fascinated by his talk.

There were some participants who liked stonewalls or Japanese castles very much and they asked many interesting questions to Mr. Nishizawa. We have the Japanese word "Ishi-atama" (stubborn) whose literal translation is "stone head". I guess we are full of knowledge of stonewalls after today's Nishizawa's talk and I am sure we are able to appreciate stonewalls more than ever when we pass by them.

１０月１６日（木曜日）２０２５

　ずいぶん前からいつも使っている自転車の後ろのタイヤの空気が結構早く減るので気になって自転車屋に持っていきたいと思いつつ、なかなか時間が取れずにいました。墨画展も終わり、今朝は雨が降る前に明日のランチの買い出しに出ようと自転車を出したところ、やっぱり後輪の空気が減っているので、買い物前にオートサイクル堂中に寄ってみました。

　事情を話すとおじさんは、タイヤを一眼見るなり「ようこんなになるまで乗ってたなぁ」と呆れ顔。タイヤが擦り減ってツルツルになっていたのです。電動アシストを購入して７、８年。バッテリーは充電していましたが、タイヤ交換はしたことがなく、週に２度は彦根まで買い出しに出かけ、公民館でのヨガや朗読サークルにも自転車は私の移動手段。なくてはならない存在です。
交換には時間がかかるようで、とりあえずは古いタイヤに空気を一杯入れてもらって買い物へ行き、その後のヨガクラス、玄米の精米とその日の予定を終えて自転車屋さんへ。

　外された古いタイヤを改めて見て、最近、上り坂がやけに大変だったことに深く納得し、パンクする前に新しいタイヤに交換できたことを幸運に思いました。帰りに自転車に乗ったらペダルがあまりに軽くてびっくり！見送ってくれたおじさんに手を振って感謝を伝えました。

Since a while ago, I have been worrying about the rear wheel of my bicycle which leaked faster than i expected, and I wanted to bring it to the bicycle shop but I didn't have time to do so. Today I was just about to go shopping by bike to the grocery store to get things for preparing tomorrow's reserved lunch when I found that the air of the wheel is leaking again. Then I decided to stop by the nearest bike shop before shopping.

Hearing my explanation, the shop owner took a look at the rear wheel then said "I can't believe you had been riding this bike in the worst condition!". It was completely worn out. I bought the electric assist bicycle seven or eight years ago, and when the battery runs out, I charge but I have never changed the wheels. Riding my bicycle, I go to Hikone to get to the grocery store twice a week, I also go to the community center in town to attend yoga class and read aloud in a group. My bicycle is an essential tool for my transportation. The shop owner said he needed two or three hours to change the wheel but I had many things to do on that day, so I decided to come back later to the shop. He kindly put full air into my rear wheel, and I went ahead to Hikone. Then after finishing shopping, attending yoga class and going to the rice mill stand, I went to the bicycle shop again.

The shop owner worked very well. Looking at the old worn out wheel which was already taken off, I understood why I felt it was so hard, especially for going upslope and I was thankful he changed the wheel into a new one before the old one became flat. When I rode my bike to go home, I was amazed by the fact that the pedals were so light because of the new wheel. I was so happy and waved my hand to show my thanks to the shop owner who was sending me off behind.

１０月３日（金曜日）２０２５
　横田順（すなお）さんの墨画展が多賀あさひやで始まりました。
今回は横田さんの最近の墨の作品に加えて、墨画家になる前の書家だった頃の作品もお願いして展示していただきました。（貴重です）横田さんが「言葉」の作品について、かつてご自身が書いた一部を紹介します。

私の心を波立たせる言葉があります。
そこはかとない懐かしさで、私を満たしてくれる言葉があります。
私の全身を圧倒するような言葉があります。
そのような言葉に出会うごとに、言葉の視えないない力を視えるものに変えたい、言葉の肉体にじかに触れ、言葉の肉声を響かせたい、その言葉に一番ふさわしい姿で立ち現れてもらいたいと、祈るような思いで筆を執っててきました。（以下省略）

横田さんの言葉の作品は、太宰治、金子みすず、宮沢賢治、中原中也など日本の作家からドストエフスキーやニーチェまで深く幅広いところから生まれています。やがて自分の表現が言葉を超えて、墨の濃淡での表現へと移行し、現在に至ります。横田さんの作品は年々変化していくのが、展示の作品からもわかります。何とも深くて強烈なものを感じるのは私だけではないと思います。ご都合のつく方は是非観に来てください。（10/15 まで）


Bokuga (Sumi-ink painting) exhbition by Sunao Yokota has just started at my cafe. This time, I asked her to exhibit her "Words" works as well as her recent works which she did when she was a calligrapher a long time ago before she transitioned to become a Sumi-ink painter. Here is a part of her expression about her "words".

There are words which make my heart beat.
There are words which fill my heart with nostalgia for some reason.
There are words which overwhelm me.
Every time when I encountered such words, I was hoping to change words invisible to visible ones, to touch them directly to resonate the voice of the words, and make them exist as they can give the most suitable meaning.　(omitted below) [translated by C.M.]

Yokota's words were from Japanese writers such as Osamu Dazai, Misuzu Kaneko, Kenji Miyazawa, Chyuya Nakahara and some Western writers or philosophers such as Dostoevsky, Nietzsche. She felt the limitation of expressing herself by borrowing words from classics, poems , parts of novels and expanded upon them, and started to express herself with Sumi (black ink) only which she is working on now. Yokota's work has been evolving and changing year by year. I feel something deep and intense in her works. I think that I am not the only person who has that kind of impression.

Please come to appreciate her wonderful works. ( The exhibition will run until Oct.15.)

９月２５日（木曜日）２０２５
ロネとジージのコメディライブ「On the Ship 〜大西洋ぶたりぼっち〜」多賀公演　東京での新作ライブを多賀仕様にしての公演です。

芸達者なクラウン・ロネとジージ。新作公演を楽しみにしている方も多いでしょう。ストーリーが新しいだけじゃないんです。今まで二人のステージを観てきた人も、初めて観る人も、へぇ〜？すっご〜い！とその多才ぶりに圧倒されるはずです。子供から大人まであっという間に笑いのツボに入り、二人のスキルの多さに舌を巻くはず。

ロネのクラウン講座もお勧めです。旧ソ連で修行し、アメリカでの経験も長く、今年プロとして３５年目のロネとジージ。
クラウンが何かよく分からない人も、笑いの奥にある人間として大事なものが、素顔のロネの話から見えてくるというお得感いっぱいの時間です。

お申し込みは、多賀あさひや（0749-48-0186）まで。

We are pleased to present to you Clown RONE & Gigi's music comedy live "On the Ship〜only tow in the Pacific Ocean" in Taga.
It was newly performed at Aoyama in Tokyo and modified the direction for Taga performance.

Many of you are looking forward to watching RONE & Gigi 's new performance. Both people who have already seen their stage and who will see their stage for the first time, will be overwhelmed by their variety of skills. Everybody, from kids to adults, would be laughing due to their talented clowning.

We would like to strongly recommend RONE's Talk. RONE & Gigi are in their 35th year this year as a professional clown duo. They trained in the Soviet Union, and experienced the US for 13 years. You will know what are the important things to experience as a human being through Rone's talk. It will bring you laughter, and you will be fulfilled with it.

９月１７日（水曜日）２０２５
　１０月２６日（日曜日）に「石と石垣の魅力」の講座を開催します。
講演者は西澤伊織さん。西澤さんは安土在住の石垣作家で、自然石を加工せずに積み上げる「野面積み」の設計と施工をしています。野面積みは日本の伝統的な工法で戦国時代の城郭などによく見られますが、西澤さんは伝統的な工法を踏まえながら独自のセンスと技術で芸術表現ともいえる美しい石垣を仕上げ、海外からも注目されています。

　今回の講演では、西澤さんがどのような過程や思いで石垣を完成させるのか、石垣の歴史や作り手の感性なども分かるように多くの写真を紹介しながら、石と石垣の魅力について話していただきます。また、海外の石積みとの比較についても興味深いところです。石や石垣の見方、見どころなどについてもアドバイスしていただけるでしょう。

　お申し込みは、多賀あさひや（0749-48-0186）まで。


We will have the second lecture titled "Interesting and attractive stone & stone walls." by Mr. Iori Nishizawa on Sunday Oct. 26. Mr. Nishizawa is a stonemason resident in Azuchi. He is doing design and construction work of Nozura-zumi, which is a way of working to pile up nature stones without cutting. Nozura-zumi is a Japanese traditional method of construction of stone walls which appeared in castles in the Warring States period. He is gathering attention from other countries because he creates his work beautifully with his artistic sense and technique based on Japanese traditional methods.

He will talk about how he completed his work and what he is thinking about showing many pictures of his work. He will also talk about the difference in stone walls between Japan and other countries. We will get some advice when we see the stone wall, what are the points to appreciate and the highlights of them.

横田順（すなお）墨画展（10/1~15）を多賀あさひやで開催します。
以下は「美術屋・百兵衛」2013 Spring No.25 に掲載された文章の引用です。（一部省略）

自らが向かい合った心を映し出す。横田順

　自己を凝視し、現在の己の気持ちや感情を墨で表現するアーティスト。２０代の頃に油彩を始めたが、自分が表現したい方法はこれではないと感じていた。そんな折り、書を通じて墨と出会う。書塾では古典や詩、小説の一部などの言葉を借り、自らの気持ちを表現した。しかし書では言葉の存在による自身と作品との間の埋められない距離、また表現の限界を感じるようになり、遂に９年間通った書塾を辞め、墨による自己表現の旅に出た。
　自身が生きるこの世界に起こる数々の出来事を、深く、広く考え続ける。今感じていることを、どのような色、形、構図で表現すべきなのか試行錯誤しながら描く。その中で絵から力が感じられ、納得できるものだけが横田の作品となる。

I am pleased to announce Boku-ga (Sumi ink paintings) exhibition by Sunao Yokota in October 1st to 15th at Taga Asahiya.

Ms. Yokota is a painter who lives in Hikone. There is an article about her which was in the art magazine "Hyakubei" in 2013 with her several works. "I encountered Japanese calligraphy when I was in my early thirties and it influenced me more than I expected. At the calligraphy school, I expressed myself by borrowing words from classics, poems and parts of novels. However the more time passed, the more distance I felt between the words and myself which I couldn't resolve and I felt a limitation in my expression because the existence of the words didn't free me. I wanted to express my thoughts and feelings as I live in the real world. Therefore, I decided to leave calligraphy school where I was for nine years and departed for the Sumi-ink world to express myself. I wanted to keep thinking deeply and widely about various events which occurred in the world. Thinking of the color, shape and structure, I draw my painting repeatedly through trial and error and in this process, I feel a sense of power and only the one which I am satisfied with what remains of Yokota's work. ---(omitted below) ----".

９月１５日（月曜日）２０２５
　終活講座が終了しました。
三重県四日市市、医療法人朋有会・伊藤クリニック院長、伊藤毅先生によるお話は、丁寧で分かりやすくお集まりくださった皆様に多くのヒントをいただけるものでした。かつていくつもの老人ホームを経営され、今はそうした老人ホームのかかりつけ医としても多くの方の見取りをしてこられた先生は、ご自分の医師としての経験はもとより、これまで接したご家族を含む様々な方、書物、見てきた光景から得た個人としての考えを率直に出しながらお話くださいました。こうした先生のお人柄が、いささか重みのある今回のテーマの内容を皆の心に共鳴できるように届けたのだと思います。

　終末期を在宅で迎えるか、老人ホームなどの施設で迎えるかについても色々な事例をあげてアドバイスをくださいました。
老人ホームは一人でなく複数で見に行くことが先生のお勧めです。

　すべての人が平等に迎える終末期。誰もが穏やかに心残りなく迎えたいものです。そのためには、自分の意思をあらかじめ決めておくこと、そしてそれを書面に表しておくことが大事だそうです。私自身、解決しておかなければならない問題が山のようにあり、人間関係では心残りはまだまだあるし、事務処理に関しては面倒くさいなぁというのが本音で後回しになっています。

　過去に家族を亡くした方はもっと早く知っていればよかったとおっしゃり、今後認知症になるかもしれない不安を持つ人も病気の人もそうした家族がいる人も、一人一人受け止め方は違ったと思いますが、私どもでのこうした講座は今回が初めてでいつもとはまた違う充実感がありました。

A lecture about "how to spend days in the end-of-life" is now over. The lecturer was Dr. Takeshi Itoh who is the director of Itoh clinic in Yokkaichi, Mie prefecture. His talk was precise and easy to understand for the audience. Dr. Itoh used to run many senior homes, and now he visits senior homes and checks up on many seniors on their deathbeds as an examination doctor besides working at his clinic. He talked about his experiences from a doctor's point of view and he also talked from his personal view point through his family, his favorite books or the scenery which he was impressed with. That's why his words and advice resonated with the audience.

There are two ways to have the end-of-life, one is at one's own home and other one is at other facilities like senior homes. He said both have merit and demerit. He advised that if you search a senior home, you should go there to have a look with more than two people.

Everyone equally experiences end-of-life and we would like to have it calmly and with no regret. Dr. Itoh said it is important for you first to accept that you will end our lives finally and to express your own will (ex. if you are terminal cancer or senility and you do not want to be resuscitated, you express it in a document. ) I have many things to solve and fix relationships before my terminal day but most of them are still being put off now.

One of the participants who lost her family member a few years ago told me that she wanted to listen to Dr.'s advice. There are people who are worried about becoming demented in the near future, who are ill now or who have family members with that symptom. Each one received Dr.'s words in a different way. I held this kind of lecture at my place for the first time, and I thought it was a good opportunity and helpful for many people.