４月１２日（金曜日）２０２４

　先日、豊郷のNさんから椿の枝を頂いたので座敷の床の間に飾りました。華道の心得があったなら、枝ぶりを直したり、密集した葉を取ったりしてもっと体裁よくなるだろうなと思いながら適当に籠に入れました。
　掛け軸は福井の日本画家、内海吉堂（1849~1925)の作品。吉堂は多賀には縁が深く、久徳の医師・小菅兎峯に漢詩を学び、後に中国へ遊学して南画を学んだとのこと。私の曽祖父、澤田久蔵も明治の頃に小菅氏に漢詩を学んでいたと何かに書いてあったので、吉堂とも縁があって、この掛け軸が家にあるのかもしれません。
　午後になって、尼子のKさんが小鮎の甘露煮を持って６月の能の会の申し込みに来てくださいました。近江の特産品の小鮎は昨今は収穫が難しくなっているそうです。Kさん自ら調理してくださった貴重な小鮎甘露煮、大変美味しく有り難くいただきました。

    Ms. N from Toyosato-cho brought me branches of camellia, so I put them in a basket and put them in the alcove of the guest room. There must be some rules in a traditional flower arrangement,and it looked much better if I followed that, but I haven't taken any lessons about it. So I just arranged the branches randomly.

    The hanging scroll is drawn by a Japanese painter, Kichidoh Utsumi (1849~1925) in Fukui prefecture. He had a strong connection to Taga. He studied Chinese classics from a medical doctor and Chinese scholar, Touhou Kosuga, who lived in Kyutoku Taga at an early age and went to China to learn Nanga (a school of Chinese painting which became popular in Japan during the Edo period). My great grandfather was studying Chinese classics from Mr. Kosuga in the Meiji period, so they might have had some connection with each other and that is why this hanging scroll exists in my house.

    In the afternoon, Ms. K who is a resident in Taga, came to me to buy tickets for the Noh Event in June and she brought sweetened small-sweetfish which is one of the Shiga's specialties. I heard that getting sweetfish from Lake Biwa is harder year by year. Ms.K cooked this by herself. I appreciated her special gift and excellent taste!

４月１０日（水曜日）２０２４　

　ここ数年毎年「多賀あさひや」で公演や講座をしてもらっているクラウンデュオのロネ＆ジージ。そのロネが書いた原稿が評論冊子に掲載されました。クラウン・ロネのキャラクターはぼんやりして失敗ばかり。いつも相方のジージに押されがちですが、講座に参加した方は既にお分かりと思いますが、実はロネはクラウンのみならず和洋問わず演劇についての知識が半端ないほど詳しく、本人はさらりと紹介してくれますが日頃の勉強ぶりはどれほどかと驚きます。

　去年は時期こそズレましたが大怪我で一時はどうなることかと心配したロネジジでしたが、多くの方の支援を受けて再び活動している二人です。そうした時にこのようなロネの知的な一面が出た原稿が学術評論で紹介されたことは実に嬉しいです。


    RONE & Gigi are a Clown duo who have given us performances for these past couple of years. Recently Rone published her manuscript in a review booklet by Univ. Kanagawa. As you may know, as a clown, RONE is absent-minded and always makes mistakes. Therefore Rone is pushed away by Gigi. However, real RONE has remarkable knowledge about not only clown but also about both Japanese and western plays.

    Although both Rone & Gigi had big injuries last year individually and we worried about their coming back, they started acting with big support from a large number of people. In the midst of that situation, we learned about RONE's manuscript in an academic booklet. It is great!

４月８日（月曜日）２０２４

　祇園さんで親しまれている八坂神社にお参りする機会がありました。祇園・舞妓・八坂神社で思い描くイメージとそこが八岐大蛇（やまたのおろち）を退治した素戔嗚尊（すさのおのみこと）がお祀りしてある神社とはちょっとギャップがあったので、説明を読んで正直驚きました。丸山公園の桜も満開。人出は思ったほどでなくゆっくり花見をしながら、奥にある料理やまで楽しく歩きました。

    桜の花びらが時折散るのが見える和室で、京都らしい細やかな設えとサービスを受けながら、目にも舌にも流石と納得できるお料理で贅沢な時間を過ごしました。
　
　料亭の玄関には椿の花で飾られた水盤に小さなお釈迦様。4月8日は花祭りだと友人に教えてもらい甘茶をかけてお釈迦様のお誕生日をお祝いしました。

    I had a chance to visit Yasaka Shrine which is very popular in Kyoto. The image I had about Gion (a district of Kyoto which is one of the most exclusive and well-known geisha districts in all of Japan), Maiko (a woman who keeps the traditional culture of Kyoto) and Yasaka Shrine was something gorgeous. The other one, Susanoo-no-Mikoto who is a deity appears in Japanese mythology and he killed a great snake called Yamata-no-Orochi which was a rough and violent image. I was surprised to learn that Yasaka shrine enshrined this Susanoo-no Mikoto. Cherry trees were in full blossom in Maruyama Park. We enjoyed walking to the Japanese restaurant where we expected to have lunch.

    We had a pleasant lunch time in the beautiful Japanese room with a nice view of a garden where sometimes cherry blossoms were falling by spring winds. We enjoyed the lunch which looked and tasted so good.

    There was a little Buddha on the dish which was full of camellia flowers on the water in the entrance area. One of my friends told me that April 8th is the birthday of Buddha and people celebrate the day by pouring water on his head. We followed the old custom. It was an enjoyable day.

４月５日（金曜日）２０２４

    野も山も桜の淡い色合いが美しく、穏やかな日本独特の景色に見惚れます。さて、今年も６月２日に多賀あさひやにてお能の会を開催します。迎える能楽師の方々は、鵜澤久（観世流シテ方）・鵜澤光（観世流シテ方）・齋藤敦（森田流笛方）・久田陽春子（大倉流小鼓方）・森山泰幸（観世流大鼓方）の皆さんです。

　今回は、平家物語の武将が主人公の能を、能楽師の方が分かりやすい解説を入れて披露してくださいます。謡、仕舞、囃子を間近で鑑賞するのはなかなかの迫力です。能に親しんでいる方も、初めてという方も、どうぞ気楽にご参加ください。

　切符ご希望の方は０７４９−４８−０１８６またはtaga.asahiya@gmail.comでお早めにお申し込みください。

４月１日（月曜日）２０２４

    快晴の4月1日。久々に多賀大社にお朔日の参拝に行き、その後、神社裏の御神田の淡墨桜（うすずみざくら）を見に行きました。先日カフェにお見えになった名誉宮司のN様に今が見頃と教えていただいたからです。

    御神田脇に３本の淡墨桜。どこから苗を移して植えられたか教えて下さったのですが、情けなくもいわれを忘れてしまいました。ピンクの桜が開花して次第に墨を薄くしたような淡い色に変わっていくのがこの淡墨桜。まるで水墨画のようです。私がいたボストンにも墓地の桜を見に地元の人が訪れますが、八重の濃い色の桜。この淡墨桜とはかなり趣が違います。

    たんぽぽやつくしも少し前から顔を見せてワタゲになっているのも見られました。先日は庭にモンシロチョウが２羽ひらひら飛んでいるのをお客様が教えてくださり、ようやく明るい春がやってきた感じです。

    April 1st was a clear fine day. After visiting Taga Taisha after a long time, I went to see Usuzumi-zakura at the back of shrine and side of shrine's rice field. It is a kind of cherry blossom but colored a little lighter than regular one. Mr. N, honorary shinto chief priest, let me know that it is a good time to view Usuzumi-zakura.

    There are three cherry trees beside the shrine's rice field. Mr. N told me the story about why they planted it but I regret that I forgot it unfortunately. Mr. N said that it changes the color from pink to off pink when it fully opens. It looked like an ink painting and was so beautiful. When I was in Boston, people loved to go to the cemetery to see cherry blossoms. However the type of the cherry tree was different from Usuzumi-zakra. The cherry tree in Boston had double blossoms and a much darker color.

    I saw dandelions and the field horsetails on the side of the road. One of the cafe's customers let me know that two cabbage butterflies were flying in my garden. I feel that the bright spring has come finally.

３月２６日（火曜日）２０２４

    朝は雨の音で目が覚めるこの頃。よく雨が降ります。昨日の午後は少し明るくなったので止んだのかと思ったら霧雨で少し迷いましたが運動にもなるので思い切って買い出しに出かけました。雨様のパンツとジャケット、帽子、手袋、サングラスでほぼ完璧な格好でしたが、スプレーのように吹きつける霧雨は顔もメガネもびっしょり濡らしました。

    さて、私がこの頃ハマっている食事。それはトーストの上にオリーブオイルを垂らし、その上にスライスしたアボガドを載せて、上から良質の塩をパラパラ。これが美味しい！Youtubeで誰かがやっているのを見て真似をしたわけです。もんぜん朝市でビーツが出ていたので、へえ〜っ？と思って買ってきて、葉っぱと根っこを別々に調理してみました。葉と茎はシナモンを効かせ、根っこはオリーブ油でよく炒めてニンニク、キビ糖、バルサミコで味付け。カリウム、鉄、葉酸など栄養的にはパッチリの食材です。

    昔は口にすることはなかったこうした食材も、最近は国内で作られるほど日本の食生活も変わってきたのでしょう。

    It has been raining since the morning every day. It became a little bright in the afternoon yesterday, and I thought the rain had stopped but actually it was drizzling. I had a little hesitation but I decided that I would go to the grocery store by bicycle. I wore my rain pants, jacket, hat, gloves and sunglasses which seemed perfect for going out, but I drenched my face and glasses.

    Well, I am into toast with avocado for my breakfast. Put olive oil on the toast, then place avocado slices there, sprinkle fine salt on top. Ever since I saw someone do it on Youtube, it became one of my favorite styles of breakfast. I found beets at the local morning market. Beets are a very popular vegetable in the US and I can get them easily at the supermarket but it is rare to see them in my area. I bought them and cooked the leaves and roots separately. I sautéd the leaves and stems with cinnamon, cooked roots with onion, cane sugar and balsamic vinegar. Beet is an excellent nutritious vegetable which contains potassium, iron, folic acid, etc.

    We have never eaten such avocado and beet when I was a child. I am really surprised at the change that those vegetables grow in Japan and we eat in a different way now. Japanese eating habits have been changing a lot since several decades ago.

３月２０日（水曜日）２０２４

    春分の日。天気が悪いと予報で知っていたけど、まさか霙（みぞれ）混じりの雨とは。軒から出るので躊躇しつつも旗日なので取り敢えず国旗を掲揚。その後、雨は止んで一安心。

    お彼岸の時期。ずっと行けていない実家の墓掃除が気になりながら両家の両親とご先祖様に心の中で手を合わせています。

    ところで、先日撮影に失敗した烏骨鶏（ウコッケイ）の卵、翌日、もう一個を割って今度は成功！こんもり盛り上がった美しい卵にしばし見とれました。この貴重で高価な卵はホカホカご飯に乗せて醤油をちょっと垂らして卵かけご飯となりました。勿論、お・い・し・かっ・た！

    It is Vernal Equinox Day. I was expecting it to be a rainy day by weather forecast, but when I looked outside, it was sleeting which mede me surprised. In the calendar, it was the beginning of Spring and celebration day, so I set the national flag in front of my house anyhow. The rain stopped after a while.

    During this season, Japanese people usually visit ancestors' graves, but I had to give up doing so because of the bad weather.

    As for the silky fowl, I tried to break the other one and it worked this time. The york rose up and it was beautiful. Well, I decided to eat this valuable expensive egg raw on hot rice with drops of soy sauce.
We call it "Tamago-kake gohan" and it is a popular way of eating fresh eggs in Japan. It was so good!