Friday, March 31, 2017

3月31日(金曜日)2017 
お車でお越しのお客様へ: これまで隣の駐車場の「あさひや」のスペースに車をお止めいただいておりましたが、残念ながら4月からは隣の駐車場は使用できなくなりました。ご不便をお掛けして申し訳ございません。
To the guest who comes to the cafe by car:


You have been parking your car in the spot of "Asahiya" in the parking area of our next door, but no space is available from April.  I really apologize for this inconvenience.

Saturday, March 25, 2017

3月25日(土曜日)2017
小屋にあった古い招き猫をカフェに飾ってみました。すぐその後に招き猫の由来 を友人Hさんのご主人が話して下さいました。調べてみるといくつか由来があるようですが、一番身近なのはやはり彦根二代目藩主井伊直孝(1590~1659)の話しです。直孝が鷹狩りの帰りに雨が降りだし豪徳寺のそばの木の下にいると、寺の猫が手招きをしたので寺の中に入っていきました。すると間もなく雷がさっきの木に落ちて直孝は命拾いをしました。直孝は猫への恩返しの為に荒れた豪徳寺に多額の寄進をし寺は盛り返したとのことです。左手を上げている猫は雌で千客万来や縁結び、右手を上げている猫は雄で金運や幸運を招くそうです。写真を撮って下さったのはMizuki T. さん。愛らしい横顔ですね。良い御縁をいただいています。I displayed an old beckoning cat in the cafe which was in my storage house. It is called "Maneki-neko ". Mr. N told me the story about the beckoning cat. Checking the internet, there are several legends about the beckoning cat. The most familiar one is about Naotaka Ii (1590-1659) who was the second feudal lord in Hikone domain in Edo period. When he was under a tree near the temple taking a shelter from the rain, he noticed a cat which seemed to be beckoning to him in front of the dilapidated temple . He decided to go into the temple and take a rest. Shortly thereafter, the lightning struck the tree which he had been under just moments ago. He was grateful because the cat saved his life. He donated much money to the temple and the temple prospered ever after. If the left paw of the cat is up, it is to attract customers and matchmaking. If the right paw is up, it is for good fortune and money. Ms. Mizuki T. took the picture. What an adorable side profile the cat has! I am grateful to this beckoning cat for my good relationships with the customers. 


Tuesday, March 21, 2017

3月21日(火曜日)2017
ボストンののM先生から一枚の掛け軸の写真が届きました。解読の依頼でした。部分的にしか分からない私にはとても無理でカフェによく来て下さるTご夫妻に相談したら興味を示してくださり、医師のK先生と一緒に読み解いて下さいました。「つくつくと君がつく杖、鐵(てつ)の杖行く春秋をかけてつきませ」流石、古文書に造詣深いTご夫妻とK先生。尊敬いたします。真ん中の太い墨は杖を描いたもののようです。さて、作者は誰なのか、落款(らっかん)を解読して下さったのは野洲で京表具の仕事をなさっている辻さんでした。「寸雲仙史(すんうんせんし)」と記してあり、赤松寸雲 1817-1879という江戸後期から明治にかけての儒学者ということです。アメリカ人のM先生は古典がご専門なので、先生には英訳をお願いしました。皆様の博学が結集して一枚の掛け軸の謎が解き明かされました。我が道、どれほどか分かりませんがしっかり歩きたいものです。I received a photo copy of an old Japanese hanging scroll from Prof. M in Boston who requested how to read the cursive Japanese writing style. Since it was too difficult for me to read through, I talked to Mr.& Mrs.T who often come to my cafe. They were very interested in it. A few days later, Mrs. T came to the cafe again, and she said that she, her husband and Dr. K who is their neighbour could read through all of that difficult Japanese. "Tsuku tsuku to kimi ga tsuku tsue tetsu no tsue (The staff that you tap "tap-tap" is an iron staff) yuku shun-jyuu o kakete tsukimase" (Advancing through the passing years, keep using it.) The center bold line must be the staff. Mr. Tsuji who is doing paper mounting in Yasu let me know about the writer from the seal which was stamped at the very end of the poem. According to him, Su-n-Un Akamatsu (1817-1879) created and wrote this poem. He was a Confucian scholar. Prof. M kindly sent the English translation to me. It is amazing to be able clarify this mysterious Japanese scroll after collecting the knowledge from these wise people. I would like to go on my life straight although I don't know how long it will be.



Friday, March 17, 2017

3月17日(金曜日)2017
多賀あさひやで提供している甘酒は多賀町敏満時の渡辺糀店で製造された米麹の甘酒です。甘酒は酒粕で作るものと米麹で作るものがあって、どちらもとてもおいしいですが、米麹の甘酒はアルコール分が含まれないため子供も運転者も安心して飲めるところが大きな違いです。甘酒といえば、寒い冬に生姜を入れて熱々でいただくのを普通考えますが、実は甘酒は夏の季語。私は最近まで知りませんでした。江戸時代に人々は夏バテ防止に甘酒を飲んでいたそうです。「飲む点滴」といわれる所以を昔の人はちゃんと知っていたのですね。甘酒には100種類以上の酵素。ビタミンもたっぷり、そしてブドウ糖やオリゴ糖も含まれています。米100g356Kcalであるのに対し、甘酒100g 81Kcalだそうですから、ダイエット効果もあります。渡辺糀店の甘酒は流石プロの作る甘酒です。最初お砂糖が入っているのかと思いましたが、全て米糀から出される甘さでした。店では従来の甘酒のほか、豆乳と季節の果物と合せた「甘酒スムージー」もお勧めです。是非お試しください!You will find Amazake in our drink menu.  It literally means  "sweet sake" but actually it has no alcohol in it.  It is a sweet drink made from fermented rice. (There is another kind of Amazake which has alcohol, but is not this.) Mr. Watanabe is a master who runs Kooji shop and he is the fourth generation of making original Miso and Amazake.  I like both his Miso and Amazake.  It is said that people in Edo period used to drink Amazake in the summer for preventing exhaustion.  In truth, Amazake is a great drink that contains more than hundred enzymes, many vitamins, Glucose and oligosaccharides, etc.  They are well balanced in it. Amazake became very popular these days in Japan as a "drinking I.V (Intravenous) drip". We serve Amazake Smoothie as well. It is our original drink which is mixed with Amazake, soy milk and seasonal fruit.  It is sooooo good!!





Sunday, March 12, 2017

3月12日(日曜日)2017

「多賀あさひや」の素敵なのれんを作って下さった風の工房の野田さんの展覧会のお知らせです。詳しくはリンクにあるサイトをご覧下さい。I would like to make an announcement of an annual exhibition of Kaze no Kooboo. Mr. Noda in Kaze no Kooboo is a person who made my shop curtain which I like very much. Hope you have a chance to come. Take a look at the web site in the link.





Thursday, March 9, 2017

3月9日(木曜日)2017
家に古い五つ珠の算盤(そろばん)があります。これは曾祖母や祖母が土産物屋をしていた時に使っていたものでしょう。29cm X 11cm X 3.5cm の黒光りした堂々たる算盤です。歯科医だった父は月初めになると診療の点数を計算するのに電卓を使っていましたが、どういう訳かこの古い算盤もパチパチ音を立てながら使っていました。パチパチ、パチパチ趣のあるいい響きでした。算盤は私も子供の頃に習いましたが、それは四つ珠。五つ珠、どうやって計算するのでしょうね。今の私はといえば、使うのは30年前にデパートで買ったハローキティーの計算機。愛用品です。I found an old abacus which has five beads in each line under a bar.  This must have been used by my great grandmother and grandmother when they were running their souvenir shop in the old days. It is a blackish, heavy abacus sized 29cmx11cmx3.5cm.  My father, who was a dentist, was also using this abacus to calculate medical remuneration  points in the beginning of every month although he used to use a calculator as well.  It was a nice sound to listen when he was working with it. I learned abacus with four beads when I was a child. I am curious how they used the one with five beads.  I have been using a Hello Kitty calculator which I bought at the department store 30 years ago.  It is my favorite item because it's so cute!




Monday, March 6, 2017

3月6日(月曜日)2017白梅があちこちできれいに咲いています。多賀大社の天満神社の白梅も今朝は紅梅と対できれいな姿を見せていました。3月に入って確かに春の気配が感じられます。もっとも今日のお天気は今ひとつでしたが。床の間の雛人形を箱にしまいました。また来年お会いするまでゆっくりお休みいただきましょう。I can see white plum trees are blooming everywhere. A pair of red and white plum trees at Tenman-jinjya in Taga-taisha are also blooming.  They are so lovely. I could feel the spring is just around the corner, though the weather today was not clear. I put Hina dolls back in boxes which were displayed in a tokonoma (recessed alcove) for a month. Take a relaxing time, dolls, until the next year!