２月２７日（土曜日）２０２１
一昨年と昨年、多賀あさひやでの公演と講座に来てくれたクラウン・Rone&Gigiによる「アートトーク2021ーロシア演劇とクラウンの世界」と題するトークショーが先日東京で行われました。コロナ禍で通常の公演ができない中、ロシアに縁の深い人たちとのコラボ企画です。ショーの最初と最後のチェーホフの短編２作「コレクション」と「偏見を持たない女」の野崎美子さんによるリーディングとクラウンたちのパントマイムのうまさに圧倒されました。地方でこうした公演が観られるのはオンデマンドならではと感謝です。The other day a talk show was held at Tokyo by Clown Rone & Gigi who came to Taga for their performance and lecture the year before last year and last year. The title of the show was "Art-Talk 2021--Russian theatre and Clown world". Because of the coronavirus, they can not have regular performances but they had a collaborative performance of four members, including those who have a deep relation to Russia. I watched the performance by an on-demand service provision yesterday. I was overwhelmed by Yoshiko Nozaki's reading of two short stories by Anton Chekhov which were "Collection" and " Woman without prejudice" and Clown-mime by Rone & Gigi. They were so good! I appreciated the on-demand system to be able to watch such a wonderful performance at my home which is very far from Tokyo.

2月22日（月曜日）２０２１
　昨日紹介した豆人形の右奥、傘の下で何やら売っている人。気になってよ〜く見てみたら結構面白い。勝手に男の人だと思っていたのが実はおばあちゃんで、立っていると思っていたのが実は台の上できちんとお座りしてました。何を売ってるのかよく分からず写真に撮って拡大して見ると「…豆一せん」と書いてあります。台の上のものはほとんど取れていますが、おばあちゃんのそばに鳥が来てるのは、こぼれたお豆を食べにやってきているのか。芸が細かい！これは叔母からのものでなく家にあったもの。「一銭」という通貨からして明治〜昭和初期の他愛のないお土産用の人形でしょう。「豆売りのおばあちゃん」。長閑（のどか）な時代が感じられます。When I introduced tiny dolls yesterday, I was not paying much attention but after that I was interested in the doll which was selling something under the umbrella in the back right corner, so I looked more closely. At first I thought it was male seller, but it was an old woman, and I thought the seller was standing but she was sitting with her knees bent on the rack. Since I didn't know what she was selling, I took a photo and looked at the enlarged version. There is a little sign on the table and it says "one Sen ( about 50 cents? ) for... beans". There are very few items remaining on the table but two birds near the stand seem to have come to eat the beans. I like these detailed expressions. I found this tiny figurine at my house and not from my aunt. Guessing from the currency of "Sen", I believe it was from Meiji to early Showa (1870-1930), and it seems to be an ordinary souvenir figurine. " Old woman selling beans" makes me imagine peaceful times.

2月２１日（日曜日）２０２１
今年も不揃いの古雛を飾っていますが、今回は豆人形を出してみました。どれも３〜５センチの小さな人形で決め込み人形は昔叔母の家に遊びに行った時にケースにたくさん入っていたのを「どれでもいいから持ってっていいよ」と言われもらったものです。器用な叔母が作ったものか他からもらったものか聞きそびれましたが、可愛らしいのでアメリカで飾っていたのを数年前にまた日本に持ち帰り今回のお目見えとなりました。亡くなって２０年以上経つ父の妹。お世話になった叔母を偲びながらこの豆人形たちを眺めています。I displayed old Hina-dolls for the Girls Festival on March 3rd in which there are many missing dolls and parts. This year, I displayed several tiny dolls which are all 1 inch to 1.5 inch size as well. Some of them are from my aunt. When I visited her, I saw many tiny dolls in the glass case. She said to me that I could take some with me if I like, so I chose some. I didn't ask her whether she made them by herself or not. I brought them to Boston and displayed them at my house and a couple of years ago, I brought them back to Japan again.She passed away more than twenty years ago, and I am appreciating these lovely dolls as I think of her kindness to me.

2月１８日（木曜日）２０２１
1月2月の寒さは味噌作りに最適の季節。皆さんと味噌作りをして４年目。この時期、敏満寺の渡辺糀店の忙しさは半端ではない様子。丁寧に手で麹菌をつけていく手法はそれだけ良い麹ができるとか。多賀産の大豆と合わせてできる味噌の美味しさを知って今年もたくさんの方が参加してくださいました。一晩水に浸けた大豆を前日は朝からストーブにかけて柔らかく煮ておき、当日は熱々の大豆をしっかりしたビニール袋二枚重ねの中に入れてできるだけ滑らかな状態まで潰していきます。機械があれば大したことはないこの作業、うちでは手や足を使って潰していくので結構な運動。大豆が潰せたら、先に混ぜておいた塩と麹を投入して更に混ぜ込みます。それをボールにして壺に投げ入れ空気が入らないようによくならします。最後は酒粕で蓋をしてラップ、更に塩袋を作って上に置き、冷暗所で８〜９ヶ月寝かせれば自家製味噌の完成というわけです。The cold of Jan, & Feb. in Japan is good for making Miso. It is the fourth year since we started to make Miso together. Maker of malt who runs their shop as a couple in Binmanji of my town is terribly busy making Kooji ( rice malt) because of many orders. Their method for producing rice malt is that they mix aspergillus oryzae into boiled rice by hand without using machines, which produces better malt. Many people participated in this Miso-making event because they know they can produce very good miso with rice malt and soybeans which are both produced in this region. The process of making miso is the following; Boil soybeans which are soaked in water overnight. The next day reheat and put them into doubled strong plastic bags, and smash until very smooth. (If you have a machine, it will not be hard to do this process, but it is hard to do with hands and feet.) Mix salt and rice malt beforehand and put them into the smashed boiled soybeans and mix well. Make balls with mixed soybeans and put them into the container. You should not make any space for air in it. In the end, cover with sake lees, place plastic wrap and put a salt bag on it. Keep the container in a cool and dark place for about eight to nine months.

１大豆煮開始

２材料

３作業場作り

４塩麹投入

５ボール

６ツボ投げ込み

７酒粕で蓋

８酒粕カバー

２月１２日（金曜日）２０２１
　昨日は久々の散歩。建国記念日で大安、おまけにお天気にも恵まれて多賀大社は参拝するのに順番待ちの列ができていました。私は遠くからそっとお参りして森の中へ。霊仙（りょうぜん）は白く光を放って美しい！歩いていると風がゴウゴウと耳に当たります。それでも鳥たちの賑やかなさえずりが間近な春を教えてくれました。春の色を探してキョロキョロするも花には少し早く、見つけたのは和名「瑠璃唐草」（別名「星の瞳」とも言うそう）の小さな青紫と田んぼ傍の白梅。さて「きまぐれ市」の自動販売機にはトマトがたくさん入っていました。３００円入れてお釣りの５０円は中の袋に。つまり５個で２５０円。少し傷ありでしたが立派な真っ赤っカァのトマトに大満足！Yesterday, I went for a morning walk after a long time. It was a National Foundation Day and the luckiest day in the six-day Buddhist calendar. On top of that, the weather was perfect, so I saw many people visiting Taga shrine and making a line to pray at the shrine. I didn't join the line and went through the woods instead. Ryohzen mountain was white with snow and it was shining beautifully. While I was walking, a strong wind hit my ears making a sound, and even then I could hear many birds singing lively to let me know that spring will come soon. I tried to find colors of spring in the field. It is a bit early to find flowers but I could find tiny bluish purple of nemophila and white plum beside the rice field. Well, when I reached "Kimagure vegetable stand", I found many tomato packs in the vending machine. I put 300 yen into the machine, then 50 yen was stuck to the tomato pack. In short, it was 5 for 250 yen. Although there was slight damage to one of them, I was very happy to get those fresh red tomatoes.

２月１１日（木曜日）２０２１
　３０年以上前、私がまだ東京にいた時に数回会い当時は養護学校の先生でしたが、今は宮古島伊良部島で奥様とハーブ園をなさっている近角敏通さん。当時から穏やかで優しいお人柄の中にも確固たる信念を持った方との印象がありましたが、伊良部でハーブを育てながら豊かにお暮らしの様子が配信されたYoutubu動画でわかりました。因みに、近角さんの節分は「鬼はうち、福はうち」だそうです。Let me introduce Mr. Toshimichi Chikazumi whom I met a couple of times more than thirty years ago when I was still in Tokyo and at that time he was a teacher at a Special-needs School in Yokohama, and now he is running a herb plantation with his wife at Irabu in Miyakojima Island, Okinawa Prefecture. I had an impression that he was not only a calm and gentle personality but also had a strong conviction. Although his environment changed dramatically, it seems he hasn't changed a bit. He sent a video on Youtube in which he tells about herb, the products, welfare and his life in Irabu island.

２月９日（火曜日）２０２１
　買い物の帰りに信号待ちしていて目に入った看板が興味深いものでした。「ダーツ・カラオケ」の下に「鍵付き防音 完全個室」。カラオケ店なので防音 個室というのはわかるとして「鍵付き」である必要があるのかと不思議に思って、その下を見たら「シャワー無料・タオル使い放題」とありました。ああそうかシャワー室だから鍵付きなのかと納得したものの、それなら防音である必要はないのにと疑問再出。何とも意味深げな看板です。On my way back home while I was waiting for the change of the traffic signal, a commercial sign came into my view and I was interested in it. It is written "Dart-throwing / KARAOKE" and below it " Soundproof private room with lock". I understand "soundproof private room" is because it is a KARAOKE facility but I thought it doesn't need to be locked. Then I saw further below the sign which said " No charge for shower ・use towels as many as you want". Oh, the lock is needed for the shower room! But, if so, I wonder why it is necessary to be soundproof? I am puzzled by this sign.