鶴岡市の旧・櫛引町地区を走っていると巨大な彫刻が目に入った。強く惹かれるものあり。気がつくと、あっちにもこっちにも。この土地出身の彫刻家・富樫実の作品だった。彼のすべての彫刻は「空（くう）にかける階段」と題されている。 While driving through the former Kushibiki Machi, a massive sculpture caught my eye. Instantly I liked it immensely! They were everywhere. The sculptures are the work of Togashi Minoru, a native of the area. Titled “Stairs to the Void,” they truly exude a sense of greatness.
霧の中の高層湿原、池塘の静謐な美しさ。月山８合目付近。 Wetlands at a high altitude. The serene beauty of the ponds are striking and feels sacred on this mountain called “The Moon Mountain (Gassan).” Tradtionally, Mount Gassan has been considered the realm of the dead.
その名を知ったのは、たぶん60年くらい前だろうなあ。昭和新山。あこがれの山についに来た。なんという力強さ。 I first learned of its name maybe sixty years ago. Showa Shinzan! Finally I am here to admire its presence from nearby. Incredibly powerful.
子熊のかわいさは尋常ではない。犬に似て、犬よりずっと人に近いふるまいを見せる。『ク スクップ オルシペ 私の一代の記』の著者・砂沢クラさんが、子供たちが小さいころいつも一緒に遊んでいた子熊のことを語っていた。やがて大きくなったその子を「熊送り」するときの悲しさについても。尊敬＝愛着＝恐怖。人と熊の関係はこの三角形の中をぐるぐるまわっている。 Oh, as cute as cute can be… a bear cub! They are not different from dogs, only they are far closer to humans than dogs! The great Ainu woman Sunazawa Kura once wrote about a bear cub her family used to keep. It played everyday with her young children like a real sibling. And then the painful sadness of having to “send it” to the realm of gods when it grew too big. Respect, affection, and fear. The relationship between humans and bears goes round and round within this eternal triangle. What a fascinating animal.
夜明けとともに目覚めて湖畔を歩く。阿寒湖、ひたすら神々しい。 Woke up at dawn and took a walk along the lakeshore. Lake Akan. Divine beyond measure.
夏を逃れて北へ。オホーツク海はしずかな海だった。地図を見れば、それがどれほど広大な内海かは一目瞭然。 North-bound to escape the summer. The Sea of Okhotsk is sublimely calm. Take a look at the map and you will know how vast this inland sea is.
ちょうど提灯祭りの時期だった。街路におびただしい提灯が飾られ、夢のような夜道。しずけさそのものが音楽。台南にて。 It was the time of the Lantern Festival. Countless lanterns floating above the streets, creating a dreamlike night... The silence plays its own music. In Tainan.
どういう物語なのだろう。あざやかな色の浮き彫りが心をくすぐる。謎めいて、楽しい。むかしの中国を知りたくなる。台南の街角で。右の女性は民間信仰の対象、陳靖姑。 What kind of story is it telling? The vividly colored reliefs tickle my imagination. At the same time mysterious and delightful, it makes me want to learn more about ancient China. Found on a street corner in Tainan. The lady on the right is the Chinese deity Chen Jinggu.
峠近くの小さな池の水中に、ぼんやりした白い塊がいくつか。クロサンショウウオの卵だって。初めて見た、見られてよかった！ In the water of a small pond near the mountain pass, I saw several cloudy white clumps. I was told they were black salamander eggs. It was my first sighting of them!
初夏の山形の山道で出遭ったふしぎな花。葉緑素をもたず、その白さは幽霊じみている。菌類から栄養をもらって生きている、その名はぎんりょうそう（銀竜草）だって。 I came across this spooky-looking flower on a mountain path in Yamagata in May. It lacks chlorophyll and its whiteness is ghostly. It draws nutrients from fungi. It’s called "Silver Dragon Grass” in Japanese and the English name I think is Indian Pipe. A friend told me it was Emily Dickinson’s favorite flower!