Japanese sweets 日本の甘味

European cholocate is quite common in Japan but not very many Europeans know that Japanese also produce chocolate there. Addition to it, they have very little idea how Japanese sweets look like nor taste. They still did not get civil right such as Japanese cars or electrical appliances.

ヨーロッパのチョコレートは日本ではとても一般的だが、日本でもチョコレートが作られていることを知っているヨーロッパ人はそれほどいない。それに加えて、日本のスイーツがどんなもので、どんな味がするかなどほとんど知られていない。車や家電製品と違ってまだ市民権を得ていない。

The most famous one which is called wagashi (wa-gashi) is not just to eat but also to enjoy by eyes. These sweets would imitate the shape or color of fruits, flowers and so on and they are usually stuffed with azuki bean or white one, and they would represent the season. So they have differently looking wagashi due to season. I went to Kagurazaka, one of my favorite districts in Tokyo to buy some sweets before visiting people.

一番有名なのは和菓子と呼ばれるもので、食べるだけではなく見て楽しむものでもある。お菓子は果物や花などの色や形をまねて作られたりし、中には小豆や白あんなどが詰められている。それぞれが季節を表現する。だから季節ごとに違ったお菓子になる。東京で一番好きなところのひとつ神楽坂で、人を訪問する前に和菓子を買った。





I would bring Japanese sweets back to Austria and observed my co-workers' reaction, it seems that there are some unfamiliar tastes; mochi　/ mizuame or the mixture of these, azuki bean and black sesame. It strongly depends on individual if they like or not. Some of my friends in Vienna love chocolate with mattcha flavor, maybe this will expand its territory some day, too. It is also expected that matcha latte which is available at Starbucks in Japan would be also available here.

よく日本のお菓子をオーストリアに持ってきて人の反応を観察するが、いくつか全く馴染みのない味があるようだ。水あめやもち、もしくはそれらが混ざったもの、小豆に黒ゴマ。人によって反応は大きく異なる。ウィーンにいる友達の数人は抹茶味のチョコレートがお気に入り。多分今後もその勢力範囲を広げていくだろう。日本のスターバックスで買うことのできる抹茶ラテの登場も期待したい。



Maybe my friends would be so happy to see something like that in Vienna... but when might it be possible?

友人たちはきっとこんなのがウィーンで食べられたら最高にハッピーだろうが、いつになることやら。

Onsen, a key for refreshing 温泉、気分転換の秘訣

I contacted my old friend who used to be my English teacher when I was in Hiroshima 14 years ago. He is quiet but a very considerate person, I enjoyed his accompany very much. For his leaving to Tokyo, I presented him a cartoon in which he takes everything on his bicycle and walks to the direction Tokyo from Hiroshima. Since then he sent me New Year card almost every year. Until this year, I did not have chances to see him. I was not able to stay in Tokyo long enough during my holiday in Japan, I would return to Japan every two years or so. This time I decided myself to see as many people as possible during my stay in Japan and I packed many appointments into my schedule.

広島に居た14年前、英語の先生だった古い友人にコンタクトを採った。彼は静かでじっくりものを考えるタイプで、彼と一緒に居るのは楽しかった。彼が東京に行くことになったとき、彼が広島から東京へ、彼の自転車と一緒に家財道具を運ぶ様子を絵に描いてプレゼントした。以来毎年年賀状をもらっている。今年まで彼と会う機会はなかった。日本での休暇中、東京にそれほど居られなかったし、日本にも2年かそれ以上に1度帰ってくるだけだ。今回は日本の滞在中にできるだけたくさんの人に会おうと決めて、スケジュールにできる限りの予定を詰め込んだ。

Traveling in Japan is not especially cheap as a traveler, even for Japanese. I would go to Hiroshima, Nagoya and Tokyo except my home town Gifu where my parents live. When I wrote to my friends about my schedule in Japan, I mentioned that room offer for a night or two is very welcome. He was the first one to reply me that I am more than welcomed to stay at his apartment. I knew that he married a Japanese woman and has a small daughter by New Year card, but never met before. And he asked me if I would like to go Onsen with them for a night. I responded that it would be fine because I did not want to be busy but just feel relaxed and enjoy talk with them.

日本を旅行するのは、旅行者にとって、たとえそれが日本人であっても、特別安いわけではない。普通実家の岐阜を除き、広島、名古屋、東京を回る。日本の友人たちに日本の滞在予定を知らせるメールを書いたとき、宿の提供は大歓迎すると付け加えた。彼が誰よりも先に、ぜひ泊まっていって欲しいとの連絡をくれた。彼が日本の女性と結婚し、娘が居ることも年賀状を見て知っていたが、会ったことは一度もない。それから彼は、その晩温泉に一緒に行かないかと聞いてきた。忙しくするよりものんびりと話を楽しみたいから喜んで同行すると返事した。

On the meeting day, he picked me up at nearby station, once leaving some baggage at his house we headed toward Chichibu in Saitama prefecture. Maruyama-Kohsen is our destination. He is cyclist and he often went there by bicycle! I did not go to onsen ryokan for long time; the last one should be the one in Shimane when I went there with my friends to enjoy crabs more than 15 years ago. Onsen is quite popular when we go skiing in Japan, apres ski is usually to go to onsen to loosen the muscle and feel relaxed.

待ち合わせの日、彼は最寄り駅にピックアップに現れた。一旦大きい荷物を家に降ろした後、すぐさま埼玉県の秩父に直行する。丸山鉱泉が目的地。彼は自転車乗りで、これまでそこへ自転車で行ってたらしい！ 温泉旅館にはしばらく行ってなかった。最後に行ったのは、15年以上も前に、島根の温泉旅館に友達と一緒にカニを楽しみに行ったくらいだ。日本では温泉はスキーに行くときには外せない。アフタースキーは温泉に行って筋肉をほぐし、リラックスする。

Living in Europe, I got to know many people that know somehow about Japan. Many of them cannot understand onsen, especially kon-yoku (bath for both man and woman together) to take bath without bathing suite. Actually the public bath got wall between men and women when European came to Japan and blamed for its public morals. And what happened in Europe after that? They enjoy sauna with both men and women completely naked while they still feel something odd with onsen in Japan. There are some people from other countries that find onsen very nice from the beginning and love it. My friend is one of such foreigners. In Japan there is a phrase Hadaka no tsukiai (friendship or relation ready to show them naked), to share the bath (they do not drain after taking bath, they wash their body out of bath tub) is the nearest way to get closer to Japanese people. In Taiwan there are onsens whose atmosphare is quite similar to the ones in Japan. I think I am quite open to anything but due to my appearance and cultural background as a Japanese, I would be sometimes blocked by others. Just to be friends might be easy but usually I cannot expect any further. I experienced that much enough in Europe until now.

ヨーロッパに住んでいると、日本のことを少し知っている人にも出会う。ほとんどは温泉、特に混浴について理解できない。実際日本の銭湯の女風呂と男風呂の壁がなくなったのは、日本にヨーロッパ人がやってきて風紀に問題があるとして付けさせたもの。それでヨーロッパはどうかといえば、日本の温泉がおかしいといいつつ、男女がまったくの裸でサウナを楽しんでいる。外国から来た人たちでも、最初から日本の温泉がいいものだと理解し好きになる人もいる。日本には裸の付き合いという言葉があるが、これが日本人に近づく一番早い方法だろう。台湾にも日本と同じような雰囲気の温泉があるようだ。自分自身なんにでもオープンなつもりだが、時々日本人としての外見や文化の違いで人から拒絶されることがある。ただの友達なら簡単だがそれ以上は期待できない。これまでにたくさんそんな経験をした。

Before having dinner, we went to take the bath. Sooo goood! I almost forgot how good onsen was! Then we enjoyed dinner in a huge tatami room for only four people, was wonderful dinner, talking about anything. We tried to compensate our memory gap, telling what happened after that from both sides. Returning to our common room, where our futon was already prepared as usual for onsen ryokan, we talked over wine and cheese. And it coninued when we again went out to take the second bath for the day. The Orion was so clear to see, sitting at outside bath looking up the sky with full of stars was wonderful.

夕食の前に温泉に浸かりに行くことにした。気持ちいい！温泉がどういうものだったか忘れていた。そしてたったの4人で大きな畳の間での食事。おいしい食べ物と会話を楽しんだ。互いの分断された時間の隙間を埋めるべく、お互いにその後何があったかを話し合う。温泉旅館では当たり前、すでに布団が用意されていた部屋に帰ってきてからもワインとチーズを楽しみながら、
その日2度目の入浴に行くまで話は続いた。オリオン座がはっきりと見える、星が一杯の空を見上げながら露天風呂に浸かるのはまったく最高だった。



Next morning, woke up at around 6, I went out again to take bath. Some people were already there. The weather was very fine and the sun is about to come out from the mountain. Watching the shade was slowly disappearing, I stayed in bath almost for an hour. My friend came to the bath after a half of an hour, he takes onsen as Japanese would do and knows what that is. The breakfast was typical one for a ryokan hotel at mountain side. Living in Japan and enjoying onsen and eating natto, he is not just a Canadian any more.

あくる朝、6時に起きてまた風呂を浴びに行った。もう数人の人が入っていた。とてもいい天気で太陽が山から顔を出すところだった。影が次第に小さくなっていくのを見ながらお風呂に1時間あまり居た。友人も30分ほどして降りてきた。彼は日本人と同じように銭湯に入り、それがどういうことなのか分かっている。朝食は典型的な山の幸。日本に住んで温泉と納豆を楽しむ。彼はもうただのカナダ人ではない。



I saw plum trees were in bloom even in January in Chichibu where it is usually cold. Watching plum for a while, I wished that I would be able to return to Japan in cherry blossom time for my next time.

普通は寒い1月の秩父で梅が咲いていた。それを眺めながら、次にくるときにはぜひ桜を見たいと思った。

Praying for God 神頼み

Before I returned to Japan this time, I researched in the Internet to find a proper place to pray for God. I have never prayed for God for myself until now. Since my childhood I thought I have all responsibitily for my behavior or fate, and to pray for a better outcome without making any effort is just selfish. That was what I learned from my parents. So I never hesitated to give my best in anything.

日本に帰る前、日本で神頼みをするにはどこがいいかインターネットで調べた。これまで自分のために神頼みをしたことがない。子供のころから、自分の行動や運命には全責任を負わなければならないと思っていた。何の努力もせずによい結果だけを願うのは自分勝手なことだと。親を通じて学んだことだが、どんなことにでも自分なりのベストを尽くすことを惜しんだことはない。

From Kyoto, taking Tokaidou line and then changing trains at Kusatsu for Kusatsu line, I finally got to Kouga whose name is well known as two of Ninja cities in Japan; Kouga in Shiga prefecture and Iga in Mie prefecture.　Leaving Hiroshima at 6:00 in the morning, it was already 9:30. I started to find somewhere to eat for more than 30 minutes in vain; there seems to be a shopping street but there is nothing like cafe or restaurant. I found a convenience store abut had no idea to eat outside with my heavy baggage. The only one cafe I found was closed for the day. Fully disappointed by that, I decided to take a taxi to my destination; Rakuya temple.

京都から東海道線に、草津で草津線に乗り換え、忍者の里の１つとして知られる甲賀に到着した。広島を６時に出てもう９時半。何か食べられるところをと３０分以上探しては見るが、見当たらない。商店街らしきものはあるが喫茶店やレストランの類はない。コンビニを見つけるが重い荷物を持ちながら外で食べる気など到底起こらない。唯一見つけた喫茶店は閉店だった。諦めて目的地の櫟野寺（らくやじ）へタクシーを走らせる。

This temple has the biggest seated 11-faced Guan Yin in Japan built in the year of Enreki 11, 793 A.D. and made out of a sawtooth oak in which Saicho found some spiritual power. There is an old tale that people brew the leaves of this tree in the garden and diabetes of a patient was healed, since then the temple if also known as diabetes healer and every year, on 3rd November this year, there will be held a special event to pray for healing diabetes and many patients would visit this temple.

このお寺は延暦11年(793年)に、弘法大師が櫟の生樹に霊感を感じて作られた日本最大の座仏11面観音を祭っている。この寺の庭の櫟の葉を煎じて飲ませたところ患者の糖尿病が治ったという言い伝えから、この寺は糖尿病封じの寺としても知られ、毎年、今年は11月3日に糖尿封じ健康祈願が執り行われ、日本各地からたくさんの患者が訪れるそうである。

In the garden I found a small shrine for love matters. I have nothing to do with that but I have some young friends that are keeping their long distant love for years, I meet my hands and wished that their love would go well and bring them happiness soon. Then I entered the main building of the temple where the Guan Yin and other very old and important statues are kept. The oldest Guan Yin will be opened every 33 years, I was not able to see that but every other statues from the time of Heian period which started from 794 A.D. I was so impressed to see how wooden statue can be kept in such good condition for so long time.

庭に縁結びの祠があるのを見つけた。自分には特に縁のないことだが、若い数人の友人は遠距離恋愛を数年にわたって続けており、彼らの恋愛がうまく実り、すぐに幸せになるように手を合わせる。それから観音像やそのほかの重要文化財にも指定されている仏像が安置されている本堂に入る。日本最大の座仏11面観音は33年に一度の開帳され、残念ながら今年はその年に当たらない。しかしながらそのほかの平安時代の木彫りの仏像がこんなに長い時間、これほどいい状態で保存されていることに感慨を覚えた。

After meeting palms in　front of God for a while, I bought a omamori, Japanese amulet and one for hanging on the wall for diabetes, then I prayed again. One of my good friends has been suffering from type-1 diabetes. She spends almost normal life but insuline. It is said that it is hard to get healed under current European medicine, but I believe that she overcomes the illness soon and wish that she will be able to enjoy traveling without caring for insuline at all.

仏様の前で手を合わせた後、糖尿封じのお守りとお札を買い、もう一度手を合わせた。とてもいい友人の一人が第1型の糖尿病を患っている。彼女はインスリンが必要なこと以外ほとんど普通の生活を送っている。現代の西洋医学では完治は難しいとされているが、じきに病気を克服して、インスリンの心配をすることなく旅行が楽しめるようになれることを心から願っている。

Tokyo downtown walk 東京下町散歩

I got Toden Arakawa line from Waseda down to the terminal Minowabashi. This line is not very modern but has some kind of nostargy; time passes by a bit slowlier. When I was student and lived in Tokyo, I sometimes got on this tram and got off without destination to take a walk. The tram goes through narrow paths toward Ohji, by the Asukayama park where the cherry blossoms are very beautiful. This line is for local people and many elder people would use this. About an hour's ride I got to Minowabashi, the end station. There is an old shopping street there but is still very active, keeps the atmosphere of Tokyo downtown.

都電荒川線に乗って早稲田から終点の三ノ輪橋まで足を伸ばす。この路線は決してモダンとは言えないがある種のノルタルジーを感じさせる。乗っていると時間がゆっくりと過ぎるような感じがする。東京で学生をしていたころ、たまに行くあてもないまま都電に乗って適当なところで降りて散歩をしたものだ。都電は王子に向かって狭い街中の路地を通り抜け、桜の時期にはとてもきれいな飛鳥山公園のわきを通っていく。この路線は地元の人にとっては生活の足で、とくにお年寄りが目立つ。１時間ほどの電車の旅は終点の三ノ輪橋で終了する。そこには古い商店街があり、今でも活気があり、東京の下町の雰囲気を保っている。





At a tea shop, I bought two cans of mattcha tea and a beautiful tea can, and then took a short break at a tea house nearby. I was very impressed that it was decorated in a very chic way and I got an advice that I should take cooked water from the chagama which will be used at tea ceremony and let it be a bit cooler to the proper temperature to drink before pouring in tea leaves. It is quite rare nowadays. I ordered black sesame mochi too.

商店街のお店で抹茶を２缶と、綺麗な茶筒を買い求め、そして近くのお茶屋さんでしばらく休憩をする。お店の外装も内装もとてもシックなのに感動し、中ではお茶のお替りは茶釜からお湯をすくって適温まで下げた後で急須に入れるように案内を受けた。こういうことは今時珍しい。黒ゴマもちも一緒に頼む。





I went further to Senju bridge which is the start point of Okuno-Hosomichi by Basho Matsuo, one of the greatest haiku poets. The bridge was the first bridge built over Sumida river in 1594. In that time, it was a very hard trip and we can know from his writing from the second picture that he had a fear and feeling that he could never come back alive.

その後、松尾芭蕉の奥の細道の出発点となった千住大橋へと足を伸ばす。この橋は1594年隅田川にかけられた最初の橋である。２枚目の写真の芭蕉の文面からも分かるように、当時はとても難しいと考えられていたこの旅行に際して、芭蕉の心はその途方もない行程と、さらには2度と帰ってこられないかもしれないという両方の不安で一杯だった。

En （fate) and encouter 縁と出会い

For more than two years ago in early 2008, I got to know a woman Tomoko-san who is teaching English at some universities in Tokyo. I was introduced to her own maintained SNS and I sometimes posted my comment by adding slightly different view from Austria when other students discussed some topics. Almost all of her students were the member and she used the SNS so that her students can get in touch with foreigners that she found somewhere else and asked if they wanted to join in to help students improve English or if they personally interested in Japan.

今から2年以上前の2008年上旬、東京の大学で英語を教えている、トモ子さんという女性と知り合いになった。彼女が運営しているSNSに招待され、それ以来学生たちが何かについて議論しているときには、オーストリアから少し違った目線でときどきコメントを書き込んだ。彼女が教えている学生のほとんどがSNSのメンバーで、彼女はそれを授業に利用することで、彼女が見つけてきた、個人的に日本に興味があったり、日本の学生が英語を勉強する手助けをしたいと思っている外国人と、彼女の学生たちが接する機会を増やそうとしていた。

I had no intention to teach English to anybody, I did not have to know much more about the county ;) However, I had been looking for some occasions or connection where I could somehow contribute to the education of younger generation. I think I was lucky that I experienced much enough; worked with American engineers and lived in Europe after that. I have been looking for a chance to give that forward.

誰かに英語を教えようなどという気はさらさらなく、日本という国についてもっと知る必要もない ;)　しかしずっと若い世代の教育に何かしらの手助けができないか、そういう機会やコネを探していた。　幸運にもこれまでたくさんのことを経験させてもらった。アメリカのエンジニアと働き、その後ヨーロッパに住んでいる。その運を誰かに手渡しできないかと思っていた。

This time, Tomoko-san asked me if I would visit her class in Tokyo when I return to Japan for vacation and I told her yes without thinking. I was quite not sure how students would react to it, nor what current young generation would think. They are half young as I am, I could have such a son or daughter by now.

今回、トモ子さんが、日本に休暇に帰ったときに彼女のクラスを訪問できないかと聞いてきた。で、深く考えずにＯＫした。学生がどういう風に反応するかも分からないし、近頃の学生がどういう風にものを考えるのかも分からなかった。彼らは自分の半分の年、同じくらいの息子や娘が居てもおかしくない年だ。

I did not have any special contact with my professor, did not visit my university after my graduation and this was my first proper visit to an university. I visited a campus of TMU, former Tokyo Metropolitan university in Minami-Osawa, not very far from Hachiohji with my heavy baggage. Tomoko-san waited at the station to pick me up. The campus was newly built not very long time ago, the surrounding together was neatly designed as a university town.

自分の学校の教授とは特にコンタクトがなかったし、卒業以来大学も訪問したことがない。これが初めての正式な大学訪問だった。八王子から程近い南大沢にある、以前の東京都立大学、ＴＭＵのキャンパスへ重い荷物を抱えてたどり着いた。トモ子さんが駅で待っていてくれた。キャンパスは最近できたばかりの様で、その周辺と一緒に学生街としてとても綺麗な街づくり。

I joined in her three classes, listened to students' presentation or performance in English out of their quite different interests. I gave note and also comments after the class. I remembered what I was doing when I was at their age. Surely I was not able to speak English as good as some of the students. It was also my surprise that students nowadays would use computer or surfing during the class, it was impossible in my time. 20 years are long enough to change almost everything.

彼女の授業３コマに加わり、学生たちの多彩な興味からなる、英語による様々なプレゼンテーションやパフォーマンスを聞き、クラスの終わりに得点を付け、さらにコメントを加えた。彼らと同じ年でいったい何をしていたか思い出した。最近の学生は授業中にコンピューターやインターネットを使っているのを目の当たりにして正直驚いた。当時は考えられないことだ。20年という月日はほとんど全てを変えてしまえるくらいに長い。

As I imagined, many students kept their silence when they might ask me something. This is the mixture of shyness and also some ignorance, lacking of the idea to utilize any chance to take in new views and go further. But some students joined in our lunch and also in the second and the third after-class class.
It is quite unlikely to "talk" in Karaoke bar, but we sat in the safa and students introduced themselves in turn and we talked about interests, future plan or problem and etc. Yes, as a student they have time but cannot have many options. Real job experience would force us to widen the view. Giving my opinion and the reason why to it, they seemed to listen to me with great interest. This time I got many questions out of their natural curiosity about living and working abroad.

予想していたように、こちらが質問はないかと聞いてもほとんどの学生は黙っていた。これは内気さだけではなく、自分の将来のために新しい考えを取り込めるかもしてないというせっかくの機会を生かそうという考えがないことにもよろう。しかし、クラス後の昼食と、3コマ目の授業のあとで、何人かの学生が課外授業に加わった。カラオケボックスで話をするのはおかしなもんだが、みんなソファーに座って、学生たちが1人づつ交互に自己紹介をし、彼らの興味や、将来の計画または問題などについて話をした。そう、学生には時間はあっても選択肢があまりない。本当の職業経によっていやでも物の見方を変えざるを得ない。自分の意見とその理由を述べる間、学生たちはとても興味を持って話を聞いてくれていたようだ。ここでは海外に住んで仕事をすることに対してごく自然に湧いている好奇心のせいか、たくさんの質問を受けた。

I again remembered that I finally followed my intuition when I was considering if I would quit my previous company or would be sent to Michigan for more than 5 years. I was sandwitched by two possible situations but my feeling of care for others held me from making easy decision. Everything was already planned and I should just go to the USA, if I would quit then everything should be planned from scratch. I also did not want to make others disappointed by that. I knew that I got very high expectation from others and I was quite sure I was able to do that. To fulfill expectation of others would never be my stress, but fun for me. I knew how to enjoy stress and make it positive for me, a joy for me. It was the hardest decision in my life up to now. If I would have only "thought" to make the decision, I must have chosen to be sent to the USA. I followed my internal voice even with some pain in my heart to disappoint many people around me then. I want to thank students to remember me that that was at least the right choice for me, and I wish that each of them got some positive influence through our talk.

前職を辞めるか、それとも5年以上ミシガンに行くか悩んでいたとき、最終的には自分の心の声に従ったことを思い出した。2つの可能性に板ばさみになったが、他の人にかける迷惑を考えるとなかなか簡単には決められなかった。すべてもう計画されて、もう現地に行くだけだった。もしも会社を辞めるなら、全て0からのやり直しだ。そうして他の人を失望させたくなかった。周囲の人からすごい期待をかけられていたのも分かっていたし、それに十分応えられるとも思っていた。他人の期待にこたえるのはストレスなどではなく、自分にとってはむしろ喜びだった。それまでの人生で一番難しい選択だったように思う。心を決めるのに考えてだけいたら、きっとアメリカに行くことを選んでいただろう。周囲の人をがっかりさせることに対して心に痛みを感じながらも、自分の心の声に従った。少なくとも正しい選択をしたのではないかということを思い出させてくれた学生たちに感謝したい。それから学生たちのそれぞれに何らかの好影響を与えてあげられたと願いたい。

Hiroshima okonomiyaki 広島お好み焼き

Many foreigners would just think of sushi when it comes to Japanese cuisine, or that Japanese would eat fish very much. However the real joy of experiencing Japanese foods lies in something else. First of all dining style is different from Westerner's. There is so-to-say course menu which will be served at table in order but in general everything will be served at the same time from the start and they are eaten in parallel. Secondly it is to be enjoyed by eyes.

たくさんの外国人は、日本食と来ればすしを思い浮かべるだけか、日本人はたくさん魚を食べるということぐらい。しかし日本食を体験する本当の楽しみは別のところにある。まず食べるスタイルが西洋のものとは違う。いわゆる食べる順番に沿って出されるコースメニューというのもあるが、一般には最初から一緒に出されてすべてを同時進行で食べる。それから目で楽しむものでもある。

Hiroshima, beside her status as a peace symbol, has some specialities which we cannot go without mentioning: Hiroshima Carp (professional baseball team), okonomiyaki, momiji-manjyu and oyster. Okonomiyaki is surely the one which makes Hiroshima something special. It is so popular and there are more okonomiyaki shops in the city than cafes, it can be treated as snack or even main dish by local people.

広島には平和としてしての位置づけのほかにたくさん特色があり、それに触れないわけには行かない。広島カープ、お好み焼き、もみじ饅頭、それから牡蛎。このなかでもとりわけ、お好み焼きが広島を特別なものにしている。お好み焼きやは喫茶店よりも多く、地元の人にはスナックとしてでも、メインの食べ物としても考えられている。

Hiroshiman style okonomiyaki, so-to-say a pancake baked with vegetables and noodles all together on the huge teppan, metal plate. To select the noodle from soba or udon, and then topping is the usual ordering style. And its sauce, produced by otafuku is indispensable.

広島風お好み焼き、大きな鉄板の上で麺や野菜と一緒に焼いたパンケーキのようなもの。麺もそばかうどんかを選び、それからトッピングを選ぶというのが一般的な注文の仕方だ。そしてオタフクのソースは欠かせない。



Japanese would use chopsticks to eat, as is very familiar to many foreigners, but for okonomiyaki it is not the case. People are willing to sit at the counter and talk with shop people where they can watch okonomiyakis being cooked in front of them. It is more than just eating. They usually use spatula and eat directly from the metal plate and it can be the warm "dish" while eating. Without asking for chopsticks and dish, only spatula would be usually served for those who are at the counter.

日本人は、多くの外国人にも知られている通り、普通食べるときに箸を使う。しかしお好み焼きは例外だ。みんなカウンター席に座り、目の前でお好み焼きが作られていくのを見ながら店員と話をする。ただ食べるだけではない。ヘラを使い、鉄板の上から直接食べるのが普通だ。鉄板は食べている最中にお好み焼きを暖かいままにしてくれる皿でもある。特に箸や皿をお願いしない限り、カウンター席のお客さんにはヘラだけが手渡される。




It is not very easy to eat only with spatula from the start. To eat without dropping okonomiyaki on the counter table shows that you are already okonomiyaki freak.

最初からヘラだけで食べるのは容易ではないが、カウンターに落とすことなく食べられるようになれば、あなたも立派なお好み焼き通である。

Hiroshima: the city of peace 広島 平和の街

First of all Hiroshima is the symbol city of world peace.

広島は、世界平和を象徴する街だ。

The A-Bomb dome, which had been prefectural industrial promotion hall, stands very near to the epicenter and shows us what could have then happened still now. Peace fire in the peace memorial park, paper-folded swans sent by many people displayed with messages of tourists, statue of Sadako who died of cancer due to exposure, A-Bomb archieve.

爆心地近くに立つ、以前は産業奨励館だった原爆ドームは、当時何が起こったかを今でも我々に伝えてくれる。平和記念公園の平和の炎、たくさんの人から送られた折り鶴とそれに寄せられた訪問者からのメッセージ。被爆後遺症で亡くなった禎子の像、そして原爆資料館。



Not only within the peace memorial park, there are lots of information everywhere in the city: monuments to consolate the people who died or where the dead bodies were burried, bridges with commemorative plaques　with a picture and explanation, old trees survived the time or exposed jizoh statues whose shadow has been projected on its basement due to the explosion or parks that have been built again after once "disappeared" due to the very high temperature of flashing.

平和記念公園内だけではない。市内の至る所に当時の様子を伝えるものがある。亡くなった方たちが埋葬された場所に建てられた慰霊碑、当時の写真入りの銘板がはめ込まれた橋、当時を生き延びた老樹、爆発によって自身の影が台座に投影された被爆地蔵、閃光によって一度は消え去ったが後に再建された公園。



Everybody knows wars are bad and hates them, even children. To say it loud can be much better than nothing. But is there any sense to do so without knowing why it happened? what actually brought countries to claim for the war? People can learn much from the past only when they are modest to see the fact. We have to know what happened then and why it happened to prevent that catastrophic man-made disaster.

誰もが戦争は悪いことだと分かっているし、子供でさえ憎んでいる。それを声高に叫ぶことは何もしないよりはましだが、どうしてそういうことが起こったかを知らないで何の意味があるのか？実際に戦争は好んでするものじゃないと分かっていてどうしてしなければならなかったのか、なにが国々を戦争に追い込んだか。謙虚になることによって初めて人間は過去から学ぶことができる。何が起こったのか、そしてどうして起こったのか、悲惨な災害を二度と繰り返さないためにも、みんなが知らなければならない。

"Mr. prime minister of the bombed nation, settle August 6th and 9th national holiday as a day that all human being should confess the sin of it"

Hiroshima with memories 思い出の広島

I stayed in Hiroshima for three days to meet my old friends, and also traced paths or streets I used to when I was living there. Hiroshima has both warm and cold climate, they can harvest oranges while apples are growing in the northern part. It has coast, islands, rivers, bridges and above all very many oyster rafts floating in the sea.

３日間広島に滞在して友人たちに会い、以前住んでいたころに通った道をたどってみた。広島には暖かい地方と寒い地方の両方がある。オレンジを収穫している地方がある一方で、北部ではりんごが育つ。それに海岸線、島、川、橋と海に浮かぶ牡蛎筏。




I had lunch at the small bistro run by a young couple where I often went to have meal after working until very late in my Hiroshima time. There is no fixed menu but they write down every day what they can offer. They saw me entering and said promptly "long time no see" even after two years since last visit. As is quite popular in Japan they offer lunch-menu, so to say a set menu which might change every day. Having missed a chance to enjoy pacific saury in fall, I just asked to have grilled one.

当時仕事が遅くなったときによく食事に立ち寄っていた若い夫婦がやっている小料理屋で昼食をとった。前回の来広は２年前になるが、それでもこちらを見るやいなや"お久しぶりです"と。そこには日本ではごくごく一般的だが、お昼時にはランチメニューがある。時期は逃したが秋刀魚をメニューに見つけてそれをオーダーする。




After other customers hurried their lunch into their stomach and went back to work again, I ordered a small bottle of sake and started to talk with the owner. I heard about the alcohol trend in Japan from the bistoro owner while I was rolling ochoko cup in my hand. Time has changed, is changing all the time and sometimes old time would come back. Every two or three years I came here and found new alcohol menu here; I first thought of coming in when I saw my favorite sake on the menu outside. After leaving Hiroshima and first came back, I found many shohchu lists and bottles inside. And I now finally found Italian wines in the list. Not only fashion or trend, every time I visit there I heard the news that they got a new child.

他のお客がお昼を急いでかきこみ、仕事へと帰って言った後に、お酒の小瓶を注文してそれをすすりながら店の人と話をする。手のお猪口を回しながら大将が最近のお酒のトレンドについて話をしてくれるのを聞いていた。時代は変わって、そしていつも変っていき、たまに昔に返る。２、３年に一度広島に来た折にその小料理屋を訪ねているが、毎回お酒のメニューが変わってきた。最初は好きな日本酒がリストにあるのを見つけて店に入った。広島を離れて初めて帰ってきたときにはたくさんの焼酎がリストに加わり、店も一升瓶に溢れていた。そして今回、イタリアワインがリストに加わっていた。流行だけでなく、来るたびに夫婦には新しい子供が。



To trace my usual way to the city center I walked the street along the river. I happened to stop by at a small gallery which I could have very easily passed by. A small painting with mini and a fountain pen caught my attention. I stepped back half of my stride and really stopped, opened the door and went inside. I just looked around the walls inside, I found myself asking a cup of maccha without putting my bag somewhere. After a while, the female gallery keeper asked me if I was just a passers-by and I answered somehow yeh-no telling that I used to live in Hiroshima and came back to see friends.

市内へ行く当時の道をたどり、川沿いを歩く。なにも気に留めることなく通り過ぎることができるような小さなギャラリーの前で、ミニと万年筆が書かれた小さな絵を目にして足を止める。半歩下がり、そして立ち止まり、ドアを開けて中へ。壁を見渡し、かばんをどこかに置くこともなく抹茶をオーダーする。しばらくして女性のギャラリーオーナーが、通りすがりかと聞く。はっきりしない返事をしながら以前広島に住んでいて友人に会いに来たと答える。



After watching each aquarelle　painting in frames in F3 or even smaller size,　I found the design board with painter's profile. He is about to retire Mazda after working his whole career as chief designer there and worked for RX-7, Cosmo and RX-8. His wife was also there to talk to guests, I talked with her for a while. It seemed that he held his first exhibition. I was alone in the very small gallery, talked with two women and about Europe. After about half an hour, a man came in and they told me that he is the painter and mentioned that I used to work in the company, too. What a surprise. He told me about his projects, which kind of problems or efforts they had while designing cars and also colaboration between production engineers to realize the shape. Moreover some stories about presidents which kind of people they were.

壁にかかったF3かそれよりも小さな額に入った水彩画を見終わった後、画家の履歴が書かれたサインボードを見つける。彼は時期にマツダを定年退職するデザイナーで、RX-7、コスモやRX-8の開発にチーフデザイナーとして携わったようだ。彼の奥さんが訪ねてきたお客さんに挨拶をするためにそこにおり、彼女ともしばらく話をする。どうやら初めての個展のようだ。ギャラリーに客は一人、その２人の女性とヨーロッパについて話をする。３０分ほどして男の人がギャラリーに入ってきた。彼が画家だと告げられ、彼女は彼に、自分も以前マツダで働いていたことがあると説明をする。なんということか、彼は歴代のプロジェクトで経験した、デザインした形を現実にするために、生産部門との間の調整の問題や苦労について話をしてくれた。それに歴代の社長についての人となりについても。



The most impressive words he told me were that he felt sorry and even pain that designers' name can appear in media but those of such production engineers would never although they work very hard to find a solution to realise curvy body design. I told him that almost all enginner knows that it is their meaning of existance to realise what used to be impossible and they enjoy it. And the feeling should be the same when they see cars on the street with which they had to make so much effort to send them on the market.

彼の一番印象に残った言葉は、デザイナーはメディアなど表に名前が出る機会があるが、とても苦労して働いている生産サイドのエンジニアはそういう機会はまったくない。それについて心が痛むと。そこで彼に言ったのは、エンジニアはそれまでできなかったことを可能にするという任務をこなすことが彼らの存在意義だと分かっているし、それを楽しんでいるんだと。もしも自分たちが苦労して開発に携わった車を道路で見たら、それをうれしく思う気持ちは、デザイナーの人たちと変わらないと思うと。

Carrying a guide book in unknown cities and visit whatever is written in the book is not bad, but I usually prefer to expect some surprise. Even in a familiar city people can have a big surprise during a short stay and it can be unforgettable all through the life. Where to visit, what to see is not everything. Meeting and talking with people by chance, sharing the same time. The time I spent at the small gallery by following my intuition to stop by there became very precious for me.

ガイドブックを広げながら知らない町を散策するのも悪くはない。でも普段は偶然を期待したい。見慣れた町でさえ、短い滞在の間にびっくりするような偶然に恵まれ、一生忘れられない思い出にもなる。どこへ行って何を見て、というのがすべてではない。偶然人と会って話をし、時間を共有する。何気なく立ち止まった小さなギャラリーで過ごした時間はとても貴重なものになった。

Danshuei 淡水

This time I had a friend who was willing to offer me to stay at his apartment in Danshuei and was very looking forward to seeing him there. He has been working for a Japanese company and knows very well about Japan, Japanese history and of course about Taiwan. He used to live in the middle of Teipei city but he moved to Danshuei because he was tired of crowds. For me, I changed big city and small city for several times and now want to live in a big city again.

We met at shopping mall of Taipei main station and had dinner with his friends. It was a quite interesting opportunity to meet somebody who had been working for the world's tallest building in Dubai in the middle of Taipei. The architecture has to move then to Katar after his task for Dubai.

We drove to Danshuei, about an hour drive from the city. He told me that he asked a agent to find a room where he can have a view of the river and the mountain. The apartment he lives now is the tallest in the city. The view from his room is excellent and from the top I was able to see everything in the city.




We talked a lot about history of Taiwan and Japan, it was quite interesting the share the ideas between us. He mentioned that the text book he used at school was almost lies and they started to look at the reality what really happened. In the Taipei city I visited 228 library, citizens were brave enough to demostrate for the truth so that they were able to build the museum and monuments. The statues of Japanese leaders during Japanese time were displayed at the national museum where the whole history of Taiwan can be learnt. I felt so glad that Taiwanese evaluate the Japanese time as it was, and happy to know that we can share the ideas about the same moment in the past. Surely the influence of Lee Teng-hui who was the first democratically elected president in Taiwan was huge. How many Japanese people still seriously wish that he could be the prime minister of Japan now.

He took me to the fisherman's wharf, where there are lots of restaurants and many people would come on weekends. It seemed that the place is really nice for young couples ;) He also took me to a bar with wonderful view from the window where we were able to see the ocean.




The most impressive taste in Danshuei was the Wantan soup at his relative's restaurant. I had wantan soup and zha jiang mian there and I have never had such the nice soup, want to imitate the taste but I know it is quite hard to do in Austria. This is the link of the restaurant.

Taipei old shopping street 台北のアメ横街

There is a very old shopping street in Taipei, 迪化街 Dehoaje, which started in the middle of 19 century and there are lots of shops selling Chinese herbology, dried foods and so on. The atmosphare resembles to Ame-Yoko, (Ameya-Yokocho) in Ueno, Tokyo. They say that there will be lots of people strolling along the street before new year, this year it will be Feb.14.

台北には迪化街と呼ばれるとても古い買い物街がある。１９世紀半ばに始まったとされており、漢方、乾物などを取り扱う店がたくさん並ぶ。雰囲気は東京のアメ横にとてもよく似ている。聞いた話によると、新年を迎えるためにたくさんの人が押し寄せるそうである。今年は２月１４日が旧暦の正月に当たる。





It is interesting to see what they are selling at each shop but also looking up and see the decoration of old buildings. Currently many buildings are under renovation.

それぞれの店で売っているものを眺めるのもなかなか楽しいが、古い建物の装飾を見て歩くのもまた楽しい。たくさんの建物が今現在修復工事中だ。









In the middle of this street I found a temple. This temple has to do with love and many single women would visit this temple. And when they found their partner they return to this temple and thank again for that. There was a paper with statistic, number of successfully born couples due to year and it is growing year by year.

この通りの中ほどにとあるお寺を見つけた。どうも恋愛にご利益があるらしい。たくさんの若い女性がこのお寺を訪れる。そして相手が見つかった折には再度ここを訪れ、お礼参りをするらしい。年々誕生するカップル数を記載した紙が貼られており、年々増加傾向にある。

Wonder of の (no) "の"の不思議

There are many people speak Japanese in Taiwan, there are lots of ads on streets or text at shops written in Japanese. I could have misunderstood that shop keepers would speak Japanese; pronunciation of Chinese and Japanese about a certain sign are usually completely different from each other and therefore it is hard to communicate without Chinese. Last resort is to write down ;)

台湾には日本語を話す人がたくさん居る。通りの広告や店先にも日本語でかかれたものがある。こうして店の人が日本語が話せるものと勘違いしそうになる、というのも中国語と日本語の発音は漢字が同じであってもまったく違うことが多く、中国語なしではなかなか意思疎通が図れない。もっとも最後には筆記でのコミュニケーションという手段があるが ;)




There is a proper sign 的 or 之 when we want to express posession such as 我的 = my while 我 represents I. But I saw this kind of signs quite a lot in Taiwan. Asking the reason why, I got answers that they intentionally use Japanese sign の for trend or fun. Maybe this might be a fashion for younger generation.

所有や帰属を表現する際にはちゃんと的や之などの文字がある。"私の"が"我的"となるように。しかし台湾ではこの"の"をたくさん目にした。どうしてかと聞くと、なんでも日本の文字と知ってて、流行のように使っているらしい。たぶん若い世代にはファッション感覚なのだろう。