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【地域「道の駅」活用策と、その結果のユーザー迷惑?】




 昨日は3日間のドライブからの疲労回復に専心。移動距離はおおむね900kmですが、まぁまだまだ動体視力はしっかりしているので特段は問題ない。が、やはり足のふくらはぎ、肩・背中局所には痛みの自覚は発生。
 こういう疲労感はしかし日常生活空間に戻ると、不思議とみるみる解消されます。まるでカラダが普段のペースに戻ってリラックスの方法を自然に思い出してくる実感。日常的な体動・ストレッチ動作が、コリや痛みに対して適切な対処をしてくれる。自宅のように慣れ親しんだ空間は健康「再起動」装置システムかもと思える。1昼夜過ごしていると、体調復元に効率的な「習慣性」が自律的に活性化してくる。
 さて、今回の旅はあんまり行かない北北海道だったのですが、人口減少局面で各地域自治体の対応のシンボルとして「道の駅」への考え方の相違が強く印象づけられた。
 写真は札幌から日本海沿岸道路をひたすら北上した「羽幌」の道の駅の状況。道の駅という国交省マターの国の施策はマイカー移動が主流になっている現代生活において、必要欠くべからざる地域資産。今回のような移動には道の駅は休憩のターミナル機能を果たしてくれる。またそういった施設で各地域の情報も得られる。高速道路でのPAのような役割を果たしている。マイカー移動が主流になっている現代では一種のインフラ機能だと思います。
 見方を変えると各地域にとっては重要な「地域戦略」の実践対象。人口減少局面で貴重なアピールの場でもある。自らの地域にひとが流入してくる貴重な機会をどう活用すべきか、知恵の絞りどころ。
 札幌から180kmで途中数カ所立ち寄ったあと、稚内に向けての本格的ドライブの前にひと休みしたいと立ち寄った。・・・のですが、どうも案内の勝手が違って「道の駅」の場所がさっぱりわからない(泣)。国道から「道の駅」マークに沿って右折してもその施設建物がわからない。看板を確認するけれど、ほかの施設名ばかりで肝心の道の駅本体が訪ね当たらない。ほぼ「事件」のような状況に遭遇した。
 やむなく駐車場とおぼしき場所にクルマを停めて歩いて探し回って、下の案内を発見。

 ようやく理解できてきたのは、この羽幌では「道の駅」本体はいろいろな施設に機能分散していて本体建物はないということ。複数の施設が寄り集まって「ゾーン」として道の駅機能が果たされているのですね。たしかに地域にとって道の駅というマーケティングチャンスは最大限活用したいでしょう。それを最大化させることを意図して、複合的なゾーン化させることも理解は出来る。う〜む、しかし。
 来訪者としてはもうちょっと「わかりやすく」して欲しい。いきなり各パーツ分散で迷わせられるのはちょっと予想外。まぁこのあたりは各地域の戦略に関することなので軽々には言えないでしょう。しかしやはりユーザー視線への十分な配慮は期待したいですね。今回の旅の間このこと、繰り返し体験させられることになりました。

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English version⬇

[Local “Roadside Station” Utilization Strategies and the Resulting User Nuisance?
Roadside Stations are an oasis for driving and an opportunity to distribute information. Since they are also a determining factor in the impression of the area, we would like to see consideration from the user’s perspective. ・・・・・.

 Yesterday, I spent the day recovering from three days of driving. The distance traveled was about 900 km, but I still have good mobility, so it was not a particular problem. However, I am still aware of pain in the calves of my legs, shoulders, and back.
 However, these feelings of fatigue are quickly and mysteriously resolved when I return to my daily life space. It is as if the body has returned to its normal pace and naturally remembers how to relax. The daily body movements and stretching activities provide the appropriate response to stiffness and pain. A familiar space like home can be a health “rebooting” device system, and after spending a day and night there, the body autonomously activates a “habit-forming” system that is efficient in restoring physical condition.
 This trip was to northern Hokkaido, a region I do not visit very often, but I was strongly impressed by the difference in thinking about “Michi-no-Eki” as a symbol of each local government’s response in the phase of population decline.
 The photo shows the situation of a roadside station in “Haboro,” just north of Sapporo on the Japan Sea Coastal Highway. Michi no Eki, a national policy of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, is an indispensable regional asset in modern life, where travel by car has become the norm. For this kind of trip, a roadside station can serve as a terminal for rest and relaxation. They also provide information on each region. They play a role similar to that of a PA on an expressway. I think they are a kind of infrastructure function in today’s age of car travel.
 From a different perspective, it is an important “regional strategy” for each region to put into practice. It is also a valuable place to appeal to the declining population. It is important to narrow down the wisdom of how to utilize this precious opportunity to attract people to one’s own region.
 After stopping at several places along the 180-km drive from Sapporo, we stopped for a rest before the full-scale drive to Wakkanai. However, the directions were different and I had no idea where the “Michi-no-Eki” was (I cried). Even when I turned right along the “Roadside Station” sign from the national highway, I could not find the building where it was located. I checked the signboard, but all I could see were the names of other facilities, and I couldn’t find the main roadside station itself. It was almost like an “incident.
 We had no choice but to park our car in what looked like a parking lot, and after searching around on foot, we found the information below.

 What I have finally come to understand is that in Haboro, the main body of the “Roadside Station” is distributed among various facilities, and there is no main building. The roadside station functions as a “zone” where multiple facilities are gathered together. It is true that the local community would like to make the most of the marketing opportunity of a roadside station. It is also understandable that a complex of zones is created with the intention of maximizing this. Hmmm…but…
 As a visitor, I would like it to be a little more “easy to understand. It is a little unexpected to suddenly be led astray by the dispersion of each part. Well, this is a matter of each region’s strategy, so I can’t say it lightly. However, I still hope that sufficient consideration will be given to the user’s point of view. I had to experience this repeatedly during this trip.

Notice
My book “Writers and Living Space” is published by Gentosha as an e-book.
Please visit Amazon to purchase the book.

 

【盛夏2025 稚内〜紋別〜富良野の旅】


 さて世間はすっかり参議院選挙まっ盛りでありますが、あんまり政治のことは触れたくはありません。しかしどうも最近、官僚機構による政治コントロールが目に余り、対して政治の側に「民の目線」が明確には感じ取れないようで、それへの反発心が多くの有権者に兆しているとは感じております。
 もちろん現状がいいと思っているわけではないのですが、少しでも良い方向に向かっていただきたいと祈念するのみであります。投票はすでに期日前投票で済ませておりました。
 ということで、喧噪を避けるように2泊3日の旅程で表題のようなコースで夫婦旅。写真はまるで夕陽のようですが(笑)、昨日早朝、オホーツク海から上る朝日を紋別のホテル室内から撮影したもの。元気よく漁船が出航して、しばらくしてから朝日を拝ませていただいた瞬間。
 今回の旅でははじめてじっくりと「稚内」市内を巡ってみて、北方・樺太との間での海上交通の要であった歴史を踏まえた日本北方史ということを学ばせていただきました。これまでは日本最北端の地、という印象だけで通りすがっただけでしたが、自分の中で非常に大きな気付きを得させていただいた。ブログでは6月中旬の山陰〜山陽の旅のシリーズもなかなか終わりませんが(笑)、さらに北方日本史シリーズも興味を掻き立てられてしまった次第。
 まぁそこが連載ブログの「ほどよさ」で、融通無碍にテーマは行ったり来たりしたいと思います。人生の深まりとともに、だんだんと放浪癖が強まってきております。結局は、比較的に住宅家屋が中心テーマでの「奥の細道」的な随想というのが、わたしの基本領域と定まってきているようです。
 日本人って、西行さんとか芭蕉さんとか、はたまた東海道中膝栗毛、そして富岳百景など「旅人」という漂泊のこころに強いこだわりを持っている民族かも知れませんね。・・・
 
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English version⬇

Midsummer 2025 Wakkanai – Monbetsu – Furano Trip]
I think Japanese people are vulnerable to a life of drifting away from a life of “carrying heavy burdens”. But I don’t like campervans… (laughs).

 The world is in the midst of the House of Councillors election, but I don’t want to talk too much about politics. However, I have been noticing that the bureaucracy seems to be controlling the political process, and that the politicians do not seem to have a clear “people’s perspective,” which I feel is a sign that many voters are rebelling against this.
 Of course, this is not to say that I think the current situation is good, but I do hope that the situation will improve as much as possible. I had already cast my ballot before the deadline.
 So, to avoid the hustle and bustle, we traveled as a couple on a 3-day/2-night itinerary with a course like the one in the title. The photo looks like a sunset, but it was taken early yesterday morning from our hotel room in Monbetsu as the sun was rising over the Sea of Okhotsk. This is the moment when we were allowed to see the sunrise a short while after the fishing boats cheerfully set sail.
 This trip was the first time for me to take the time to visit Wakkanai, and I learned a lot about the history of northern Japan based on its history as a key point of maritime transportation between the north and Karafuto. Until now, I had only passed through the city with the impression that it was the northernmost point of Japan, but I have gained a very significant realization for myself. I have not been able to finish the Sanin-Sanyo travel series in mid-June on my blog (laugh), and the Northern Japanese History series has also aroused my interest.
 Well, that’s the “moderation” of a series blog, and I would like to go back and forth between themes with flexibility. As my life has deepened, my wanderlust has gradually intensified. In the end, my basic area of interest seems to be “Oku no Hosomichi” style essays with a comparatively central theme of residential houses.
 Japanese people may be a people who have a strong attachment to the drifting spirit of “travelers” such as Saigyo and Basho, or the Tokaido Chuhi-Kurige and the Hyakkei of Mt. I am sure that they may have a strong attachment to the drifting spirit of “travelers”.
 
My book “Writers and Residential Space” is published by Gentosha as an e-book.
Please visit Amazon for more information.

【古民家と共鳴する「衣装」デザイン 石見銀山-7】



 古民家というのはもっぱら「住まいと暮らし」に関わる領域であって、いわゆるファッションデザインにはイメージが結びつくことがなかったのだけれど、この山陰の石見銀山で「この地に根を持つ」デザイナーが立ち上げた店舗ブランドに出会って、認識が大きくあらためられた。写真はこのファッションブランド「群言堂」の1つのテーマ作品イメージの表現と、店舗におけるイメージ表現空間。
 衣食住という人間生活の基本要素はまさに基本要素であって、そのなかで生きて暮らしていく人間にとって相互に影響しないわけがない。しかし、古民家という日本人ネイティブな空気感と相互に「対話して馴染みあう」ファッションデザイン、それも現代的ライフスタイルの表現ということには、なかなか思いが至らなかった。しかし、独特の感受性をもつファッションデザイナーである松場登美さんは、そういう常人を超える感受性があって、似つかわしいデザインを創造しているのだと思える。
 もちろんわたし自身はそういう感覚ははるかに「斜め上」の世界なので、圧倒されるばかりなのだけれど、実際にこの群言堂本店の古民家再生店舗デザインと、その雰囲気と共生している衣装類を見ていると、さすがに「似合っている」ことはわかってきた。そして、空間デザインがどのように他の領域に影響していくのかという実例を見させられた思いがしていた。
 空間の作り方とかその構造性などとは別に、いわば「ものづくり」のデザインマインドの基底における相互作用をハッキリとそこに見ていたと言える。

 このようなファッション領域開発のNEXTとして、松場登美さんはいま「浄巾〜じょうきん」という考え方を実践されているということ。言うまでもなく対語としては「雑巾〜ぞうきん」というものになる。生きる領域として衣類を選択してきて「木綿往生」という言葉に強く惹かれたのだという。民藝活動家・外村吉之助氏の唱えられた考え方。それは「木綿はひとにやさしく最後は浄巾となってその一生を終える。人の一生もそうありたい」というもの。雑巾ではなく浄巾の「浄」には汚れを拭き取ってきれいにする意味だけではなく心の汚れも取り除くという意味もあり、社会を浄化するという意味では、と語られている。さらに古着類を端切れにしてそれらを「浄巾〜じょうきん」に仕上げていく針仕事をすら「チクチクセラピー」の営為として捉える。無心でそうした作業に取り組むとき、それらは一種、写経や瞑想にも似ていると語られている。
 結語として、歳を重ねても、新しいことにチャレンジすることは大事だと。
 このような「真言」に至る心底に、古民家的な空気感をファッション世界に表現する営為との深い連関性を見させられた。

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English version⬇

Costume design that resonates with old private houses Iwami Ginzan-7]
The spirit of the Japanese people’s familiarity with space is sublimated into costume design. From there, we went on to create “jokin,” a kind of cloth that is not a rag. Iwami Ginzan

 Old private houses are exclusively related to “housing and living” and have never been associated with so-called fashion design, but my perception was greatly changed when I came across a store brand established by a designer “with roots in this region” in Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine in the San-in region. The photo shows one of the themes of the fashion brand “GUNGODO” and the space for expressing the image of the brand in the store.
 The basic elements of human life, such as food, clothing, and shelter, are the very basic elements, and there is no reason why they should not influence each other for those who live and work within them. However, it has been difficult to come up with a fashion design that “interacts and blends” with the native Japanese atmosphere of an old Japanese house, and that is also an expression of a modern lifestyle. However, it seems to me that Tomi Matsuba, a fashion designer with a unique sensibility, has a sensitivity beyond that of ordinary people and creates designs that suit her.
 Of course, I myself am far “above” such sensibilities, so I am overwhelmed by them, but when I looked at the design of the Gunkendo main store, which is a revitalized old private house, and the clothes that are in harmony with its atmosphere, I realized that they indeed “fit” the store. I also felt that I was able to see an example of how spatial design can influence other areas.
 Apart from the way the space was created and its structural nature, I can say that I was clearly seeing the interaction at the base of the design mindset of “manufacturing” so to speak.

 As the NEXT step in the development of such a fashion area, Tomi Matsuba is now practicing the concept of “jokin – jokin”. Needless to say, the opposite term would be “zokin – zokin. Having chosen clothing as a domain for living, she was strongly attracted to the term “cotton living”. This is a concept advocated by folk art activist Kichinosuke Tonomura. He said, “Cotton is gentle to people and ends its life as a clean cloth. I want people’s lives to be like that. The “jokin” of “jokin,” as opposed to “zokin,” not only means to wipe off dirt and clean, but also to remove dirt from one’s heart and mind, and to purify society. He also considers even the needlework of cutting old clothes into scraps and making them into “jokin” as an act of “prickle therapy. When working on these tasks with a sense of detachment, it is said to be akin to sutra chanting or meditation.
 In conclusion, he said that it is important to try new things even as one gets older.
 In the heart of this “mantra,” I was able to see a deep connection with the activity of expressing the atmosphere of an old private home in the fashion world.

Notice
My book “Writers and Living Space” is published by Gentosha as an e-book.
Please visit Amazon to purchase the e-book.

 
 

【民俗+「開放感」施主デザイナーの意思 石見銀山-6】




 写真撮影したこの群言堂の2階を訪れたのは、松場登美さんとそのワンちゃんから勧められたことが機縁でした。まぁ通りに面してひなたぼっこの場所を与えられて心地よさそうにしていたワンちゃんと会話したくなったわたしの様子を見て、あ、これはひょっとして保護しているワンちゃんに不都合なことをしでかす可能性がある、とわたしのことを危惧されたのでしょう。そのように懸念されたことはまことに申し訳なかったと思っております。その勧めには強い説得力のある「空間体験」を提示して納得をもたらしたいと考えられたのではないかと思います。
 で、わたしとしてはこの2階の光景を一刻も早く見たいと思った。
 昨日も開示しましたが、別のアングルからの写真を2点。この空間がどのように利用されているのかも、まったく知りません。そのような「案内」はなかったので推測するしかありませんが、たぶん印象的な「ファッションの展示」スペースとして利用されているのかと思われた。
 使われている空間構成の素材は古民家を構成する柱梁なのですが、古民家の屋根を支える構造材の重厚さがまるで空間に浮遊するかのように印象されている。グルッと回されている開口部、それも単板ガラスの嵌め込まれた木製窓建具から外光が取り入れられていて、室内には柱が非常に少なくて広大な空間が造作されている。
 こういう空間がどのように成立しているのか、古民家の改修だろうということで、そういうポイントもよくわかりません。が、デザイナーとしての施主さんの強い「思い」が込められているように感じられた。旅のひとこま、通りすがりの一期一会なので、その思いをその通り受け止めていた。
 古民家の素材からは、その地で暮らしてきた民俗の深遠な匂い、時間の積層が感じられる。それを現代のファッション感覚の背景として生かすのだ、という意思の表出。たしかに「松場登美」さんのメッセージは伝わってきていました。
 
●お知らせ
拙書「作家と住空間」幻冬舎から電子書籍で発刊
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English version⬇

Folk customs + “openness” intention of the client designer Iwami Ginzan-6]
Design large space where the roof structure of a stately old house seems to float in the air. A light fixture pattern of single-pane glass adorns the openings. The designers’ intention was to create a “sense of

 The reason I visited the second floor of Gunkendo, where the photo was taken, was because Tomi Matsuba and her dog recommended it to me. I guess they were concerned that I might do something that might be detrimental to the dog they were protecting. I am very sorry for your concern. I believe that you wanted to convince me of your recommendation by presenting a strong and convincing “spatial experience.
 And as for me, I wanted to see this second floor scene as soon as possible.
 As I disclosed yesterday, here are two photos from different angles. I have no idea how this space is used. There was no “guide” as such, so I can only guess, but it seemed to me that it was probably being used as an impressive “fashion exhibition” space.
 The material used for the spatial composition is the pillar and beam that make up an old private house, but the massiveness of the structural material that supports the roof of the old house is impressed upon the space as if it were floating in the air. The openings are turned in a circle, and outside light is let in through wooden window fittings fitted with single-pane glass, creating a vast space with very few pillars in the interior.
 I am not sure how this kind of space is established, and I am not sure of the point of this project, as it is probably a renovation of an old private house. However, I felt that the strong “desire” of the client as a designer was put into this project. Since it was a moment of travel, a passing moment, I had to take that thought as it came.
 From the materials of old houses, one can sense the profound smell of folk customs that have lived in the area, and the layering of time. This is an expression of the artist’s will to use this as a background for a modern sense of fashion. Indeed, Ms. Tomi Matsuba’s message was conveyed.
 
●Notice
My book “Writer and Residential Space” is published by Gentosha as an e-book.
Please visit Amazon for more information.

【石見銀山「群言堂」デザインマインド 石見銀山-5】


 石見銀山という世界遺産登録された地域での古民家的町屋の暮らし。その文化性に着眼して地域に「根のある」生活文化を掘り起こしてひとつのデザインブランドに昇華させているのが、この群言堂。
 きのう紹介した「福」ちゃんの飼い主であるデザイナー・松場登美さんの創出させたデザインマインド。わたしのような北海道寒冷地での住宅の高断熱高気密革命の同伴者からすると、まことにうらやましいような温暖蒸暑の気候の中で、積層してきた生活文化の上質な要素をすくい取っている、というように受け取れる。
 古民家はわたしも大好きでそこで展開された昔人のくらしのいとなみに、ふかく同心する心象を持つのですが、やはりそのままの住宅内気候条件を受け入れることは出来ない。そのような古民家の暮らし方のエッセンスを生かしながら、現代的な「快適性能」を基本に据えていくべきと考えて、あらたな民族的な生活の美感を創出する、そのための文化創造過程のいま現在を、ルポルタージュして共同で作り上げていくことを考える。
 そういう人間からすると、このような群言堂さんの「抽象化」には賛成したくなる。古民家の美感の本然をを生かしながら現代的な感受性で再構築していると思うのですね。ただ、群言堂さんにはそういった住宅性能的な与条件意識は基本的にはないのでしょうね。上の写真は2階のオープンスペースとその大開口。単板ガラスの引き違い木製窓が、広大に展開している。古民家的なデザインマインドと現代的な空間デザイン意識が融合した空間美。断熱としてはこの屋根や壁の外側で重厚に行えるけれど、木製窓自体はこのままではムリ。なので、この空間美を構成していくディテールでは同意はできにくい。気持ちはわかるけれど、手法としては丹念に取り組むべきということ。

 北海道でのこういう古民家の高断熱改修について、いろいろな意見のなかで「初源の姿への忠実な復元姿勢が不可欠ではないか」というトンデモ意見が出ることがある。北海道でも函館の五稜郭復元工事で高断熱化に対して「抵抗」する動きというものもあったと側聞する。
 こういったデザインマインドと、北海道的な作り手作法との「融合」が求められていると思う。

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Iwami Ginzan “Gunkendo” Design Mind Iwami Ginzan-5]
This kind of design mind is good. So, how to structure the house while ensuring the performance of the house? The best solution is a fusion of performance and design. The best solution is the fusion of performance and design.

 The Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine is registered as a World Heritage site. Gunkendo is a company that focuses on the cultural aspects of this area, and has unearthed a lifestyle culture that has “roots” in the region and sublimated it into a single design brand.
 This is the design mindset created by designer Tomi Matsuba, the owner of “Fuku,” whom I introduced to you yesterday. For someone like me, who has been following the revolution of high heat insulation and high airtightness of houses in the cold region of Hokkaido, it seems to me that the designers have captured the fine elements of life and culture that have been accumulated in the warm and humid climate, which is truly enviable.
 I also love old private houses, and I have a deep sympathy for the way of life of the ancients, but I cannot accept the climate conditions in the houses as they are. We believe that the essence of the old minka way of life should be utilized and that modern “comfort performance” should be the basis for creating a new sense of beauty in the life of a people.
 As such a person, I am inclined to agree with Mr. Gunkendo’s “abstraction. I think you are reconstructing the beauty of old houses with a modern sensibility, while making the most of their intrinsic beauty. However, I guess Mr. Gunkendo basically does not have such an awareness of the given conditions of housing performance. The photo above shows the open space on the second floor and its large opening. The single-pane sliding wooden windows are vastly expanded. The beauty of the space is a fusion of an old-fashioned design mindset and a modern spatial design consciousness. Although insulation can be provided outside of the roof and walls, the wooden windows themselves cannot be used as they are. Therefore, it is difficult to agree on the details that compose the beauty of this space. I understand your feelings, but the method should be carefully worked on.

 Among the various opinions on the renovation of such old houses in Hokkaido, there is a sometimes controversial opinion that “faithful restoration to the original state is essential. I have heard that even in Hokkaido, there was a movement to “resist” the use of high insulation in the restoration of Goryokaku in Hakodate.
 I believe that a “fusion” of this kind of design mindset and the Hokkaido way of making things is needed.

Notice
My book “The Writer and the Living Space” is published in e-book format by Gentosha.
Available at Amazon.com.

【ワンコの福ちゃんが誘う古民家美意識 石見銀山-4】



 さて石見銀山シリーズに復帰であります。
 銀山の間歩(まぶ)と呼ばれる坑道地域探訪から下りてきての「街並み」探索箇所。写真は、石見銀山・大森町の「古民家街並み」保存地域で最初にめぐり会っていた家の様子。先日(6/13)も触れたと思うのですが、なぜか強い「吸引力」で引き寄せられていたワンコが、家のド真ん前でひなたぼっこしていた家です。
 このワンコ、ホントにこころが平安でいるのか、余念なく日の光の繊細なぬくもりに達観していた。泰然自若としている様子がまったく素晴らしくて、見惚れていたのだろうか。自分でもよくわからない。最近は小動物たちのふるまいにこころが同期していることが自分で自覚してはいるけれど、それぞれの個性によって受け取り方は当然違いがあり、その「個性」を強く感じさせられる。このワンコにはそういう気配が強かった。横に居て充足感が得られる、みたいな。
 で、この大森町のことはまったく事前知識なく探訪していたのだけれどあとで、この家が全国に展開するファッションショップ「群言堂」の創業者・松場登美さんの家で、このワンコは「福」と名付けられたフレンチブルドッグだということなのだった。・・・こういう情報をカミさんとの共同作業でようやく知るようになって来た。このショップは札幌でもあって、そのお店にもカミさんは行ってお土産に「登美さん」という書籍も購入してきた。
 そういうことでいろいろな情報を受け取れるようになって、旅の味わいがどんどんと深まって行っている。ワンコの力の凄まじさにゾッコンであります。

 こちらがワンコの家の対面にある「群言堂」の本店ショップ。わたしも全国の古民家探訪を大きな人生探訪テーマとしてきている人間ですが、この大森町の、そのまた中核的な存在である松場登美さんのプロデュース、というか、その美意識が大きく展開している空間に魅入ってしまっていたのであります。しばし、この古民家群の探訪記を続けたいと思います。

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English version⬇

The dog, Fuku-chan, invites you to the beautiful old private houses Iwami Ginzan-4]
The navi dog communicates the charm of the old private house townscape with its calm and contented feeling more than human words. I’m so impressed, I’m crazy about her. I’m so impressed.

 Now, we are back to the Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine series.
 This is the part of the “townscape” exploration after coming down from the visit to the silver mine’s mabu (tunnels) area. The photo shows the first house we encountered in the “old private house townscape” preservation area in Omorimachi, Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine. As I mentioned the other day (6/13), there was a dog, which for some reason was strongly attracted to the house, sitting in the sun right in front of the house.
 This dog seemed to be at peace, and was absorbed in the delicate warmth of the sunlight. I wonder if he was just admiring the wonderful way he looked so calm and composed. I don’t know myself. I am aware that my heart has recently been synchronizing with the behavior of small animals, but each animal’s individuality naturally has its own way of being perceived, and I am strongly impressed by their “individuality. This dog had such a strong sense of individuality. It was like he was beside me and I could feel a sense of fulfillment.
 I had no prior knowledge of Omorimachi, but I later learned that this house belonged to Tomi Matsuba, the founder of the nationwide fashion store “Gunkendo,” and that the dog was a French bulldog named ‘Fuku’ (meaning “good luck” in Japanese). This information finally came to be known through joint work with my wife. Kami also went to this store in Sapporo and bought a book titled “Tomi-san” as a souvenir.
 She also bought a book called “Tomi-san” as a souvenir. I am fascinated by the power of the dog.

 This is the main store of “Gunkendo” located opposite Wanko no Ie. I, too, have been exploring old private houses throughout Japan as a major theme in my life, and I was fascinated by the space produced by Ms. Tomi Matsuba, who is also a key figure in Omorimachi, or rather, the space where her aesthetic sense has been greatly developed. I would like to continue my exploration of these old houses for a while.

Notice
My book “Writers and Residential Space” is published by Gentosha as an e-book.
Please visit Amazon for more information.

【人間の「美感」は自然に導かれている】


 本日はきのうのブログの整理整頓。 
 昨日、高校同期の友人の画業を紹介させていただいた。かれは高校以来、ずっと「抽象画」を描き続けてきているとのことだった。それはかれの信ずるところであり、まったく尊重するべき態度だと思われた。
 しかし一方で、わたし一個の自分自身のことで考えるとわたしは世界を「見る」とき、やはりそこに表示されている「節理」とか、自然のことわり、のようなものへの深い愛着を持っている。というか、すべてはその大きな世界のなかで「生かされて自分がある」と受け止めているのだとあらためて強く感じられた。
 むしろ抽象画を描き続けている友人との対話の中から、自分自身と対話していたと思える。
 写真は毎年、散策路の途中でそのいのちの叫び声を聞かせてもらっている「オオウバユリ」のことしの表情。ここには独特の「美感」があり、さまざまな環境条件、種としての「さだめ」に即して必死に生きようとする植物・イキモノとしての本然のままの一心不乱さがある。いのちを輝かせて美を生きているといつも感じる。
 自然はそのあるがままの中で、その「存在としてのありよう」を表現していると思えるのだ。
 抽象画もまた、世界を色と独自の形象の世界と捉え、個人というフィルターを濾過させてそのままに表出させた営為と思える。大きくは存在の美感に従って、その内奥のリズムを表出させている営為。
 この宇宙の森羅万象にある「存在の美」というものと、根源は同じだと思っている。
 あとは、その表現の形の違いではないだろうか。友人とまったく噛み合わない話をしながら、一方でなにか深く共感できる感覚が同時並行していたように思っていた。
 なにか意味不明な感覚表出のようで申し訳ありませんが、なんとなく「気付かされた」のでメモとして書きました。
 
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English version⬇

Human “sense of beauty” is guided by nature.
After a “dialogue” with a friend of mine who has been painting abstract paintings, I realized that I like the beauty of all things in the forest, just the way they are. I am a fan of the beauty of all things in the forest and of things as they are.

 Today, I’m reorganizing yesterday’s blog. 
 Yesterday, I introduced a friend of mine from high school who has been painting “abstract paintings” ever since high school. He told me that he has been painting “abstract paintings” ever since high school. This is what he believes in, and I thought it was an attitude that I should totally respect.
 On the other hand, when I think about myself as an individual, when I “see” the world, I still have a deep attachment to the ‘reasonableness’ or the “natural order” of things displayed in the world. In other words, I strongly felt once again that I accept everything as if “I am alive and I exist” in this big world.
 In fact, I think I was talking to myself through the dialogue with my friend who continues to paint abstract paintings.
 The photo shows the expression on the face of the “day lilies,” whose screams of life are heard every year along the walking path. There is a unique sense of beauty here, and I always feel that we are living in the beauty of plants and animals that are desperately trying to live in accordance with various environmental conditions and their “destiny” as a species, and that they are single-mindedly shining their life as it is their true nature.
 I believe that nature is expressing its “way of being” in its own way.
 Abstract painting also seems to me to be an art form that sees the world as a continuous world of colors and unique forms, and expresses them as they are, filtered through the filter of the individual. It seems to me that the artist is expressing the inner rhythms of the world according to the aesthetic sense of existence.
 I believe that the “beauty of existence” that continues to exist throughout the universe has the same root.
 What remains to be seen is the difference in the form of expression. While I was having a completely irreconcilable conversation with my friend, I was simultaneously feeling a sense of deep empathy.
 I am sorry if this seems to be an expression of some unintelligible feeling, but I wrote it as a memo because I was somehow “made aware” of it.
 
I am sorry to say that I wrote this as a memo, but I was somehow “made aware” of it.

【高校同期の「絵画」作品鑑賞・人生回想対話】


 わたしの出身の高校は、美術活動とその人材輩出で知られています。わたし自身は小学校1年生の時に札幌市とアメリカ・ポートランド市との姉妹都市提携に際しての児童絵画相互交換のときにコンクールで応募した作品が、特選で選ばれていまも彼の地のどこかに保管されている「ハズ」。死ぬまでには1回、そのときの自分と再会したいという「怖れ」(笑)にも似た心理を持ち続けている。やっぱり絵画は大好きで、いま現在は日本画に惹かれていて東京に行く度に上野の美術館や博物館は欠かせない巡回コースになっている。そういう成長期の心情傾向がいまに至るも支配的である人間です。
 で、自分では描くことはしませんが、高校同期生の美術作品展ということで参観してきました。
 「オレ、日本画が好きなんだよね、鳥獣戯画とか、東山魁夷とか・・・」
 「あ、オレ、東山魁夷、あんまり好きじゃないんだわ」という超絶噛み合わない会話をしておりましたが(笑)、ことは美に関することなので、そういうホンネトークから一気に深く楽しい会話が成立していく。って言っても高校の時にはほとんど会話もしていなかった。じっくり話し込むのは初めてに近い。でも、絵画とか美とかは、そういうものではないでしょうか?一期一会、いきなり内面のリアルな中身が表現されていく世界。
 前述の会話はわたしが言い出して、かれ松川君がそれに応じたもの。絵画の話はそこで噛み合わないままでいったん休憩。で、高校同期の仲間の話題になって人物関係図を整理してまた美学論議。
 「抽象画ってどうなのさ?描く動機ってなんなん?」「う〜ん、色遊び(笑)」
みたいな不成立会話で、ふたたび迷宮に突入。
 ということで大変たのしい会話。時間を忘れて話し込んでおりました。幸い、調整役でカミさんも同行してくれたので、なんとか会話が終了して帰途につくことが出来ておりました。放っていたらエンドレスのすれ違い対話はどこまでも続いていたことでしょう。たのしい絵画展でした。
 7/14までこちらの会場で開かれています。友人の渾身の作品群、ぜひよろしく。

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English version⬇

[Dialogue on appreciation of “painting” works and life reminiscences of high school classmates]
He has been painting only abstract paintings ever since high school. Amazing. Communication area drawing not on the surface. Super interesting art dialogue. …

 My high school is known for its art activities and the talent it has produced. When I was in the first grade of elementary school, I entered a painting in a contest for the mutual exchange of children’s paintings on the occasion of the sister city affiliation between Sapporo and Portland, U.S.A. The painting was selected as a special prize and is still kept somewhere in his hometown. I have a psychological “fear” (laugh) that I would like to see my work again before I die. He is also a lover of paintings, and is currently attracted to Japanese paintings, making the Ueno Museum and Art Gallery an indispensable part of his itinerary whenever he goes to Tokyo. I am a person whose emotional tendencies from growing up are still dominant even today.
 So, although I do not paint myself, I went to see an exhibition of artwork by my high school classmates.
 We were having a very awkward conversation, “I like Japanese paintings, like the Birds and Beasts Caricatures and Kaii Higashiyama…”
“Oh, I don’t really like Kaii Higashiyama,” he said (laugh), but since it was about beauty, the conversation started from such honest talk and quickly turned into a deep and fun conversation. But since the conversation was about beauty, we started to have a deep and enjoyable conversation. It was almost the first time for me to talk to him at length. But isn’t that what painting and beauty are all about? A world where the real content of the inner world is suddenly expressed, once in a lifetime.
 The aforementioned conversation was initiated by me, to which Mr. Matsukawa responded. We took a break from talking about paintings without getting into it. Then, we got back to the topic of our high school classmates, and we started discussing aesthetics again, organizing the relationship between people and figures.
 What about abstract paintings? What’s the motivation for painting?” We plunged back into the labyrinth with unsuccessful conversations such as, “Well, playing with colors (laughs).
 The conversation was very enjoyable. We talked and talked, losing track of time. Fortunately, my wife was there to help coordinate the conversation, so we were able to finish it and head home. If I had left it alone, the endless conversation would have gone on forever. It was a fun exhibition.
 The exhibition will be held at this venue until 7/14. Please come and see my friend’s works.

Notice
My book “The Artist and the Living Space” is published by Gentosha as an e-book.
You can buy it at Amazon.

【天上からの音の涅槃 札幌近郊・長沼町道の駅にて】


IMG_2873 ⇐ こちらをクリックして別画面で音楽再生してください。

 本日は連載テーマ「石見銀山」発掘シリーズは、ひと休み。どうも意識のバランスを取るのには、探究型の志向性と同時に世間感覚の両面を往復するような必要があると思います。いまは住まいと人間、的な興味分野であれこれと深掘り「取材」を継続してきているのですが、ときどきは意識的な休息を。
 世間的な仕事関係ではややフリーな立場になってきつつある人間としては、時間的には自由時間が増えてくるので一昨日カミさんと連れだって、新鮮野菜の買い出しに札幌近郊の長沼町・道の駅へ。
 ここのところの好天、すっかり真夏の気候に誘われている次第ですが、道の駅に着いたらなにやら天上からのここちよい音楽が脳天に響いて来ていた。カミさんは速攻で野菜のショップに向かっていましたがわたしは、すっかりその音色に脳天が直撃されていた(笑)。こういうストリート音楽家のことが好きなんですね。見たら国籍不明の色黒男性がさまざまな楽器と音楽装置を使って楽しい音楽を聴かせてくれていた。
 わたしは音楽の楽器にはまった知識がないのですが、首からはたくさんの吹奏楽器をぶら下げて、太平洋諸島のどっかと思えるような民族衣装をまとってリズムを取っていた。楽曲は最初は耳慣れないものでしたが、だんだんビートルズ・オブ・ラ・ディ、オブ・ラ・ダなどのわかりやすい楽曲もやってくれていた。わたし的には首からぶら下がっている多管な楽器の演奏を心待ちしていたけれど、まぁ一生懸命に盛り上がっているのにリクエストも申し訳ない、ということでありがたく拝聴していた。謹んでチャリンと心付け。すごく気のよさそうな人物で、過剰なまでに笑顔のサンキューポージング(笑)。
 その楽しい天上の音色を上の ⇐ 箇所クリックしてで動画再生でお楽しみください。

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English version⬇

Nirvana of Sound from Above At Naganuma Roadside Station, near Sapporo.
Street performers play in the shade of trees in the midst of a beautiful midsummer day. I felt like I was approaching the heavenly world. Nirvana will soon come to everyone. The nirvana will come to everyone in time.

⇐ Please click here to play the music in another screen.

 Today we take a break from the series of the serial theme “Iwami Ginzan” excavation series. I think it is necessary to balance the consciousness of the world by going back and forth between an inquisitive orientation and a worldly sense at the same time. I have been continuing in-depth “coverage” in the area of housing and people, but I need to take a conscious break from time to time.
 As a person who is becoming a little freer in terms of work, I have more free time, so the day before yesterday I took my wife to a roadside station in Naganuma Town, near Sapporo, to buy fresh vegetables.
 The recent fine weather has been inviting us to enjoy the midsummer weather, and when we arrived at the Michi-no-Eki, we were greeted by the sound of soothing music from the sky above. My wife was heading for the vegetable store as fast as she could, but I was completely struck by the sound of the music (laugh). You like these street musicians, don’t you? I saw a dark-skinned man of unknown nationality playing fun music using various instruments and musical devices.
 I have no extensive knowledge of musical instruments, but he had a lot of wind instruments hanging from his neck, and he was playing rhythm with a folk costume that seemed to be from somewhere in the Pacific Islands. The music was unfamiliar to me at first, but gradually they played some easy-to-understand tunes such as “Beatles of La Di,” “Of La Da,” and so on. I was looking forward to hearing the multi-tubular instrument hanging from his neck, but I was grateful to hear it because I felt sorry to make a request when he was working so hard to get the audience excited. I was very grateful for their kindness. He seemed like a very pleasant person, smiling excessively, thank you posing (laughter).
 Please click on the ⇐ above for a video replay of that delightful heavenly tone.

●Notice
My book “The Writer and the Living Space” is published by Gentosha in e-book format
Available at Amazon.

【全国統一もできた? 戦国期「大内氏」 世界遺産・石見銀山-3】


 石見銀山の歴史探訪をしていて、その発見譚からその当時の地域政治経済動向について知らねばならなくなる。日本史の学習ではほとんど触れられることがない領域。日本の歴史の「主流」としてはその後の天下統一過程の進展が主で、対明交易で栄えた長門国の「大内文化」などにはほぼ無関心。
 なんとなく大内氏・大内義隆(1507〜1551年)とその軍事指導者であった陶氏、出雲を本拠とする尼子氏、そして最終的な勝利を得た安芸の毛利氏などの戦国争乱の様子がひとつの「地方権力争闘」と知られているに過ぎない。本格的に踏み込んでいくためには大陸半島との交易拠点としての北部九州経済の支配について、その争闘史を視野に入れていく必要がある。見ているとどうも太宰府の支配権という方向が大きな志向性になっている。東に向かうより西からさらに半島−大陸への意図を感じる。大内氏は渡来人の多々良氏を祖先とする家系伝承を持っていることが関係しているのか?
 大内文化という形でいまに伝えられている戦国期の繁栄ぶりが、その基盤として石見銀山が大きな動因であったことがポイント。実際に石見銀山の開発が大内氏の主導の元で進められ、それが大いに進展すると同時に、この中国地域の権力争闘、領国争いが激化したことがすべてを表していると言える。大内氏の「最大版図」を上に図示したが、これほどに繁栄した戦国大名家が、その後崩壊していく。まことに栄枯盛衰、盛者必衰の理。信長(1534〜1582年)の勃興と反比例して大内義隆の没落が好対照と言える。関東の北条氏と同様の武家としての運命。


 こちらは「石見銀山センター」の展示説明資料から。石見銀山からの鉱物資源は馬路に近い日本海に面する「鞆ケ浦」まで陸路を通って運び出され船で交易ルートに送られた。見たような版図を持っていた大内氏なので、後の信長−秀吉−家康のような中央権力樹立も可能性はあったと妄想もできる。それだけの経済基盤は構築できていた。幕末期にはこうした地域としての「喪失・残念感」をバネに高杉晋作らのような野望がやがて成就していったのだとも思えてくる。日本史の地域間抗争のひとつの断面か。

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English version⬇

The Ouchi Clan in the Warring States Period: Could They Have Unified the Nation? Iwami Ginzan, a World Heritage Site -3]
If history has an IF, the possibility of nationwide domination by the Ouchi clan, a regional power that gained wealth from the Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine, comes to mind. Could it be a springboard for the spirit of the Choshu clan at the end of the Edo period? …

 During the historical exploration of Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine, the tale of its discovery makes it necessary to know about the local political and economic trends of the time. This is an area that is rarely touched upon in the study of Japanese history. The “mainstream” of Japanese history is mainly concerned with the subsequent development of the process of unification of Japan, and is almost indifferent to such things as the “Ouchi Culture” of Nagato Province, which flourished through trade with Ming Dynasty China.
 The warring clans of Ouchi Yoshitaka (1507-1551), his military leader the Tō clan, the Izumo-based Amago clan, and the ultimately victorious Mori clan of Aki are known only as “local power struggles. In order to go deeper, it is necessary to look at the history of the struggle for control of the economy of northern Kyushu as a trading center with the continental peninsula. Looking at it, it seems that the major orientation is in the direction of control of Dazaifu. Rather than heading eastward, one senses an intention to move further westward to the peninsula and continent. Is this related to the fact that the Ouchi clan has a family tradition that traces its ancestry back to the Tadara clan, who came to Japan from another country?
 The prosperity of the Warring States period, which has been handed down to the present in the form of the Ouchi Culture, is based on the Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine, which was a major driving force behind the prosperity of the Warring States period. In fact, the development of Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine was promoted under the leadership of the Ouchi Clan, and as it made great progress, the struggle for power and territorial disputes in the Chugoku region intensified, which shows the whole picture. The above figure shows the “largest version” of the Ouchi clan, but this prosperous family of warring feudal lords later collapsed. It is a true fact that rise and fall, prosperity and decline are inevitable. The rise of Nobunaga (1534-1582) and the fall of Ouchi Yoshitaka are in sharp contrast. The fate of the Ouchi Yoshitaka clan was similar to that of the Hojo clan in Kanto.

 This is from the Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine Center’s exhibition explanatory material. Mineral resources from Iwami Ginzan were transported overland to “Tomogaura” facing the Sea of Japan near Umaji and sent by ship to the trade route. Since the Ouchi clan had such a large area under their control, it is possible to imagine that they could have established a central power like Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu did later. The Ouchi clan had established a strong economic foundation. It seems to me that the sense of “loss and disappointment” of the region at the end of the Tokugawa shogunate was the springboard from which the ambitions of Takasugi Shinsaku and others were eventually fulfilled. Is this a cross-section of the interregional strife in Japanese history?

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