昨日、しばらく懸案になっていた案件について一段落。個人企業とは言え、いろいろな社会的責任に対しては、なにより誠実対応が肝心。ほっ、であります。
　ということですが、毎朝の散歩道inさっぽろ円山公園では最近、写真のような「自然利用」アート作品を発見。わたしのブログでも何回かこういう作品に触れてきていますが、これまでは雪の時期にそれを利用した作品と遭遇することが多かったので、イマドキ時期というのはちょっと驚かされた。
　円山公園の地下鉄駅からの公園入口にほど近い歩道上で、なにやら数人規模での「人だかり」がみられ、歓声が上がっているではありませんか。その人たちの会話情報を側聞して、その場所に「野次馬」的に夫婦で直行。そうしたら写真のようなアート作品と遭遇した次第です。まことに圧巻！
　上の作品はこの時期、風に舞っているシラカバやポプラの綿毛を丹念に集めて「白地」を構成してのパンダとおぼしき作品。アクセントに赤色の花があしらわれて、さらに「画竜点睛」のように木の実が目になっていた。なにより、白い花粉をこのように丹念に集合させるには相当の執念が必要でしょう、すごい。
　下の作品はこの時期、足許に散乱している木枝のクズを丹念に拾い集めて「リス」を造形。こちらでも赤い花で尻尾を形取って、そして木の実を目に納めて仕上げている。
　仏像制作などでも目の表現は非常に執着する部分でしょうが、木の実を使われると、おおっと、その着眼に深く納得させられる。って、自然のものを拾い集めて利用することで「以心伝心」性が非常に高まる。すばらしい。
　さすがに毎度楽しませていただいているので、すこし作家についてWEBで調べたら以下のような情報。要旨引用。
　〜作品は公園・施設の案内サインやパンフレットなどのデザイナーとして活躍する田中宏美さんが手掛けた。仕事の息抜きに自宅近くの公園を散策していたところ、あるシーンが頭に浮かんだ。「ここで雪だるまが遊んでいたら楽しいと思って手足のついた雪の男の子をベンチに座らせてみた」。人間のように帽子とマフラーも身につけた「雪ボーイ」を主人公に雪に覆われた冬の公園でのストーリーを想像しながら次々と作品にした。 〜ということ。
　今回の作品もいかにも「もののあはれ」的で、北海道での日本人ハートを感じさせてくれました。深く感謝。

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English version⬇

New Nature Art in Sapporo Maruyama Park!
Artworks using natural materials that add richness to the morning walkway. As a Hokkaido native, I was inspired by the Japanese sense of “mono no ahare”. It is a “Sukiyomi”. A few…

　Yesterday, we settled a matter that has been pending for some time. Even though we are a private company, it is important for us to respond to our social responsibilities with sincerity. I am relieved.
　On that note, I recently discovered the “nature use” artwork shown in the photo at Sapporo Maruyama Park, where I take my morning walk every morning. I have mentioned this kind of artwork several times in my blog, but until now I have mostly encountered artwork that utilized it during the snow season, so I was a bit surprised to see it during the “Imadoki” season.
　On the sidewalk near the entrance to the park from Maruyama Park subway station, I saw a “crowd” of several people and heard them cheering. We overheard their conversation and went straight there as “onlookers” with our husband and wife. Then we came across the artwork shown in the photo. It was truly breathtaking!
　The work above appears to be a panda created by carefully collecting pollen from birch and poplar trees that are flying in the wind this time of year, and composing a “white background. Red flowers were used as accents, and nuts were used as eyes to add the finishing touch. Above all, it must have taken a great deal of persistence to painstakingly assemble the white pollen in this way.
　In the lower part of the work, a “squirrel” was sculpted by painstakingly collecting scraps of tree branches that were scattered around his feet at this time of the year. Here, too, a red flower is used to form the tail, and nuts are used for the eyes.
　The eyes are a very important part of Buddhist sculptures as well, but when he uses nuts, I was deeply impressed by his use of nuts. The use of natural materials in this work enhances the “mind-to-mind” effect. It is wonderful.
　As you can see, I have been enjoying this work every time, so I did a little research about the artist on the Web and found the following information. The following is a summary quote.
　〜The work was created by Hiromi Tanaka, a designer of signs and pamphlets for parks and facilities. When I was taking a walk in a park near my house for a break from work, a scene came to my mind: “A snowman was playing here. I thought it would be fun to see a snowman playing here, so I put a snow boy with arms and legs on a bench. He created a series of works, imagining a story in a snow-covered winter park with “Snow Boy,” who also wore a hat and scarf like a human being, as the main character. 〜The story is about a snow-covered winter park.
　This work was also very “Mono no ahare” and made me feel the Japanese heart in Hokkaido. We are deeply grateful.

News
My book “Writer and Residential Space” is published by Gentosha as an e-book.
You can purchase it at Amazon.

Posted on 6月 4th, 2025 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 「都市の快適」研究 | No Comments »

東京・関東以外のドライバーのみなさん、クルマで都内関東あたりを走るとき、当然「首都高」を利用しますよね。その時もしカーナビが付いていなかったりしたらお手上げですよね。わたしもカーナビが登場する前までは、記憶ではあんまり都内をクルマで走った経験がないと思います。東京に住んでいた当時、いまから54〜45年前ころにはそもそもカーナビがなかったはずなので、たまに運転する機会があったとしても、事前にルートを確認して、エイヤっと慎重に運転していたのだと思います。もちろん、現代とは首都高自体も比較的単線的で、わかりやすかったような記憶がある。
　それとクルマだけで長距離移動するという、最近のわたしのような移動手段選択はしていなかったと思う。東京から札幌に生活拠点を変えて以来、上京機会はたいへん多く毎年２−３回程度は行っていたけれど、あんまりクルマ移動は多くありませんでした。14-5年前くらいから比較的にレンタカーや自家用車（一時期社用車を賃貸住宅周辺の駐車場に常置させていた）でのクルマ移動を経験してきている。とくに一時期は関東地域への営業活動も行っていたし、取材などでも多く出張・長期滞在などしてきた。
　いきおい首都高は当然利用するけれど、あの複雑な路線を脳内にブックマークすることはまず不可能。必然的にカーナビに依存しての運転となっています。まぁ、カーナビはふだんの北海道内移動でもほぼ必需なので、現代生活ではクルマ運転そのものと一体化していますよね。
　で、首都高もそういうふうに便利に使わせていただいていた。
　・・・なんですが、その日常化していた首都高利用でも、はじめて「信号機」に遭遇してしまったのです。事前に「交差点」みたいな注意喚起があって「え、なに、おい」と思っていたら、ついにごらんのような信号待ち状況に。ただただ驚いてばかりだったのですが、時間待ち停車がかなり長かったので、ケータイで撮影。また下の写真はyoutube動画番組からの首都高「交差点」ワンショット。

　たしか関越方向から「美女木」JC周辺箇所ではないかと記憶しています。今回５月末のドライブツアーでのワンシーン。まぁ首都高の路線が拡張につぐ拡張で、それらを「つなげる」という必要性も加速度がついてきて、とうとうこういう信号機交差点というものが出現したのでしょう。でっかいどう、北海道の人間からすると目が点になるような気分がしておりました。要安全運転。首都高、すごい交通状況ですね。

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English version⬇

[Traffic volume increasing on the “Metropolitan Expressway” – traffic lights on the expressway] Traffic jams on the “Metropolitan Expressway” make you hit the brakes and even stop at traffic lights. The etranse of driving in an unusual situation is the only choice to depend on a car navigation system. …….

Drivers outside of Tokyo and the Kanto region naturally use the Metropolitan Expressway when driving around Tokyo and the Kanto region. If you don’t have a car navigation system, you’re in deep trouble. Before the advent of car navigation systems, I don’t think I had much experience driving in Tokyo from what I remember. When I lived in Tokyo 54-45 years ago, there were no car navigation systems, so even if I had the occasional opportunity to drive, I would have checked the route beforehand and drove very carefully. Of course, I remember that the Metropolitan Expressway itself was relatively single-track and easy to understand compared to today.
　I don’t think I had the same transportation choices as I do nowadays, traveling long distances only by car. Since I moved to Sapporo from Tokyo, I have had many opportunities to visit Tokyo, about 2-3 times a year, but I did not travel much by car. 14-5 years ago, I started to experience car travel by rental car or private car (for a while I kept my company car in a parking lot around my rental house). I have experienced car travel by rental cars and private cars (for a while I kept a company car in the parking lot around the rental house) since 14-5 years ago. In particular, for a period of time, I was engaged in sales activities in the Kanto region, and I also made many business trips and extended stays for interviews and other purposes.
　Naturally, I use the Metropolitan Expressway, but it is impossible for me to bookmark those complicated routes in my brain. Inevitably, I have to rely on the car navigation system. Well, since a car navigation system is almost a necessity for everyday travel in Hokkaido, it has become an integral part of driving itself in modern life.
　So, the Metropolitan Expressway was also used conveniently in this way.
　However, I encountered a traffic light for the first time on the Metropolitan Expressway, which had become a part of my daily routine. I had been warned in advance that there was an intersection, and I thought, “What the heck? I was just amazed, but the wait was quite long, so I took this photo with my cell phone. The photo below is a one-shot of the Metropolitan Expressway “intersection” from a youtube video program.

　I remember that this is the area around “Mimegi” JC from the Kan-etsu direction. This is a scene from a driving tour at the end of May. Well, with the continuous expansion of the Metropolitan Expressway, the need to “connect” them has been accelerating, and this kind of traffic light intersection must have finally appeared. As a person from Hokkaido, I felt as if my eyes were dazzled. Driving safety is a must. The traffic situation on the Tokyo Metropolitan Expressway is amazing.

I am very happy to announce that my book “Writers and Residential Space” is now available as an e-book from Gentosha.
You can purchase it at Amazon.

Posted on 6月 2nd, 2025 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 出張＆旅先にて | No Comments »

　写真はわたしが好きでよく買い物させてもらう近所の安売りスーパーさんの電子チラシ。
　わたし自身は先日も書いたように、まだ25kgほどの買い置き備蓄米が自宅にあり、わが家だけのペースだとたぶん半年程度は持つのですが、事務所兼用住宅なので働いてくれているスタッフ（一応離れたので別会社ですが）のために今後、感謝のふるまい握り寿司づくりなどを考えると、もうちょっと早くに足りなくなるかもと、心細いかなぁという心理も持っております。
　なんにせよ、お米は日本人の生活文化の基盤としてあり続けた主食。その主食がどのような市場価格の構造変化で高騰したのか、まだメディアでも識者からも解明の全体像が見えてきていない。早急にこの暴騰プロセスは解明されて欲しいです。この局面ではナタを振るうみたいな立場の政治家は大きなアピールポイントにはなるでしょう。前の利権構造どっぷりのようだった農水大臣の失脚と別人のポピュリスト系新大臣という動きにはそういった「思惑」が表出しているのでしょう。
　まぁ庶民としてはなんとか価格高騰が抑えられ、お米が低価格で潤沢に流通することが希望。
　そういう希望に対して非常にわかりやすい「消費者の願いに沿う」小売店舗の動きには注目が集まる。この局面では消費者心理に的確に対応する店舗が支持を高めるのは間違いがない。ということで、さっそくに「2000円台」の価格で訴求する宣伝チラシであります。「備蓄米という名の古古米ではございません」というメッセージはわかりやすい。まぁわたし自身は古古米に対してあんまり否定的な感覚はありません。
　たしかに知人の宮城県農家から直接、毎年の新米を大量購入してきましたが、それはむしろ農家のみなさんへの応援の気持ちが大きく、新米のおいしさ大好き、という嗜好性ではありません。それよりもお米農家への感謝の気持ちの表現というのに近い心理でした。おいしいのであればさらにウレシイというような心理。
　なので、こうしたスーパーのチラシに表現された米価への庶民の気持ちに、はるかに共感するものです。
　カミさんは、参議院選挙頃に相当に米価は下がっていくだろうという見通し判断。当面のお米というよりも、家庭備蓄の強化が目的であるのでこうした「市場動向」を見据えながら、慎重に購入タイミングを計っていきたいと思います。
　なにより農家のみなさんの経営の安定、庶民の暮らしの安定実現を。

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English version⬇

Has the outburst of public anger over soaring rice prices begun?
The retailers’ direct response to the anger of the general public at the soaring rice prices is the focus of attention. The flyer expresses the sentiment that one cannot survive if one is insensitive to this phase. …

　The photo is an electronic flyer from a local supermarket that I like to shop at.
　As I wrote the other day, I still have 25 kg of stockpiled rice at home, which will probably last for about half a year at the pace of my own home, but when I think about making nigiri sushi for my staff (who work for a different company, since we have moved away from the office) in the future, I am not sure if I will run out anytime soon. I am also worried that we may run out of rice a little sooner than I would like.
　Whatever the case may be, rice is a staple food that has remained the foundation of Japanese life and culture. We have yet to see the whole picture of how this staple food has skyrocketed in price due to structural changes in the market price, either from the media or from intellectuals. I would like to see this runaway process clarified as soon as possible. It would be a great appeal point for politicians who are in a position to take a machete to the ground during this phase. The loss of the former Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, who seemed to be full of interest structures, and the appointment of a new populist minister, who is a different person, may be indicative of such “speculation”.
　Well, as for the common people, their hope is that the price hike will be somehow controlled and rice will be distributed in abundance at a low price.
　The moves of retail stores that “follow the wishes of consumers” are very understandable in response to such hopes are attracting a lot of attention. There is no doubt that stores that accurately respond to consumer sentiment will gain support in this phase. So, here is an advertising flyer that immediately appeals with a price in the “2,000-yen range. The message is easy to understand: “This is not old rice in the name of stockpiling. Well, I myself am not too negative about old rice.
　I have purchased a large amount of new rice every year directly from a farmer in Miyagi Prefecture whom I know, but that is more out of support for the farmers, and not out of a preference for the deliciousness of new rice. It was more like an expression of gratitude to the rice farmers. If the rice is delicious, it is even more gratifying.
　Therefore, I am much more sympathetic to the feelings of the general public toward the price of rice expressed in these supermarket flyers.
　Kami made the judgment that the price of rice will probably drop considerably around the time of the House of Councillors election. Since our goal is not so much to buy rice for the time being, but rather to strengthen our household stockpile, we would like to carefully consider the timing of our purchases while keeping an eye on these “market trends”.
　We hope that farmers will be able to stabilize their business and the lives of the general public will become more stable.

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

Posted on 5月 31st, 2025 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 日本社会・文化研究 | No Comments »

　昨日夕刻、東京から富士山地域をめぐるツアーから帰還しました。
　旅中はいま話題の臨床医師・和田秀樹氏の著書「70歳が老化の分かれ道」を読書しておりました。わたし自身は、読書の対象としては自然科学系などの本が多くて、いわゆる「文学作品」に偏ることはしません。基本的には「事実に即した」表現物に惹かれる。
　自分自身もこの書に書かれた年代に差し掛かってきて、健康管理というよりもさらにそれを超えて「自己の生き方管理」みたいな部分に強く感応させられてきています。まぁ、当然ではありますが。日々、自分の生命力の状態をしっかり把握しながら、できれば前向きな生き方を実践していきたい、というところ。そういう事柄についてこの方の著作は非常にわかりやすく述べられていて参考になる。わたし自身、いくつかの病理と対話しながら「元気よく生きる」という方針でいたいと思うので、そういった事柄の参考意見と言えるでしょう。
　ただ、この先生はいまその動向でなにかと政治的にも話題になってきているようで、その点はよくわからないのであくまで慎重でありたい、純粋に「書かれた内容」が面白かった、ということです。
　・・・あれ、本日のテーマから大きく逸脱（笑）。
　昨日の帰りのフライトではフィリピンからの観光の方たちと同乗になり、片言ながら楽しく交流。でもあんまり話題が深まりすぎるのも言語系脳の酷使になって困るので、基本的には最近のフライトの定番である「窓際」席からの「空中散歩」視覚ツアーを楽しんでおりました。どうも昨日の富士山ブログといい、こういうのに興味分野が大きくなって来ているかなぁ。
　現代人の人生行路の中で「空の旅」体験というのもかなりの時間積層にはなっているし、過去の作家さんたちとは大きく違って現代人はこの環境への経験知が大きくなって来ている。案外面白い「深掘り＜可能性＞分野」であるかも知れませんね。自分も出版表現の領域では文末記載の電子書籍刊行と、ようやく端緒についたところなので、いろいろと、無意識に探ってきている段階なのかも知れません。
　空の散歩道の景観と天候具合・自然の表情の合わせ技で織りなされる光景は、非常に「音楽的」と感じられます。音楽鑑賞でその「テーマ性」に思いを巡らせるのと同様に、空から見た地形からその地域を「同定」させるのはそこそこ想像力とか、地理の知識などを活用する領域ではないかと。

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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⬇

The Sky Walk – Identified as “Lake Jusan” on the Tsugaru Peninsula?
The experience of “walking in the sky,” which is becoming more and more common among modern people, is quite “musical. The brain work of “identifying” a familiar place from the sky is unexpectedly interesting. …….

　Yesterday evening, I returned from a tour from Tokyo to the Mt.
　During the trip, I was reading a book by Hideki Wada, a clinical doctor who is currently a hot topic in Japan, titled “70 is the turning point of aging. As for myself, I read mostly books on natural sciences, and I am not biased toward so-called “literary works. Basically, I am attracted to “factual” works of expression.
　I myself am approaching the age described in this book, and I have been strongly influenced by health care, or even more beyond that, “management of one’s own life style”. Well, it is only natural. I would like to practice a positive way of life, if possible, while keeping a close watch on my own vitality on a daily basis. His writings on such matters were very easy to understand. I found it to be a useful reference. I myself would like to live a “vigorous life” while interacting with some pathologies, so I can say that this is a reference opinion on such matters.
　However, this doctor seems to be in the political spotlight at the moment, and I am not sure about that, so I would like to be cautious.
　I want to be cautious because I am not sure about that point, but I was genuinely interested in what was written.
　On the return flight yesterday, I shared the same flight with some tourists from the Philippines, and we had a pleasant exchange, even though we were speaking only one language. However, I didn’t want to get too deep into the topic of conversation, as it would be too much of a strain on my linguistic brain, so I basically enjoyed the “aerial walk” visual tour from the “window seat,” which has been a staple of my recent flights. I’m getting more and more interested in this kind of thing, like yesterday’s blog on Mt.
　In the course of my life, the experience of “air travel” has become a considerable time stacking experience, and unlike the writers of the past, people today have a greater experiential knowledge of this environment. It may be a surprisingly interesting “field of deep exploration ”. I myself am just at the beginning of the field of publishing expression, with the publication of the e-book mentioned at the end of this article, so I may be at the stage of exploring various things unconsciously.
　I feel that the scenery woven together by the combination of the landscape of the sky walk and the expression of nature, such as the weather conditions along the way, is very “musical. In the same way that music makes you think about the “thematic nature” of the music, I think that “identifying” an area from its topography as seen from the sky is an area where you can utilize your imagination and knowledge of geography.

My book “Writers and Residential Space” is published by Gentosha as an e-book.
Please visit Amazon to purchase the e-book.
For more information, please visit Amazon.com.

Posted on 5月 29th, 2025 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 出張＆旅先にて | No Comments »

　北海道人にとって「伊豆」というのは、まことに縁遠い。
　４月に「作家と住空間」を出版しましたが、月イチほどの関東関西などの訪問機会が別件であるので、そのテーマ領域での探訪をセットする「自由な取材」を継続しています。いわゆる文学好きという種類の興味ではなく、わたしの場合は「人間がそこで暮らした住空間の実相を訪ねる」というのが主体。今回は、旭川で発見した「井上靖文学館」を知ってから、そのかれの人生模様に沿って「そこで生きた」空間を探訪してみた次第。
　人間、いくつになっても生きてきた興味分野というのは面白いもの。こんなふうな行脚を続けていると、深掘りができるようになってきて、だんだんと「対話型」の取材活動にもつながってくる。昨日も、都合４箇所を巡り歩いていましたが、そのうち２箇所ではかなり「話し込む」取材になった。とくに井上家のご親族の方とも偶然にお目にかかれて、さらに「また、今度じっくり訪ねて来てください」と言ってくれるまで、ディープな取材をすることができました。通り一遍の空間取材だけでなく、このような人間取材が加わると理解が一気に深みに入っていく感じがありますね。
　「この窓からから井上靖は富士を見て育っていた、と聞いている。きょうは曇りで見えないけど・・・」という証言もいただいたのですが、取材からの別れ際、ふと見るとなんと富士山が遠く姿を現してくれていた。その旨告げると満面の笑みを返していくれていました。出会いの深まり感。
　作家という存在は、日本社会では非常に存在感が大きい。海外の作家たちはそういう状況を見てたいへん驚き、うらやましがるのだそうです。この列島社会では人間の生き様というような領域についての共通性・共有感が大きいということなのでしょうか。そういう「機縁」で人と人のコミュニケーションが機能するというのは、考えて見ると興味深いことだと思える。
　こういう伊豆半島の隅々にまで海外観光客の姿が多く見られる。
　日本社会でのこのようなコミュニケーションについてまでは理解は難しいだろうと想像しますが、先般は三島由紀夫文学館を山中湖畔に探訪しましたが、そこではある程度海外でも知られている三島らしく、それらしき外人の方もチラホラしていた。そこまでディープに日本を探訪されている様子。
　こういう領域のニーズはそういう対象としても意味があるかも知れませんね、勝手な妄想（笑）。

●お知らせ
拙書「作家と住空間」幻冬舎から電子書籍で発刊
お求めはAmazonで。
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English version⬇

The writer, Yasushi Inoue, was born in 1931 in Izu, Hokkaido.
He once lived in Tokyo, but Hokkaido people have no connection to the depths of Izu. The writer’s visit was a good guide. I was delighted to hear the writer say, “Come again. I am very happy to hear from him again.

　For Hokkaido people, “Izu” is a very remote place.
　I published “Writers and Living Spaces” in April, and since I have other opportunities to visit Kanto, Kansai, etc. about once a month, I am continuing my “free coverage” to set up explorations in that thematic area. My main interest is not the so-called “literature lover” kind of interest, but in my case, “visiting the reality of the living spaces where people have lived there. This time, after learning about the “Yasushi Inoue Literature Museum” in Asahikawa, I decided to visit the space where he “lived there” in accordance with the pattern of his life.
　It is always interesting to know about the fields of interest in which we have lived, no matter how old we are. As I continue to make such trips, I become able to dig deeper, which gradually leads to “interactive” reporting activities. Yesterday, I visited four places, and at two of them, I was able to “talk” with the people I met. In particular, I was able to meet a relative of the Inoue family by chance, and was even able to conduct in-depth interviews until he said, “Please take the time to visit us again next time. I feel that my understanding of the place is deepened when I add this kind of human interview to my coverage, rather than just covering the space in general.
　I heard that Yasushi Inoue grew up watching Fuji from this window. Fuji appeared in the distance when we were parting from the interview. When I told him this, he gave me a big smile. It was a deepening sense of encounter.
　Writers have a very strong presence in Japanese society. Writers from overseas are very surprised and envious of such a situation. Perhaps it is because there is a great deal of commonality and shared understanding of the human way of life in this archipelagic society. It is interesting to think that communication between people functions through such “kiki-en” (opportunity).
　Many foreign tourists can be seen in every corner of the Izu Peninsula like this.
　I imagine it would be difficult to understand up to this kind of communication in Japanese society, but I recently explored the Yukio Mishima Literature Museum by Lake Yamanaka, and there were a few foreigners who seemed to be Mishima, who is known overseas to some extent, there. They seemed to be exploring Japan that deeply.
　I think the needs in this area may be meaningful as a target for such a visit.

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

Posted on 5月 27th, 2025 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 日本社会・文化研究 | No Comments »