北海道は明治維新によって欧米列強に学び、同時にその脅威と対峙することになった日本社会にとって、「北門の鎖鑰（さやく）」とされ、ロシア南下政策の脅威への最前線地域とされた歴史があります。
　その明治維新は、いわゆる「薩長土肥」勢力が主体となって江戸幕府を倒しました。最後の「肥」こそが肥前・鍋島藩であり、先日も書いたように、その維新の主力人材・島義勇が明治帝の詔勅と開拓三神を背負って札幌にやってきたことをもって、わが街の始原としています。
　１枚目の写真は、わたしの朝の散歩道である北海道神宮にいまも残されている島義勇の像。こころなしか「やぁ、北海道でヨロシクね（笑）」とでも挨拶されているようで、個人的に大好きな像であります。
　今回、その彼の故地である佐賀市中心部の佐賀城（４枚目の写真・40407-04-1.jpg）を訪ね、城内の展示を参観していたときのこと。案内の方が同伴して色々と解説をしてくださったのですが、わたしが「この島義勇さんには、札幌で毎日のように会っていますよ」と話したところ、「おお、よくぞ言ってくれた！」とばかりに歓喜爆発。
　ついついこちらもテンションが上がって「いやぁ、薩長土肥と一緒にされるけれど、薩摩は実に奸佞（かんねい）で……」と案内の方のホンネが大爆発（笑）。
　案内人の方には「それはまぁ……」と差し障りのない対応をさせていただいたものの、歴史の熱が伝わったのか、どんどんと口舌が激されていく。北海道からの旅人・異邦人としては、内心「同じ九州なんだから仲良く、よろしく（笑）」と思うのですが、それだけ島義勇や江藤新平を誇りに思い、悼む気持ちが、いまも佐賀の人々の胸の奥に深く納められているのだなと、こちらも居住まいを正される思いでした。
　幕末期の肥前佐賀藩は、長崎に近くいち早く西洋の科学技術や産業を取り入れ、近代国家の基盤となる制度作りに貢献しました。大隈重信、江藤新平、そして島義勇。島は1874年（明治7年）2月の「佐賀の乱」で非業の死を遂げることになりますが、彼らを生んだ佐賀の地力は凄まじいものがあります。


　この写真の大砲や、錦絵が語るように、肥前は近代的な製鉄技術である「反射炉」を国内でいち早く完成させ、そこから製造した強力な大砲によって幕府軍を凌駕していったとされています。
　そして驚いたのは、その極限の高温に耐えるレンガや鋳造技術の基礎には、有田や唐津などの「焼き物・陶器」の伝統技術が下支えしていたのだという事実。
　伝統の美意識が、巡り巡って近代国家の軍事力と、北海道の開拓へと繋がっていく。
　「そうか、そこか！」と、腑に落ちる感動に満ちた佐賀城探訪でありました。

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[The Satsuma-Chōshū-Tosa-Higo Leadership of the Meiji Restoration / The Power of the Saga Domain]
This is the final stop on my tour of the four domains that served as the driving force behind the Meiji Restoration. I’m finally visiting the birthplace of Shima Yoshiyuki, the “Pioneer Magistrate,” whom I often encounter on my daily walks…

　Hokkaido has a history of being regarded as the “key to the northern gate” for Japanese society—a society that, following the Meiji Restoration, sought to learn from the Western powers while simultaneously confronting the threats they posed—and was considered the frontline region against the threat of Russia’s southward expansion.
　The Meiji Restoration was led primarily by the so-called “Satsuma-Chōshū-Tosa-Higo” factions, which overthrew the Edo Shogunate. The final “H” in that acronym refers to the Hizen-Nabeshima Domain, and as I wrote the other day, the founding of our city is traced back to the arrival in Sapporo of Shima Yoshiyuki—a key figure in the Restoration—who came bearing the imperial edict of Emperor Meiji and the “Three Gods of Land Development.”
　The first photo (40407-4-4.jpg) shows the statue of Yoshiyuki Shima that still stands at Hokkaido Jingu, which is part of my morning walking route. It almost feels as if he’s saying, “Hey, nice to meet you here in Hokkaido (laughs),” and it’s a statue I personally love very much.
　On this trip, I visited Saga Castle (fourth photo: 40407-04-1.jpg) in central Saga City, his hometown, and was touring the exhibits inside the castle grounds. A guide accompanied me and provided various explanations, but when I mentioned, “I see this statue of Yoshiyuki Shima almost every day in Sapporo,” the guide burst into joy, as if to say, “Oh, I’m so glad you said that!”
　I couldn’t help but get caught up in the excitement myself, and before I knew it, the guide’s true feelings came pouring out: “Well, he’s often grouped with the Satsuma-Chōshū-Tosa-Higo alliance, but Satsuma was truly treacherous…” (laughs).
Although I responded to the guide with a diplomatic “Well, that’s…” to avoid causing any trouble, perhaps my passion for history came through, because his words grew increasingly impassioned. As a traveler and outsider from Hokkaido, I found myself thinking inwardly, “We’re all from Kyushu, so let’s get along (laughs),” but I was also struck by the realization that the pride in and grief for figures like Shima Yoshiyuki and Eto Shinpei are still deeply rooted in the hearts of the people of Saga—a realization that made me sit up straight with renewed respect.
　During the late Edo period, the Hizen Saga Domain—located near Nagasaki—was quick to adopt Western science, technology, and industry, contributing to the creation of the institutional foundations of a modern nation. Shigenobu Ōkuma, Shinpei Eto, and Yoshiyuki Shima. Although Shima met a tragic end during the “Saga Rebellion” in February 1874 (Meiji 7), the strength of Saga—the land that gave birth to these men—is truly remarkable.

　As the cannons and ukiyo-e prints in this photograph suggest, Hizen is said to have been one of the first regions in Japan to successfully develop the “reflecting furnace”—a modern iron-smelting technology—and to have gained the upper hand over the shogunate’s forces with the powerful cannons produced using this technology.
　What was surprising, however, was the fact that the traditional techniques of “pottery and ceramics” from places like Arita and Karatsu formed the foundation for the bricks and casting techniques capable of withstanding those extreme temperatures.
　The aesthetic sensibilities of tradition, in a full circle, led to the military power of a modern nation and the development of Hokkaido.
It was a visit to Saga Castle filled with a sense of deep understanding and emotion—I found myself thinking, “Ah, so that’s it!”

● Announcement
My book, *Writers and Living Spaces*, has been published as an e-book by Gentosha.
Available on Amazon.
　

Posted on 7月 4th, 2026 by 三木 奎吾
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　九州佐賀県・唐津探訪篇であります。
　北海道の人間として長く生きてきたのですが、一線を離れたこともあって近年は四国や近畿、中国地方などを巡り歩くことが「数寄」になってきています。とくに島根県や鳥取県、さらには「海の京町家」として知られる「伊根の舟屋」などを探訪してからは、その都市集落形成に深く「日本海交易」が関わっていたことが遠雷のように響いてきて、日本人としての心象をえぐられるような思いに深く沈殿させられています。
　北海道もたしかに小樽・函館など、主に日本海を舞台とする交易圏で生かされてきた歴史があります。
しかし、戦後以降の社会を生きてきた実感からすると、千歳空港からひとまたぎで移動できる「東京とのつながり」が最大のものになっていったなかで生きてきたように思っている。事実としてビジネスを考えれば、現代では東京とのつながりをどう担保し続けるかがキモでしょうね。
なんだけれど、いわば日本人的なこころの底部には、この環日本海的な景観が胸に迫ってくる（笑）。
　２枚目の広域地図を見ても分かる通り、この海は地続きのようにして北陸、東北、そして北海道へと繋がっています。イマドキは忘却されはじめた「演歌」の世界があるけれど、あの短調の旋律はいかにもこの日本海で生きてきた日本人の生き様が反映しているように感じられてならない。
　１枚目の写真は、九州唐津の「内海」的な水面に面した街並みの様子。滞在したホテルはこういう静謐な臨海景観を見せてくれていたので、そういう歴史のリズム感に浸っていました。

　司馬遼太郎さんは江戸期の日本人で誰に会いたいか、と自ら問うて「高田屋嘉兵衛」を挙げていた。
　瀬戸内海海運の世界に生まれた彼は、独立して北前交易の世界を縦横に生き切った男のように思っている。最後にはたったひとりで日本社会の商道徳のようなものでロシア人と「相互理解」を創造して、硬直した幕府の外交を強制的に変更させたのだと思う。そういう人間を生み出したのが、環日本海の交易が持つ「開明性」だったのだと思える。
　その交易圏の最西端とも思える唐津の臨海ぶりを見て、湧き上がってくるロマンチズムがある。ながく日本社会の物流を支え、アジア世界との関係性の主要ルートでもあった。とくに北九州・玄界灘に面したこうした風景は、魏志倭人伝の頃からの連綿とした交流をも呼び覚まされる。すべてを包み込んできた歴史の「母性」を感じてたまらなかった・・・。

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[Genkai Sea and Sea of Japan / The Main Stage of Japanese History Through the Edo Period]
The scenery of the westernmost stretch of sea along Hokkaido’s Sea of Japan coast, which has long been connected through trade. I can’t help but feel the melodies of enka welling up inside me (laughs). …

　This is the Karatsu Exploration Edition from Saga Prefecture, Kyushu.
Although I’ve lived most of my life in Hokkaido, having stepped back from the front lines of my career, traveling around Shikoku, the Kinki region, and the Chugoku region has become a “passion” of mine in recent years. Especially since visiting Shimane and Tottori Prefectures—and in particular the “Ine Funaya,” known as the “Kyoto-style townhouses of the sea”—the realization that “trade across the Sea of Japan” was deeply involved in the formation of these urban settlements has resonated with me like a distant thunderclap, leaving a profound impression that cuts deep into my identity as a Japanese person.
　Hokkaido, too, certainly has a history of being sustained by trade circles centered primarily on the Sea of Japan, such as those in Otaru and Hakodate.
However, based on my personal experience of living in postwar society, I feel as though I’ve lived in an era where the “connection to Tokyo”—accessible in a single leap from Chitose Airport—has become the most significant factor. As a matter of fact, from a business perspective, the key issue today is how to continue securing that connection with Tokyo.
And yet, deep down in the Japanese psyche, so to speak, this panoramic view of the Sea of Japan really tugs at my heartstrings (laughs).
　As you can see from the second wide-area map, this sea connects seamlessly to the Hokuriku, Tohoku, and Hokkaido regions. There’s a world of “enka” music that’s starting to fade from memory these days, but I can’t help but feel that those melancholic melodies truly reflect the way of life of the Japanese people who have lived by the Sea of Japan.
The first photo shows the townscape of Karatsu, Kyushu, facing a “landlocked sea”-like body of water. The hotel where I stayed offered this kind of serene seaside view, so I found myself immersed in that sense of historical rhythm.

　When asked whom he would most like to meet from Edo-period Japan, Ryotaro Shiba named “Kabe Takadaya.”
　Born into the world of Seto Inland Sea shipping, I see him as a man who struck out on his own and lived life to the fullest, crisscrossing the world of the Kitamae trade. In the end, I believe he single-handedly forged “mutual understanding” with the Russians—based on a kind of Japanese business ethics—and forced the rigid shogunate to change its diplomatic stance. I feel that it was the “enlightened spirit” inherent in trade around the Sea of Japan that gave rise to such a man.
　Looking at the seaside scenery of Karatsu—which seems to mark the westernmost edge of that trade sphere—a sense of romanticism wells up within me. For a long time, it supported the logistics of Japanese society and served as a major route for relations with the Asian world. In particular, these landscapes facing the Genkai Sea in Northern Kyushu evoke memories of the unbroken exchange that has continued since the time of the “Record of the Wa People” in the *Wei Zhi*. I couldn’t help but feel the “motherly warmth” of history that has embraced it all…

● Announcement
My book, *Writers and Living Spaces*, has been published as an e-book by Gentosha.
Available on Amazon.

Posted on 7月 2nd, 2026 by 三木 奎吾
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　さて、薩摩鹿児島にはたった１日で弾丸往復したのだけれど、デジタル写真を整理整頓すればするほどに、その土地で感じていたことが脳内に復元されてきてなかなか静止してくれない（笑）。おいおいであります。この他にも九州を全県回ったので、たくさんの記憶が積層しているのだ（笑）。どうもデジタル写真というものには、そういう脳内刺激を起こす「機縁」が仕組まれているように思えてならない。
　人類と写真映像との「付き合い」は、まだそう長い時間経過してはいない。
　日本社会で言えば、まだ100年前後の経験にしか過ぎないのだろう。それまでの人類の「映像」体験とは比較にならないほどの量的な記憶蓄積環境、とくに画像デジタル化によって「自分の脳活動経験」を濾過した画像が、ひとりひとりに巨大保存され続けているのだろう。
　こういったいわば「記憶資産」の可能性は大きいと思える。
　・・・ということですがキリがないので（笑）、本日の写真は佐賀県唐津の様子であります。
　わたしは人生時間を札幌を主として、一時期東京で過ごし、東北各地や関西各地を転々と旅客的に過ごしてきたけれど、近年、高齢期になって夫婦で四国・九州を巡る機会を得ている。とくに札幌や東京（横浜市域）では城郭と「濠」の風景というものとはまったく無縁だった。そういう存在が日々の暮らしの背景風景になるということを想像したしたことすらない。歴史は大好きで武士の世の光芒をみつめることが数寄なのに、そういうものが日常生活的に親和している風景には縁がなかった。
　唐津という都市はたまたまカミさんが選んでくれた土地だけれど、数日間の滞在だったけれど、その生活感・息づかいにすっかり耽溺してしまっていた。滞在中にはカミさんが城の近くの病院に掛かっていたりしたので、ホテルから送迎していて、暮らし的な実感も得られていた。
　観光ばかりの目線ではない、生きる環境という側面まで感じられた。そして写真を整理していると、そのような生きた感覚が呼び覚まされてくる。人為的利用と自然条件の合体した運河の風情、それが城郭という剥き出しの暴力的権力と調和した時間を、この風景は見せてくれるけれど、「なんもさ」というような庶民の暮らしの穏やかさも、そこから伝わってくる。・・・という「やはり」旅人の目線。

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[Karatsu, Saga Prefecture / Everyday Life Amid Castles and Waterways]
The daily lives of ordinary people set against a landscape shaped by both natural topography and man-made waterways. Digital photographs that bring this sense of life to the surface and invite close examination. The explosive power of mental stimulation. …

　Well, I made a whirlwind round trip to Satsuma-Kagoshima in just one day, but the more I organize my digital photos, the more the feelings I had there come flooding back into my mind and just won’t settle down (lol). It’s quite something. On top of that, I’ve visited every prefecture in Kyushu, so I have layers upon layers of memories piling up (lol). I can’t help but feel that digital photos are somehow designed to trigger this kind of mental stimulation.
　Humanity’s “relationship” with photography and visual imagery hasn’t been going on for very long.
　In the context of Japanese society, it’s probably only been around 100 years. We now live in an environment where memories accumulate on a scale incomparable to humanity’s previous “visual” experiences—especially with the digitization of images, which allows each of us to continuously store vast amounts of images that have been filtered through our own brain activity.
　I believe the potential of this so-called “memory asset” is enormous.
　…But since this could go on forever (laughs), today’s photo shows a scene from Karatsu in Saga Prefecture.
　I’ve spent most of my life in Sapporo, with a stint in Tokyo, and have traveled extensively as a tourist throughout various parts of Tohoku and Kansai. In recent years, now that I’m getting older, my wife and I have had the opportunity to tour Shikoku and Kyushu together. In particular, in Sapporo and Tokyo (the Yokohama area), I was completely unfamiliar with the scenery of castles and “moats.” I had never even imagined that such sights could form the backdrop of daily life. Although I love history and take great pleasure in contemplating the splendor of the samurai era, I had never encountered a landscape where such elements were so intimately woven into everyday life.
Karatsu was a place my wife happened to choose, and although our stay was only a few days, I found myself completely captivated by its sense of daily life and the rhythm of the town. During our stay, my wife had appointments at a hospital near the castle, so I drove her back and forth from the hotel, which gave me a real sense of what life there is like.
　I was able to sense not just the tourist perspective, but the aspect of it as a living environment. And as I sort through my photos, that vivid sense of life is reawakened. This landscape reveals a time when the charm of the canal—a fusion of human intervention and natural conditions—harmonized with the raw, violent power of the castle walls, yet it also conveys the tranquility of ordinary people’s lives, as if to say, “It’s nothing special.” …Such is the “typical” traveler’s perspective.

● Announcement
My book, *Writers and Living Spaces*, has been published as an e-book by Gentosha.
Available on Amazon.

Posted on 6月 30th, 2026 by 三木 奎吾
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　４−５日前からご近所で住宅解体工事が行われていて、散歩の道すがら見学させていただいていた。
　ご近所なので時折騒音が発生したりするし、どうも建築の様式としてブロック造と木造のハイブリッド的な建てられ方だったので、興味も増していた。敷地面積は目測で80-100坪前後。油圧ショベル（バックホー・ユンボ）のほぼ標準タイプとおぼしき重機で作業していた。
　上の写真はその途中状況。こういう作業にも「作法」があることは、この写真でも理解できる。外部側に建材の飛散などが生じないように、内部と外部の「構造」をわきまえながら、慎重に作業していた。写真の右側にはコンクリートブロックの壁面が三角屋根の形状のままにきれいに姿を現している。
　内部は木造で造作されていたようで、柱梁や床材などを重機で「つかんで」道路脇で待っている運搬用のトラックの荷台に器用に運び出している。動きにムダがなく、また素人目にもムリも感じられない。人間の作業意思が正確に発揮されている様子は、見ている側にも伝わってきていた。
　こういう様子は隣人としてありがたい。
　日常生活に対して多少の不都合〜道路のある程度の「専有」による人間動線の変更などはあっても、このように自制的で配慮の行き届いた作業を見せられると、内心では徐々に「応援」したくなってくる。実際に夕方に作業を手仕舞いしている瞬間に遭遇して「おつかれさま。作業、安心してみさせてもらいましたよ」と声掛けしたら、おお、とよろこびの表情で応えてくれていた。たぶん近所のひとに自分の工事作業がひょっとして迷惑になっているのではないかと、内心で心配していたかのよう。声掛けにそういう意図がないと知れて、思わず安堵の念が盛り上がったかのようだった。
　そして、下の写真は昨日の夕方、雨が上がってまた10,000歩越えの散歩の帰り道、覗いてみた様子。
　重機の安定を心がけているような「作業終了」の様子。いいね。
　戦後社会で旺盛に新築されてきた住宅建築。人口縮小局面で、これからこういう解体工事も増えていく趨勢でしょう。なにより安全第一の姿勢で、市民の日常生活を守っていって欲しいですね。

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English version⬇

[Observing a House Demolition Project. All I can say is, “Impressive!”]
The trend is for new construction to decline, while rebuilds, relocations, and renovations are on the rise. Demand for demolition work like this is likely to increase as well. A firsthand look at the work in progress…

　For the past 4–5 days, a house has been undergoing demolition in my neighborhood, and I’ve been watching the process while out on my walks.
　Since it’s right next door, there’s been some noise from time to time, and because the building seemed to be a hybrid of concrete block and wood construction, my interest kept growing. The lot area is roughly 80–100 tsubo, based on a rough estimate. They were working with what appeared to be a standard hydraulic excavator (backhoe or “yumbo”).
　The photo above shows the work in progress. As you can see from this photo, there is a “proper procedure” even for this kind of work. They were working carefully, mindful of the “structure” between the interior and exterior, to prevent building materials from scattering outside. On the right side of the photo, a concrete block wall is neatly emerging, retaining the shape of the triangular roof.
　The interior appeared to have been constructed of wood, and the workers were using heavy machinery to “grab” the posts, beams, and flooring materials, skillfully hauling them out onto the bed of a transport truck waiting by the roadside. Their movements were efficient, and even to a layperson’s eye, there was no sense of strain. The way the workers’ intent was precisely executed was clearly evident to anyone watching.
　As a neighbor, I’m grateful to see this kind of work.
　Even though there are some inconveniences in daily life—such as having to adjust my route due to the road being partially “occupied”—when I witness work carried out with such self-restraint and consideration, I gradually find myself wanting to “root for” them in my heart. In fact, when I happened to see them wrapping up for the day in the evening and said, “Good work today. I felt completely at ease watching you work,” they responded with a delighted “Oh!” It seemed as though they had been secretly worried that their construction work might be causing a nuisance to the neighbors. Once they realized there was no such intention behind my comment, a sense of relief seemed to well up in them.
　And the photo below shows what I saw yesterday evening on my way back from a walk—another one exceeding 10,000 steps—after the rain had stopped.
　It looks like they’re wrapping up the work while taking care to stabilize the heavy machinery. Nice.
　Housing construction boomed in the postwar era. With the population now in decline, we’ll likely see more demolition projects like this in the future. Above all, I hope they’ll prioritize safety to protect the daily lives of citizens.

● Announcement
My book, *Writers and Living Spaces*, has been published as an e-book by Gentosha.
Available on Amazon.

Posted on 6月 28th, 2026 by 三木 奎吾
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　昨日は先般訪れていた東北地域・岩手県三陸海岸沖を震源とする地震のニュース。ちょうど朝の散歩から帰ってきたときに知った。わたしの住む札幌西部地方は震度２ということで散歩中は、特段の揺れも感じなかったし、迎えてくれた家人も「え？地震あったの？」という状況。
　八戸あたり、青森県階上での揺れが強烈だったとの報道。今年に入って北海道東北の太平洋側沿岸地域の地震ゾーンの活動がふたたび三度、活発化しているようです。先般の「東日本大地震15年」での被災地域探訪ツアーで、陸前高田などの壊滅的被災地の「その後」を凝視してきましたが、この地震活動期ぶりをみると、油断なくいのちを守る行動様式の徹底は、必須要件ですね。被災のみなさんのご無事を祈ります。
　・・・ということですが、自然は危険性を持っていると同時に、そこで生かされているいのちの営みというものへの深い「母性」を感じさせてもくれる。
　写真は、いつもの散歩定番コースのひとつ、北海道神宮外苑の円山公園緑地の池のほとりに棲息しているオシドリの「つがい」の様子。この時期はかれらの「ランデブー」時期らしく、いかにもお互いの性をいたわりつつ、未来に向かっての種の永続を念願している様が伝わってくる。
　そして６月初夏の「天国に一番近い」北海道の自然環境は、日々日射に重量感が増してきている。池の水の密度にもある濃厚さが加わって、水紋にも「重み」を感じさせられる。地面を彩る植物も土に還る枯れ葉すらも、そういう営みにやわらかい表情を提供してくれているし、目にやさしい新緑は池の水とも溶け合うばかりの光彩をみせる。
　徐々に加齢してくると、涅槃というコトバに反応するようになってくるのだけれど、こういうごく当たり前の日々のうつろいの中に、そういう実感が伴ってくる。
　先人、血縁のひとびとの江戸初期からの「生き様」をたどる旅路を行き交っているけれど、その背景としての自然環境生態は、このように変わらない自然な実相で見守ってくれていたように思える。呆然とさせられる感動を抱く。感謝しつつ、いまできることを全力で取り組むことが、変わらぬひとの務めでしょう。
　ひたすら足下を見つめて、精進ですね。

●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。
https://amzn.asia/d/eUiv9yO

English version⬇

[Seeing “Nirvana” in Everyday Scenes of Nature…]
Lately, I’ve found myself spacing out and becoming entranced by the most ordinary of scenes. Old age. Both my ancestors and I have been sheltered by the same profound nature. …

　Yesterday, there was news of an earthquake with its epicenter off the Sanriku Coast in Iwate Prefecture, in the Tohoku region—an area I had recently visited. I found out just as I was returning from my morning walk. In the western part of Sapporo, where I live, the tremor was classified as a “shindo” level, so I didn’t feel any significant shaking during my walk, and when I got home, my family greeted me with, “Huh? Was there an earthquake?”
　Reports indicate that the shaking was particularly intense around Hachinohe and in Hashikami, Aomori Prefecture. Since the start of this year, seismic activity in the earthquake zones along the Pacific coast of Hokkaido and Tohoku appears to have intensified for the third time. During my recent tour of the disaster-affected areas to mark the 15th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, I took a close look at “what has become of” devastated areas like Rikuzentakata. Given the intensity of this current period of seismic activity, it is absolutely essential that we remain vigilant and thoroughly implement life-saving measures. I pray for the safety of all those affected by the disaster.
　…That said, while nature poses dangers, it also evokes a deep sense of “motherly” care for the lives it sustains.
　The photo shows a pair of mandarin ducks living by the pond in Maruyama Park, part of the Hokkaido Jingu Outer Garden—one of my regular walking routes. This seems to be their “mating season,” and you can really sense how they are tenderly caring for one another while hoping for the continuation of their species into the future.
　And in early June, in Hokkaido’s natural environment—often described as “the closest to heaven”—the intensity of the sunlight grows heavier with each passing day. The water in the pond takes on a certain richness, and even the ripples seem to carry a sense of “weight.” The plants coloring the ground—and even the withered leaves returning to the soil—lend a gentle expression to this cycle of life, while the fresh greenery, so soothing to the eye, shimmers with a radiance that seems to blend seamlessly with the pond’s water.
As one gradually grows older, one begins to respond to the word “nirvana,” and within these very ordinary, daily changes, that sense of reality begins to take hold.
　I am on a journey tracing the “ways of life” of my ancestors and relatives dating back to the early Edo period, and it seems to me that the natural environment and ecology serving as the backdrop have been watching over us with this unchanging, natural reality. I am filled with a sense of awe and wonder. I believe it is our unchanging duty as human beings to give our all to what we can do now, while remaining grateful.
　It is a matter of focusing single-mindedly on the path before us and striving diligently.

● Announcement
My book, *Writers and Living Spaces*, has been published as an e-book by Gentosha.
Available on Amazon.
　

Posted on 6月 26th, 2026 by 三木 奎吾
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