写真は、ひさしぶりに散歩道に選んだ札幌円山公園～北海道神宮周辺の池の畔の光景。
　厳寒期にも散歩していたとき、結氷していてイキモノの痕跡を確認することはできませんでした。が、昨日訪れてみるとご覧のような光景が広がっていた。カモたちは基本は「渡り」するのでしょう。厳寒期にはこの場所にいなくて、それがやや春の融雪時期のイマドキにこの程度の数を確認できた。無上にうれしい。
　うれしいのは、やはり「ようやく春になるよ」という自然界からの明確なメッセージだと思えるから。北国の人間は、冬の季節の揺れ動きに慣れているので、すこし気温上昇が見られてもすぐに寒が戻ってくると警戒的で「まだ簡単にはだまされないぞ」と心理を緩めない習慣性を持っている。
　そういう心理に対して、こういう「水ぬるむ」光景は一番、納得感がある。「お、これなら少し警戒を解除気味にしてもいいかな」と思えるのですね。
　東京や関西～広島県などにチョコチョコ移動するとき、朝の日課として散歩を欠かしません。上野不忍池などの水辺を歩きますが、カモたちは独特の生態を見せてくれる。ふつうのカモとオシドリなど異種の混淆ぶりがどうかは、よく記憶していないけれど、この札幌円山ではオシドリがかなり目立つと思う。男女ペアの仲が良い象徴の名付け。恋の町サッポロかなぁ。⇐かなり昭和（笑）。
　さて、さきの衆院選を受けた国会論戦が始まっていますね。最近は若い世代の投票行動がこれまでと隔絶して大きくなって来ている。それがこれまでの常識を打ち破る方向に向かっていると感じます。オールドメディアというコトバが流行語大賞に選ばれる昨今、「権力の監視」という存在価値自体も大きく「問われて」来ていると思える。
　事実上「第４の権力」と言われる民主主義社会での位置にオールドメディアはあるけれど、考えて見ればほかの３権に対しては国民の選択手段が保証されているけれど、オールドメディアへのチェックは「不買・無視」しか有権者に手段はない。
　ただ、その有権者行動はすでに相当レベルで「盛り上がって」きているとも思えます。ふ～む。

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English version⬇

【Water Warms in Sapporo’s Maruyama Park: Reuniting with the Ducks】
A manifestation of nature’s cycle of life and death. Is this the most joyful sign of seasonal change? From bitter cold and heavy snow, winter’s dangers gradually ease. But is it really safe yet…?

　The photo shows the scene along the pond’s edge near Sapporo Maruyama Park and Hokkaido Jingu Shrine, which I chose as my walking route for the first time in a while.
During the harshest winter months when I walked here, the pond was frozen solid, and I couldn’t find any signs of life. But when I visited yesterday, this scene unfolded before me. Ducks are migratory birds, after all. They weren’t here during the deep freeze, and now, just as the snow is melting in early spring, I could see this many of them. It’s supremely delightful.
What makes me happy is that I feel this is a clear message from nature saying, “Spring is finally coming.” People in northern regions are accustomed to winter’s fluctuations. Even when temperatures rise slightly, we remain wary, expecting the cold to return. We have a habit of not letting our guard down, thinking, “I won’t be fooled so easily yet.”
Against this mindset, scenes like this “thawing water” are the most convincing. It makes you think, “Oh, maybe I can ease up on my guard a little now.”
When I travel back and forth between Tokyo, Kansai, and Hiroshima Prefecture, I never skip my morning walk. I stroll along watersides like Ueno’s Shinobazu Pond, where the ducks display their unique behaviors. I don’t recall exactly how mixed the species are—regular ducks and mandarin ducks, for instance—but here in Sapporo’s Maruyama, the mandarin ducks seem quite prominent. Named as a symbol of harmonious male-female pairs. Sapporo, the town of love, perhaps? ⇐ Quite Showa-era (laugh).
Now, parliamentary debates have begun following the recent House of Representatives election. Lately, the voting behavior of younger generations has become markedly different from before. I feel it’s heading in a direction that shatters conventional wisdom. In an era where “old media” was selected as a buzzword of the year, I believe the very existence and value of “monitoring power” is being seriously questioned.
While old media occupies a position in democratic society often called the “fourth estate,” consider this: while the people have guaranteed means to choose among the other three branches of government, the only checks voters have against old media are “boycott or ignore.”
　However, it seems this voter action has already reached a considerable level of “momentum.” Hmm.

●Notice
My book “Writers and Living Spaces” published as an e-book by Gentosha
Available on Amazon.

Posted on 2月 27th, 2026 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 未分類 | No Comments »

　さてすっかりグシャグシャ雪道対応に追われるブログになっていましたが、最近の本筋「四百年間のいのちの履歴書」シリーズはジミジミと探究を続けていまして、ようやく「あらすじ」判明。
　歴史ものでも四百年間というスパンのものはあんまり見かけない。古事記か（笑）。
　まぁ名も無い日本人一家系の歩みと、その時間の流れの中で遭遇したさまざまな事象を具体像として現実的な空気感シーンに落とし込む作業。点と点を結んでいる内にほぼ近似のDNAとしての同質性の高い想像力が盛り上がってくることに気付かされております。
　ひとの人生には常に生々流転があり、英雄・偉人・有名人には大成功というカタルシスがあるので一般的にわかりやすく心情投影できるけれど、一般庶民はそういう「成功」の幅は大きくなく、むしろ失敗と転落のジェットコースターは無限（笑）。ハラハラドキドキばかり。
　しかしそれはそれとしてどうやら一気通貫で400年間のおおむねの動向がわかったのはウレシイ。
　さまざまな古文書資料の読み込みと伴走する秘書としてAIを活用することで可能になった。とくにAIへの「プロンプト」の書き方がイマドキはどうも決定的ですね。詳細に手順と資料探査の「方向性」指示が不可欠のようです。現代人にとっての一種のテクニックかと。
　とはいえやはりわたしの場合、肉親が丹念にお寺の過去帳などの古記録調査を続けてきてくれた、その基盤が強固に存在してくれているので、本当に頼もしく感じられました。
　400年間の「流れ」の概要はようやく間違いなさそうにまとまってきたので、今後は詳細な資料固めで細部を補強していくことになります。・・・なんですが、現在と自分自身についての部分には「戸惑い」がありますねやはり。いちばん詳細に描けるけれど、差し障りも大きすぎる。自分だけならまだ良いけど、関係する多くの人に迷惑は掛けられない。それに解明する動機が希薄ですね。
　当面は祖父くらいまでの年代について、さらに補強していきたいと思います。
　でもまぁ、あらすじが固まって、やや一段落の心境であります。ふ〜む。

●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⬇

【400 Years of Life’s Resume, Synopsis Finalized!】
It didn’t take half a year, but finally, “One Continuous 400 Years.” Full house, huh? (lol) Not a yaku-man, more like a tanyao. A chronicle of ordinary people’s joys and sorrows. …

　Well, my blog has been completely bogged down dealing with slushy snowy roads lately, but the main series I’ve been quietly pursuing—the “Four Hundred Years of Life’s Resume”—has finally revealed its outline.
Even in historical works, you don’t often see ones spanning four hundred years. The Kojiki, maybe? (laugh)
　Well, it’s the work of translating the journey of an anonymous Japanese family lineage and the various events they encountered within that flow of time into concrete, realistic scenes with a palpable atmosphere. As I connect the dots, I’m realizing that a highly homogeneous imagination, almost like approximate DNA, is building up.
　Human lives are constantly in flux. While heroes, great figures, and celebrities offer cathartic moments of great success, making them easy for the general public to emotionally project onto, ordinary people rarely experience such dramatic “successes.” Instead, their rollercoaster of failures and downfalls seems endless (lol). It’s nothing but heart-pounding suspense.
Still, it’s gratifying to have gained a comprehensive understanding of roughly 400 years of continuous movement.
This became possible by utilizing AI as a companion secretary alongside reading various ancient documents. Especially crucial these days is how you craft the “prompt” for the AI. Detailed instructions on procedures and the “direction” for document exploration seem indispensable. It’s a kind of technique for modern people.
　That said, in my case, the solid foundation laid by my relatives diligently researching ancient records like temple registers was truly reassuring.
The broad outline of the 400-year “flow” finally seems solid, so next comes reinforcing the details with specific documents. …But I still feel hesitant about the parts concerning the present and myself. It’s the part I can describe most thoroughly, but the potential consequences are too great. If it were just about me, it might be okay, but I can’t cause trouble for the many people involved. Plus, the motivation to unravel it is rather weak.
For now, I want to focus on further strengthening the information up to my grandfather’s generation.
But well, the outline has solidified, and I feel like I’ve reached a bit of a milestone. Hmm.

●Notice
My book “Writers and Living Spaces” published as an e-book by Gentosha
Available on Amazon.　

Posted on 2月 25th, 2026 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 未分類 | No Comments »

　写真はわが家周辺の中学校通学路でのクルマの車輪の「空回り」雪埋め状況。最近の通称では英語の「スタック」というコトバが一般名になってきた雪国晩冬の悲しい風景（泣）。
　今年の札幌は例年の1.5倍といわれる大雪に見舞われてきましたが、急激な最近の気温上昇でその固く降り積もった雪道が、一気にグチャグチャ化しています。わが家は中学校の通学路幅員８ｍ道路に面しているので優先的に除排雪がこれまではされてきたけれど、どうやら最近の札幌市の財政状況から除排雪予算が厳しくなってきて、ほとんど「排雪」はされることがなくなっている。８ｍ道路が実質クルマ１台の通行がやっとの状況。通学の中学生さんたちもやむなくその道路を通学している。
　クルマが通る度に、歩行者とクルマで見合い、譲り合って交通するほかない。
　周辺市民としてはできるだけ自力手作業で除雪して高々と堆雪雪山に盛り上げている状況。
　しかし、さすがにグチャグチャ化＋スタック発生では完全に参った、であります。
　昨日も外出先から車で帰ってきたら、やっと１台通行可能な路地道で対向車と遭遇。やむなく近場の「切り返し」可能な場所に当方が後退して、やっと行き違うことができた。午後には娘夫婦がクルマでやってきたけれど、大回りしてやっとたどりついていた。
　でもその「帰り」には写真のようなスタック車両２台の出現。中学校正面ヘの曲がり角では深さ40-50cmのグシャグシャ雪が恐怖の姿を露わにしていた。急遽、多数のわが家前通行車両を「交通整理」。
　なかには約150mくらいバック運転させて方向転換させたりもしていた。「この時期には不要不急のクルマ移動、避けた方がいいですよ」との声掛け。
　最後は各道路前の戸建ての家の方の除雪だけが頼りで、共同住宅やマンションなどの周辺はそういう除雪は、まずされていない。ごらんのスタックもとあるマンション前の道路でした。
　本日は夜から朝方まで、より融雪を加速化させる高温と「降雨」。
　昨日に引き続き、自宅前などのグシャグシャ雪を除雪する作業を覚悟していますが、さて・・・。

●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⬇

【Snow-covered roads thawing causes vehicles to become stuck】
With public snow removal services paralyzed, is ensuring school route safety and eliminating the danger of vehicles becoming stuck left to residents to handle? …

　This photo shows cars spinning their wheels on the snow-filled path along the middle school route near my home. In recent years, the English term “stuck” has become the common name for this sad late-winter scene in snow country (sob).
Sapporo has been hit by heavy snowfall this year, said to be 1.5 times the usual amount. However, the recent sharp rise in temperature has turned the solidly packed snow roads into a complete mess all at once. My house faces an 8-meter-wide road used as a middle school commute route, so it used to get priority snow removal. However, due to Sapporo City’s recent financial situation, the snow removal budget has become tight, and “snow removal” has practically stopped. The 8-meter road is now barely wide enough for one car to pass. The middle school students commuting to school have no choice but to use this road.
　Every time a car passes, pedestrians and drivers must face each other and yield to proceed.
Local residents are doing their best to clear snow manually, piling it high into snowbanks.
But with the slushy conditions and cars getting stuck, we’re completely at a loss.
Yesterday, when I returned home by car from an outing, I encountered an oncoming vehicle on the barely passable road. I had no choice but to back up to a nearby spot where we could both turn around, and we finally managed to pass each other. In the afternoon, my daughter and her husband came by car, but they had to take a huge detour to finally reach us.
But on their “return trip,” two stuck vehicles appeared, like in the photo. At the corner facing the junior high school entrance, the 40-50cm deep, slushy snow revealed its terrifying form. I urgently directed traffic for numerous vehicles passing in front of my house.
Some had to back up about 150 meters to turn around. I advised, “It’s best to avoid non-essential car trips at this time of year.”
Ultimately, only the snow removal done by the owners of detached houses at the front of each road can be relied upon. Areas around apartment buildings and condominiums are rarely cleared. The stuck vehicles you see were on the road in front of a certain apartment complex.
　Tonight through tomorrow morning, we’re expecting high temperatures and rain to accelerate snowmelt.
I’m prepared to tackle the slushy snow in front of my house again, just like yesterday… but we’ll see.

●Notice
My book “Writers and Living Spaces” is now available as an e-book from Gentosha.
Available on Amazon.

Posted on 2月 23rd, 2026 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 未分類 | No Comments »

「四百年間のいのちの履歴書」シリーズ。1718年から1728年のまでの期間中にわが家系は大転身した。
　記録を1815年に「原氏由来の事」という巻物として残してくれた三木寛蔵・先祖の記載では、以下のような大転身の内容記述がある。
　〜津野郷村本谷阿部十兵衛末葉何某娘、福山御家中吉田端守殿え縁付く（嫁にいく）。其の妹も吉田氏の厄介に相成り、源七是を娶る。其より尾道阿賀屋へ養子に参る。源七改名して三木治右衛門に是也」〜
　繰り返しわが家系は1718年に「打ち毀し」にあったと記したのですが、その後わが家系は福山藩領の松永で「塩浜づくり」に転身していた。そして「福山御家中吉田端守殿え縁付く」と記載。
　浅野藩で徴税責任者として庄屋層を束ねていたとはいえ、身分としては一介の「庄屋層」。その身分のものが、福山藩の「郡奉行」という地方財政担当者と「縁組み」したと書かれている。
　そしてそこからさらに、尾道の商家へと「夫婦として」養子に参るとの記述。
　その上で晴れて「改名して三木治右衛門に是也」という高々とした商家宣言に至っている。
　こういう経緯をAI/Geminiに問い合わせたら、「結論から申し上げれば、江戸時代の身分制社会において、一介の庄屋階層と隣藩の郡奉行（幹部武士）が一門関係を持つことは、決して一般的」なことではありません。むしろ極めて例外的な現代で言えば「国家間をまたぐ極秘のヘッドハンティング」や「高度な政治亡命」に近い性格を持った特殊な事例と言えます。」という回答。
　さらに重ねて「浅野領の所務役といういわば競合他社の元CFO（最高財務責任者）が一族を連れて技術とノウハウを持って自藩に来てくれる。これは婚姻関係を結んででも自藩の身内として囲い込む価値がある特級の案件だった」と言い切っている。
　下手をすれば「間者（スパイ）」の嫌疑をかけられる。それが奉行一門と縁を結ぶことで、その身元を藩の最高幹部が保証する形になるのだ、という回答。
　そして生産された塩を全国流通させるチャンネルとして尾道の「商家株」を入手している。
　わが先祖の原平七はこういう機微にまみれた社会的立場のロンダリングを仕掛けたのだと言えるのです。
　百姓一揆の首謀者たちは打ち毀しを通して、自ら獄門打ち首になりながら百姓の要求を全面的に藩に受け入れさせ「義人」という尊称を地域社会の中で獲得していった。一方で、打ち毀された家系も、高度の「生存戦略」を発動させていた・・・。江戸期社会の深い実相。

●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⬇
　
【Edo Period “Family Name and Status” Laundering: Samurai Marriages to Merchant Houses / Family History】
Within the rigid Edo period class system taught in history lessons, a strategic maneuver unfolded, shrouded in subtlety, leading to a major transformation. …

The “Four Hundred Years of Life’s Resume” Series. Between 1718 and 1728, my family underwent a major transformation.
According to the records left by my ancestor Miki Kanzo in 1815, preserved as a scroll titled “The Origin of the Hara Clan,” the details of this major transformation are described as follows:
　~A certain daughter of Abe Jubei of Motoya, Tsuno Village, was betrothed to Lord Yoshida Tamori of the Fukuyama retainers. Her younger sister also came under the care of the Yoshida family, and Genjiro married her. Thereafter, he went to Onomichi Aga-ya as an adopted son. Genjiro changed his name to Miki Jiemon.~
　I have repeatedly noted that our family suffered a “destruction” in 1718. After that, our family transformed into salt field workers in Matsunaga within the Fukuyama domain. And it is recorded that they “were married into the household of Lord Yoshida Tamamori of the Fukuyama domain.”
Even though he was a tax collector responsible for managing the village headmen in the Asano domain, his status was merely that of a “village headman.” It is written that someone of that rank formed a “marriage alliance” with the Fukuyama domain’s “gunbugyo,” a local fiscal administrator.
Then, further on, there is a description of him being adopted “as a married couple” into a merchant family in Onomichi.
On top of that, it culminates in the lofty merchant declaration: “He was then formally renamed Miki Jiemon.”
　When I queried this sequence with AI/Gemini, it responded: “To state the conclusion first, within the hierarchical society of the Edo period, it was by no means common for a mere village headman to form a family alliance with a district magistrate (senior samurai) from a neighboring domain. Rather, it was an extremely exceptional case, akin in modern terms to ‘top-secret cross-border headhunting’ or ‘high-level political asylum’.”
　It further emphasized: “The former CFO of a rival domain—the Asano domain’s administrative officer—bringing his entire family, along with their technology and know-how, to join our domain. This was a top-tier opportunity worth securing as family through marriage.”
　At worst, he could have been suspected of being a spy. By forming a bond through marriage with the magistrate’s family, his identity was effectively guaranteed by the domain’s highest-ranking officials.
Furthermore, he secured a merchant share in Onomichi as a channel for distributing the produced salt nationwide.
It can be said that my ancestor, Genpei Shichi, orchestrated this socially sensitive position laundering.
　The leaders of the peasant uprising, through their execution by beheading, forced the domain to fully accept the peasants’ demands while they themselves faced the gallows. This earned them the revered title of “righteous men” within the local community. Meanwhile, the families of those executed also activated sophisticated “survival strategies”… The profound reality of Edo period society.

●Notice
My book “Writers and Living Spaces” published as an e-book by Gentosha
Available on Amazon.

Posted on 2月 21st, 2026 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 未分類 | No Comments »

　さて、家系にとって隣藩の福山藩・松永で勃興しつつあった藩総力での塩田事業。
　上の地図は「松永はきもの資料館」で確認した塩田地図。松永地域でもたくさんの新開塩田が時系列的に分かれていることがわかる。そのなかで「今津」と記された場所が、わたしの家系がその後明治期に至るまで本拠地としていた地域。この地域から北海道に「仏壇を背負って」渡って来たのです。在地の蓮華寺は真言宗で家系の祖先の墓がたくさんある。
　1718年の百姓一揆で浅野藩・入野の家宅が打ち毀された、浅野藩・所務役だった家系当主、原平七はまだ10歳だった次世代・源七とともにこの地へ一族で転身した。浅野藩・竹原塩田の大成功をみて隣の福山藩はここで活発に塩田開拓事業を行っていた。
　そのなかで「今津」の時代特定がされていなかったのですが、今回AI・Geminiで再度「今津の塩田開拓時期は？」とプロンプトしたら、1710年に第１期工事が完成していたという回答。AI回答なので、しっかり証拠を確定させる必要はあるのですが当面それを受け入れれば、たしかに家系の1718年の打ち毀し受難からの「再起」のステージとして時代相も適合している。
　江戸期の塩産業についての概要は以下：
　江戸期の塩は、現代と比較して非常に価値の高い商品であり、藩の経済を支える重要な財源。　
•藩の財源: 製塩業は幕府や藩の許可制であり特に瀬戸内の有力藩にとって、その生産・販売による収入は米の生産以上に安定した利益をもたらす重要な財源（塩田収入は水田の10倍、良い時は20倍になったとする試算もある）。
•生活必需品: 食生活に不可欠であることはもちろん、魚や野菜の保存、味噌・醤油などの調味料製造にも不可欠な、最重要の生活必需品。
•厳格な管理: 藩財政を支えるため密売は厳しく取り締まられ生産から流通販売に至るまで管理体制が敷かれていた。〜
　こういう背景事情の中、藩を越えて身分も家名も変えざるを得なかった境遇で移転先を求めていた浅野藩で「所務役」だった家系の存在は、福山藩にとっても「使い出」のある家系と映っていただろうことは疑いがない。「あんた、業界構造の裏のウラまで知ってる、だろう？」「ま、それほどでもありませんが、それなりには・・・」
　そういった「相見互い身」の関係性が浮かんでくる。・・・

●お知らせ
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English version⬇

【The Imazu Beach Salt Fields of Bingo Matsunaga, Established in 1710 / Family History】
The Bingo Matsunaga region reached through a “survival strategy” that even changed the family name. Then came the encounter with “Imazu,” the ancestral homeland 2.0. …

　Now, regarding the salt field enterprise that was emerging with the full force of the neighboring Fukuyama Domain in Matsunaga for our family lineage.
The map above is a salt field map confirmed at the Matsunaga Hakimono Museum. It shows that numerous newly opened salt fields in the Matsunaga area are separated chronologically. Among them, the location marked “Imazu” is the area my family lineage used as its base until the Meiji period. It was from this region that my ancestors crossed over to Hokkaido, “carrying Buddhist altars on their backs.” The local Rengeji Temple, a Shingon sect temple, holds many graves of my family ancestors.
During the 1718 peasant uprising, the residence of the family head, Hara Heishichi, who served as an administrative official for the Asano domain in Irino, was destroyed. He, along with his 10-year-old son, the next generation, Genji, relocated their entire clan to this land. Seeing the great success of the Asano Domain’s Takihara salt fields, the neighboring Fukuyama Domain actively pursued salt field development projects here.
While the specific era for “Imazu” hadn’t been determined, prompting AI Gemini again with “When was the Imazu salt field development period?” yielded the answer that the first phase of construction was completed in 1710. As this is an AI response, definitive evidence is still needed, but provisionally accepting it aligns well with the historical context as a stage of “rebirth” following the family’s 1718 persecution and ruin.
An overview of the Edo period salt industry follows:
Salt in the Edo period was a commodity of far greater value than today, serving as a crucial revenue source supporting domain economies.　
• Domain Revenue: Salt production required permission from the shogunate or domain. For powerful domains in the Seto Inland Sea region, income from its production and sale provided more stable profits than rice production, making it a vital revenue source (some estimates suggest salt field income was 10 times that of rice paddies, and up to 20 times in good years).
• Essential Commodity: Salt was indispensable not only for daily meals but also for preserving fish and vegetables, and for producing essential seasonings like miso and soy sauce.
• Strict Regulation: To support domain finances, illicit sales were rigorously suppressed, with a management system established covering everything from production to distribution and sales.
Given these circumstances, the existence of a family line that had served as “domain officials” in the Asano domain—forced to relocate beyond domain borders while changing both status and family name—would undoubtedly have appeared to the Fukuyama domain as a lineage with “useful connections.” “You know the ins and outs of the industry’s hidden workings, don’t you?”
“Well, not quite that much, but I know my way around…”
Such a relationship of mutual understanding emerges. …

●Notice
My book “Writers and Living Spaces” published as an e-book by Gentosha
Available on Amazon.

Posted on 2月 19th, 2026 by 三木 奎吾
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