現在の札幌市西区山の手に移転してきて以降35年間ほど、いくらかは途中休みはあったにせよ、散歩習慣を継続してきています。はじめのうちはまだ30代だったので特段健康留意という目的意識は強くはなく、周辺環境に「なじむ」ことが目的で、そのうちに歩き続けていると適度な視界の変化ぶりが楽しくなっていったと記憶しています。
　北海道の中央部・石狩平野南端部で、南側には山岳地形が迫ってきている様子が、いろいろな季節変化を伝えてきてくれるオモシロさ。健康状態では何度か入院治療なども経験していますが、そのときにも病院内の廊下などを巡り歩くことを継続していた。最近はiPhoneアプリ「ヘルスケア」で歩数を記録してくれるのでメルクマールになっているけれど、そういうチェック機能なしでも継続してきていた。
　散歩では前述のように視界の移り変わりが楽しいのだけれど、しかし他方、足下をしっかり確認することも大切。
　最近はあまり感じなくなったけれど毎日10,000歩程度歩いていると、１回くらい多少の「ふらつき」を感じた時期もあった。ふっと、右足のあとの左足の着地点確認が「あれ」と意識が薄くなる瞬間があり得たのです。
　そういうときは、その後意識を強めに足下に集中させていくことにする。
　用心として足下へのしっかり凝視も欠かせない注意ポイントになってくるのですね。
　写真は先日、孫の「ハイハイ競争参加」の抱っこ要員として同行した近郊・南幌町で定刻前のスキマ時間での散歩道のたのしい「地上絵」であります。南幌町には海は接していませんが、ここに描かれたのは遡上してくるサケの絵柄。「あ、南幌にもサケが遡上してくる川があるんだ」と伝えてくれるのです。こういう「コミュニケーション」というのもわかりやすい「地域紹介」になっているなぁと。
　遠くの景色の「ながれ」を楽しむのも有意義だけれど、しっかり「ふらつき防止」のために足下を確認するのにも、こういう視覚的たのしさを提供してくれている。まぁ、札幌市内でも全国どこでも。こういった地上絵は多く提供されていますが、高齢期の人間にはありがたいサービスだと再認識。
　彩色された石を使ったアートとしても、なかなかいいなぁと。

●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⬇

[A walking path on a trip. Staring intently at my feet… Hmm.]
Footpath art designed to help seniors avoid stumbling. These all-weather stone sculptures are quietly delightful. Even when the path is covered in snow, there’s the joy of shoveling it away and rediscovering them all over again…

　For about 35 years since moving to Yamanote in Sapporo’s Nishi Ward—though there have been a few breaks along the way—I’ve kept up my habit of taking walks. In the beginning, I was still in my 30s, so I didn’t have a strong sense of purpose regarding health; my goal was simply to “get to know” the surrounding area. As I continued walking, I recall coming to enjoy the moderate changes in the scenery.
　Located in central Hokkaido at the southern tip of the Ishikari Plain, with mountainous terrain looming to the south, the area offers the fascinating experience of witnessing the changing seasons through these shifting vistas. Although I’ve been hospitalized several times for health reasons, I continued to walk the hospital corridors even during those stays. Lately, the “Health” app on my iPhone has been tracking my step count, so that’s become a benchmark for me, but I had been walking consistently even without that kind of tracking feature.
As mentioned earlier, I enjoy the changing scenery during my walks, but at the same time, it’s important to keep a close eye on where I’m stepping.
　Although I don’t notice it much anymore, there was a time when, walking about 10,000 steps a day, I’d occasionally feel a slight “wobble.” There were moments when, for a split second, my awareness would waver as I tried to confirm where my left foot would land after my right foot had stepped.
　When that happens, I make a point of focusing my attention more intently on the ground beneath my feet.
　As a precaution, keeping a close watch on the ground becomes an essential part of staying safe.
　The photo shows a delightful “ground painting” I spotted during a walk in Minamihoro Town, a nearby town I visited the other day to accompany my grandchild as a “carrier” for their “crawling race.” I took this picture during a spare moment before the event started. Although Minamihoro Town isn’t located by the sea, the design depicts salmon swimming upstream. It tells me, “Ah, so there’s a river in Minamihoro where salmon swim upstream, too.” I realize that this kind of “communication” serves as an easy-to-understand “introduction to the local area.”
While enjoying the “flow” of distant scenery is meaningful, these visual delights also help us keep our eyes on the ground to prevent us from stumbling. Well, whether in Sapporo or anywhere else in the country, there are many such ground art designs, and I’ve come to realize once again that they’re a welcome service for older adults.
I also think they’re quite nice as art made with colored stones.

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

Posted on 10月 29th, 2026 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 未分類