先週金曜日の握り寿司200カン超で、すっかり元気を使い果たしたようで、週末日曜日はただただひたすら寝ておりました。いちおう午前中は起きていて、美術館に行った後、帰ってきてから昼食を食べた後、午後２時くらいから寝始めて、途中午後７時頃に一度は目覚めたけれど、すぐにまたベッドに入り、深夜１時まで寝ていた・・・。
　さすがに握り寿司の大立ち回り、ネタの買い付けから捌き、酢飯づくり、握りと一連の作業量はやはり重い。この10時間近くの睡眠で、ようやく元気回復。あれをやろう、これを片付けようとアタマがようやく動き始めた。
　・・・といったところに、パソコンにWEBニュース速報で「バイデン撤退」のニュース。やっぱりかであります。日本の安全保障にとっての最大の根拠・唯一の同盟国の趨勢がどうなっていくのか。リアリズムをしっかり見据える日本人であれば、当然もっとも関心を持つテーマ。速報段階では、バイデンは副大統領の女性カマラ・ハリスの名前を挙げていたということですが、ここから先はまったく読めないのではないだろうか。
　たとえバイデンがそのような意向を持ったとしても、民主党としてそれでまとまる、あるいは共和党のトランプに対抗しうるかどうかは別問題。副大統領という存在はそれなりに露出も多いけれど、彼女が大きな存在感を示したことは、ほとんどない。たぶん民主党内で大きな抗争が始まって、代わりの候補が出てくるように思える。さて。
　一転して北海道の異常高温状態であります。
　上の写真は夫婦でいつも「大袈裟温度計」と呼んでいる市中の気温計。いつも２−３度程度、暑いときには上振れして、寒いときには下ぶれするヤツなのですが、しかしなんと、37度表示。
　いくら大袈裟表示とはいえ、街ゆく人たちも口あんぐり。北海道でまさか生きている内にこんな温度に出くわすことがあるとは思っていませんでした。こういう高温状態では、日中の外出行動などは控える方が得策。わが家は蓄熱性のブロック造なので、家に戻ると一気にクールダウンしてくれる。多くのコンピュータ・プリンター機器などがあるのでエアコンも設置していますが、住宅部分の１階で１台だけときどき運転しています。
　高齢者としては、こういう時期は朝夕方だけに散歩運動時間も限定して、安全側の対応で過ごしていきたいです。みなさんもご自愛のほど。

English version

Biden Withdraws from U.S. Presidential Race & Hot Hokkaido
The thermometer in the city read 37 degrees Celsius!　I was surprised to see this kind of temperature in Hokkaido while I was still alive. Cool block houses, but we want to stay safe. …

It seems that I had used up all my energy after eating over 200 pieces of nigirizushi last Friday, and I just slept through the weekend Sunday. I was awake in the morning, went to a museum, had lunch when I got back, and started sleeping around 2 p.m. I woke up once around 7 p.m., but went right back to bed and stayed in bed until 1 a.m.
　As one would expect from a sushi chef, the workload of buying the ingredients, processing them, making the sushi rice, and nigiri sushi was heavy. After nearly 10 hours of sleep, I finally recovered my energy. My mind finally started to think about what to do and what to put away.
　Just as I was about to start, I saw the news of “Biden’s withdrawal” in a web news bulletin on my computer. I knew it. What will become of Japan’s greatest security asset and sole ally? This is a theme that Japanese people with a firm grasp of realism would naturally be most interested in. At the preliminary stage, Biden mentioned the name of the vice presidential woman, Kamala Harris, but I think it is impossible to read anything at all from this point forward.
　Even if Biden were willing to do so, whether he could come together on it as a Democrat, or even compete with Trump as a Republican, is another matter. The vice president has a certain amount of exposure, but she has rarely, if ever, had a major presence. It seems to me that perhaps a major infighting will start within the Democratic Party and an alternative candidate will emerge. Well.
　For a change, it is abnormally high temperature conditions in Hokkaido.
　The photo above is a city-wide thermometer that the couple always calls an “exaggerated thermometer. It is a thermometer that always swings up when it is hot and down when it is cold, but to our surprise, it shows 37 degrees Celsius.
　Even though it was an exaggerated display, the people on the street were stunned. I never thought I would encounter such temperatures in my lifetime in Hokkaido. In such high temperatures, it is best to refrain from going outside during the day. Our house is built of heat-storing blocks, so it cools down quickly when we return home. We have air conditioners installed as we have many computer/printer devices, etc., but only one is occasionally run on the first floor of the residential portion of the house.
　As an elderly person, I would like to spend these times of the year on the safe side, limiting my walking exercise time only in the morning and evening. I hope you all take care of yourselves.

Posted on 7月 22nd, 2024 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 状況・政治への発言 | No Comments »

　ことしは世界的に「選挙」の年。そのなかでももっとも中核的な変動要因はアメリカ大統領選挙。この帰趨が日本に及ぼす影響は無限大のモノがある。
　しばらく政治的な関心についてはブログで書くことを自制してきましたが、今後ともその姿勢は大きくは変えずに、しかしもっとも重要と思われることについては触れてみたい。
　なんと言っても世界はパワーポリティックスの支配するところ。最大の超軍事大国・アメリカとは日本は単独国家として「安全保障条約」を結んでいる関係であり、現在の日本国家はこの国際関係がもっとも基底的なものであることは論を待たない。まぁ、そのこと自体に対してヒステリックに反発するひともいるけれど、現実をしっかり見据えていけば、このことは受容した上で「どう日本は対して行くべきか」ということが最大テーマだろう。
　現在時点までの状況では、共和党の指名を受けたトランプの優勢が自然なところ。一方の民主党はバイデンが不出馬表明してから、どのように体勢を立て直してくるかに注目。まだまだ、トランプが確実かと言えば、まだ不明なところが大きいでしょう。銃撃事件を受けて現状ではトランプ支持が高まっているけれど、バイデンの身の処し方次第で逆転していく可能性もある。
　このやや「不透明」なアメリカ大統領選の行方をにらみながら日本はアメリカ大統領選挙のほぼ１ヶ月前の９月に自由民主党の「総裁選挙」が行われて事実上の次期首相が決まっていく。
　いまの日本にこの日程通りに首相選びを行える余裕はあるだろうか？
　アメリカの趨勢が見通せない段階で、日本の「方針」を打ち出せるのだろうか。わたし的にはこのことが気になり続けている。トランプでもバイデン後継でも両方によい関係を構築できる人物が、選び取れるのだろうか。
　こういった局面では日本的なあいまいさで、自由民主党の総裁選挙を「先送りする」という手法もこれまでなら選択できていたのではないだろうか。いろいろな理由を付けて来年１月くらいまで順延させるという「あいまい戦略」。　
　そういう選択肢の提示が、政治の世界からまったく出てこないことに奇異な感じを持っている。いまの宏池会・岸田政権というのは本質的にアメリカの民主党政権との結びつきの方が自然なのだろう。すっかり「保守層」の怒りを買ったLGBT法案への対応などには、アメリカ民主党政権との親和性という現政権の姿が見て取れる。
　経済的にも強い影響のあるこの状況、どうなっていくか、目が離せない。

English version

[Almost a tiger? The U.S. Presidential Election and Japan’s Direction]
One month after Japan’s first choice of government, the presidential election of a decisive ally. Isn’t this the place to make a national will choice, a choice of postponement? …

This is an “election” year worldwide. Among these, the most central variable is the U.S. presidential election. The impact of the outcome of this election on Japan is boundless.
　I have refrained from writing about my political interests on my blog for a while, but I will not change my stance, but I would like to touch on what I consider to be the most important issues.
　After all, the world is dominated by power politics. Japan has a “security treaty” with the United States, the largest super-military power, and it is indisputable that this international relationship is the most fundamental to the current state of Japan. Well, there are those who hysterically protest against this fact, but if we look at the reality of the situation, the main theme is “how Japan should deal with the situation” after accepting this fact.
　As of now, Trump is the natural choice for the Republican nomination. On the other hand, it will be interesting to see how the Democrats regroup after Biden announces he will not run. There will still be a great deal of uncertainty as to whether Trump is a sure thing. There is currently growing support for Trump in the wake of the shooting, but it could be reversed depending on how Biden handles himself.
　While keeping an eye on the somewhat “uncertain” U.S. presidential election, Japan will hold a “presidential election” of the Liberal Democratic Party in September, almost a month before the U.S. presidential election, to decide the next de facto prime minister of Japan.
　Can Japan afford to follow this schedule in choosing its prime minister?
　Will Japan be able to formulate a “policy” when it cannot foresee the trend in the U.S.? For me, this is the question that keeps nagging at me. Will we be able to select a person who can build a good relationship with both Trump and his successor, Biden?
　In such a situation, I wonder if the Japanese might have chosen to “postpone” the election of the president of the Liberal Democratic Party, using the Japanese method of ambiguity. The “ambiguous strategy” of postponing the election until next January or so, giving various reasons.　
　I find it strange that such an option has not been proposed at all in the political world. The current Koikekai-Kishida administration is essentially more naturally associated with the U.S. Democratic Party administration. The current administration’s affinity with the U.S. Democratic Party administration can be seen in its response to the LGBT bill, which has drawn the ire of “conservative” voters.
　We cannot take our eyes off this situation, which has a strong economic impact, and we cannot take our eyes off what will happen next.
　
　

Posted on 7月 20th, 2024 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 状況・政治への発言 | No Comments »

　しばらく円山公園近くの散歩道には行っていませんでしたが、ふと、夏になると観察し続けているオオウバユリのことが気になって、久しぶりに円山公園周辺へ。
　そうしたら気になっていたとおり、この夏のオオウバユリの花の最盛期からやや時期が過ぎてきていた。しかし花の中には、まだ峻烈な輝きを見せてくれているものもあって、上の写真はそのなかの一輪であります。この花も茎に近い部分ではやや褐色が目立ってきて、いわば最後の「叫び声」に近い。わたしに詩心があれば、短歌でもひねり出せそうな様子なのですが、子規は遠くから尊崇しているばかりで、わたしにはそういうセンスは薄い。
　ただし、写真でとっさにその対象物と対話するようなことは、それは数寄であります。コトバではなく、ビジュアルでの「刈り取り」にはある種の熱がある。
　いのちの輝きということではオオウバユリはこの後、その土中の部分にアイヌの人たちのソウルフード成分を作り出していくのであり、たぶんもっとも重要なプロセスに突入していく。人間たちとの対話はこの花芽が担っているのだけれど、本来のかれらのいのちは、むしろ土中での活動が最重要ということでしょう。いろいろ教えられる。

　一昨日、ハトが農園レストランの庭先で、なかなかシャッターチャンスに応えてくれなかった後ろ姿の様子を撮影していましたが、昨日は、オシドリたちが営巣している水辺に久しぶりに訪ねていったら、すぐに近づいてくる個体がいた。
　まったく警戒心を持たずにわたしの足下に向かって近寄ってくる。たぶんこういった野生のイキモノに給餌するひとたちがそれだけ多いということなのでしょう。わたしがこういう自然のイキモノの様子を書くと、無分別な給餌行為について戒めを発してくれる読者の方がいらっしゃいますが、わたしも同意するところ。
　たぶん人間とかれら野生のいのちとの間には、ある距離感はあるべきだと思います。しかし、給餌することで野生のイキモノたちは「もらえるものは気にせずに食べる」という反応が常態化し、その反応が「面白い」と思ってつい繰り返して、習慣化する人間もいるのでしょう。
　しかし、野生のイキモノの世界を本当に考えれば、それはやはり罪深いことだと思える。人間と野生のイキモノの間には、守るべき結界領域がある。給餌には、それを破壊してしまう罪業が隠されているのだと思います。
　この写真に写ってくれた個体そのものはきわめて習慣的に行動したのでしょうが、見ているとそういう行動に与しない個体もまた多い。
　そういったオシドリ社会の様子からも、教えられることは多い。

English version

[This summer, to the dispersal of the daylily.
I am allowed to observe a moment of the drama of reincarnation. From the drama that makes us recognize the sense of beauty, they are reincarnating toward their original “inheritance of the species”. …

I had not been to the walking trail near Maruyama Park for a while, but I suddenly became curious about the day lilies that I keep observing in the summer, and went to the Maruyama Park area for the first time in a while.
　Then, as I had been wondering, the time had passed somewhat from the peak season of the flower buds of the day for the daylilies this summer. However, some of the flower buds are still showing us their intense brilliance, and the photo above shows one of them. These flower buds are also becoming a little brownish near the stem, and are close to their last “shout,” so to speak. If I had a poetic mind, I could have written a tanka poem about it, but I only admired Shiki from afar, and I do not have such a sense.
　However, if you are in the mood to interact with an object in a photograph, it is a sukiyomi. There is heat in “reaping” visually, not Kotoba.
　In terms of the brightness of life, the Ouba lily will later create the soul food component of the Ainu people in its subsoil, perhaps entering into the most important process of all. Although the flower buds are in charge of interacting with humans, the most important part of their life is probably their activities in the soil. We can learn a lot from them.

The day before yesterday, I had photographed the back view of pigeons in the garden of a farm restaurant that did not readily respond to my shutterbugs, and yesterday, when I visited the waterside where mandarin ducks were nesting for the first time in a long time, I saw one of them approach me immediately.
　It approached my feet without any caution at all. Perhaps it is because there are so many people feeding these wild creatures. When I write about these wild creatures, some readers warn me about indiscriminate feeding, and I agree with them.
　Perhaps there should be a certain distance between humans and these wild creatures. However, by feeding, the wild creatures will always respond by “eating what they can get without worrying about it,” and some people may find this response “interesting” and repeat it, and it may become a habit.
　However, if we really think about the world of the wild ikimono, it still seems sinful. There is a boundary area between humans and wild ikimono that must be protected. I believe that feeding hides a sinful deed that destroys it.
　The individual in this photo may have acted out of habit, but there are many other individuals who do not engage in such behavior.
　There are many lessons to be learned from this kind of mandarin duck society.

Posted on 7月 18th, 2024 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 日本社会・文化研究 | No Comments »

　思いがけない３連休。って、要するにボーッと生きているだけの話ですが、カミさんのリクエストで支笏湖周辺で最後の１日を。
　丸駒温泉に久しぶりに浸かってきましたが、連休と言うこともあってか大変な混みよう。日帰りですが、帰り際には駐車場への入場待ちのクルマが5-6台という盛況ぶり。きっとわたしのように連休というのに予定を組むようなことをしなかったみなさんが多いのでしょう。ふらり、と来るには札幌からの距離感はちょうどいいかも。
　数年前に運営会社が変わっているのですが、もちろんお湯自体は相変わらずの泉質で迎えてくれていました。こちらは弱食塩泉ということで、効能としてはわたしの健康面にも効果があるとされています。
　こちらは支笏湖の湖水に面していて、湖面の水位と屋外の露天風呂の水位が同じ。きのう、入っていたらアメンボが多数、水面を活発に動き回っている。カミさんは女性風呂で「キャッ、気持ち悪い」と早々に避難したのだそうですが、わたしの場合、どうも最近、イキモノへの親近感がハンパなく強まってきていまして、かれらといっしょに楽しく長湯しておりました。
　こちらの外湯は足下に砂利が敷き込まれていて、すこし歩行に難渋するほどなのですが、やはり野趣はたっぷりで、支笏湖の景観と同期しながらの湯浴みはまことに楽しい。
　そこから高速道路までの帰り道にあるイングリッシュガーデンレストラン「MEON」でランチ。連休ということで心配していましたが、案外すんなりと30分ほどの待ち時間で席に着けた次第。わたしは特段のお好みはないので、なにやらシーフード系のスープを、カミさんはパリパリの生地の上に生ハムなどが乗っかったピザ風料理。
　ちょっと前までなら、こんな程度ではとてもハラが追いつかなかったのですが、最近はダイエット奏効なのか、この程度の料理でも「満腹感」に満たされておりました。

　店舗の設計は知人の建築家なのですが、季節変化ごとに草木などが自然のうつろいを感じさせてくれて、楽しい。
　一応セミリタイヤみたいなことなので、本当は連休以外でも自由に行動はできるハズなのですが、やはりいまのところは、この程度の過ごし方が適当なようであります。

English version

A hot spring bath by Lake Shikotsu and lunch at a garden restaurant.
I was in a daze when I found out last minute that Monday was also a national holiday. In search of a relaxing and peaceful vacation, we went to the lakeside of Lake Shikotsu. A hot spring bath and a lunch at a natural restaurant. …

An unexpected three-day weekend. My wife requested that we spend one last day around Lake Shikotsu.
　We took a dip in Marukoma Onsen for the first time in a while, but it was very crowded, probably because it was a consecutive holiday weekend. Although it was a one-day trip, there were 5-6 cars waiting to enter the parking lot when I left. I guess there were many people like me who did not make any plans for the consecutive holidays. The distance from Sapporo may be just right for a casual visit.
　The management company changed a few years ago, but of course the water itself was as good as ever. This is a weakly saline spring, which is said to be beneficial to my health.
　This one faces the waters of Lake Shikotsu, and the water level of the lake is the same as that of the outdoor open-air bath. When I was in there yesterday, I saw a large number of water striders actively moving around on the surface of the water. My wife said, “Oh my God, that’s disgusting,” and she quickly evacuated the women’s bath, but in my case, my affinity for these creatures has been growing tremendously recently, and I enjoyed taking a long bath with them.
　The outside bathhouse has gravel underfoot, making it a little difficult to walk around, but it is full of wildness, and it was really enjoyable to take a bath while synchronizing with the view of Lake Shikotsu.
　On the way back to the highway, we had lunch at MEON, an English garden restaurant. I was worried about the restaurant because of the consecutive holidays, but surprisingly, I was able to be seated with only a 30-minute wait. I had some kind of seafood soup because I don’t have a particular preference, and my wife had a pizza-like dish with a crispy dough topped with prosciutto ham and other ingredients.
　Until recently, this kind of food would have been too much for my stomach to handle, but recently, perhaps due to my diet, even this kind of food has been enough to fill me up.

The store was designed by an architect friend of mine, and it is fun to see how the plants and trees change with the seasons, reminding me of the changing nature.
　Since I am semi-retired, I should be able to do whatever I want outside of the holidays, but for now, this seems to be the appropriate way to spend my time.
　

Posted on 7月 16th, 2024 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: おとこの料理＆食 | No Comments »

　日本全国、海に囲まれた列島各地で「おいしいお魚」は各種ありますが、北海道でいちばん庶民的な味わいはやはりホッケにトドメを刺される。
　全国のほっけ漁獲量は、以下のように北海道が圧倒的なシェアを誇っています。
　 1位：北海道　32,799 (t)
2位：青森県　633 (t)
3位：山形県　218 (t)　〜データ引用：2019年 食品データ館
　高校まで北海道に居て大学から東京で暮らすようになって、どこをどう探しても「ホッケの開き」を買うことが出来なくて、つくづくと望郷の念に駆られたことがあります。わたしの場合、北海道で生きていきたいと考えたいちばんの理由かも知れない。・・・なワケはないのですが（笑）、しかし深層心理では、この魚の味覚へのこだわりは強いモノがある。
　のちに東京で就職して銀座に支店のあった北海道新聞と取引もしていたので、その社員の方に連れられて「銀座の北海道料理店」で会食したことがあります。季節もちょうど良かったので迷わず「ホッケの開き」一択で注文した。ところが出てきたヤツは、本当に「干からびて」いて、身まで固くて、深い涙とともにかじっていた。ダメだこりゃ、でありました。いまは物流も整備されて、銀座の一流店ではおいしいものも食べられるかも、ですがわたしはたぶん遠慮しそう（泣）。
　ここんところシーズンということで、安価で大ぶり（写真では分かりにくいかもですが、全長で35-40cmくらいはある）なので、食品店店頭でも、ひときわ目を引かされる。これくらいの大きさでも１枚300円内外。まことに庶民の大好物なのですね。
　ホッケの食べ方でいちばんウレシイのは、新鮮なアブラの乗ったヤツでは、シッポ側を掴んで真ん中の「骨」を一気にアタマ側まで引き剥がす瞬間。これが一気に行けるヤツは確実にウマい。
　数寄な方は、骨に絡まっていて皮のようになったヤツをしゃぶり食うのが楽しいともいわれる。当然、たくさんの小骨が抵抗してくるのですが、それに丹念に応えて、上手に剥がしていくのも醍醐味。そして、身の部分を取り上げて、たっぷりの大根おろしに漬けて頬張る。
　写真の１枚を夫婦で、口数すくなく黙々と平らげていく快感。
　ちょっと前までだったら、こういう大型でも１人で平らげていたと思うのですが、ダイエットにも取り組み続けているので、これで十分。でもアタマの硬い部分や、皮の部分もたのしく食べられる。いかにも「一物全体食」的に食べられるのであります。う〜む、また食うぞ！

English version

Hokkaido’s specialty, hokke (hokke).
Local fish for the masses. It is a local fish for the masses, and the harmony with plenty of grated daikon (Japanese radish) is outstanding. This is the biggest culprit that made me make a U-turn to Hokkaido (laugh). Laughs

　There are various kinds of “delicious fish” throughout Japan and throughout the archipelago surrounded by the sea, but the most common taste in Hokkaido is still topped by Hokke.
　Hokkaido boasts the overwhelming share of the nation’s hokke catch, as shown below.
　 No. 1: Hokkaido 32,799 (t)
No. 2: Aomori Prefecture 633 (t)
No. 3: Yamagata Prefecture 218 (t) – Data citation: 2019 Food Data Center
　I lived in Hokkaido until high school, and then moved to Tokyo for college. I was very nostalgic because I could not buy hokke no matter where I looked. In my case, this may have been the main reason why I wanted to live in Hokkaido. I was not really a fish lover (laugh), but in my deepest psyche, I have a strong attachment to the taste of fish.
　Later, when I was working in Tokyo and doing business with the Hokkaido Shimbun, which had a branch in Ginza, one of its employees once took me to dinner at a “Hokkaido restaurant in Ginza. The season was just right, so I had no hesitation in ordering “hokke (hokke open fish)” as my first choice. However, the one that came out was really “dried out” and even the meat was hard, and I was gnawing on it with deep tears. It was a disaster. Now that the distribution system has been improved, you may be able to eat delicious food at first-class restaurants in Ginza, but I probably won’t (I’m crying).
　Since it has been the season recently, they are inexpensive and large (the picture may not show it well, but the total length is about 35-40 cm), so they are very eye-catching even in food stores. Even at this size, each piece costs around 300 yen. It is truly a favorite food of the common people.
　The most exciting part of eating hokke is the moment when you grab the tail side of a fresh hokke with a lot of fat on it and pull off the center “bone” all the way to the head side at once. The ones that can do this all at once are surely good.
　For those who are a bit more adventurous, it is said that it is fun to suck and eat the skin-like pieces that have become entangled in the bone. Naturally, many small bones resist, but it is a real pleasure to carefully respond to them and skillfully peel them off. Then, the meat is taken away, marinated in a generous amount of grated daikon, and eaten.
　It was a pleasant sensation to eat the piece in the photo together with the couple, silently and without saying a word.
　Until recently, I would have finished a large piece like this by myself, but since I continue to work on my diet, this is enough for me. But I can also enjoy eating the hard part of the head and the skin. I can eat them in a “whole food” way. Hmmm… I will eat it again!

Posted on 7月 14th, 2024 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: おとこの料理＆食 | No Comments »