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【やっと授かった両親念願の子〜間宮林蔵生家-3】




後にその理工系の才能を認められて幕臣として登用され、世界情勢の中でも緊張を高めていた北辺地域の支配根拠となる正確な地理把握を日本発で世界に認識させた間宮林蔵。
当時、列強による世界全域での領土・利権争奪が熾烈を極める中で、そのなかでももっとも危険性の高いロシア国家との「領土」紛争を未然に沈静化させ、英米を中心とする世界世論を日本に引きつける根拠をかれの事跡は確定させた。
そういうかれが生誕した住まいがこの家。
いちばん上の写真は、生誕前のエピソード説明で、なかなか子どもに恵まれなかった両親が、必死に神頼みしたという近在の「月読神社」の様子。ご両親の思いは少子化社会のただ中にいる現代のわれわれとも通底する。
このように「人とすまい」というワンセットが保存されているケースは興味深い。
北海道人としては地域の歴史経緯を知るほどに、自分の生きる土地がロシアとの緊張関係の末に日本領土として確定し、自分が日本人としてのいのちを生きていることに大きな「恩」のある人物なのだと思い続けていた。その人物の生身の出自を探訪できる不思議な機縁。
そのご両親の素朴な人間性にまで触れることができた気がする。


家の中に入ったとき、農家らしい広い土間空間の三和土(たたき)空間が出迎えてくれる。この建物はほんの50m先からとはいえ「移築」されたものだというけれど、丹念に突き固め踏み固められた地盤面には、濃厚に人間らしさが表現されている。
そして自然と、かまどに吸い寄せられるように近づいていった。両親が祈りようやく授かったいのちを養育するのに、そのパワーを生み出し続けた空間。かまどは食という基本で間宮家のいのちを守り続けたのだと、一種畏敬にも近い念が沸き起こって来る。
現代では人間は産科病院で生まれることが多数だけれど、200数十年前の頃には自宅で産婆さんの介助を受けて産み落ちるのが自然。その「産湯」もこのかまどが用を果たしたに違いない。
そして15-6歳になるまでの成長期、間宮林蔵という人物・個性にこのかまどは食生活を通して圧倒的にその成長を保証し続けた。両親の深い愛情が、このかまど空間に刷り込まれている。
ひとは生を受けて成長し、望みを抱き、また人のために役立つことを為していくけれど、そういった「輪廻」のなかで住まいというのは、静かにたたずまいを提供し続けてくれる。まことに多様な個性を生み出し続ける空間なのだと、いまさらながら、深く気付かせられる。

English version⬇

The longed-for child of my parents, finally given to me – Rinzo Mamiya’s birthplace – 3
The house is like witnessing the traces of reincarnation of life. The neat and simple living space that secured the growth of Rinzo Mamiya from birth to the age of 15-6. …

Rinzo Mamiya was later promoted to the post of shogunate minister in recognition of his talent in science and engineering, and he was the first person in Japan to make the world aware of the accurate geographical understanding that would serve as the basis for control of the northern border region, which was undergoing increasing tension in world affairs.
At the time, the struggle for territory and interests throughout the world by the powers was fierce, and Rinzo Mamiya was able to calm down the most dangerous “territorial” dispute with Russia and establish a basis for attracting world public opinion, especially that of the United Kingdom and the United States, to Japan.
This is the house where he was born.
The photo at the top is a scene from the nearby “Tsukuyomi Shrine,” where his parents, who were not blessed with children, desperately prayed to God for help. The parents’ wish is also relevant to us today in the midst of a society with a declining birthrate.
It is interesting to see a case like this where one set of “people and their home” has been preserved.
As a Hokkaido native, the more I learned about the history of the region, the more I kept thinking that I owed a great debt of gratitude to a person whose land I live on was determined as Japanese territory after tensions with Russia and whose life I am living as a Japanese citizen. It was a strange opportunity to be able to explore the person’s birthplace in the flesh.
I feel that I was even able to touch the simple humanity of his parents.

Upon entering the house, one is greeted by a spacious earthen floor space with a farmhouse-like “tataki” (earthen floor). Although this building was “relocated” from a distance of only 50 meters away, the ground surface, which has been painstakingly pried and stepped on, is richly expressive of human nature.
I was naturally drawn closer to the kamado. It is a space where parents prayed and continued to generate the power to nurture the life that was finally given to them. The kamado is a place that has continued to protect the life of the Mamiya family through the fundamental element of food, and this arouses a sense of awe in me.
Today, most people are born in maternity hospitals, but 200 or so decades ago, it was natural for women to give birth at home with the assistance of a midwife. This kamado must have served the purpose of the “birth bath” as well.
During the growth period of Rinzo Mamiya, from the age of 15 to 6, this kamado overwhelmingly ensured the growth of his personality and character through his food. The deep love of his parents is imprinted in this kamado space.
People are born, grow up, have hopes, and do useful things for others, but in such “reincarnation,” a dwelling quietly continues to provide a place to stand. It is a space that continues to give birth to a variety of personalities, as we are reminded even more deeply now.

【ロシアの侵略への国防意識沸騰期〜間宮林蔵生家-2】




間宮林蔵と言ってもイマドキの人にはそう「響かない」ようですね(笑)。まぁ当然でしょうか。間宮林蔵って誰さ?という反応が自然のようです。なので簡単な当時の世相の様子とかれ自身の幕府に出仕するまでの経歴・年表を以下に。
・1780年 常陸国筑波郡上平柳村の農家に生誕。家系は戦国期小田原の北条氏の家臣だった武家出自で秀吉の小田原攻めによってこの地に落ち延び,帰農したという。
・1787年(8歳)このころ寺子屋通いをはじめる
・1792年(13歳)筑波山に登り立身出世を祈願 村の海老原庄右衛門から算術を習う
・1795年(16歳)堰工事で当地出張中の幕府普請役下条吉之助に土木算術への才を見出される。
・1798年 近藤重蔵、最上徳内らエトロフに渡り「大日本恵登呂府」の標柱を建てる。
というような時代背景とかれ自身の経歴の概要。のちに北海道島・樺太島の測量探索に向かい今日にまで世界地図に名を残す「間宮海峡」を発見し、対ロシアの欧米世界的世論に対して日本人ここにありと強く存在感を示すことになる。
江戸期の幕府中枢では世界情勢に対し詳細な情勢把握が行われていたことが近年、あきらかにされてきている。幕府が開国を決断しその対手として独裁国家ロシアなどではなくアメリカを選択したのも、世界情勢への深い洞察を持っていたことを証すのだとされてきている。
基本的には英米を対話相手にしてロシアの侵略と戦わねばならないと正しく認識していた。後の日露戦争時の「日英同盟」に至る日本としての世界戦略。こうした国際認識に基づいて幕府は北海道島をもって日本国土防衛の最重要地域として外交と軍事戦略を練っていた。そういう中で幕府としては、民間から多くの有意な理工系人材のリクルート活動を行っていたと思える。
算術を基礎に勉学に勤しみ神童と評価が高かった間宮林蔵は、16歳でスカウトされて江戸に出仕し、国土北辺の緊張する対ロシア情勢の中に身を投じていく。
今日でもウクライナ侵略行為を平然と行う無法国家ロシアの危険性。この暴虐な覇権主義国家に対して日本人の国土防衛意識は高まっていった。間宮林蔵などの有為な民間人の登用というカタチで幕府は危機に対応していたといえる。当時の世界でも英米を中心とする国家群は、ロシアに対して危険視し、それをどう封じ込めるかに戦略的に対応していた。
日本が他のアジア国家とはまったく違う国際認識を持ち、厳しいロシアの軍事侵略姿勢に対して、より自由主義的な英米の側に自らの立場を確立していったことは、今日にまで通底している。
国防の基本は冷静な国土の冷徹な地理的把握。対ロシアとの戦いにおいて「地の利」を得ることが大前提なのだ。北海道島が対ロシアの日本防衛の最前線という戦略方針はま異存がない。
日本の戦略確立に果たした間宮林蔵たちの冷静な国土地調査活動。とくに大陸と樺太が陸続きではないということは、世界中がその事実を戦略立案の基礎とした。
故郷の地で神童と謳われた少年・間宮林蔵の胸中はいかなるものだったのか、興味深い。

English version⬇

National Defense Awareness of Russian Aggression Boils Over – Rinzo Mamiya’s Birthplace – 2
As the basic composition of the world, the Russian state has always been an invasion danger state. What is happening now in Ukraine was correctly recognized as a crisis more than 200 years ago. …

It seems that saying “Rinzo Mamiya” does not “resonate” so well with people of today’s generation (laughs). (Laughter) Well, is it any wonder? Who is Rinzo Mamiya? It seems to be a natural reaction. So, here is a brief history and chronology of Rinzo Mamiya’s career up to the time he served in the Shogunate.
Born in 1780 in a farmhouse in Kamihirayanagi Village, Tsukuba County, Hitachi Province. His family was a vassal of the Hojo clan in Odawara during the Warring States period, and he returned to farming after Hideyoshi’s invasion of Odawara.
In 1787 (age 8), he started going to a temple school.
1792 (age 13): Climbed Mt. Tsukuba to pray for success in life, and learned arithmetic from Ebihara Shoemon in the village.
1795 (Age 16) Shimojo Kichinosuke, a shogunate contractor, discovered his talent for civil engineering and arithmetic during a trip to the area to work on a weir.
In 1798, Kondo Shigezo, Mogami Tokunai, and others traveled to Etorofu and erected the “Dai Nihon Etorofu” marker.
This is an overview of the background of the period and his own career. Later, he went on a surveying expedition to Hokkaido Island and Sakhalin Island, and discovered the Mamiya Strait, which remains on world maps to this day, and strongly demonstrated to the Western world opinion against Russia that the Japanese were here to stay.
In recent years, it has become clear that the central government of the Edo period (1603-1867) had a detailed grasp of world affairs. The Shogunate’s decision to open the country to the outside world and to choose the U.S. over the dictatorship of Russia as a countermeasure is considered to be evidence of its deep insight into world affairs.
Basically, he correctly recognized that he had to fight against Russian aggression with Britain and the United States as dialogue partners. A global strategy as Japan that later led to the “Anglo-Japanese Alliance” during the Russo-Japanese War. Based on this international recognition, the Shogunate was developing diplomatic and military strategies for the defense of Japan’s land on the island of Hokkaido as the most important region. Under such circumstances, the Shogunate seems to have been recruiting many talented scientists and engineers from the private sector.
Rinzo Mamiya, who was highly regarded as a child prodigy for his studies in arithmetic, was scouted at the age of 16 and sent to Edo (Tokyo), where he threw himself into the tense situation in the northern part of Japan in relation to Russia.
The danger of Russia, a lawless nation that even today carries out acts of aggression against Ukraine with impunity. The Japanese people became increasingly aware of the need to defend their land against this tyrannical hegemonic state. The Shogunate responded to the crisis in the form of the appointment of talented civilians such as Rinzo Mamiya. At the time, the world’s nations, led by Britain and the U.S., viewed Russia as a danger and strategically responded to contain it.
The fact that Japan had a completely different international perception from other Asian nations and established its own position on the side of the more liberal Britain and the U.S. in response to Russia’s harsh military aggression stance is still prevalent today.
The basis of national defense is a calm and dispassionate geographical grasp of the country. Gaining a “geographical advantage” in the fight against Russia is a prerequisite. I have no objection to the strategic policy that Hokkaido Island is the front line of Japan’s defense against Russia.
The calm land survey activities of Mamiya Rinzo and his group played a key role in establishing Japan’s strategy. In particular, the fact that the continent and Sakhalin Island were not connected by land was used by the world as the basis for strategic planning.
It is interesting to see what was going through the mind of Rinzo Mamiya, a boy who was hailed as a child prodigy in his homeland.

【北海道に魂を残す先人住宅探訪〜間宮林蔵生家-1】




少年期、北海道で学校教育を受けはじめたときから、間宮林蔵とか伊能忠敬、松浦武四郎とかの人物名がいわば先験的に染み込んできていた。たしかに学校教育でその名を教えられたのだろうけれど、北海道に生まれ育った人間からすると強い直接感を持っていた。
けっしてかれらは他人ではなく、自分たちはその魂のようなものの末裔なのだという意識。北海道という地域意識を日本人に根底的に認識させた巨人のような先人意識があった。たぶん教育者のみなさん、少年教育に携わっていただいた先生たちの多くの魂を揺さぶっていたということなのでしょう。それが多感な少年期のわたしたちにも「染みわたって」いたのだと思う。
ロシアによるウクライナ侵略というおぞましい事態が発生して以来、こういう意識が自分自身の底の部分から湧き上がってくる感覚があった。そういう先人のひとり、間宮林蔵さんの「生家」というのが茨城県つくば市近郊にあり公開されているという。たまたま出張の用務先の近くでもあったので、自分自身の少年期の感覚と現実の間で、いわば魂の部分での探究ということで訪ねてみた。
もうとっくの昔に死んだ人間だけれど、現地に近づくにつれて「なつかしさ」の感情に満たされていって仕方なかった。少年期に感じていた人物像が意識下にあって、そのはるかな記憶領域がいまはノスタルジックな雰囲気をまとって脳内に存在しているに違いない。人間の意識構造、その歴史的な生成プロセスの領域部分でも強い興味がジワジワと湧き上がっていた。自分自身でも予期せぬ心理。
間宮林蔵の彫像が、かれの生まれた家に向き合って立っていた。
住宅という人間環境領域でながく仕事してきた人間として、このような配置関係で迫られることはまことに多くの気付きを仕掛けられてくる気がした。そうなのだ、人間はその生まれ育った空間環境に対して無限のノスタルジーを刷り込まれるのだ。いわば魂魄だけに還元された間宮林蔵さんは、ただわが家を見つめ続けている。「そこでどんな思いがかれのなかで生起するのだろうか」と、自然に強い興味関心がわたし自身の中に湧き上がってくる。
まるで住宅取材のような生々しい興味関心が盛り上がって、間宮林蔵さんと対話しながら、その生まれ育った住宅の細部を観察させられることになった。ふだん、いろいろな人と住宅の関わりを取材してきた人間として、バーチャルリアリティ感覚でそんな架空の設定が出来上がっていった。

English version⬇

Exploration of the Predecessor’s House that Preserves the Soul of Hokkaido – Rinzo Mamiya’s House of Birth – 1
Rinzo Mamiya was a late-Edo period ancestor who achieved an accurate understanding of the geography of the island of Hokkaido. As a local resident, this is a unique experience like visiting the residence of a benefactor. …

Since I began my schooling in Hokkaido as a young boy, the names of people such as Rinzo Mamiya, Tadataka Ino, and Takeshiro Matsuura had been ingrained in my mind a priori, so to speak. Although the names may have been taught in schooling, they had a strong sense of immediacy for someone who was born and raised in Hokkaido.
They were not strangers to us, and we felt that we were descended from their souls. They were like giants who made the Japanese people fundamentally aware of the regional consciousness of Hokkaido. Perhaps this is what shook the souls of many of the educators and teachers who were involved in the education of boys. I believe that it “seeped” into us as impressionable boys.
Ever since the horrific events of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, I have felt this kind of awareness rising up from the depths of my own being. One of his predecessors, Rinzo Mamiya’s birthplace is located in the suburbs of Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture, and is open to the public. As it happened to be near where I was on a business trip, I decided to visit the house to explore the space between my own boyhood and the reality of my life, the part of my soul, so to speak.
Although I am a person who has long since passed away, as I approached the site, I couldn’t help but be filled with feelings of nostalgia. The image of the person I had felt in my boyhood was under my consciousness, and the far-off memory area must now exist in my brain with a nostalgic atmosphere. I was also slowly becoming interested in the structure of human consciousness and its historical generative process. A psychology unexpected even to myself.
A statue of Rinzo Mamiya stood facing the house where he was born.
As someone who has worked for a long time in the human-environmental field of housing, I felt that being confronted with this kind of arrangement was a real challenge to my awareness. Yes, human beings are imprinted with unlimited nostalgia for the spatial environment in which they were born and raised. Rinzo Mamiya, reduced, so to speak, to his spirit, simply continues to gaze at his home. I naturally felt a strong interest in the house, wondering what kind of thoughts and feelings were arising in his mind.
This interest, which was as vivid as that of a residential interview, led me to observe the details of the house where Rinzo Mamiya was born and raised, while conversing with him. As a person who has usually covered the relationship between various people and their homes, I was able to create such an imaginary setting with a sense of virtual reality.

【積丹半島西北端・幌武意稲荷神社にて】




きのうで今回の出張の要件は無事終了。ブログで毎日の総歩数を記載しましたが、結局昨日が最大値でなんと16,459歩。朝5時過ぎから夜20時過ぎまで、年を顧みずあちこち行脚して、すっかり足は棒を通り越して、巨木化しておりました(笑)。でも、動ける内に動き回って行動する、移動こそが人間という動物種の本性なのではないかと思います。
まずは得られた情報などを整理整頓して、今後の活動に活かしていきたい。ただし、それは本日帰宅後からの作業というところであります。
で、本日の記事は前回までの北海道内、積丹半島紀行より。日本人社会では神社仏閣はその地域ネットワークの中枢を占め続けてきた。どんな鄙にもその地で構成された人間交流の痕跡が感じられるもの。ということで、こちらの写真の「幌武意稲荷神社」であります。
積丹半島は切り立った岩礁がそのまま日本海に接している地形が特徴。半島をぐるっと道路で繋ぐように、開拓期以来取り組んできたけれど、神威岬を回り込んでそこから北東に位置するこの場所にはさすがの道路開削努力も尽きてしまっている。そんな海岸線にぽつんとある漁港の高台に、この神社はあります。
神社からは「東しゃこたん漁協」の港が見下ろせる。積丹ブルーの美しい海が迎えてくれる。漁業と神さまの関係では「稲荷」信仰は比較的に多数派。で、境内に独特の石碑を発見した。

「庚申(こうしん)」とある庚申信仰とは中国道教の説く「三尸説(さんしせつ)」をもとに仏教、特に密教・神道・修験道・呪術的な医学や、日本の民間のさまざまな信仰(民間信仰)や習俗などが複雑に絡み合った複合信仰とされている。この地に漁業資源採取での生存戦略で入植した人びとが、その出自の社会の伝統的価値感を移植したのに違いないけれど、碑の上部には「日と月」とおぼしきデザイン刻印が施されていて、目を惹き付けられた。謎かけで訪問者にアピールする魂胆か(笑)。
どうもわたしはこういう先人の遊び心、というか、まじないのような投企的な心理に抗いがたいものを感じさせられる。
いまのところ、ファンタジーがアタマのなかで湧き上がり続けていて収拾がついていない。いかにも神社の石碑としてのローカリズム訴求を素直に受け入れている。この近くの日帰り温泉施設にはよく通ってきているので、これからの人生時間、こういう先人の謎かけと共生しながら、考え続けるのも悪くないかなと、ひとりごちしております(笑)。なにか、情報をお持ちの方のアドバイスも期待いたします。よろしく。

English version⬇

At Horomui-inari Shrine in the northwestern tip of Shakotan Peninsula
The spirit of the people who survived by fishing and built a foundation in Shakotan, Hokkaido. This is a monument of the Kushin faith that bears their spirit. It is human nature to continue to ponder the spirit of those people. The monument is a symbol of the spirit of the people of Shakotan, Hokkaido.

The requirements for this business trip ended successfully yesterday. I mentioned in my blog the total number of steps I took every day, and the function ended up being the maximum value, with a whopping 16,459 steps. From 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., I went from place to place with no regard for my age, and my legs had passed the stick stage and turned into giant trees (laugh). (Laughs.) But I think it is in the nature of the animal species called human beings to move around and take action while we can move.
First of all, I would like to organize the information and other information obtained and make use of it in future activities. However, that is something I will be working on after I return home today.
Today’s article is from the Shakotan Peninsula in Hokkaido. In Japanese society, shrines and temples have continued to occupy a central role in the local network. Any remote place shows traces of the human interaction that has been structured in the area. So, this is the Horomui-inari Shrine in the photo here.
The Shakotan Peninsula is characterized by its steep reefs bordering the Sea of Japan. Since the pioneering period, efforts have been made to connect the peninsula with a road, but the efforts to open a road around Cape Kamui and to the northeast of the peninsula have been exhausted. The shrine is located on the hill of a fishing port on the coastline.
The shrine overlooks the harbor of the “Higashi Shakotan Fishing Cooperative. The beautiful Shakotan blue sea welcomes you. Inari” belief is comparatively majority in the relationship between fishery and gods. So, I found a unique stone monument in the precincts of the shrine.

The Geng-shin faith, which is described as “Geng-shin”, is a composite faith based on the Chinese Taoist theory of the three living creatures, which is a complex combination of Buddhism, especially esoteric Buddhism, Shinto, Shugendo, and magical medicine, and various Japanese folk beliefs (folk beliefs) and customs. The traditional values of the society of origin must have been transplanted by the people who settled here as a survival strategy in the extraction of fishery resources, but the design engraving on the top of the monument, which appears to be “sun and moon,” caught my attention. I wondered if it was an attempt to appeal to visitors with a riddle (laugh).
I am fascinated by the playful, or rather, spell-like, scheming mind of our forefathers.
At the moment, fantasies keep bubbling up in my mind, and I have not been able to settle them. I am accepting the appeal of localism as a stone monument of a shrine. Since I have been frequenting the nearby day spa facility, I am thinking to myself that it would not be a bad idea to spend the rest of my life thinking in symbiosis with the riddles of my ancestors (laugh). I am looking forward to your advice if you have any information. Thank you in advance.

【東京都内はウォーキングの聖地か(笑)】


今回出張はホテルと東京ビッグサイトとの往復がメイン。弊社も新事業として取り組んでいるAI活用の事例発表を提携先が行っているので、その状況を参観しながら、今後の方向性のメガトレンドを体感しておきたいということが主眼です。AI・人工知能EXPO関係では現状の動向について、巨視的な筋理はすこしおぼろげながら、というところ。日本人にとってAIは令和の時代に訪れた「黒船」みたいなもののように思えます。1日目の講演では参加者がすごい人数。退場するのにエリア分けしなければならないほどの活況。こういう黒船型のショック対応は日本は得意だと思えますが、さて。
でもその他大きな狙いは、ウォーキング運動効果(笑)。
東京に出張すると、とにかくよく歩かされる。札幌にいると基本的にはデスクワーク中心なので意図的に早朝の時間に目的的に早歩き散歩が欠かせません。ふつうのビジネス移動もオフタイムもほぼクルマでの移動が中心。それに対して東京では公共交通が発達しているので、その乗降移動でほぼ完結することが可能。しかし、その手段へのアクセスはほぼウォーキング。
で、その移動交通の間、大量のリアル情報が無数に目に飛び込んでくる。一定の既視感と同時に「あれ、こんなことが起こっている」みたいな情報がどんどんあっちからやってくる。短時間集中的にこうした情報洪水と接することで生来の気性、好奇心がどんどん深まっていくのですね(笑)。
で、それにグリコのオマケ的に強迫的にウォーキング運動がついてくる。カミさんは運動不足解消のために任天堂のゲームに命令され続けていますが、はるかに自然な人間営為。
ふだんの札幌での散歩歩数は、だいたい7-8000歩程度に抑えているのですが、さすがに刺激の多い東京では連日1万歩越えが続いております。このなかでさらに食事についても、なるべく食事改善型のメニュー構成をアタマのなかで企画構成しております。やむなく外食ということになるので、その時間帯で選択可能な中で、注意深く選別するようにしている。
ということで、足の筋肉は各所からやや悲鳴っぽい叫び声。ホテルでの休息時にはストレッチで肉体疲労の沈静化に取り組んでいます。さて本日はふたたび東京ビッグサイトへ(笑)。頑張りたいと思います。ではでは。

English version⬇

Tokyo is a sacred place for walkers?
The number of steps I take every day exceeds 10,000. It’s an environment where curiosity comfortably stimulates my body, such as public transportation transfers and scurrying activities at event venues. …

This business trip is mainly a round trip between the hotel and Tokyo Big Sight. The main purpose of this trip was to visit the AI/artificial intelligence EXPO, where our partner company is presenting a case study of AI utilization, which we are also working on as a new business, and to experience the mega trend of the future direction of AI, I am not sure what to think about the current trends. The first day’s lectures had a huge number of participants, so much so that we had to separate the area for exit. The first day’s lecture was so well attended that we had to divide the audience into several areas to leave the venue. Japan seems to be good at dealing with this kind of “black ship” type shock, but we’ll see.
But the other big aim was the walking exercise (laughs).
When I go on business trips to Tokyo, I am forced to walk a lot anyway. When I am in Sapporo, I am basically working at my desk, so I have to intentionally take a purposeful early morning walk. In general, business travel and off hours are almost exclusively by car. In contrast, Tokyo has a well-developed public transportation system, so it is possible to complete almost all of your travel by getting on and off that system. However, access to that means is almost always walking.
And during that transportation, a great deal of real information pops into one’s eyes countless times. With a certain sense of déjà vu, information like, “Hey, this is happening,” keeps coming from over there. By being in contact with this flood of information for a short time in a concentrated manner, my innate temperament and curiosity are deepened and deepened (laughs).
And with it comes the compulsive walking exercise, like a Glico omake. My wife keeps ordering me to play Nintendo games to get exercise, but it is a much more natural human activity.
In Sapporo, I usually keep the number of steps to about 7-8,000, but in Tokyo, where there is a lot of stimulation, I am walking more than 10,000 steps every day. In addition, I am planning and composing a menu that improves my diet as much as possible. Since I have no choice but to eat out, I try to select carefully among the options available at that time of the day.
So, the muscles in my legs are screaming somewhat screamingly from all parts of my body. I am working on calming down the physical fatigue by stretching when I rest at the hotel. Well, today I am going to Tokyo Big Sight again (laughs). I will do my best. Good bye.

【ブラタモリ希望!人新世痕跡もある?積丹半島地形】




きのうから東京に出張。「AIエキスポ」を体感しておりました。が、情報を整理しておく必要性があるので、本日の追加体験も含めて札幌帰還後、まとめたいと思います。
なので本日のブログ記事は最近の流れに即して積丹半島地形篇であります。
ながく北の海の難所として「女人禁制」とまでされていた半島海岸線。わたしは普段は積丹の東側、石狩湾側をよく通行していますが、神威岬を超えた半島東側の地形観察しながら、いまさらながらその怪異ぶりに驚かされておりました。
わたしはテレビ革命世代の人間ですが、少なくともリアルタイム視聴するという習慣はほぼ消滅しています。テレビは「番組編成」ということでそれぞれの放送局が視聴者に予定スケジュールを強制してリアルタイムでの視聴を強いる存在。どうもこういう個人の権利への自己本位の独占的介入はもう時代遅れだと思います。そうではなくこれからの時代は、個人の自由な時間消費、その権利に委ねられるべきだろうと固く信じています。テレビ番組一般に拒否反応を持っているのではなく、やはり好きな情報番組はある。なかでもタモリの地質観察眼部分を最大活用しているブラタモリは録画してみる好きな番組。
話が横道系ですが(笑)、勉強系で歴史に次いで好きだった地学を基礎にしている情報番組って非常に貴重な存在だと思います。
で、この積丹半島の自然地形。1枚目は海岸線に接岸している部位の様子。みごとに異様な岩盤の節理ぶりに驚かされる。2枚目の山頂部の露頭ぶりも、なかなかのリアルな立体感。さらにトンネルの周囲には非常に奇妙な岩盤面が露出している。阿部比羅夫の時代から、海上からこういう光景を見させられてきた本土の人びとが、「蝦夷地・・・」という隔絶観を持ち続けてきた根拠のようにも思われます。
しかし3枚目の写真からはどう見ても自然的な造岩活動だけとは思われない。積丹半島をぐるっと回遊する道路建設は難工事に次ぐ難工事だったとされる。北海道の西側海岸線になかでも最高レベルの岩盤露頭が顕著にみられる。どうもこの写真からはトンネルを掘削したときに、岩盤層がきわめて崩れやすくてそれを安定させるのに、人工的補強材を注入したのではないか。一種の「人新世」痕跡であるのかも知れないと妄想(笑)させられていました。

English version⬇

[Bratamori Hope! Some traces of the Anthropocene? Shakotan Peninsula Topography
Complex traces of stratigraphic and orogenic activities of the earth. Tamori’s keen eye will help you dissect the traces that may have originated in the Anthropocene! Shakotan Peninsula

I started my business trip to Tokyo yesterday. I had a chance to experience the “AI Expo. However, I need to organize the information, so I would like to summarize it after my return to Sapporo, including today’s additional experience.
So, today’s blog post is about the Shakotan Peninsula topography in line with the recent trend.
The Shakotan Peninsula coastline has long been a difficult part of the northern seas, and was even considered a “no women allowed” area. I usually travel along the eastern side of Shakotan, the Ishikari Bay side, but I was surprised to see the bizarre topography of the eastern side of the peninsula beyond Cape Kamui.
I am a member of the TV revolution generation, but at least the habit of watching TV in real time has almost disappeared. Television is a form of “programming” in which each broadcaster forces its viewers to watch in real time by forcing them to follow a schedule. Apparently, this kind of self-centered, monopolistic intervention in individual rights is already outdated. Instead, I firmly believe that the future should be left to the free consumption of time and the rights of the individual. It is not that I have a rejection of TV programs in general, but I still like some information programs. Among them, Bratamori, which makes maximum use of the geological observation eye part of Tamori, is my favorite program to record.
I know this is a bit of a side-track (laughs), but I think it is very valuable to have an information program based on geology, which is second only to history in my favorite field of study.
The first picture shows the natural topography of the Shakotan Peninsula. The outcrops at the top of the mountain in the second picture are also quite realistic and three-dimensional. The outcropping at the top of the mountain in the second photo also has a very realistic three-dimensional appearance. This seems to be the basis for the segregated view of “Ezo…” held by people on the mainland who have been forced to see this kind of scene from the sea since Abe Hirao’s time.
However, from the third photo, it does not appear to be only natural rock-forming activity. It is said that the construction of the road that circles the Shakotan Peninsula was one difficult task after another. The highest level of rock outcrops can be seen on the western coastline of Hokkaido. The photographs suggest that when the tunnel was excavated, the bedrock layer was extremely fragile and artificial reinforcement was injected to stabilize it. I was made to fantasize (laugh) that it might be a kind of “Anthropocene” trace.

【船の交通超難所! 積丹半島の海岸線地形】




日本の交通の歴史では基本的には日本海海上交通が主役だったとされている。阿部比羅夫の北方遠征が200艘という大船団で北海道まで遠征可能だったことは、659年当時、それだけの海上交通の技術が発展していたことを表している。その直後の白村江海戦への日本艦隊の出撃もそのことを表している。
阿部比羅夫は白村江敗戦のあと、太宰府の長官職について来襲が予測された唐と新羅の連合艦隊に対して国防長官的な任務に就いていた。そのことはかれとその勢力が当時の海上交通の最先端技術集団だったことを知らしめていると思う。
積丹半島手前までの地域との間では日本の海上交通ネットワークは機能したのだろうけれど、しかし、その後の歴史ではながく積丹半島以北地域、札幌などの石狩湾地域は歴史痕跡が発現しない。先日触れたように、積丹半島の先端、神威岬以北は「女人禁制」とされたことで日本社会とは隔絶された化外の地として無視され続けることになった。
日本のヤマト政権が白村江などの朝鮮半島との緊張拡大方向に進まず、阿部比羅夫北方遠征の方向で主たる進出方向を北方に向けていれば、日本史はまったく違う展開を見せていたのかも知れない。上の写真は積丹半島の荒ぶる海と海岸線の様子。こういう難所に対して当時の兵員大量輸送の船の想像図を対置してみた。これは当時のWiki画像で見たヨーロッパの木造船イラストだけれど、想像では日本の阿部比羅夫船団も似たような様相だったと思える。
こういう船を作り,運航して日本海海域を移動進軍できていたのだから、その技術をさらに進化発展させればいかに難所とは言え、積丹半島を超えて石狩湾地域を開発することは十分に可能だったのではないか。明治以降、札幌を北海道の首府と定めて開発に着手してから150年の現在をみれば、地域のポテンシャルを生かし切れなかったこの間の歴史経緯が残念。「北のウォール街」とまで称された小樽の発展などの事例を見れば、659年から以降の平安期などで相当の発展は見込めたのではないか。
まぁその果実は奥州藤原政権が獲得して、独自の政権維持の大きな要素にしたということなのだろう。ただ、奥州藤原氏はむしろ、苫小牧周辺から日高方面に強い志向性を持っていたようだ。アイヌ社会との交易痕跡がこれらの地域に散見されることになる。
・・・さて本日から東京ビッグサイトでの「AI人工知能EXPO」に出張。ちょうど新事業でAIを活用していることもあってその協力企業のブースなどで最新情報に触れたいと思っています。

English version

Shakotan Peninsula: A super difficult place for boat traffic! Shakotan Peninsula Coastline Topography
Since the Japanese center symbolized by Abe Hirao came as far as the Goshi area, could the Sapporo area have participated in Japanese history from the Heian period if shipbuilding operation technology had been developed a little? …

In the history of Japanese transportation, the Sea of Japan maritime transportation basically played the leading role. The fact that Abe Hirao’s northern expedition was able to travel as far as Hokkaido with a fleet of 200 ships indicates that the technology of maritime transportation had developed to that extent in 659. The Japanese fleet’s expedition to the Battle of Hakuchon River immediately after the Battle of Hakuchon also indicates this.
After the defeat at the Hakuchon River, Abe Hirao was appointed as the chief of Dazaifu, and was assigned as the secretary of defense against the combined fleet of Tang and Silla, which was expected to attack Japan. This shows that he and his forces were the most advanced technological group in maritime transportation at that time.
Although Japan’s maritime transportation network may have functioned in the area up to the Shakotan Peninsula, for a long time afterwards, no traces of the history of the area north of the Shakotan Peninsula and the Ishikari Bay area, including Sapporo, appeared. As mentioned earlier, the area north of Cape Kamui, at the tip of the Shakotan Peninsula, was considered a “no women’s area” and was ignored by Japanese society as an outcast area.
If the Japanese Yamato regime had turned its main direction of expansion toward the north in the direction of the Abe-Hirau Northern Expedition, instead of moving in the direction of increased tensions with the Korean Peninsula, such as the Hakumura River, Japanese history might have developed in a completely different way. The photo above shows the rough sea and coastline of the Shakotan Peninsula. I have juxtaposed an imaginary image of a ship transporting a large number of soldiers at that time against such a difficult place. This is an illustration of a European wooden ship from a Wiki image of the time, but I imagine that the Japanese Abe-Hirau fleet was similar in appearance.
Since they were able to build and operate such ships to move and march in the Sea of Japan, it would have been possible to develop the Ishikari Bay area beyond the Shakotan Peninsula, no matter how difficult it was, by further advancing and developing their technology. Looking at the present 150 years since the Meiji era, when Sapporo was designated as the capital of Hokkaido and development began, it is regrettable that the potential of the region has not been fully utilized. Looking at examples such as the development of Otaru, which was even called the “Wall Street of the North,” we can see that considerable development could have been expected during the Heian period from 659 to the present.
Well, the Oshu Fujiwara government acquired the fruits of this development and made it a major factor in maintaining its own government. However, it seems that the Oshu Fujiwara were rather strongly oriented toward the Hidaka area from the Tomakomai vicinity. Traces of trade with the Ainu community can be found in these areas.
Now, I am going to Tokyo Big Sight for the “AI Artificial Intelligence EXPO” starting today. As I am using AI in my new business, I would like to get acquainted with the latest information at the booths of cooperating companies.

【高架道路から橋脚参道&鳥居 ニセコ「曽我神社」】




世界的な高級スキーリゾート地域として発展するニセコ地区。基本的には羊蹄山麓の農業地域ということで移動交通はクルマ利用。で、あちこちと移動していて尻別川にそそぐ支流がもたらす渓谷地形に高架道が設けられていて、そこを通りかかったら、脇に「参道」と鳥居が見えた。
「え、こんなところに?高架道から神社詣りなの?」というナゾの風景。で、地図をチェックしたら「そがじんじゃ」という神社があるとカミさんの報告。「え、蘇我神社?」って理解してしまった。蘇我神社は千葉県にある神社で、後方羊蹄とか、阿倍比羅夫とかの動乱の時代に日本史を彩る蘇我氏の末裔痕跡。
その蘇我神社があるのならば、符合すると考えられるということ急遽Uターンして参道を拝観し、本殿も参拝させてもらうことにしました。「もし蘇我神社ならば、後方羊蹄という日本書紀記述との歴史時代背景がシンクロしはじめるのではないか,ワクワク」

なんですが、よく神社名を確認したらヨミは「そがじんじゃ」だけれど、蘇我ではなく曽我という地名の神社と言うことがわかった。この一帯ではパワースポットとして知られている。調べてみたけれど、由緒はあんまり確定できない。明治以降に入植して成功した「曽我」という人物が建立したようです。1901年(明治34年) 曽我子爵がこの地の開拓を始める。1904年(明治37年) 創建。ということで周辺一帯に「曽我」という地名。
祭神 天照皇大神 八幡大神
1901年(明治34年)曾我子爵が開拓した曽我地域
1958年(昭和33年)神社創建。
で、どうしてパワースポットになっているのかは不明。たぶん橋の上を渡っていく非日常感が話題になっているのでしょうか。つい最近の創建と言うことなので、場所柄からのイメージと思われます。
しかし、日本というのは全国に八百万のように神社仏閣が存在し人びとがそうしたものに畏敬する文化を持っている。そういう社会性がひとびとの心性にいつしか染み込んで行っている部分がある。欧米のように一神教社会ではないけれど、それでもおだやかな社会的調和性が特徴になる社会。また歴史のヒントが無数にタイムカプセル化しているとも言える。この神社のように、高々つい最近、昭和時代の創建なのに大事にする社会。ホッコリとしたこういう文化は大切だと思う。

English version⬇

[Elevated road to bridge approach & torii, Niseko “Soga Shrine”].
I was excited to visit this shrine, mistaking it for the Soga Shrine, but unfortunately, it was not. I was excited to visit the shrine, mistaking it for Soga Shrine, but was disappointed (laugh). I was so excited to visit the shrine, but I was disappointed.

The Niseko area has developed into a world-class luxury ski resort area. Basically, it is an agricultural area at the foot of Mt. Yotei, so transportation is by car. As I passed by an elevated road in a valley formed by a tributary of the Shiribetsu River, I saw an “approach road” and a torii gate on the side.
What? Are you going to pay a visit to a shrine from an elevated road? It was a riddle scenery. I checked the map and found a shrine called “Soga Shrine,” my wife reported. I understood. I understood. Soga Shrine is located in Chiba Prefecture and is a trace of the descendants of the Soga clan that colored Japanese history during the period of upheavals such as the backward Yotei and the Abenohirau.
I made a hasty U-turn to visit the approach to the shrine and the main shrine. If it is the Soga Shrine, the historical background of the backward Yotei in the Nihonshoki Chronicles will begin to synchronize, which is very exciting.

However, when I carefully checked the name of the shrine, I found that it is not Soga but a shrine in the name of a place called Soga, although the yomi is “Soga-jinja”. It is known as a power spot in this area. I looked up the name of the shrine, but its history is not very definite. It seems that the shrine was built by a successful settler named “Soga” after the Meiji era (1868-1912), Viscount Soga started to settle the area in 1901 (Meiji 34), and the shrine was built in 1904 (Meiji 37). The whole surrounding area is therefore named “Soga”.
Gods of worship Amaterasu-O-no-Mikoto Hachiman-O-no-Mikoto
1901 (Meiji 34) Soga area developed by Viscount Soga.
The shrine was founded in 1958.
So, why it is a power spot is unknown. Perhaps the unusual feeling of crossing over a bridge is the topic of conversation? Since the shrine was founded only recently, it is thought to be an image from the location.
However, in Japan, there are as many as 8 million Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples throughout the country, and people have a culture of reverence for such things. This social nature has somehow become ingrained in people’s mentality. Although it is not a monotheistic society like in the West, it is still characterized by a gentle social harmony. It can also be said that there are countless time capsules of hints of history. Like this shrine, it was built only recently, in the Showa period, and yet it is still cherished by the society. I think it is important to have a culture like this, where people can feel relaxed.

【日本海航路の難所・女人禁制「神威岬」と北海道開発】



 縄文の約3,000年前とされる羊蹄山麓の環状列石遺構の見学から触発されての古代日本と北海道島の歴史探訪。基本交通路は船舶による交通手段の時代。阿倍比羅夫は、諸説はあるけれど北海道島に「後方羊蹄」という地名痕跡を確実に残している。
 北海道人としては、しかしその後、江戸期まで日本史との関わりの痕跡が途絶えることが不可思議。いくつかの伝承や文献記録などから、推理するくらいしか手掛かりに乏しい。
 伝承としては「義経伝説」があって、写真の積丹・神威岬を限界としてこの地以北が「女人禁制」とされたことが記録されている。義経が頼朝からの追捕の手を逃れて蝦夷地に逃避行したという「伝説」。最後は大陸に逃れて、その後ジンギスカンになったという荒唐無稽の伝承。その一節に、この神威岬にまつわるアイヌの族長の娘との悲恋物語。義経と恋仲になった娘は、追っ手から逃れるためにこの神威岬から出発した義経を追って、荒波にさらわれて命を落としたとされる物語。
 ながく北海道島が日本史の表面から姿を消している時期。平家物語の語り部として全国の村々の祭りなどの機会に琵琶の伴奏つきの物語を語った法師たちから、その内容を受け取ったその時代の大衆が、判官びいきという心象を持ったことは蓋然性が高い。そういう心理が多様な義経伝承を生んだものだろうか。
 ニセコ地域からの帰り道、積丹半島をぐるっと回って帰ることにした。

 神威岬は1−2回は来ているけれど、今回はまことに「風極」とでも言える強風。日高の襟裳岬でも体験したけれど、大人でも立っていられないくらいで、子どもたちはふざけていると実際に風に飛ばされて転んだりしていた。岩礁地帯で岬自体、半島自体が巨大な造岩活動の凄まじさを表現する地形と、この風の強烈さで江戸期くらいまで開発が遅れたのかという体感を持った(笑)。
 実際に「女人禁制」としたのは、江戸期の松前藩による海産資源・経済利権の秘密保持が目的だったのだろうけれど、このことが北海道開拓進展に桎梏となったことも事実。神威岬から先の石狩湾以北に行くには舟しかなかったので岬を通行禁止にされると女性は石狩以北には行けなかったのだ。女人禁制とは、それ以北に「定住するな」「出稼ぎしか認めない」という宣言であり、地域開発するという意思はどこにも見えず、ただただ、自藩の交易利得にしか価値感を持っていない地域政権。事実上の松前藩による「開拓禁止」政策だった。
 今日の北海道と江戸期の松前藩にはどのようにも「継承性」がない。たぶん全国の大名領地と明治以降の関係性の中で、北海道ほど断絶が際だっている地域もないだろう。「直轄支配」時期のこともあり、むしろ江戸幕府の方が開明的に北方防衛意識を高く持って北海道島の未来と向き合っていた。松前藩が南方の薩摩のような藩であったら、その後の日本史は大きく変化した可能性がある。

English version⬇

Cape Kamui, a difficult point on the Japan Sea route and forbidden to women, and the development of Hokkaido
The Matsumae Clan of the Edo period delayed the development of the Shakotan Peninsula north of Cape Kamui by taking advantage of a legend about Yoshitsune. A clan that clung to its marine products trading interests and had no regional development policy. The Matsumae Clan

A historical exploration of ancient Japan and the island of Hokkaido, inspired by a visit to the ringed stone remains at the foot of Mt. Yotei, which are believed to date back about 3,000 years to the Jomon period. The basic transportation route was by ship in those days. Abenohirau definitely left traces of the place name “backward Yotei” on the island of Hokkaido, although there are various theories.
As a Hokkaido native, however, I find it strange that traces of the area’s connection to Japanese history ceased after that, until the Edo period. There are only a few clues that can be deduced from folklore and written records.
There is a “Yoshitsune legend” that records that the area north of Cape Kamui, pictured in the photo, was forbidden to women. The “legend” tells of Yoshitsune’s escape to Ezo, escaping from Yoritomo’s pursuit. The wild folklore says that he finally escaped to the continent and subsequently became Genghis Khan. In this passage, there is a tragic love story about the daughter of an Ainu chief who was in love with Yoshitsune. It is said that the daughter, who fell in love with Yoshitsune, was snatched away by a stormy sea and lost her life in pursuit of him as he departed from Cape Kamui to escape his pursuers.
It is highly probable that, at a time when the island of Hokkaido had long disappeared from the surface of Japanese history, the public of that era, who received the content of the tale, had a mental image of a favoritism toward the priests who told the story with biwa accompaniment at festivals and other occasions in villages across the country as storytellers of the Heike tale. Such a mentality may have given birth to the diverse folklore of Yoshitsune.
On the way back from the Niseko area, I decided to go around the Shakotan Peninsula.

I have been to Cape Kamui once or twice, but this time the wind was so strong that it could be described as a “wind pole. Even adults could not stand up, as we experienced at Cape Erimo in Hidaka, and children were actually blown away by the wind and fell down when they were joking around. The cape itself is a rocky reef area, and the cape itself and the peninsula itself have a topography that expresses the tremendous rock-making activity, and I had the feeling that the development of the area was delayed until around the Edo period because of the intensity of this wind (laugh).
The reason for the “no women allowed” policy may have been to maintain the secrecy of the Matsumae clan’s marine resources and economic interests during the Edo period, but it is also a fact that this policy was a deterrent to the development of Hokkaido.
The prohibition of women was a declaration that “no settlement” or “only migrant workers” would be allowed north of the boundaries of Hokkaido, and the regional administration had no intention of regional development, but only a sense of value for its own trading interests.
There is no “inheritability” in any way between today’s Hokkaido and the Matsumae clan of the Edo period. Perhaps no other region in Japan has such a remarkable disconnect between the feudal lords’ domains and their relationship with each other since the Meiji era as Hokkaido. Because of the period of “direct rule,” the Edo shogunate faced the future of the island of Hokkaido with a high awareness of northern defense in a rather open-minded manner. If the Matsumae clan had been like Satsuma in the south, the subsequent history of Japan could have been very different.

【1364年前と現代 大和王権・世界との遭遇 in羊蹄山麓】



連休中に訪れていたニセコ地域で縄文期遺跡など思わぬ歴史事実との遭遇。歴史好きの本性は、最近すっかり本州地区行脚に費やされていましたが、今回で北海道地元にスポットが当たってしまった。北海道人としては、後世のひとたちにこういった歴史情報を解明しておく責任の一端はあるかもしれない。もちろん専門研究者の情報に基づいて、広く興味を拡散して世論を醸成するという意味合い。
この羊蹄山周辺地域はいまや世界的な雪質レベルでのリゾート開発が盛ん。世界的なスキーリゾートとして欧米からの来訪者で大いに賑わっている。図のように「NISEKO UNITED」ということでシルキースノーゾーンが広がっている。日本人ではスキー人口はそれほど伸びているとは聞かないけれど、シーズンになると英語などの方が当地では優勢になるそうです。わたし自身はスキー学校授業程度ほぼ興味がない。そういうことなので来るのはもっぱら夏場ということになるけれど・・・。
どうもこの地にはそういう「外からの注目」が集まりやすいのかも知れない。今回歴史好きとしてふとした気付きから日本・ヤマト王権が北方国防対策として、この地域に軍団遠征を200艘もの大船団で行った事実は大変なインパクト。659年当時はオホーツク人という北方からの「外圧」への対応だったのだろうが、ある意味では土地が持つ「気」のようなものが外部から人を呼び寄せるのかも知れない(笑)。
写真のように北海道の建築関係者にとって当地のリゾート開発建築の最初期は素性の定かでないオーストラリアの不動産業者による進出で、信用状況でもやや不安を持たざるを得ない取引だったという。サンモリッツなどの欧米のハイエンドリゾート需要、そうした活発な投資活動は北海道全体にとって有意義。現在では多くの貸別荘群がゲレンデ周辺の好適地で新築されてきている。ヒルトンなどの欧米資本の進出もある。

さて歴史好きの阿倍比羅夫遠征での「後方羊蹄」についての調査活動。その当時の朝鮮・白村江海戦での日本側遠征船団と人員規模について、好きな歴史作家・安部龍太郎氏の論考では1艘あたり30人の兵員輸送だったとされるので、200艘船団では5,000-6,000人規模の大遠征軍団。
逆に言えばこうした大船団が編成されたので北から西に方向転換して白村江海戦に突入してしまった、とも言えるのだろうか。この軍勢が河口に上陸し、兵糧などの運搬に適した尻別川が通っている「比羅夫」という地名が残る羊蹄山麓まで、GoogleMapでの陸上歩行時間距離では8時間ほどとなっている。
この距離感であれば1−2日の行程で武装しての進軍も可能だったことだろう。
羊蹄山麓地域まで阿倍比羅夫を護送するのには50-60人程度の軍勢で十分か。環境要因を見てみればたしかに軍事移動は十分可能だっただろう。政庁の設置も可能だと思えるが、さて。

Enlish version⬇

1364 Years Ago and Today: Encounters with Yamato Royalty and the World in Yotei Foothills
Is this the local environment that attracts the most “outside attention” in Hokkaido now and in the past? World-class ski resorts and the Abenohirou expedition. …

While visiting the Niseko area during the holidays, I came across some unexpected historical facts, including Jomon-period ruins. My love of history has recently been completely consumed by my travels in the Honshu area, but this time I found myself in the Hokkaido area. As a Hokkaido native, I may have a part of responsibility to clarify this kind of historical information for future generations. Of course, this is based on information from professional researchers, but it is also meant to spread interest and foster public opinion.
The area surrounding Mt. Yotei is now being actively developed as a resort with world-class snow quality levels. As a world-class ski resort, it is very crowded with visitors from Europe and the United States. As shown in the figure, a silky snow zone called “NISEKO UNITED” is spreading. Although I don’t hear that the ski population is growing that much among Japanese, I hear that English and other languages are predominant in this area during the season. I myself am not interested in ski school classes. So I come here only in the summer.
I guess it is easy to attract such “attention from outside” to this place. As a history buff, I suddenly realized that the fact that the Yamato Kingdom of Japan conducted a military expedition with a fleet of 200 ships to this area as a measure to defend the northern part of the country had a great impact on me. In a sense, the “spirit” of the land may have attracted people from the outside (laughs).
As you can see in the photo, for architects in Hokkaido, the initial resort development construction in the area was done by an Australian real estate developer of unknown background, and they had to be a little apprehensive about the credit situation. The demand for high-end resorts in Europe and the U.S., such as St. Moritz, and such active investment activities are meaningful for Hokkaido as a whole. Many new rental villa complexes are now being built in prime locations near the slopes. There is also the entry of European and U.S. capital such as Hilton.

Now, research activities about “Rear Yotei” in the Abenohirao expedition of history buffs. According to my favorite history writer, Ryutaro Abe, the Japanese expeditionary fleet and its personnel size at that time at the Battle of Paekchon River in Joseon was said to have transported 30 soldiers per ship, so a fleet of 200 ships was a large expeditionary force of 5,000 to 6,000 soldiers.
Conversely, it could be said that such a large fleet was organized, so it changed direction from north to west and plunged into the Battle of Hakuchon River. According to Google Map, it takes about 8 hours to reach the foot of Mt. Yotei, where the Shiribetsu River, which is suitable for transporting food and supplies, runs through.
This distance would have made it possible to march armed to the teeth in one or two days.
A force of about 50-60 men would have been sufficient to escort Abephirao to the foot of Mt. Looking at the environmental factors, it would certainly have been possible to move the military. It would also be possible to set up a government office.