高齢化社会になってきていろいろな「社会変容」要素が出てくる。自分自身も高齢化してきて気付かされることが増えてきています。
　ずっと広告業とか出版業とかを仕事領域で経験してきた人間なので、そういう自分自身のことを発想起点にして「社会の興味関心分野の行方」を探究するのが、習い性になっている（笑）。
　そういう中で大きな領域と感じているのが、多くの人が自分自身の「生きた」こと自体もある程度相対化して見られるようになってくると、DNA的に近似している祖先・肉親の「過去生〜かこしょう」についての関心が高まってくるのでは、と言うこと。
　そして現代の、とくに情報分野で隔世のように深化してきたその蓄積量に驚かされる。
　この２つを掛け合わせると、これまで大きく関心が持たれなかった領域が見えてくる気がする。
　わたしの場合は、肉親者に「先祖探索」に強い興味を持っている人間が多いので、そうした情報蓄積を活用することが出来る。そして自分自身の情報出版人としての経験からの「現場探究」感覚を動員して「故地」探訪を繰り返すと、過去の先人が生きていた環境総体が掘り起こされてくる。
　自分自身の人生も家系の過去生も、いわば客観的に掴むことが可能になってくる。
　写真は肉親者が収集して受け継がれてきた資料類（背面側）と、それを客観評価出来る地域史のデータ資料類。肉親者の資料類はそのDNAの痕跡が色濃く反映していて、いかにも血肉的データ。「こういうリアリティの中で人生選択してきたんだ・・・」とその息づかいが浮かび上がってくる。同時に客観資料類はその選択の背景、推移を証し立ててくれる。
　現代に於いてはこういうことが大衆レベルで可能になってきている。
　これまでは信長だ、家康だというポピュラーな人物だけに深掘りされてきた「歴史」が、いわば一般人にまで拡張してきて、市場性が大きく広がってきている。ただし、まだ大多数は気付いていない。
　いまはそういった時代性ではないだろうか。AIなどの進歩も、こういう領域には強い追い風になるように思っています。
　しかしこういう「情報の渦」のなかで、冷静な探求者として自己制御して普遍性に至らせる努力は、なかなかに創造力を求められる。さて、多くの人はどう向き合うだろうか？・・・

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English version⬇

[Layering Dialogue Materials from the Past 400 Years]
New frontiers are emerging as inquiry environments evolve, including the enrichment of local history and AI-driven dialogue. Isn’t the way our own relatives lived their lives a more fundamental area of human interest than the lives of figures like Nobunaga and Hideyoshi? …

　As society ages, various factors of “social transformation” are emerging. As I myself grow older, I’m becoming increasingly aware of these changes.
Having spent my entire career in fields like advertising and publishing, it’s become second nature for me to use my own experiences as a starting point to explore “the future direction of society’s interests” (laughs).
　In this context, one area that strikes me as significant is the idea that as more people begin to view their own “lived” experiences with a certain degree of relativity, interest in the “past lives” of ancestors and relatives who are genetically close to them will likely grow.
　And in today’s world—especially in the field of information—I am amazed by the sheer volume of accumulated data, which has deepened at a pace that feels like a generation’s leap.
　When I combine these two factors, I feel that a new area—one that has not received much attention until now—begins to emerge.
　In my case, since many of my relatives have a strong interest in “ancestral research,” I am able to make use of that accumulated information. Furthermore, by mobilizing my “field research” instincts—honed through my experience as a publisher—and repeatedly visiting “ancestral lands,” the totality of the environment in which our forebears once lived is unearthed.
It becomes possible to grasp both my own life and the past lives of my family lineage objectively, so to speak.
　The photo shows materials collected and passed down by my relatives (back side) alongside regional historical data that allows for an objective evaluation of them. My relatives’ materials strongly reflect traces of their DNA; they are truly visceral data. “They made life choices within this kind of reality…”—their very breath seems to emerge from the pages. At the same time, the objective materials serve as evidence of the background and progression of those choices.
　In the modern era, this has become possible on a mass scale.
Until now, “history” has been limited to in-depth studies of popular figures like Nobunaga and Ieyasu, but it has now expanded to include ordinary people, significantly broadening its market appeal. However, the majority of people have not yet realized this.
I believe we are now living in such an era. Advances in AI and other technologies also seem likely to provide a strong tailwind for this field.
　Yet, amidst this “vortex of information,” the effort to exercise self-control as a dispassionate seeker and arrive at universality demands a considerable amount of creativity. So, how will most people approach this? …

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

Posted on 5月 18th, 2026 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 未分類 | No Comments »

　昨日のブログでAI活用の状況に触れたけれど、Youtube動画など無数の発信でAIが活用された画像があふれてきている。写真はそういうなかのひとつでSNS広告に流れていた。
　たぶん多くの人がこうした画像へは「違和感」を感じるだろうと思います。生成AIでの動画作成では過剰に「家族全員が楽しがっている」ように画像FAKEできる。こういったものがあふれかえってきている現状。ある意図のもとに現実を改竄するゲスな傾向。
　で、「ゲ、キモい・・・」という素朴な人間性の受け止めがいま広く湧き上がってきている。
　まぁたしかにその反応もAIによるフェイク技術のさらなる進化技術を生み出す肥やしにもなるだろう。そのことは理解できるが、一方で「だまそうとする人間」への拒絶感も広く共有されていくだろう。
　結局、信じられる人間性かどうか、が問われることになるのではないだろうか。
　AIの進化は同時進行で「新・ルネッサンス」人間中心の知的文化を復興させる文明的転換をもたらすのではという予感。人間倫理感の再興みたいな。あまりに楽観的過ぎるかも知れないけれど、こういったFAKE画像に対して多くの人が自然に持つ違和感こそが、次の時代を切り開くパワーになると思う。

　・・・さてトランプ訪中が終わった。オールドメディアではチンプンカンプンな「中国スゴい」解説が行われているらしい。（わたしはほぼテレビ情報は見ないのだが、信頼できる複数のジャーナリスト・言論人の発表からの伝聞）
　共同声明の発出は確認できていないし、台湾に関する公開された情報は習近平の発言だけ、それも多面的に受け取れるあいまいな発言内容。中国国内向けかと。アメリカ側からは台湾問題への発表は未確認。事前に周知されていた米中貿易での航空機や大豆について中国によるアメリカからの購入成立は確認されていた。
　一方で帰国便の大統領専用機から日本の高市政権へは「電話会談」がなされたと高市首相のXで発表されていた。事前のベッセント財務長官の訪日とあわせ、日本側との協調には配慮があったようだ。他のG7先進国とはどうであるのか、は現段階ではわからない。
　さて今後この会談内容がどう影響していくか、予断できない局面でしょうね。・・・

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English version⬇

[The “Creepiness” of AI Images, as Seen Through Natural Human Nature]
The blatantly artificial “image manipulation” seen in photos like this. The natural sense of unease it evokes is becoming widely shared. A premonition of a new renaissance of human nature…

　In yesterday’s blog post, I touched on the current state of AI adoption, but YouTube videos and countless other online posts are now flooded with images created using AI. The photo I mentioned was one such example, appearing in a social media ad.
I suspect many people feel a sense of “discomfort” when seeing images like this. With generative AI, it’s possible to create fake videos that make it look as though “the whole family is having a great time.” We’re currently inundated with this kind of content—a despicable trend of manipulating reality for specific purposes.
　Consequently, a simple, human reaction—“Eww, that’s creepy…”—is now widely surfacing.
Well, certainly, that reaction will also serve as fuel for further advancements in AI-driven fake technology. I understand that, but at the same time, a sense of rejection toward “people who try to deceive us” will likely become widely shared.
Ultimately, I think the question will come down to whether or not we can trust human nature.
　I have a hunch that the evolution of AI will simultaneously bring about a “New Renaissance”—a civilizational shift that revives a human-centered intellectual culture. Something like a revival of human ethics. It might be overly optimistic, but I believe that the sense of unease many people naturally feel toward these fake images will be the very power that paves the way for the next era.

　…Well, Trump’s visit to China has concluded. It seems the mainstream media is offering baffling commentary along the lines of “China is amazing.” (I hardly watch TV news, but this is based on hearsay from reports by several trusted journalists and commentators.)
The release of a joint statement has not been confirmed, and the only public information regarding Taiwan is Xi Jinping’s remarks—which are ambiguous and open to multiple interpretations. Perhaps they were intended for a domestic Chinese audience. No statement regarding the Taiwan issue has been confirmed from the U.S. side. As previously announced, the U.S. has confirmed that China has agreed to purchase aircraft and soybeans as part of the U.S.-China trade deal.
On the other hand, Prime Minister Takaichi announced on X that a “telephone conversation” took place with her administration from the presidential plane on the return flight. Combined with Treasury Secretary Bessent’s prior visit to Japan, it seems there was a conscious effort to coordinate with the Japanese side. It is unclear at this stage what the situation is with the other G7 nations.
Well, it’s a situation where we can’t predict how the content of this meeting will play out in the future. …

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

Posted on 5月 16th, 2026 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 未分類 | No Comments »

　本日アメリカのトランプ大統領は中国訪問外交をスタート。注目して報道を待つ一択。
　世界情勢の推移を待ちながら、さて「いまできること」として向き合っている「四百年間のいのちの履歴書」と名付ける家系史まとめ作業。次兄からは次々「次はこれを調査しなきゃならないな〜」と楽しそうな指令が飛んでくる（笑）。正直たいへんですが困難があると逆に燃え上がるのがわたしの基層心理。まぁそれを見透かされている可能性も（笑）。仕方ない。
　古文書の解析作業って「内容を早く読みたい，理解したい」という当たり前の欲求に対して、読解の困難性の壁が立ちはだかる。現代のパソコンやWEB、SNSでの情報摂取スピードから考えたら、新幹線vs赤ちゃんの成長くらいの時間差がある。日常的に大量の情報を受容してその速度感で生きているものを自制して、それこそ時間を停止させて、じっと向き合うしかない。
　その地域の歴史解析に深く関わる文書の場合は、各地方自治体の「公文書館」などで受け入れてもらえるケースもあるが、私的な家系資料ではそうはいかない。古文書解析の有料サービスなどもいくつか見ているけれど、くせ字なども多いので、解析の信憑性に全幅の信は置きにくい。
　そこで凸版さんが無料公開しているアプリ、古文書カメラ「ふみのは」を使ってiPhoneで画像撮影し、適当な大きさに画像分割して読み取りさせている。その上で文字認識させた断片と、家系史の「人間関係」に照合させながら眼光紙背に徹する作戦。時間は掛かるけれど「直感」が徐々に起き上がってくる。このあたり、他人の解析を超えて深い納得感がある。
　上の写真で書簡の切手とスタンプの判断から「岡山井原」局のスタンプ印判を発見。その理解に踏まえて差出人の住所の筆文字は「岡山（不明字）井原」という地名のくずし字であるとの心証を得た。そしてさらに祖父（三木吾一）の人間関係調査から差出人のくずし字は「岸 岩太郎」との推認に至った（！）次第。
　この人物と祖父は福山近郊での商家家系として江戸末期〜明治期に大きな取引関係にあった繋がり。さらに祖父の姉が岸家に嫁いでいる強固な血縁コネクション。
　・・・にしても、この「岸」字のくせ字っぷりは難解そのもの（笑）。何回堂々巡りさせられたか、ですが、わたし的には「眼光紙背に徹した」瞬間でありました。ドヤァ！

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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⬇

[Eyes Piercing Through the Paper: Progress in Deciphering Ancient Manuscripts?]
A reading pace that cannot help but feel detached from the fast-paced rhythm of modern life… I stare intently, focusing my thoughts. Is this, too, a “guidance” from my ancestors? …

　Today, U.S. President Trump kicked off his diplomatic visit to China. I have no choice but to keep a close eye on the news.
While waiting to see how the global situation unfolds, I’m focusing on what I can do right now: compiling our family history, which I’ve dubbed the “400-Year Resume of Life.” My second-oldest brother keeps sending me cheerful instructions one after another, saying, “Next, you’ll have to look into this…” (lol). Honestly, it’s tough, but facing difficulties actually fuels my passion—that’s just my basic nature. Well, there’s a chance he’s seen right through me (lol). Oh well.
When analyzing old documents, the natural desire to “read and understand the content quickly” is met with the formidable barrier of interpretive difficulty. Compared to the speed at which we consume information via modern computers, the web, and social media, the time difference is like that between a bullet train and a baby’s growth. For those of us who are used to absorbing massive amounts of information daily and living at that breakneck pace, we have to rein ourselves in, effectively stop time, and just sit with it.
　In cases involving documents deeply tied to regional historical analysis, local government “archives” may accept them, but that’s not the case with private family records. I’ve looked into a few paid ancient document analysis services, but since there’s a lot of handwriting with unique quirks, it’s hard to place complete trust in the accuracy of their analysis.
　So, I’m using the free app “Fuminoha” (an ancient document camera) released by Toppan to take photos with my iPhone, cropping the images to a suitable size for scanning. My strategy is to cross-reference the recognized text fragments with the “relationships” in my family history, delving deeply into the text to grasp its true meaning. It takes time, but “intuition” gradually begins to emerge. In this regard, I find a deeper sense of conviction than I do in analyses by others.
　In the photo above, by examining the letter’s postage stamp and postmark, I identified a postmark from the “Okayama Ihara” post office. Based on that understanding, I formed the conviction that the handwritten address of the sender was a cursive form of the place name “Okayama (unreadable character) Ihara.” Furthermore, through research into my grandfather (Miki Goichi)’s relationships, I deduced that the sender’s cursive name was “Kishi Iwataro” (!).
　This individual and my grandfather were connected through their merchant families in the Fukuyama area, having maintained significant business ties from the late Edo period through the Meiji era. Furthermore, there is a strong blood connection, as my grandfather’s older sister married into the Kishi family.
…That said, the idiosyncratic style of the character “Kishi” is truly baffling (lol). I don’t know how many times I went around in circles, but for me, it was a moment of “seeing through the paper with my eyes.” Ta-da!

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

Posted on 5月 14th, 2026 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 未分類 | No Comments »

　最近は古文書・書簡などの「くずし字」と正対させられてきています。先祖の事跡などをたどるとき、その肉筆の文章には、過去のひとびとが作っていた社会の実相が色濃く反映されていると気付くのです。言葉遣いでそこに「空気感」のようなものが託されていて、古い社会の共通認識で「つたわる」のですね。
　わたしたち現代人は日本語として活字的に精緻な漢字・かな文字をごく当然の基盤として受け止めているけれど、過去の日本人は、明治以前、いや明治以降でも多くは筆文字での日本語表現に慣れていて、その読解能力を基盤としてコミュニケーションを成立させてきた。
　が、わたしたち現代人はそういう教育体系には浴していない。筆文字でも正確性を期して１字１字丹念に書かれた文字は読解できるけれど、くずし字はその時代性と書き手ー読み手の相互理解基盤で伝達が成立していたので、その前提条件共有がないわたしたちには、先人とコミュニケーションしにくい。
　考えて見るとデジタル時代になって、こういう状況はさらに加速化している。
　アナログの印刷物（新聞雑誌）情報時代からデジタル情報時代になって、個人差はあっても１日に摂取する情報量は飛躍して増加しているだろう。わたしは基本、新聞を読まずYahooトップページのニュース欄でその日の出来事を確認し、興味に即してそこから深層まで掘ったり、あるいは横歩き的に情報探索したりする。摂取する情報量はアナログ時代の比ではない。
　いきおい、筆文字・くずし字への顧慮はどんどんうち捨てられてしまう。
　そういう現実に深く気付かされてきている。ヤバい。父母や祖父母とすらコミュニケーションしにくくなってしまうのだ。いわんや、江戸期以前の先祖様たちおや、であります。
　写真はこういうくずし字解読に対して、トッパンが提供する無料スマホ用アプリ「古文書カメラ」でAIを活用した古文書解読手段。正式な専門家による解析依頼という方法はあるけれど、自分でスキルを磨きながら訓練していくには、これがいいかと考えてきています。
　しかしこれでもやはり「おおまか」な把握で、詳細にはなかなかなのであります。ふ〜む。

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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⬇

[What Has Been Lost Due to the Discontinuity Between Modern Writing and Cursive Script]
Our grandparents—and in some cases, even our parents—used to communicate using cursive script. Yet modern people lack the ability to decipher it. …

　Recently, I’ve been coming face-to-face with “cursive script” found in ancient documents and letters. When tracing the deeds of my ancestors, I realize that their handwritten texts vividly reflect the true nature of the society in which people of the past lived. A certain “atmosphere” is conveyed through their choice of words, and it “comes across” through the shared understanding of that bygone society.
　We modern people take the precise, printed characters of Kanji and Kana for granted as the foundation of the Japanese language, but people in the past—before the Meiji era, and indeed even after it—were largely accustomed to expressing Japanese through handwritten characters, and they established communication based on their ability to read and interpret them.
　However, we modern people have not been immersed in such an educational system. While we can read characters written with a brush that were carefully crafted one by one for accuracy, cursive script relied on the context of its era and a shared foundation of mutual understanding between writer and reader for effective communication. Without that shared context, it is difficult for us to communicate with our predecessors.
When you think about it, this situation has accelerated even further in the digital age.
　With the shift from the era of analog print media (newspapers and magazines) to the digital information age, the amount of information we consume daily has likely increased exponentially, even if there are individual differences. Personally, I rarely read newspapers; instead, I check the day’s events in the news section on Yahoo’s homepage, then either dig deeper into topics that interest me or explore information in a more lateral manner. The volume of information I consume is incomparable to that of the analog era.
　Consequently, consideration for brush script and cursive writing is being increasingly cast aside.
I’ve become deeply aware of this reality. It’s serious. It’s becoming difficult to communicate even with my parents and grandparents. Let alone our ancestors from the Edo period and earlier.
The photo shows a method for deciphering old documents using AI, provided by Toppan’s free smartphone app “Old Document Camera.” While there is the option of requesting analysis from a professional expert, I’ve come to think this is a good way to hone my own skills through practice.
However, even with this, the results are still only a “rough” understanding; it’s quite difficult to get into the details. Hmm.

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

Posted on 5月 12th, 2026 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 未分類 | No Comments »

　祖母という存在はわたしのDNAの1/4程度「関わっている」のだと思う。わたしは父母という存在から生まれ出たけれど、その父母もそれぞれの祖父母から生まれ出た。いのちの輪廻。
　それぞれの出自によって個人の「思い」というのは温度差があるものだろうが、わたしの場合、この年齢になるまで祖母についてあまり深く考えたことはなかった。たしかに父母については強く「いのちへの関与感」を持ち続けているけれど、祖父母については直接接触感が少ないので、その差なのだろう。わたしは２歳で祖母とは死別したので、強い印象記憶がない。
　次兄からわが家系の「過去生〜かこしょう」についての探究活動「引継」を下命されて以来、長幼の序には従順なことから、次々とわが家の遺品や伝承品に向き合わされてきている。
　写真は、長兄の家に保管されてきた伝承品のなかから発見されてきた３つの四国八十八箇所「奉納経」。
　日本人の心象歴史の中でこの四国巡礼は非常に重要な領域を占めているだろう。わたし自身は「なんちゃって」系。四国は大好きで家族旅行では4−5回「巡って」いるけれど、一度、第十番札所・安楽寺宿坊にお世話になって宿泊し、本堂裏の「曼荼羅界」的な秘所を巡らせていただいた経験がある程度。
　この写真のように各巡礼寺院からの「お札」をきちんと記録して保存しているものを見せられると、その個人の一種の「尊厳」を見させられる思いも沸いてくる。
　・・・で、下の段の祖母の「奉納経」のほかに，上の写真の２つのものを正視させられている。
　どちらも家系がながく暮らしていた「備後州・福山領沼隈郡今津」とまではわかるのだけれど、その下の名前「恭平・房吉」という名前の先祖には、どうも思い当たらないのだ。天保15年は1844年で、嘉永４年は1851年。わが家が保管してきた伝承品のひとつなのに、その主の名前が紐付けられない。
　煌々たる光量の中に突然出現した「ナゾ」。
　ひとつの解釈としては、家督を継ぐメインラインではない商家「阿賀屋」を実務で支えた分家、あるいは「奉公人」であった可能性。
　う〜むと唸らされております。・・・しかし、前向きに考えれば「まだまだ修行が足りないなぁ」と祖母が嘆いている、もっと努力しなさいという諭しと受け止めるしかない。・・・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
お求めはAmazonで。
https://amzn.asia/d/eUiv9yO

English version⬇

[A Family Heirloom: The “Dedicatory Sutra” from the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage—Who Was Its Owner?]
An exploration of our family history stretching back more than four hundred years. Fragments of time and space keep posing riddles in my mind. Practice, and more practice…

　I believe my grandmother is “connected” to about a quarter of my DNA. I was born to my parents, but they, in turn, were born to their respective grandparents. It’s the cycle of life.
While the intensity of one’s “feelings” likely varies depending on one’s background, in my case, I hadn’t really thought deeply about my grandmother until I reached this age. It’s true that I continue to feel a strong “sense of connection to life” regarding my parents, but since I had little direct contact with my grandparents, that’s likely the reason for the difference. I lost my grandmother when I was two years old, so I have no vivid memories of her.
Since my second older brother tasked me with “carrying on” the family’s research into our lineage’s “past lives,” and because I am obedient to the order of seniority, I have been gradually confronted with our family’s heirlooms and traditional artifacts one after another.
　The photo shows three “dedicated sutras” from the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage, discovered among the heirlooms preserved at my eldest brother’s home.
This Shikoku pilgrimage likely occupies a very important place in the collective imagination of the Japanese people. As for myself, I’m more of a “pretend” type. I love Shikoku and have “toured” it four or five times on family trips, but my experience is limited to staying at the guest quarters of Anrakuji Temple (the 10th temple) and being allowed to explore the “mandala-like” secret area behind the main hall.
When I’m shown items like these in the photo—where “charms” from each pilgrimage temple have been carefully recorded and preserved—I feel as though I’m being shown a kind of personal “dignity.”
　…And so, in addition to my grandmother’s “dedicated sutra” in the lower row, I find myself staring intently at the two items in the photo above.
While I can tell that both are from “Imazu, Numakuma District, Fukuyama Domain, Bingo Province”—where my family lived for generations—I simply cannot place the ancestors with the given names “Kyōhei” and “Fusakichi” listed below them. Tenpō 15 is 1844, and Kaei 4 is 1851. Even though this is one of the heirlooms our family has preserved, I cannot connect it to the names of its owners.
A “mystery” that suddenly appeared amidst the brilliant light.
One possible interpretation is that they were a branch family that supported the “Agaya” merchant house—which was not the main line inheriting the family headship—in its day-to-day operations, or perhaps they were “servants.”
　I find myself pondering this deeply. …However, looking on the bright side, I can only take this as a gentle admonishment from my grandmother, sighing, “You still have a long way to go,” urging me to try harder. …Well then.

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

Posted on 5月 10th, 2026 by 三木 奎吾
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