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【新緑まぶしい5.19札幌・朝の散歩路にて】



先週東京出張〜帰還が日曜日夜ということで、翌月曜日から仕事という２週間仕事モードの連続。という疲労蓄積に加えて昨日は夕方、大嫌いな（笑）歯医者さんでの難行苦行。お疲れモードがさらに倍加。どうやら１本、虫歯が確認されて、神経を麻酔させての突貫工事。かなり荒っぽい治療だったようで、その麻酔の残滓が寝て起きてもまだまだスッキリしないのであります。
なので、本日はやや「ぼーっ」としておりましてブログはテーマ休憩。
朝の爽やかな空気感の中、５月の札幌はいろいろな表情を見せてくれています。写真上はいつもオシドリとかカモたちを見る円山公園の池の様子。なんですが、周囲の緑が輝くばかりの新緑で、その様子が水面に映り込んでいます。なお、手前側の樹木も旺盛な新緑なので、水面の反映とあわせてまことに渾然一体。緑のグラデーションに加えて水面の映り込み、などなど、緑の交響曲とでも言えそう。意識の境界もあいまいになっていくような光景に癒されております。
一応２枚目写真では、池の端部を赤い矢印でマーキングしましたが、まったくムダな抵抗で満艦飾そのものの新緑に圧倒されております。

一方こちらは散歩道すがらの兄の家の庭に咲いていた「シャクヤク」。父母が暮らした家の敷地で母が育てていた花を、近所だった兄が「株分け」してもらって以来、元気に咲き続けているという。
母親にまつわる「いのち」が元気に花開いている、というのは子どもとしてハッとさせられる。岐阜県から北海道に入植してきた家系であった母は、温暖地の植物を花畑で植え込んでいた。「寒い札幌なのにこんな花が咲いたんだから・・・」ということを話してくれていたことが、つい今し方のように思い起こされる。その声音がこのシャクヤクの花の表情にオーバーラップしてしまった。
つい先日、母の命日に供養の法事をしていましたが、いのちの輪廻は自然界でつきることなく繋がっていくものなのだとうれしく思っていました。

English version⬇

On a morning walkway in Sapporo on May 19, dazzling with fresh greenery.
The island closest to heaven, with its green perspective, reflections on the water, and scenes like a nirvana seen on earth can be seen in various places. Flowers hand-planted by my late mother also make an appearance. The island is the closest to heaven.

Last week I went on a business trip to Tokyo and returned on Sunday night, which meant that I had to work from the following Monday, which was two weeks of continuous work mode. In addition to the accumulated fatigue, I had to go to the dentist’s office yesterday evening, which I hate (laugh). My tiredness was doubled. Apparently, one of my teeth was found to have a cavity, and they had to anesthetize the nerve to rush it through. It seems that the treatment was quite rough, and the residual effects of the anesthesia are still not clearing up even after I went to bed and woke up.
Therefore, I am somewhat “dazed” today, and my blog is taking a theme break.
In the fresh morning air, Sapporo in May is showing us many different faces. The photo above shows the pond in Maruyama Park where I usually see mandarin ducks and ducklings. The pond is surrounded by shining new greenery, which is reflected in the surface of the water. The trees in the foreground are also vigorously green, so they are reflected in the surface of the water, creating a harmonious whole. The gradation of greenery and the reflection of the surface of the water, it could be called a symphony of greenery. I am healed by the scene that seems to blur the boundaries of my consciousness.
In the second photo, I marked the edge of the pond with a red arrow, but it was a completely unnecessary resistance, and I was overwhelmed by the new greenery, which was like a full boat decoration.

On the other hand, this is a “peony” blooming in the garden of my brother’s house along the path of our walk. My brother, who was a neighbor, received a share of the flower that his mother had grown on the site of the house where their parents had lived, and it has been blooming vigorously ever since.
As a child, I was struck by the fact that the “life” associated with his mother is blooming vigorously. My mother, whose family had settled in Hokkaido from Gifu Prefecture, had planted warm-weather plants in her flower garden. She used to tell me, “It’s cold in Sapporo, but these flowers bloomed…” I recall the sound of her voice just now. The sound of his voice overlapped with the expression of this peony flower.
Just the other day, I was holding a memorial service for my mother on the anniversary of her death, and I was glad to know that the cycle of life is connected in the natural world without ceasing.

Posted on 5月 20th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 未分類 | No Comments »

【幕末期「国境画定」の国策推進〜間宮林蔵生家-5】




幕末期には列強によるアジア地域への「進出」という名の侵略行動が活発化した。江戸幕府によるオランダ・中国以外の国との接触を断つ鎖国政策に他国からの政策変更圧力が高まっていた。この時期に幕府は積極的に「北方探索活動」を推進しはじめる。間宮林蔵の仕事はそのなかでも「間宮海峡」という個人名まで付された、いわば世界が公的に追認した大きな成果だった。
この時代段階での地学測量の技術面の困難を克服しながら「国境画定」の基盤を為す行為。ロシアによるユーラシア大陸北東地域への進出制覇という脅威の現実があり、その情勢の中で、北海道島、樺太島が島嶼であるのか、大陸の延長であるのかはすぐれて国際関係論の重要テーマとされていた。
現実に各国の「探検家」たちが樺太と大陸の地理関係を探査してきていたが、失敗を重ねてきていた。鎖国体制とは言え、幕府もロシアの南下侵略行為への強い危機認識を持ち、国際的「公知」の根拠となる精細な地域測量努力を重ねていた。地理を正確に把握していることがそのまま強い「外交交渉力」となるのが、現代世界にまでいたる世界標準的「法の支配」根拠だったのだ。
こうした情勢下、幕府では写真のように北海道島の正確な地図作成目的で、伊能忠敬や最上徳内など旧来の幕臣ではない人材任用が行われた。かれらの行為は第一に日本国の国防の最前線活動だったのだ。そういうなかで世界に樺太の正確な地理知識を認定させた間宮林蔵の足跡は、ロシアに対する最重要な「抑止力活動」だったと言える。科学知識に基づく防衛装備。
間宮林蔵は幕府機構組織の中では「お庭番」という間諜活動に位置づけられ、事実としてかれの晩年にはその本来業務での活動事実も上げられている。幕府組織としては対ロシア国防での明確な功労者である間宮林蔵はいわば専門職として農民から抜擢登用した人物。伊能忠敬や最上徳内もその専門知識をもって幕臣の地位を与えた存在。したがってその本来の役儀である間諜活動を命じていたことになる。その後、明治の政変に至る過程で、その評価について歴史の荒波に揉まれていくことになる。

そういうかれら同士では、いわば身内意識、専門職としての共感があったことが記録にある。上の資料は伊能忠敬から間宮林蔵への書簡。高齢になってから農民身分を「隠居」した後「お国のために」測量活動を続けた伊能にしてみれば、若い間宮の行動にはいたわりの感情も持っていたように思う。事実、間宮は一人っ子であり生家は同族の人間によって家系存続されている。間宮林蔵個人は結局妻帯せず、いわば国事に人生を捧げることになった。その後の国の戦争での戦没者たちの影と重なってもみえてくる。
北海道人としては、こうした先人たちのことを忘れることはできない。

English version⬇

Promoting the national policy of “border demarcation” at the end of the Edo period – Rinzo Mamiya’s birthplace – 5
Geographical surveying to ensure the world standard “rule of law” basis. Deterrence activities that confronted Russia with the world standard “rule of law”. …

In the last days of the Edo period, invasive actions by the powers in the name of “expansion” into the Asian region became more and more active. The Edo shogunate’s policy of seclusion, which cut off contact with countries other than the Netherlands and China, was under increasing pressure from other countries to change its policies. During this period, the Shogunate began to actively promote “northern exploration activities. Rinzo Mamiya’s work was a major achievement that was officially recognized by the world, and was even given a personal name, “Mamiya Kaikyo.
The act of overcoming the technical difficulties of geological surveying at this stage of the history of the world and establishing the foundation for “border demarcation” was a major achievement. The reality was that Russia was threatening to conquer the northeastern part of the Eurasian continent, and the question of whether the islands of Hokkaido and Sakhalin were islands or extensions of the continent was an important topic of discussion in international relations.
In reality, “explorers” from various countries had explored the geographical relationship between Sakhalin and the continent, but had repeatedly failed. Despite the isolationist regime, the Shogunate also had a strong sense of urgency about Russia’s southward aggression, and made repeated efforts to survey the area in detail as a basis for international “public knowledge. The accurate understanding of geography was the basis for the world standard “rule of law,” which has continued to the modern world, as a strong “diplomatic bargaining power” as it is today.
Under these circumstances, the Bakufu appointed personnel not traditionally associated with the shogunate, such as Ino Tadataka and Mogami Tokunouchi, to create an accurate map of the island of Hokkaido, as shown in the photo. Their actions were first and foremost a frontline activity for the national defense of Japan. In this context, the footsteps of Mamiya Rinzo, who made the world recognize the accurate geographical knowledge of Sakhalin, were the most important “deterrence activity” against Russia. Defense equipment based on scientific knowledge.
Rinzo Mamiya was positioned as a counterintelligence agent in the Shogunate organization as “Oyaban,” and in fact, in his later years, his activities in his original duties were also reported. Rinzo Mamiya, a clear contributor to the defense of the Shogunate against Russia, was selected and promoted from among the peasants as a specialist, so to speak. Ino Tadataka and Mogami Tokunouchi were also given the status of shogunate vassals because of their expertise. Therefore, they were ordered to engage in counterintelligence activities, which was their original role. Later, in the process leading up to the political upheaval of the Meiji period, he was caught in the stormy waves of history regarding his evaluation.

The record shows that there was a sense of kinship and professional empathy among them. The above document is a letter from Tadataka Ino to Rinzo Mamiya. Ino, who had continued his surveying activities “for the good of the country” after “retiring” from the peasant life at an advanced age, seems to have felt some sympathy for the young Mamiya’s actions. In fact, Mamiya was an only child, and his family of birth was continued by a member of the same family. Rinzo Mamiya personally did not marry and devoted his life, so to speak, to national affairs. His life was dedicated to national affairs, so to speak, and his deaths in subsequent national wars can be seen in the shadows.
As a Hokkaido native, I cannot forget these predecessors.

Posted on 5月 19th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: こちら発行人です, 歴史探訪 | No Comments »

【夜通し「出世」祈願した少年〜間宮林蔵生家-4】




間宮林蔵の生家は茨城県のつくばみらい市にある。ようやく夫婦に授かった子として間宮林蔵はこの世に生を受け、父母の深い愛に包まれていのちを育んでいった。幼い頃から算術などに才の片鱗を見せ、村では神童と言われていたという。そして林蔵13歳の時、ある一晩、ふらりと家を出て翌朝になってようやく帰ってきたのだという。どうしたのかと親が尋ねると「出世を筑波山に祈願してきた」と。
筑波山は、関東地域では富士山と同様に「霊山」として信仰の対象とされてきた。そういった素朴な信仰心に基づいて願を掛けたのだろうけれど、出世という願が印象的。ふつうに考えれば農家の跡取り息子として農事に精を出すのが常識なところ、出世を祈願したというのはどんな背景なのか。
かれが13歳だった当時（1792年）は、1783年に北海道島について仙台藩士が「赤蝦夷風説考」を著していわゆる「北辺」防備への感心が高まり、1785年には幕府による第１回「蝦夷地調査隊」が派遣され、樺太の海岸線にまで調査隊が送られた時期。やがて明治開国に至る幕末の動乱が点火して行った時期といえる。帰農した家系とは言え、武家としての矜持をもち、自分自身の才を社会に役立てたいと考えたものか。
その翌年には地元の算術家の門を叩いて本格的に学ぶ。それは地学・土木の解析へと役立てられ、地域の農業土木工事に際して、工学的に優れた「解」を提案して、幕府の土木技官からその才を認められることに繋がっていったとされている。永く続いた鎖国体制、平和主義から否応なく、列強による国際動乱の渦が日本社会に迫っていることを、本能的に感受して国防に身を捧げたい「出世」したいと考えたのか。出世とはなにかメリットを享受したいというのではなく、純粋に社会の発展安寧に寄与したい、そのために自分の才を活かしたいと考えたのだと思える。かれの人生にはそういう意思が感じられる。

そういった林蔵の心事を、ふだんの話し方などを通じて垣間見ていた両親のことを想像してみると、こちらも深くこころに染みてくる。神に願掛けしてようやく授かった、深い愛情の対象としてのわが子。成長するにつれ社会に強い関心を持ち、自分自身のいのちをそういう公的な使命に使いたいと考えることについて、どういう心境であったか、と考える。
現代のわれわれとはやはりこの時代の日本人は違う価値判断でいたことは疑いがない。少年らしい正義感とか、愛国心とかという形而上的な部分、いわば「奉公」意識に殉じるこころを思わされる。わが子を深く愛し、その心根のすこやかな発露も受容していたに違いない。
家と家系、親と子。そういう部分に思いが募ってくる。

English version⬇

The Boy Who Prayed All Night for a “Career” – Rinzo Mamiya’s Birthplace – 4
Amidst the tension in the northern part of Japan, a boy with a gift of science and technology thought of “promotion” to serve the world with his life. What were his parents’ thoughts as they watched over him? ……

Rinzo Mamiya’s birthplace is located in Tsukubamirai City, Ibaraki Prefecture. Rinzo Mamiya was born into this world as the son of a married couple, and his life was nurtured by the deep love of his parents. From an early age, he showed glimpses of talent in such areas as arithmetic, and was called a child prodigy in his village. One night, when Rinzo was 13 years old, he left home on a whim and finally returned the next morning. When his parents asked him what was wrong, he told them that he had gone to Mt.
Mt. Tsukuba, like Mt. Fuji, has been the object of faith as a “sacred mountain” in the Kanto region. Tsukuba has been the object of religious belief as a “sacred mountain” in the Kanto region, similar to Mt. What kind of background could have led him to pray for success in life, when it would normally be common knowledge that he would devote himself to farming as the son and heir of a farm family?
In 1783, when he was 13 years old (1792), a Sendai samurai wrote a book titled “Akaeyesi Fusetsu Kou” about the island of Hokkaido, which raised interest in defending the so-called “north side.” In 1785, the shogunate dispatched the first “Ezo Survey Party,” which included a survey party to the coastline of Karafuto. This was the period that ignited the upheaval at the end of the Edo period that eventually led to the opening of the country to the outside world in the Meiji era. Although his family had returned to farming, he was still proud to be a samurai and wanted to use his talents for the benefit of society.
In the following year, he entered a local school of arithmetic and began to study in earnest. This was used to analyze geology and civil engineering, and he is said to have proposed a superior engineering “solution” to a local agricultural engineering project, which led to his talent being recognized by the civil engineers of the Shogunate. The long-lasting isolationism and pacifism of the shogunate led him to instinctively realize that the vortex of international upheaval by the powers of the world was approaching Japanese society, and he wanted to devote himself to national defense and “rise in the world”. It seems to me that he did not want to enjoy the benefits of success in life, but rather he genuinely wanted to contribute to the development and peace of society, and to utilize his talents for that purpose. I can sense such a will in his life.

Imagining the parents who had caught a glimpse of Rinzo’s mind through the way he spoke in his daily life, we are also deeply moved. Rinzo’s child, the object of their deep affection, was finally given to him after praying to the gods. As they grew up, they developed a strong interest in society, and I wonder how they must have felt about the idea of using their own lives for such a public mission.
There is no doubt that the Japanese of that era had different value judgments than we do today. It makes me think of a boyish sense of justice, patriotism, and other metaphysical aspects, a mind martyred by a sense of “servitude,” so to speak. He must have deeply loved his own child and accepted the gentle outpouring of that love.
Family and lineage, parent and child. This is the part of the story that makes me think of the family and its lineage, the parents and their children.

Posted on 5月 18th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 住宅取材＆ウラ話, 歴史探訪 | No Comments »

【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.

Posted on 5月 17th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 住宅取材＆ウラ話 | No Comments »

【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.

Posted on 5月 16th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 歴史探訪 | No Comments »

【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.

Posted on 5月 15th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 住宅取材＆ウラ話 | No Comments »

【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.

Posted on 5月 14th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: こちら発行人です | No Comments »

【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.

Posted on 5月 13th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
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【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.

Posted on 5月 12th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
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【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.

Posted on 5月 11th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
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