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【日本の物語文化〜琵琶法師と紙芝居 戦後こども文化-2】




紙芝居というものは一種のメディアであり、都市環境を必須とする。田舎でも祭りなどのときには出張して上演する紙芝居師もいただろうけれど、ほんの数日間の興業ではその旅費はペイしなかっただろう。紙芝居の「まとめ記事」などを参照すると関東大震災や第２次世界大戦後など、経済社会が崩壊した時期に大量にあふれた失業者たちが、糊口をしのぐ生業として取り組んでいた様子がわかる。
上の写真類は「台東区立下町風俗資料館」展示での紙芝居のテーマ内容のごく一部。こうした形式でのいわば在野の文化活動に対して、行政の側からのさまざまな利用があったとされている。２枚目の写真などは「教育紙芝居」として文科省が関与した題材まであったのだという。また、戦前期にはこどもたちへの軍国教育の一環として政治利用もされていた。日本文化のひとつの波及形式として、このような絵と語りによるストーリー展開形式があって、それが大衆の娯楽文化を形成していた状況が見えてくる。
わたしの接触した時期には、いちばん上のようなSFチックなものや、その後マンガのヒーローの冒険活劇的なテーマが多かったと記憶している。やはり手に汗を握る活劇が、こどもたちの感受性には敏感に「刺さった」のだろう。いかにも教育的なものは自然に敬遠していたと思う（笑）。
こういう形式の初源的なものとしてわたしには「琵琶法師」による平家物語が一番近似的だと思える。琵琶法師という社会的存在は、宗教勢力寺社がその布教と経済活動の一体化された一種のビジネス活動として展開したものとされる。琵琶というめずらしき楽器を演奏しながら、当時の社会の動乱をニュース的に、あるいは演劇的にひとびとに伝承することで日本社会のメディアの嚆矢だったと思える。日々の暮らしに追われる都市居住庶民には政治の極限形態である内戦、源平合戦には大きな影響を受けていただろうけれど、その変動状況についての客観的情報はなかなか伝わらなかっただろう。そういう知識需要をとらえて、京の街の先端的な芸能文化が、メディアの役割を果たし始めたのだと思える。日本の有名寺院には創建説話・縁起などの「絵詞」が多く残っているけれど、それらも法話の伝達手法として機能していた。
もっと遡れば、鎌倉末期に戦災で失われた奈良の東大寺の復元再興にあたって総合プロデューサーだった重源が組織した「勧進」集団による活動が素地であったとも思える。
情報の拡散方法が確立されていない時代、こういった語り部が社会的な需要に対応する存在だったのだろう。そういう社会的需要がわたしの幼少年期にはこの「紙芝居」形式だった。

記憶がだんだんと薄れていくのだけれど、幼少年期にこういう人間くさい紙芝居に接したことで、メディアというものの具体的なイメージを体験したことは間違いがないと思っている。

English version⬇

Japanese Storytelling Culture: Biwa-houshi and Picture Storytelling Postwar Children’s Culture-2
The Heike Monogatari (The Tale of the Heike) and other forms of cultural transmission for the masses were established in Japanese society. It became a means of livelihood for the unemployed during the turmoil. The atmosphere of the postwar black market. ・・・・.

Paper theater is a kind of media that requires an urban environment. Even in the countryside, there were probably some kamishibai performers who traveled to perform at festivals and other events, but their travel expenses would not have paid for themselves if they performed for only a few days. The “summary articles” on kamishibai show business show how the unemployed, who were in great numbers after the Great Kanto Earthquake and the collapse of the economy and society after World War II, were engaged in this business as a means of making a living to survive.
The photos above are just a few of the themes of the picture-story shows on display at the Taito City Shitamachi Museum of Folklore. The second photo even shows an educational picture-story show that the Ministry of Education and Science was involved in. In the prewar period, they were also used for political purposes as part of military education for children. This type of storytelling with pictures and narration was one of the spillover forms of Japanese culture, and it was used to form a popular entertainment culture.
I remember that during the period I was in contact with these stories, many of them were science fiction stories, such as the one at the top of this page, and later on, adventure stories with heroes from manga. I think that the children’s sensitivities were more sensitive to “action” stories that made them sweat and sweat. I think they naturally shunned anything that was too educational (laughs).
The Heike Monogatari in “Biwa-houshi” is the closest I can think of to the origin of this form of drama. The social existence of the biwa priest is said to have developed as a kind of business activity in which the religious power of temples and shrines combined their proselytizing with economic activities. The biwa, a rare instrument, was a pioneer of the media in Japanese society, playing it and passing on the social upheavals of the time to the people in a news or theatrical manner. The common people living in the city, who were busy with their daily lives, would have been greatly affected by the civil wars and Genpei wars, which were the most extreme form of politics, but objective information on the state of change would not have been easily conveyed to them. It seems to me that the cutting-edge performing arts culture of the city of Kyoto began to play the role of media to capture this demand for knowledge. Many famous temples in Japan still have “pictorial scriptures” that contain stories about the founding of the temple and its history, and these also functioned as a method of conveying Buddhist stories.
Going back even further, it seems that the “Kanjin” group organized by Shigen, the general producer of the reconstruction of Todaiji Temple in Nara, which was lost in the war at the end of the Kamakura period, was the foundation of the temple’s activities.
In an age when information diffusion methods had not yet been established, these storytellers must have existed to meet social demand. In my childhood, this social demand was in the form of “picture-story shows.

Although my memory is gradually fading, I am certain that I experienced a concrete image of the media through my childhood contact with these humanistic picture-story shows.

Posted on 2月 20th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: こちら発行人です, 日本社会・文化研究 | No Comments »

【紙芝居は戦後メディア勃興の導火線？ 戦後こども文化-1】


どうもわたしのブログは、コロナ禍以降、「生活文化探求」の方向が強まってきた。冷静な自己分析。現場的な住宅取材はスタッフが頑張っている中で自分自身はこれまで全般的な住宅業界動向を「掘り起こし型」で取材してきていた。それがユーザー動向と連動してナマの市場把握に繋がると考えていた。それが４年前に感染症警戒から社会的情報遮断が一般化した。
その間も住宅取材はいろいろな困難を超えて継続できてきていた。もちろんさまざまな困難要因はあったけれど、取材先のご協力をいただいて継続できたことはある意味、奇跡的だったかも知れません。感染症の最中でもユーザーの家づくりのリアルを取材できていたことは、一定期間経過したら、きわめて重要な「記録情報」にもなり得ると考えています。「感染症の中で日本の家はどう作られていたのか？」。
一方で、業界横断的な情報交流については、４年を経過してようやく徐々にリアルで復活しつつある。それでも自由度はきわめて低いレベルだと思います。
そんなことから、勢い「住文化」の掘り下げ型の活動が不可避になっていたのだと思います。住宅は人間の「暮らしのイレモノ」なので、そこに生きる人びとの生活実感を把握することが大前提。そういう意味で、生活文化の実相を深掘りしていくのは、多くの経験を積んできた者の責任でもあるのでしょう。


生活の歴史、日本人的な感じ方として現代人の直接的な経験であって、意識下で大きな要因になっているものに「戦後期の少年少女向け文化」というものがある。たぶんいまの社会をリードしている人びとの感受性の起点になっている。その後のテレビ文化など大衆文化の起点としての確認が必要でしょう。
以前にも紹介した「台東区立下町風俗資料館」展示で、案の定「紙芝居」についての展示があった。わたしは幼年期、具体的には3才から10才くらいまでの期間で接していた記憶がある。いちばん上の写真はモノクロの記録写真として同館に展示されていた。街角の一角で子どもたちが放課後、遊んでいるところを選んで、即興のメディアが出現していた。自転車の荷台が木工で工夫されて展示装置に変わっていった。画面にはストーリーマンガが展開して、娯楽に飢えていた戦後少年少女たちは食い入るようにクギ付けになっていた。
わたし自身の「メディア」体験の初源はやはりこの紙芝居だったと思う。このメディアはその後、力道山のプロレスの街頭動画テレビから各家庭に導入されたテレビに駆逐されていったけれど、その「体験」は鮮烈を極めていた。
上演終了後には、木箱の中からお菓子の類が販売されて、子どもたちから「放映料」として徴収していたのだけれど、娯楽の興奮感から易々とその大人の策略に引っかかっていた（笑）。この紙芝居文化をはじめとしてしばし、戦後期の少年少女風俗文化について考えて見たい。

English version⬇

The Postwar Children’s Culture: 1] Postwar Children’s Culture: 1 Postwar Children’s Culture-1
This is a historical heritage that gave boys and girls, who were starved for entertainment, a starting point for contact with “culture. Personally, I think it is worthy of registration as a World Cultural Heritage site. I think it deserves to be inscribed on the World Cultural Heritage List.

My blog has become more of an “exploration of lifestyle and culture” since the Corona disaster. A dispassionate self-analysis. While the staff has been doing their best to cover the housing industry in the field, I myself have been covering the housing industry in general in a “digging-up” type of way. I believed that this would lead to an understanding of the real market in conjunction with user trends. Then, four years ago, the general public began to block out information due to warnings of infectious diseases.
During that time, we were able to continue our coverage of housing, overcoming various difficulties. Of course, there were various factors that made it difficult, but the fact that we were able to continue our coverage with the cooperation of our clients was, in a sense, perhaps miraculous. The fact that we were able to cover the realities of users’ house construction even in the midst of the infectious disease could become an extremely important “record of information” after a certain period of time has passed. How were Japanese houses built during the infectious disease?” .
On the other hand, cross-industry information exchange is finally being gradually revived in the real world after four years. Still, the level of freedom is extremely low.
I believe that such a situation made it inevitable for us to dig deeper into the momentum “housing culture” type activities. Since houses are “living things” of people, it is a prerequisite to grasp the real sense of life of the people who live there. In this sense, it is the responsibility of those who have accumulated a great deal of experience to delve deeply into the realities of life and culture.

The history of life and the Japanese way of feeling are the direct experiences of modern people, and one of the major factors in their consciousness is the “postwar culture for boys and girls”. It is probably the starting point of the sensibility of those who are leading today’s society. It is probably necessary to confirm it as the starting point for subsequent popular culture, such as television culture.
In the “Taito City Shitamachi Folk Museum” exhibit, which I have mentioned before, there was an exhibit on “picture story shows,” as I had expected. I remember being exposed to them in my childhood, specifically from the age of 3 to 10. The photo above is a black-and-white record of my childhood, and is on display at the museum. The improvised media appeared on a street corner where children were playing after school. A bicycle cart was contrived with woodwork and turned into an exhibition device. Story cartoons unfolded on the screen, and the postwar boys and girls, starved for entertainment, were transfixed.
I believe that my own experience with “media” began with these picture-story shows. Although this media was later eclipsed by Rikidozan’s wrestling video on the streets and the introduction of television in every home, the “experience” was still very vivid.
After the performance, candy was sold from a wooden box and collected from the children as a “broadcasting fee,” but the excitement of the entertainment made it easy for them to fall for the adults’ tricks (laugh). I would like to consider the postwar culture of boys and girls, starting with this picture-story show culture.

Posted on 2月 19th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 日本社会・文化研究, 歴史探訪 | No Comments »

【江戸期までの日本的心性を伝える家 大庄屋「片岡家」-5】



やや高台にある片岡家からは周囲の起伏に富んだ地形が見晴らせる。「家から見える範囲全部が領地だった」という言葉がそのままの実感でわかる。下の写真は明治維新時の「太政官」による土地支配のお墨付き。
日本人はとりわけ「土地」所有についての価値感が強いと言われる。縄文の世が終わって、国土利用がコメ生産を基本とする農業によって開発が進められたことがその大きな要因なのだろうか。いやそれとも、縄文の感受性においても狩猟採集の場として強い「土地信仰」が根強かったのだろうか。少なくとも「八百万」という土着の神々への信仰からこのことには淵源があるのだと強く思えてならない。
逆に言うとこの土地への執念が、明治以降の急速に受容された資本主義の概念としても同質だったのかも知れない。土地という資産がすべてを生み出していく、という価値認識は資本主義的な「投資」概念に近似して、多くの民にとっても非常にわかりやすかったのだろう。アジア世界の中でもっとも早く資本主義世界観を受け入れたのには、そういった基本構図があったのだと思える。そういえば明治で急速に増えていった資本家の成功者たちはこぞって「大土地所有」に邁進していった。明治政府は江戸期までの大名権力による土地所有独占を撤廃して、自由に土地所有を可能に「解禁」したことが大きな要因になっている。明治以降勃興した資本家たちの建築として太宰治の津軽の生家「斜陽館」を参観した経験があるけれど、明治の金融資本はひたすら「土地」を担保にして資本主義市場の成長を図っていったとされる。

写真はなんとも古格な計量器だけれど、大土地所有者として、地域でのさまざまな「交易活動」についても支配権を持っていた証のように感じられた。
江戸期に至るまで連綿と継続した大土地支配者による支配管理の具体的な社会の価値感が、建築の証言者として現代にも存続してきている。この片岡家にはそういう印象を強く持った。
大和国、奈良県のこの旧家では津軽の太宰家のような明治以降の様子に留まらず、さらに以前の武家支配社会の日本人の精神性痕跡を垣間見ることができる。

この写真は片岡家で大切にされていた「仏像画」。土地信仰と並行して、聖徳太子以来の日本社会では仏教信仰が永く存続してきた。とくに大和国は仏教勢力が根強い権力を持っていた。南となりの紀州では根来寺勢力などが強勢で武家支配も難しい地域とされてきている。豊臣政権期にはNO.2の秀長が「抑え」として支配し、徳川政権でも最武闘派の本多家が支配し、なお、紀州には御三家が権力安定の役割を担った。
まさに歴史の積層が重厚な奈良の風土性をつよく認識させられた。歴史に興味を持つ人間として、奥深い世界がたくさん眠っているのだと実感。

English version⬇

A house that conveys the Japanese spirit up to the Edo period, the Kataoka Family, the village headman.
Everything within sight is my domain. The easily understood belief in the land has continued to be at the core of Japanese society. The substance of the Japanese spirit is made visible. …

The Kataoka House, located on a slightly elevated hill, commands a view of the surrounding rugged terrain. The phrase, “The entire area visible from the house was the domain,” is a true statement of the reality of the situation. The photo below is an endorsement of land control by the “Dajokan” (Grand Council of State) at the time of the Meiji Restoration.
It is said that Japanese people have a particularly strong sense of value regarding “land” ownership. Is this largely due to the fact that after the Jomon period ended, land use was developed through agriculture based on rice production? Or was there a strong belief in the land as a place for hunting and gathering even in the Jomon period? At the very least, I strongly suspect that this has its origins in the belief in the indigenous gods of “eight million.
Conversely, this obsession with the land may have been homogeneous to the concept of capitalism that was rapidly embraced after the Meiji period. Was the recognition of the value of land as an asset that generates all things, similar to the capitalist concept of “investment,” very easy for many people to understand? It seems to me that such a basic structure was responsible for the earliest acceptance of the capitalist worldview in the Asian world. Speaking of which, successful capitalists who rapidly increased in number during the Meiji era (1868-1912) all pursued “large land ownership”. A major factor in this was that the Meiji government abolished the monopoly of land ownership by the feudal lords that had existed until the Edo period, and “lifted the ban” on land ownership to enable free ownership. I have visited Dazai Osamu’s birthplace “Shayokan” in Tsugaru as an example of the architecture of the capitalists who emerged after the Meiji period, and it is said that the financial capital of the Meiji period used “land” as collateral in order to grow the capitalist market.

The photo is a very old-fashioned measuring instrument, but it seems to prove that as a large landowner, he also had control over various “trading activities” in the region.
The concrete sense of social values of control and management by large landowners, which had continued uninterruptedly until the Edo period, has survived to the present day as a witness to the architecture of the house. I had a strong impression of this Kataoka House.
In this old house in Nara Prefecture, Yamato Province, one can glimpse not only the post-Meiji state of the Dazai family in Tsugaru, but also traces of the Japanese spirituality of an earlier samurai-ruled society.

This photograph shows a “Buddhist image painting” cherished by the Kataoka family. Along with the belief in the land, Buddhist beliefs have persisted in Japanese society since the reign of Prince Shotoku. Especially in Yamato Province, Buddhist power had deep-rooted authority. In Kishu, to the south, the Negoro-ji Temple and other Buddhist monasteries were powerful, making it difficult for the samurai to rule the region. During the Toyotomi administration, the No. 2 Hidenaga ruled as a “suppressor,” and even during the Tokugawa administration, the Honda family, the most militant of the three families, ruled Kishu, and the Gosanke played the role of stabilizing power.
The three families of the Gosanke clan in Kishu played a role in stabilizing power. As a person who is interested in history, I realized that a lot of deep worlds lie in Nara.

Posted on 2月 18th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 古民家シリーズ, 歴史探訪 | No Comments »

【建築文化継承と現代技術の対話 大庄屋「片岡家」-4】




この奈良県宇陀の片岡家住宅のことを書いてみて参考になったのは「JAPAN WEB MAGAZINE」さんの記事。「片岡家住宅」として記事構成されている。その記事（公開日:2010/05/06）中に当時の当主の方が「住みごこち」について印象を語られているインタビュー部分があった。以下、要旨抜粋引用。
〜訪問者は口を揃えて「古くて立派で素敵ですねぇ」と感想を述べるそうだが、実際に居住するには様々なご苦労がおありという。「まず、堪えるのが何といっても冬の寒さです。」そもそも宇陀市は夏は涼しくて過ごしやすいが、冬は寒いのだそうだ。が、その上、天井の高さが高く、隙間の多い昔の造りの家は風が抜けて寒いのだという。確かに、どっしりとした外見からは気付かないが、内部から見るとがらんと天井が高くて実に寒そうな造りではある。いくら火を焚いたところで中々追いつかないだろう。〜
という率直な感想を述べられている。長年住宅雑誌社をしてきた身としては『冬は寒いのだそうだ』という表現は雑駁としすぎるように感じて気になるところではある（笑）。まぁそれはさておき、国指定重要文化財に住み続けるという一種の使命感と家への深い愛着は強く感じられる。一方で古建築としての補修については以下のような件。
〜重要文化財である以上、勝手に修理や改築は出来ない。県に届出後、修理が必要な箇所のみを専門の大工が来て手を加えるのだという。先祖から伝えられてきた立派な家屋への愛着を穏やかな口調で語るご当主。言葉の端々に、古い建物を守り伝えていく事の責任の重さと大変さが滲む。〜
この部分、言ってみれば「居住性能と建築文化の伝承」というテーマはなかなか考えさせられる。来訪参観者の目線からすれば江戸初期のさまざまな「歴史の証人」的な探究対象として見る部分がある。
きのうまで３回にわたって触れたように武家権力の一地方でのありよう・痕跡を探る視点からは、このように保存されている状況は、その居住性環境も含めて強い興味を惹かされる。そして建築は使われ続けていることで長期的保存も可能なのだとも思う。住宅は住み続けている間は機能性を維持するけれどうち捨てられると、あっという間に崩壊するというのも事実なのだ。


このように古建築を守りながら多くの来訪者に重要文化財として参観の機会を提供していただけるのは深く感謝すると同時に、より現代的な居住環境性を確保する方策も不可欠だろうと思う。デザインの本質を見失うことなく可能な居住環境向上策もありえるだろう。ただし、まったく現状を改変することなく性能向上を実現することはあり得ない。やはりどこかでトレードオフは必然化する。
建築で言えば、伝統建築と高断熱高気密技術の対話ということになるだろうか。歴史文化と現代的技術発展の調和というのは、長い歴史文化を持ちしかも現代文明技術基盤も底堅い日本社会だからこそ、柔軟に解決する知恵を出せる。やはり「対話」の姿勢が大切ではないだろうか。

English version⬇

Dialogue between Architectural Culture Inheritance and Modern Technology: The Kataoka Family
The residents frankly felt that the cold of winter was the first thing they had to bear. What is the harmony between the sense of mission of inheriting an important cultural property and modern life? The Kataoka House

The article “JAPAN WEB MAGAZINE” was helpful in writing about the Kataoka Family Residence in Uda, Nara Prefecture. The article is titled “Kataoka Family Residence. In the article (published on 2010/05/06), there is an interview with the head of the family who talked about his impression of “Sumigokochi”. The following is an excerpt.
〜Visitors to the house always comment on how old and beautiful it is, but there are many hardships involved in actually living in the house. First of all, the cold winters are very hard to bear. Uda City is cool and comfortable in summer, but cold in winter. The city’s houses are built in the olden days, with high ceilings and many gaps between rooms, which makes it cold and draughty. Indeed, although you would not notice it from the outside, from the inside it looks very cold with its high ceilings. No matter how many fires we built, it would not be able to keep up with the cold. 〜I was very surprised to see the coldness of the house.
I personally think, “It is cold in winter. Personally, I doubt the irrefutable expression, “I hear it is cold in winter. I personally have some doubts about such a simple expression, “I hear it is cold in winter. However, I strongly felt a kind of sense of mission to continue to live in a nationally designated important cultural property and a deep attachment to the house. On the other hand, the following is a case of repairing the house as an old building.
〜As long as the house is an important cultural property, it cannot be repaired or reconstructed without permission. After notification to the prefectural government, a professional carpenter comes to the house and repairs only those parts that need to be repaired. The owner of the house speaks in a calm tone of voice about his attachment to the magnificent house that has been handed down from his ancestors. Every word he speaks reflects the weight of responsibility and the difficulty of preserving and passing on an old building. 〜The theme of this part of the exhibition, “passing on the performance of the house and its architectural culture,” is quite thought-provoking. From the viewpoint of visitors, there is a part of the building that is seen as an object of exploration, like a “witness to the history” of the early Edo period. As I have mentioned three times before yesterday, from the viewpoint of exploring traces of samurai power in a local area, the situation in which the buildings have been preserved in this way, including their habitable environment, is of great interest. I also believe that long-term preservation of architecture is possible through its continued use. It is a fact that a house maintains its functionality as long as it is lived in, but if it is abandoned, it will collapse in a matter of seconds.

While I am deeply grateful that many visitors are given the opportunity to view this important cultural asset while preserving the ancient architecture, I also believe that it is essential to take measures to ensure a more modern living environment. There may be measures that can be taken to improve the living environment without losing sight of the essence of the design. However, it is impossible to improve performance without completely altering the status quo. Trade-offs are inevitable at some point.
In the case of architecture, this would mean a dialogue between traditional architecture and high thermal insulation/airtightness. The harmony of historical culture and modern technological development is something that Japanese society, with its long history and culture, as well as the solid technological foundation of modern civilization, is able to flexibly resolve with wisdom. I believe that an attitude of “dialogue” is important. ＜End of this article. ＞End of this article

Posted on 2月 17th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 住宅性能・設備, 古民家シリーズ | No Comments »

【権力誇示目的の建築デザイン 大庄屋「片岡家」-3】



江戸幕府の時代、支配階級・武家大名という存在が社会の基本秩序を構成していた。この奈良県宇陀市近郊に残る片岡家住宅は大名支配の経済の中核的存在。庄屋としてコメ生産の全過程を管理して収穫物を大名家に納税する責任者。そのなかでも片岡家は枢要な存在だったようで本宅に連結して大名自身が逗留するために座敷空間が建てられている。上の写真は、本宅との境界を土壁で仕切っている様子。手前側のニワ空間は農作業のために使われていたようだけれど、この壁から先は大名・本多家のための空間。
住宅建築のデザインというものにはその施主の社会的目的性が顕著に表れる。ここでは武家としての社会存在性を強調する装置化が目指されている。庄屋宅の側に開けられた円窓は、来訪者の素性をいち早く確認するための「偵察」目的だと思える。一種の様式的美化はあるにせよ、用途としては間違いなくそういうもの。基本は軍事に直結する用が形象化されたものだろう。重厚に土塗りされているのは、攻めてくる外敵からの防御性を考えたものか。玄関では当然のように「敷居が高い」。

こちらが主室で、殿様が端座する居室。正面床の間の横の壁は万が一の時の武者の出入り口機能も持っていた。主室で休んでいる大名を奥の「武者だまり」で守護し、万が一の場合には主室に飛び出して大名を守る目的。常在戦場の考え方で、常に外敵襲撃に備える工夫を欠かしていない。
装飾的インテリアとして床の間や掲額、また隣室との境の欄間の木工デザインなどがある。床の間が代表的な装置ということになるけれど、これを背景にして端座することで主人の権威性を装飾することがデザイン上の目的だった。よく殿様の褒め言葉で「床の間での座りがいい」みたいな表現を使う。武家の倫理習慣で家臣たちはこのような座りの良い殿様を中心にして「御恩と奉公」と関係が神聖様式化されていた。
床の間はいごこちがいい、という価値感ではなくいわば「見え」に特化した住宅デザインなのだろう。インテリア全体が「かしこまって敬うべきである」という武家秩序価値感の強制のために奉仕している。

こちらは「次の間」に置かれていた片岡家の庄屋としてのシルシ類。江戸の同心たちが武力的公務を果たすときに「御用」の提灯を見せるのは時代劇のお決まりだけれど、この片岡家のような鄙では公務としての徴米などのシルシとして機能したのだろう。
わたしの家系伝承ではこうした庄屋の立場で過ごしていた時期がある。こういう存在は農民と支配者の武家との中間的存在であり、その領主の支配方針、過酷な徴税・増税によって襲撃対象とされることが多かった。領主の非道な政策への怨嗟の標的にされることがしばしば。わが家系ではそうした理不尽の結果、打ち毀しの憂き目にあって、結果として商家へと転身していった経緯がわかっている。この片岡さんの家は比較的に平和だった「譜代」大名家に付属していたので運良く家系が永らえ、このように住宅も残ったのだろうか。

English version⬇

Architectural design for the purpose of showing off power: The Kataoka Family, the feudal lord’s house – 3
Spatial design for the purpose of “visualizing” military rule. The samurai family lived very hard to be seen. …

During the Edo shogunate, the ruling class, the samurai feudal lords, constituted the basic order of society. The Kataoka family residence, which remains here in the suburbs of Uda City, Nara Prefecture, is at the core of the economy of the daimyo ruling class. As headman, he was responsible for managing the entire rice production process and paying taxes on the harvest to the feudal lords. The Kataoka family seems to have been a key player in this process, and a room was built in connection with the main house for the Daimyo himself to stay in. The photo above shows the boundary between the house and the main residence separated by a mud wall. The space in the foreground was used for farming, while the space from this wall onward is reserved for the Daimyo Honda family.
The social purpose of the owner is clearly expressed in the design of a residential building. Here, the house was designed as a device to emphasize the social presence of the samurai family. The round window on the side of the headman’s house seems to be for the purpose of “reconnaissance” to quickly identify the identity of visitors. Although there is a kind of stylistic beautification, this is definitely the purpose of use. Basically, it is a figurative representation of a use directly related to military affairs. The heavily coated earthen walls may have been designed to provide protection against invading foreign enemies. At the entrance, the “threshold is high” as a matter of course.

This is the main room, the living room where the lord would sit on the edge of the room. The wall next to the front alcove also served as an entrance for the warriors in case of emergency. The purpose was to protect the lords resting in the main room by guarding them in the “warrior’s lair” in the back, and to protect them by jumping out into the main room in case of an emergency. With the concept of “Always on the battlefield,” the house was always prepared for attacks by foreign enemies.
Decorative interiors include tokonoma (alcove) and hotofuchi (plaque), as well as the woodwork design of the ranma that borders the adjacent room. The tokonoma is a typical example of such a device, and its purpose in design was to decorate the authority of the master by having him sit on the edge of the room with it as a backdrop. The expression “good sitting in the alcove” is often used as a compliment to the lord. In the samurai family’s ethical custom, the relationship of “gratitude and devotion” was sacredly stylized around such a lord with a good seat.
The tokonoma is not a value of comfort, but rather a house design that specializes in “visibility. The entire interior serves to enforce the samurai order’s sense of value that one should be polite and respectful.

This is the shirushi of the Kataoka family as village headman placed in the “next room. It is a common practice in period dramas to show “Goyo” lanterns when the Edo government officials were performing their official military duties, but in a remote area such as the Kataoka family’s, these lanterns probably functioned as official documents for official duties such as collecting rice.
In my family tradition, there was a time when I spent time in the position of village headman. They were often the target of raids due to the ruling policies of their lords, harsh tax collection, and higher taxes. They were often the target of vindictive attacks against the lord’s outrageous policies. In our family history, we know how the family was struck down as a result of such irrationality, and how the family turned into a merchant family as a result. I wonder if Kataoka-san’s family was lucky to have been attached to a relatively peaceful “Fudai” feudal lord’s family, and thus the family line was able to endure and the house remained as it was.

Posted on 2月 16th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 住宅マーケティング, 古民家シリーズ | No Comments »

【ウワサの運転免許「高齢者講習」第１回、無事突破（ホッ）】


高齢化社会の「先進地域」ニッポン。世界に先駆け高齢者人口割合が増加しているなかで、さまざまな「変容」を余儀なくされている。なにげに本日のyahooトップページでは〜成田悠輔「高齢者は集団自決した方がいい」NYタイムズが発言報じて世界的大炎上「この上ないほど過激」〜という見出しの記事が目に飛び込んできていた。確かにちょっと過激ではと思いますが比喩表現だろうし、社会の中にさまざまな意見があるのは了解はできる。氏のご意見を読んでみるとポイントは「高齢者が社会の枢要な位置をほぼ独占している」現状への異議申し立てと思います。それは事実でもあるでしょう。高齢化社会での「活力」維持作戦として、より若い世代の活躍の場をというのは当然の意見。自分も客観的事実として高齢者になってきて冷静にその事実を受け止め、社会の中で自分の果たすべき役割を考えて行きたいと思っています。
少なくとも身体機能や認知機能について疑わしい事故例が見られる以上、交通ルールとして対応を考えて行くこと自体は自然な成り行き。かなり事前（たしか３ヶ月以上前と記憶）に「高齢者講習」の申込みハガキが送られてきて、そういうのはサッサと片付けたい方なので、すぐに申込みして昨日、受講して参りました。
きのう札幌は降雪の影響で道路は各所でほとんどが１車線のノロノロ状態。通常20分程度の道のりが倍以上かかって所定時間ギリギリの到着。

結果としては通常の免許更新手続きと違って、実際の運転実技時間もあってなかなか有意義なのではと思われました。通常の免許更新手続き費用が2,500円で高齢者講習費用が6,450円というのはやや疑問ではある（笑）。「高齢社会のおカネの流れの促進策」という声もありますが、言い得ているのかも知れないと思いました。が、実際に受けてみると「視野角度調査」「認知機能調査」「夜間認知機能調査」など自己認識に役立つチェックポイントの機械開発など、知恵と工夫の成果が見られました。従来の運転免許更新時講習と比較してかなり進化した内容。
また、運転実技の時間は隣に指導の方が同乗されてチェックしていただける。これは50年前の免許取得時以来の経験なので新鮮に感じました。運転技能では常識共有化ってなかなか難しい。ルール厳守は前提だけれど、長年自分だけの判断で知らず知らずに身についているクセの類は客観化する機会がない。一定の緊張感を持って確認できるのは意味があると思いました。
実技では雪に覆われた橋脚下をくぐる場所があってその場所を自分の判断で徐行運転しましたが、指導員からお褒めいただいた（エヘン）。その甲斐あってか「たいへ優良な運転マナーです」という評価でした。すっかりいい気分にさせていただけたので、6,450円もまぁ仕方ないかと思った次第。まことに現金で単純な性格だと自己認識（笑）。

English version⬇

The first driver’s license “training course for the elderly” has been successfully completed.
The fact that people are concerned about the decline of cognitive functions due to the aging of the population is unavoidable. I would like to take a positive view of the situation by solemnly checking myself. I am very happy to have passed the first session of the “elderly driver’s license” training course.

Japan is an “advanced region” with an aging society. As the percentage of the elderly population is increasing ahead of the rest of the world, Japan is being forced to undergo various “transformations. I was casually struck by an article on the top page of yahoo today headlined “Yusuke Narita: ‘The elderly should commit mass suicide,’ NY Times reports. It is true that this is a bit extreme, but it may be a figurative expression, and I understand that there are various opinions in society. I think the point of his opinion is an objection to the current situation in which “the elderly almost monopolize the pivotal position in society”. That may be true. It is a natural opinion that the younger generation should be given more opportunities to play an active role as a strategy to maintain “vitality” in an aging society. I, too, have become an elderly person as an objective fact, and I would like to calmly accept this fact and think about the role I should play in society.
As long as there have been cases of accidents that are at least questionable in terms of physical and cognitive functions, it is only natural that we should consider how to respond to them as traffic rules. I received a postcard long in advance (more than three months ago, as I recall) with an application for a “training course for the elderly,” and since I am the kind of person who likes to get that stuff out of the way quickly, I applied immediately and took the course yesterday.
Due to the snowfall in Sapporo yesterday, the roads were mostly one-lane slow in many places. The usual 20-minute journey took more than twice as long as usual, and I arrived just in time for the scheduled time.
As a result, unlike the usual license renewal procedure, we had time for practical driving skills, which we thought was quite worthwhile. The cost of the regular license renewal procedure was 2,500 yen and the cost of the senior citizen training course was 6,450 yen, which is somewhat questionable (laugh). Some say it is “a measure to promote the flow of money in an aging society,” and I thought they may be right in saying so. However, when I actually took the course, I saw the results of wisdom and ingenuity in the development of machines for checkpoints useful for self-recognition, such as the “visual field angle survey,” “cognitive function survey,” and “nighttime cognitive function survey. The content of the course has evolved considerably compared to the conventional driver’s license renewal course.
In addition, during the practical driving skills time, an instructor rides next to the student and checks him or her. This is an experience I have not had since I obtained my driver’s license 50 years ago, so it was a new experience for me. It is quite difficult to share common sense when it comes to driving skills. Although strict adherence to the rules is a prerequisite, there is no opportunity to objectify the kinds of habits that have been unintentionally acquired over the years through one’s own judgment. I thought it was meaningful to be able to check them with a certain sense of tension.
In the practical training, there was a snow-covered pier-like place where I drove slowly at my own discretion, and the instructor praised me for it (ahem). The instructor gave me a compliment (ahem). Since I was made to feel so good, I thought that the 6,450 yen was just as well. I am a very cash-conscious and simple person (laugh).

Posted on 2月 15th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: こちら発行人です | No Comments »

【武家ヤンキーの建築痕跡 大庄屋「片岡家」-2】




江戸期の大和国の地政学的な位置付けは、京都・大阪を監視するような機能。大阪の陣を経て徳川幕府の覇権は完全に確立し、潜在的な危険因子であった前政権の血統は根絶された。しかし、本来の日本国家の中心地域としての畿内地域をコントロールするのに、大和国はきわめて重要だっただろう。前政権の秀吉政権でもNO.2の実弟の秀長が「大和大納言」として政権の最大の「抑え」としてこの国を支配していた。
そういった領国に「どうする家康」でもいかんなく（笑）武家ヤンキーッぷりを爆発させている本多忠勝の家系を徳川氏としては配置していた。徳川政権としても、また本多家としてもそういった役割認識は強くあったに違いない。これは当然で、畿内の人心に対して、いざとなったら「あの本多忠勝系」の勢力が殴り込んでくる、という潜在的恐怖を植え付けるのは政権安定策になるだろう。
その領土のなかで古来からの要地とされるこの宇陀周辺の支配地。その大庄屋の家は、事に望んでは「城郭的」な意味合いを表現したいと考えるのも自然だろう。わたしがたまたま通りかかってインスピレーションを感じたのには、たぶんそういった「建築意図」を感じさせられたことがあったのではないか。自然地形としての高台状地形を活かしてその高台に石垣を野積みさせて防御力を高めている外観から、そういう意図の痕跡を見させられたのだと思う。
上の写真は建物をぐるっと防備している石垣。万が一の時に攻める軍勢は攻め上るのに対して守る側は「上から」攻撃することが可能だということがわかる。本多家の当主がこの家に滞在するときの「本陣」的なシルシとして旗印のような「本」の字が軒先に刻印されているし、さらに室内には万が一に備えての弓矢が機能的に保管されている。外敵に対して高台から攻撃を加える機能性がまざまざと確認できる。


臨時的な、仮の「城郭」的建築とはいえ、武家ヤンキー領主としての魂魄が自然に表現されていることが多くの人間に直感的なインパクトを与えているのだろう。写真は作者不詳ながら、名のある絵描きさんが「ぜひ絵にしたい」と望んで幾日かこの家に逗留して残した作品なのだという。建築意図というものがまっすぐに表現されて空間に一種の「緊張感」のようなものをたぎらせるのだろうか。そういう空気感が芸術者にはリアルに感じられるのだろう。「用」に端的に準拠することがそのまま建築としてのデザインに通じるということが腑に落ちる。
現代のわれわれは住宅建築にこういう側面を期待することはほぼないだろうけれど、居住快適性にはるかに優先して見るものに対してのメッセージ性を最優先した江戸期社会。住宅建築に求めた機能性のある部分が伝わってくる。

English version⬇

Architectural Traces of Samurai Yankee “Kataoka Family” – 2
The “superciliousness” of the samurai rulers is another important function besides livability. In other words, it is an expression of violence in the manner of “Yoroba or I’ll cut you down. It goes beyond the functionality of a house. The house is not functional as a residence.

The geopolitical position of Yamato Province during the Edo period functioned like a watchdog over Kyoto and Osaka. After the Osaka battle, the Tokugawa Shogunate’s hegemony was fully established and the lineage of the previous regime, which was a potential risk factor, was eradicated. However, the Yamato Province would have been extremely important in controlling the Kinai region as the central region of the original Japanese state. In the previous Hideyoshi administration, Hidenaga, the brother of No.2 Hideyoshi, ruled the country as the “Yamato Dainagon,” the greatest “suppressor” of the administration.
The Tokugawa clan had placed the family lineage of Honda Tadakatsu, who was also a samurai yankee in “What to do about Ieyasu” (laugh), in such a fiefdom. The Tokugawa administration and the Honda family must have had a strong recognition of such a role. It is only natural that the Tokugawa regime and the Honda family must have had a strong awareness of their role in the Tokugawa administration.
The area around Uda, which has been a strategic point in the territory since ancient times, has been under the control of the headman’s family. It is natural that the headman’s house would want to express a “castle-like” meaning. I was inspired by the building because I happened to feel such an “architectural intention”. I think I saw traces of such an intention in the appearance of the building, which takes advantage of the natural elevation of the terrain and has stone walls piled up on the hillside to enhance its defensive capabilities.
The photo above shows the stone wall that defends the building. It shows that in the event of an emergency, the attacking army would be able to attack from above, while the defenders would be able to attack from “above. The head of the Honda family has a flag-like “hon” stamped on the eaves of the house as a “main camp” for his stay in the house, and there is also a bow and arrow stored functionally in the room in case of an emergency. The functionality of the house to attack foreign enemies from high ground can be clearly seen.

Even though it is a temporary, temporary “castle” structure, the natural expression of the spirit of a samurai Yankee lord has an intuitive impact on many people. Although the artist of the photograph is unknown, it is said to be the work of a well-known painter who stayed at the house for several days, hoping to paint it. The architectural intention of the house is expressed in a straightforward manner, and the space is filled with a kind of “tension”. This kind of atmosphere must be felt realistically by the artist. It becomes clear to me that straightforward conformity to “use” is directly connected to architectural design.
Today, we would not expect this aspect of residential architecture, but in the Edo period society, the highest priority was placed on the message to the viewer, far more than on the comfort of living. This work conveys a certain functionality that was sought in residential architecture.

Posted on 2月 14th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 住宅マーケティング, 古民家シリーズ | No Comments »

【大和国（奈良県）大庄屋 「片岡家住宅」探訪-1】




本日からはふたたび古民家建築探訪であります。日本列島37,000年史シリーズの最終章は日本国家始原期として大和国に神武東征した頃の探究。その象徴的な場所として奈良県宇陀市の桜実神社の八ツ房杉を紹介したけれど、そこから旧都・飛鳥に移動する道を走っていたら、道を見下ろすようにやや高台から石垣に防御された立派な屋敷が見上げられた。宇陀市中心部から通称、伊勢本街道と呼ばれる370号線を南下、典型的日本の景色ともいえる美しい里山の風景の中、一際目を引く豪奢で重厚な萱葺きの屋根の家が左側に見えてくる。周囲一体を見下ろす場所にあるいかにも立派な造りの家。
その印象的なたたずまいに魅せられ、まるで導かれるように近づいて家人の方に由緒などを伺おうと声をおかけしたら、親切にご案内いただいた。そんな出会いがこの「片岡家住宅」との出会いでした。
ことしのNHK大河は「どうする家康」ということで徳川四天王とされる本多忠勝（俳優：山田裕貴）がなかなか武家ヤンキー的に描かれています。窮地に陥って逃げ出そうと図った家康に槍を投げつけて諫めるなどかなり暴力的。かれは武田信玄にも敵将ながらあっぱれなヤツと見込まれていたという逸話もある。「家康に過ぎたるもの二つあり、唐の頭（兜の飾り物）に本多平八（忠勝）」というコトバ。で、その末裔一族がこの大和郡山で畿内地域の徳川支配の重要な一角として、領地を得ていた。その郡山藩の大庄屋家がこの片岡氏。で、この家の入口から一番奥、そしてもっとも「高台」に位置する場所に領主・本多家の殿様のために座敷が配置されていた。作りからすると一種城郭的とも思える配置・間取り。国指定重要文化財。
ご案内いただいたのはこの片岡家当主の「彦左衛門氏」。代々の当主はこの名前を伝承してきているということで、いかにも江戸期の武家とも通ずる家系意識。片岡家は、歴代当主が近世のほぼ全期間を通じ田原村の庄屋を務めたという。
片岡家には周辺の田原村に関する村方文書が豊富に残っており、その数は近世文書を中心に１万３千点を超える。片岡家住宅に関する史料もよく残っていて普請関係では、寛文９年（1669年）『殿様御殿御普請帳』と寛文11年（1671年）『座敷普請帳』があります。前者は主屋の客室部、後者は居室部の普請に関わる文書であり、上棟の際に用いられた木槌にも寛文10年（1670年）の墨書銘が見られるという。こういった経緯を勘案すれば、少なくとも350年以上の歴史が刻印された住宅ということになる。北海道ではまったく開拓されずほぼ太古の景色が広がっていた時代に、大和国ではこのようなたたずまいの家が存在し続けていたことになる。
歴史時間の隔たりの大きさに打たれる思いがして、こういう家の文化が現代まで続いていることが本州以南地域の住宅文化のコアなのだと深く気付かされる。断熱や気密といういごこち要素よりも、社会的な身分意識であったり、階級意識のような社会文化が優先しているのだと思い至る。　続きはまたあした。

English version⬇

Kataoka Family Residence, a house in Yamato Province (Nara Prefecture)
This old house was built more than 350 years ago, and traces of the samurai culture can still be seen in the layout plan. The priority is not comfort but “expression of social status. The house was built more than 350 years ago.

From today, we will once again be exploring the architecture of old private houses. The last chapter in our series on the 37,000-year history of the Japanese archipelago is about the Shinmu expedition to Yamato Province in the early days of the Japanese nation. As I was driving along the road from Uda to Asuka, the former capital of Japan, I saw a magnificent house protected by a stone wall from a slightly elevated position overlooking the road. Heading south on Route 370, commonly known as Isehon Kaido, from the center of Uda City, a house with a luxurious and massive thatched roof stands out on the left in a beautiful satoyama landscape that can be described as a typical Japanese scene. It is a magnificent house overlooking the surrounding area.
I was fascinated by its impressive appearance and approached the house as if I was being guided, and asked the owner to tell me about the history of the house. This was my first encounter with the Kataoka Family Residence.
This year’s NHK historical drama, “What to do, Ieyasu,” portrays Honda Tadakatsu (actor: Yamada Hiroki), who is considered one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Tokugawa, in a rather samurai-like, yankee-like manner. He is quite violent, throwing a spear at Ieyasu when Ieyasu tries to escape in a tight situation. There is an anecdote that even Takeda Shingen, an enemy general, thought he was a brilliant man. Ieyasu had two great qualities: the head of his helmet and Honda Heihachi (Tadakatsu),” is the phrase used by Ieyasu. The descendants of the Tadakatsu family had a fiefdom in Yamatokoriyama, which was an important part of the Tokugawa control of the Kinai region. The Kataoka family was the headman of the Koriyama clan. The lord of the Koriyama clan, the Kataoka family, had a room for the lord of the Honda family at the far end of the house from the entrance and at the most “elevated” position in the house. The layout of the house seems to be a kind of castle-like. It is a nationally designated important cultural property.
We were guided by Mr. Hikozaemon, the head of the Kataoka family. The family name has been handed down from generation to generation, and the family’s lineage is very similar to that of the samurai families of the Edo period. The Kataoka family served as the village headman of Tahara village for almost the entire modern period.
The Kataoka family has an abundance of village documents related to the surrounding Tahara village, numbering more than 13,000 items, mostly early modern documents. Historical documents related to the Kataoka family residence have also survived well, and in the area of fuchin-related documents, there is the “Tono-sama Goten Gosho Fuchincho” (1669) and the “Zashiki Fuchincho” (1671). The former is a document related to the fuchin of the guest room section of the main building, and the latter is a document related to the fuchin of the living room section, and an ink inscription of Kanbun 10 (1670) can be seen on the wooden hammer used at the time of the ridgepole raising. Taking this history into consideration, the house has at least 350 years of history stamped on it. While the landscape of Hokkaido was completely unexploited and almost unchanged from prehistoric times, houses with this appearance continued to exist in Yamato Province.
I was struck by the vast gap in historical time, and was deeply impressed by the fact that this type of house culture has continued to the present day and is at the core of the housing culture of the Honshu region and southward. I realized that social culture, such as a sense of social status and class, takes precedence over the comfort factors of thermal insulation and airtightness. To be continued in the coming days.

Posted on 2月 13th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 古民家シリーズ | No Comments »

【週末の食材探訪「北海道・近海魚さがし」】




先週ひさしぶりに寿司を握ったので、すっかり魚類に首ったけ状態（笑）。ということで昨日は久しぶりに遠出して札幌から積丹の先まで足を伸ばしてみた。お目当ては東しゃこたん漁協の小売り販売店と余市のとあるお魚屋さん。東しゃこたん漁協では主に貝類探査。きのうは「まつぶ」やホタテの冷凍パックを購入してきました。殻から剥いてあるので、解凍して包丁捌きをすればおいしく楽しめる。つぶは独特のコリコリとした歯ごたえのある食感で北海道らしい地元の味わい。積丹では代表的な味覚だと思います。
で、写真上は余市の魚屋さんで購入したヒラメを捌いていただいている様子。
いわゆる「三枚におろす」包丁捌きであります。慣れたお魚屋さんのおろし方は勉強になる。旬のヒラメの美しい魚体がその美をさらに顕現してくれるプロセスから目が離せない。そう、男ってやはり美につよい憧れがあるのでしょう。ヒラメの薄いカラダがさらにうっすらと三枚におろされてその白い姿が露わになってくると、思わず歓声を上げてしまうのです。ドキドキ感がたまらない（笑）。
日本列島に人が住むようになって、四方を海に囲まれたこの国土では周辺海域の魚類と共存してきた。森が豊かな山岳列島なのでそこから植物性の栄養分が周辺海域に雨水として流れ込んで、魚類はその豊かな海域に魅せられて「うま味」を涵養し続けてきたのでしょう。世界有数の海洋国家としてこの豊かな魚類資源で3万年以上の永きにわたって日本人は命を繋いできた。陸上動物以上に多様な種類のおいしさに惑溺させられてきたのだと思います。
こういう魚の捌かれている様子を見ていると素直に感動させられる。いのちをいただくことにある種、敬虔な思いが募ってくるようでもあります。



また札幌市内の庶民的な市場でも、いろいろな魚類を参観させていただいた。中央市場の魚屋さんが経営するわが家にほど近いマーケット。いま時期、北海道周辺で捕獲される魚類ですが、それぞれがまことに印象的な姿カタチで迫ってくる。以下、北海道近海の庶民的な魚たちのユニークな姿を。
キンキの魚体の外観の色合いの美しさには惚れ惚れとさせられる。一方その目元はマンガみたいな気絶っぷり。ニシンも好きな方は刺身で生食するのだそうです。細かく骨切りすることで刺身で食べられる。わたしも食べた経験はあるけれど、自分で小骨を丹念に捌く自信はない。「柳の舞」は道北・稚内で水揚げと正札に記載。ヤナギノマイはメバル科メバル属の一種で、主に北海道で大量に獲れる魚。メバル類の中では鮮度落ちが早く手頃な価格の総菜魚として売られている。価格は”メバル”としてはとても安いのだけれど、煮付けや焼き物などで食べると結構おいしくてコストパフォーマンスに優れた魚。

といったところで、ヒラメとまつぶ、ホタテなどがわが家の冷蔵庫に収納されて、今週も徐々に食卓を彩ってくれる。シェフとしてはあれこれたのしく包丁捌きを考えて調理してみたい。

English version⬇

My Family’s Weekend Shopping Trip “Looking for Fish
The spring-like weather lured us from Sapporo to the tip of the Shakotan Peninsula for a drive in search of fish. We encountered fish while looking at the sea that foretold of a gentle spring. The fish…

Last week I made sushi for the first time in a while, so I am completely hooked on fish (laughs). So yesterday I went out for the first time in a while and went from Sapporo to the tip of Shakotan. I went to a retail store of the Higashi Shakotan Fisheries Cooperative Association and a certain fish shop in Yoichi. At the Higashi Shakotan Fisheries Cooperative, we mainly explored for shellfish. Yesterday I bought a frozen pack of “matsubu” or scallops. Since they are peeled from the shell, you can enjoy them deliciously by thawing and knife processing. Matsubu has a unique crunchy texture and a local flavor typical of Hokkaido. I think it is a typical taste in Shakotan.
In the photo above, a flatfish purchased at a fish shop in Yoichi is being processed.
It is what is called “sampai ni orareru” (cut into three pieces) with a knife. It is instructive to learn how a fishmonger who is familiar with the process of grating fish. I can’t take my eyes off the process, which further reveals the beauty of the beautiful seasonal flatfish. Yes, men must have a strong yearning for beauty. When the thin body of the flounder is further stripped down to three pieces, exposing its white body, you can’t help but let out a squeal of delight. I can’t get enough of the thrill (laughs).
Since people have come to live on the Japanese archipelago, this land surrounded by the sea on all sides has coexisted with fish from the surrounding waters. As a mountainous archipelago with rich forests, plant nutrients from these forests flow into the surrounding seas as rainwater, and fish have been attracted by the richness of these waters and have continued to cultivate their “umami” taste. As one of the world’s leading maritime nations, Japanese people have been sustaining their lives for more than 30,000 years on this rich fish resource. I believe that we have been bewitched by the variety of tastes more than land animals.
I am honestly moved when I see these fish being processed. It is as if a kind of reverence for life is being stirred up in me.

We also had the opportunity to visit a variety of fish products at a common market in Sapporo. A market close to our house, run by a fishmonger in the central market. The fish caught around Hokkaido at this time of the year are all very impressive in their own way. Below are some of the unique forms of common fish caught in the waters around Hokkaido.
The beauty of the coloration of the kinki fish’s body is a sight to behold. Its eyes, on the other hand, are cartoonishly fainting. Herring is also eaten raw as sashimi if you like. By cutting the bones into small pieces, it can be eaten as sashimi. I have had the experience of eating it myself, but I do not have the confidence to carefully cut the small bones by myself. The “Yanaginomai” is listed on the tag as being landed in Wakkanai, northern Hokkaido. Yanaginomai is a member of the family Mevalidae, and is caught in large numbers mainly in Hokkaido. It is sold as a reasonably priced side dish fish because it does not lose its freshness as quickly as other mebaru species. Although the price is very low for a “mebaru” fish, it is quite tasty when boiled or grilled, making it an excellent cost-effective fish.

So, the flatfish, matsubu and scallops have been stored in our refrigerator and will gradually grace our dining table this week. As a chef, I would like to enjoy cooking them with a knife.

Posted on 2月 12th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: おとこの料理＆食 | No Comments »

【江戸っ子以来の文化「共通化」 下町長屋探訪-7】



イラスト類は下町風俗資料館展示パネルから。四季変化が温暖な地域での、それも全国から集合してきた移住民たちの共有生活文化が昇華された様子が伝わってくる。
このような江戸っ子・関東地域の四季認識に対して、北海道はたとえばきょう最終日の「さっぽろ雪まつり」という最新の日本人全体が受け入れる歳時記を加えたのだと思っています。東北や日本海側地域の湿度感とは違って、それこそ比較的に湿度感が低い、乾燥した雪質のような開放感がそこにはあるように思う。たぶん東京の江戸っ子気質の関東的な湿度の少なさと共通する部分があるのではないか。
わたしは北海道で生まれ育った。大学で東京暮らしを経験しそのまま東京で就職して、札幌に転勤してその後自立した。人生時間では東京（神奈川と東京都内で居住）での暮らしが足かけ10年くらいの期間になっている。仕事上では東京との関係はさまざまに継続してきているので、主観的な意識としてはこの時間的継続感を持っている。北海道の「いちばん近い他地域」は青森ではなく東京だという認識がある。青森に行くのには札幌からだと、飛行機でも東京移動よりも時間制約が大きく「遠くなる」。
これは東京が交通体系の中心・首都であり、こちら北海道が鄙であることの必然というのが一般的理解。けれどどうも人間の気質においても、その成立過程で「近しい」共通項目が多いと気付かされる。


コトバでもわたしは北海道弁を東京でごくふつうに使ったりする。まぁ全国どこでもですが（笑）。あんまりそれを恥じるという認識を持っていない。この北海道弁は全国からの移民が混合して形成された言語であって、そういう意味で地域性というよりも「共通性」のようなものが基盤であり、そこに寒冷地的な共感文化が微妙にブレンドされたものと思っている。江戸っ子の話し言葉も、その成立過程を考えればやはり同様に全国からの移住民同士が、地域気候風土実感伝達要素を加味して成立させた。そして明治以降の日本社会ではそういう「共通言語化」が優勢な文化基盤になっていったのが事実。なので特段「恥ずかしがる」根拠がないと思うのです。まぁ恥ずかしがらせたいという志向は、文化的に保守的な層、主流派でいたい人が、優越意識を主張したいという理由から、鄙に対して上から目線したいだけなのだと思える。
断熱・気密化という住宅性能面の全国共通化ということは進展していくでしょうが、そういうことも良き基盤共通化だと思います。住宅というある意味では生活文化が凝縮した領域を考えて行くとき、江戸っ子や道産子が生成されたような生活文化への見方というものに現代人はもっと目を向けるべきではと思います。

English version⬇

The “Commonization” of Culture Since the Edo Period: Exploring the Shitamachi Row Houses-7
A chronicle of downtown culture. The first period was a time of “commonality” and acceptance of strangers. The Edo culture was vigorously developed by the common Nipponization of the people. The Edo culture was full of “common-ness” and acceptance of strangers.

The illustrations are from the exhibition panels at the Shitamachi Folk Museum. The illustrations show how the four seasons were sublimated into a shared lifestyle and culture in a region with a mild climate, where immigrants had gathered from all over the country.
To this perception of the four seasons in the Edo and Kanto regions, Hokkaido, for example, has added the latest seasonal calendar accepted by the Japanese people as a whole, the Sapporo Snow Festival, the last day of which is today. Unlike the sense of humidity in the Tohoku and Sea of Japan regions, I think there is a sense of openness there, like a dry, snowy climate with a comparatively low sense of humidity. Perhaps it has something in common with the Kanto-like low humidity of Tokyo’s Edokko temperament.
I was born and raised in Hokkaido. I experienced life in Tokyo at university, found a job in Tokyo, was transferred to Sapporo, and later became independent. In terms of life time, I have lived in Tokyo (living in Kanagawa and Tokyo) for a total of about 10 years. I have a sense of temporal continuity in my subjective consciousness, as I have had various ongoing relationships with Tokyo in my professional life. There is a perception that the “nearest other region” in Hokkaido is not Aomori but Tokyo. Aomori is “farther away” from Sapporo than Tokyo, even by air, due to the time constraints.
The general understanding is that this is inevitable because Tokyo is the center of the transportation system and the capital, and Hokkaido is remote. However, I have noticed that there are many similarities in the human temperament and in the process of its formation.

I use the Hokkaido dialect in Tokyo quite commonly, even in Kotoba. Well, anywhere in Japan (laughs). I am not ashamed of it. The Hokkaido dialect was formed by a mixture of immigrants from all over Japan, and in that sense, it is based on a kind of “commonality” rather than regionality, which I think is a subtle blend of the cold-weather culture of empathy. The spoken language of the Edo period was also formed by immigrants from all over the country, who added the element of transmission of a sense of local climate and customs to it. And it is a fact that such “common language” became the predominant cultural foundation in Japanese society after the Meiji period. So I don’t think there is any particular reason to be “shy” about it. Well, it seems to me that the orientation of wanting to embarrass is just a culturally conservative group, people who want to be in the mainstream, wanting to look up to the remote people for the reason of wanting to assert their sense of superiority.
I think that the national standardization of housing performance, such as insulation and airtightness, will continue to progress, but I think that this is also good basic standardization. When considering housing, an area where life culture is condensed in a sense, I think that people today should pay more attention to the way of looking at life culture that was created by the Edokko and Dosanko.

Posted on 2月 11th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 住宅マーケティング, 日本社会・文化研究 | No Comments »

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