本文へジャンプ

【8/21最低気温18.7度。ようやくクルマに「霜降り」】


 きのう朝、北海道神宮周辺散歩のためにクルマで神宮駐車場まで移動しようとして、乗り込んだらフロントガラスに写真のように「うっすら」と霜降り。18-9度の気温だったようですが、クルマ内部との温度差でうっすらとはいえ、このように発生したのでしょう。
 本州以南地域、とくに最近縁のできた北部九州地域など猛暑日の連続記録が1ヶ月を超えたという情報にも接していますが、北海道では朝晩は確実にクールダウンしてきています。もうすこしの辛抱で酷暑から解放されることをお祈りいたします。
 ことしはさすがに北海道人としてもやや暑さに閉口していましたが、このように確実に季節は推移してきている。
 きのうは懸案事項について1日中、電話でのやり取りに明け暮れておりました。これも仕事上のことなので詳細について書くことは避けたいのですが、それにしてもIT化とマニュアル化というものの弊害に気付かされた。極論すると日本語としての用語判断自体が、こういう部分で破綻しつつあるように思われるのですね。ある概念について、それにさまざまな「注意書き」「注釈」がつきまくった結果、平常的な日本語として成立しないようなあいまい表現になってしまっている。
 ようするに「どうとでも解釈できる」表現になってしまって、一般常識からはどんどん乖離してしまっているように思われる。電話の対手との間で、最後はそういった部分での整理整頓が必要ではないかとの共通の認識になっていた。
 それでも誠意を持って取り組んでいただけていることはわかることが救い。
 現代社会と日本語の進化、記紀の時代、明治期の「文豪」輩出の時代など、日本史では多くの日本語進化運動が経験されてきたけれど、IT化時代にはさらに精密な進化の動きが必要ではないかと思わされる次第です。たしかにコンピュータも言語によって文化創造されてきたもの。情報は確実にビッグバンしている。それを整合的に進化させていくにはそれを扱っていく言語も革新されなければならない。間違っても、コミュニケーションの深まりが閉塞してしまうようなことになってはならない。

 ということでのストレスに落ち込んで、やはりそういうときには自然のイキモノたちのごくあたりまえのしぐさ、表情に接するのがメンタル復元の道。それこそ「気晴らし」に、いつもの野鳥観察であります。物言わぬ動物たちの動作には、ムダもムリもなく、自然が凝縮したような姿が見えてくる。かれらの世界に配慮しつつ過剰な関わりは避けて、同じイキモノとして自然な交感ができるようにしたいですね。

English version⬇

8/21 Lowest temperature 18.7 degrees Celsius. Finally, “frost” on cars.
Finally, a hint of autumn in Hokkaido. There is a gap between IT and the evolution of the Japanese language, as well as incompatibility between organizational society and computerized consistency. …

 When I got into my car yesterday morning to go for a walk around Hokkaido Jingu Shrine, the windshield was “frosted” as you can see in the photo. 18-9 degrees Celsius was the temperature, but the temperature difference between inside and outside of the car must have caused this frosting, even if only slightly.
 I have been informed that the record of consecutive extremely hot days has exceeded one month in areas south of Honshu, especially in the northern Kyushu region, which I have recently established a connection with, but in Hokkaido, the mornings and evenings are definitely cooling down. I pray that with a little more patience, we will be free from the extreme heat.
 As expected of Hokkaido people, we have been somewhat discouraged by the heat this year, but the season is certainly changing in this way.
 Yesterday, I spent the whole day on the phone with a number of people regarding pending matters. This is also a work-related matter, so I would rather not write about the details, but even so, I was made aware of the adverse effects of IT and the use of manuals. To put it another way, it seems that Japanese terminological judgment itself is going bankrupt in this area. As a result of various “notes” and “annotations” attached to a certain concept, it has become an ambiguous expression that cannot be used in ordinary Japanese.
 In other words, it has become an expression that “can be interpreted in any way” and seems to have diverged more and more from common sense. The caller and I had come to a common understanding that we needed to tidy up in this area at the end.
 Still, it is a relief to know that you are working on this project with sincerity.
 The evolution of modern society and the Japanese language, the Kiki period, the Meiji period when “great writers” were produced, and many other movements of Japanese language evolution have been experienced in Japanese history, but it seems to me that more precise movements of evolution are needed in the IT age. It is true that computers have been culturally created by language. Information is definitely a big bang. In order for it to evolve in a consistent manner, the language that handles it must also be revolutionized. We must not make the mistake of allowing the depth of communication to become blocked.

 In such times, the way to recover from the stress of the situation is to see the natural behavior and expressions of nature’s creatures. This is exactly what I do to “distract myself,” as I always do when I am bird watching. In the movements of animals that do not speak, we can see a condensed image of nature, without any waste or unreasonableness. I would like to avoid excessive involvement while taking their worlds into consideration, so that we can enjoy natural interaction with them as fellow creatures.

【高松塚古墳壁画 日本の絵ごころ】




 先日の上富良野・後藤純男美術館参観でふたたび自分の本性というか、絵にいかに惹かれているのかを深く知らされた思いがしています。後藤純男美術館にはたぶん4−5年は行っていなかったハズなのですが、そういう絵との「再会」ということが自分のなかのなにかに着火する思い。
 日本人の連綿としてつながってきた絵ごころというものに、わたしは深く癒されるのだと気付かされるということでしょうか。
 現実の仕事のことなどはなかなか客観視できない部分があるので、ブログではやはり特定テーマでの定点的な観察・深掘りがほどよいと思うので、絵とニッポン人みたいな領域で書きたい。
 で、絵と日本人ということではこの1972年に極彩色の壁画が発見された高松塚古墳壁画がスタートにふさわしでしょうね。いまから52年前ということになるが、当時のわたしは20歳そこそこ。学生運動の最盛期でしたが、やはり発見された壁画、それも飛鳥美人画につよい印象を持った。
 絵については小さい頃から好きで小学校1年のときにアメリカ・ポートランド市と札幌が「姉妹都市」になったことを記念した児童絵画の交換で、わたしの描いた絵が選ばれてあちらに渡ったという経験がスタートで、自然にマンガに強く惹かれて行ったりもした。この当時には西洋絵画の「ルネ・マグリット」の展覧会がちょうど開かれたりして初めて美術館で参観して、大いに刺激された。
 そういうなかで日本の「飛鳥時代」の感性に出会って、深く「ルーツ」感に包まれていたのだ。
 写真は奈良県の「橿原考古学研究所附属博物館」での展示でのもの。複製陶板まで制作されたという一大ブームだった。
 若い男性の私としてはやはり、古代の日本人の「女性美」への興味が非常に強かった。とくに明瞭に輪郭線の残っている女性の顔がみごとに「うりざね」形であったことに刺激された。「そうか、自分だけではなく多くの日本人はこういう美顔に弱いんだ(笑)」。
 そしてファッション感覚も、まことにきらびやかで、日本人はこの時期、このような感受性で交感していたのだと思い知った。コトバではなく「絵」でこそ人間は「わしづかみ」されるのだということも学ばされたように思う。
 ちょうど大江健三郎の小説の難渋ぶりに辟易していた頃で、より強いインパクトがあった。コトバは明晰さの方により価値感を感じ、心象はやはり絵がわかりやすいと悟らされた。
 で、日本人はこの飛鳥の時代から連綿と絵画文化をつないできている。時代によって変わるもの、変わらないものが現在にまで至っているのだ。

English version⬇

Takamatsuzuka Tomb Mural: The Japanese Painting Spirit
A theme that can be continued away from daily work. Pictures express the mental images in an easy-to-understand way. I would like to reflect on the paintings of Japanese people that have stopped in my mind. I would like to contemplate the Japanese people’s paintings that have stopped in my mind.

 My recent visit to the Sumio Goto Museum of Art in Kamifurano made me realize once again my true nature, or rather, how deeply I am attracted to painting. I have not been to the Goto Sumio Museum of Art for probably 4-5 years, but this “reunion” with the paintings ignited something in me.
 I guess I realized that I am deeply healed by the Japanese people’s unbroken connection to the spirit of painting.
 Since it is difficult for me to be objective about my actual work, I think it is better to write a blog on a specific theme with a fixed point of view and to dig deep into the subject.
 In the area of paintings and Japanese people, the Takamatsuzuka Tumulus mural paintings, which were discovered in 1972, are a good place to start. It was 52 years ago, and I was just under 20 years old at the time. It was the height of the student movement, and I was very impressed by the wall paintings that had been discovered, especially the Asuka beauty paintings.
 I had been interested in painting since I was a child, and it all started in my first year of elementary school when my painting was selected for an exchange of children’s paintings to commemorate the “sister city” relationship between Portland, U.S. and Sapporo, and was sent over there. At that time, an exhibition of Western paintings by “René Magritte” was just opening, and I visited the museum for the first time and was greatly inspired.
 It was in this context that I encountered the sensibility of the Asuka period in Japan and was deeply enveloped in a sense of “roots.
 The photo was taken at an exhibition at the Museum of the Archaeological Institute of Kashihara in Nara Prefecture. It was a big boom, and even replicas of the ceramic panels were made.
 As a young man, I was very interested in the “feminine beauty” of ancient Japanese. I was particularly stimulated by the fact that the clearly outlined female face was perfectly shaped like a uriza-ne. I thought to myself, “Well, not only myself, but many Japanese have a weakness for such beautiful faces.
 The sense of fashion was also truly glittering, and I realized that Japanese people were communicating with this kind of sensitivity during this period. I think I also learned that people are “grabbed” not by words but by “pictures.
 It was just at the time when I was fed up with the difficulty of Kenzaburo Oe’s novels, so it had a stronger impact on me. I felt the clarity of Kotoba was more valuable, and I realized that the mental images were easier to understand in pictures.
 The Japanese people have continued to develop their painting culture since the Asuka period. What changes with the times and what does not change has continued to the present day.

【「状況が変わる」のはさまざまな縁の結び】


 きのうから長い連休が開けて仕事モードに。
 いちおう長く続けた仕事からは退任しているのですが、その後いくつかの案件を進めてきています。そうした案件が再起動。締め切りの迫っていた案件を昨日、一気に処理出来ました。やっぱり「仕事日」という潜在意識は大きいようで、休み中だと「まぁいいや」と時間伸ばししてしまって、結局さっぱり進まないものですね。時間がいっぱいあれば仕事が出来るのではなく、その中身でしょう。
 で、それ以外にも関与している事案があって、そちらについて動いていていただいている方から急遽連絡があって、大きな会社さんの副社長の稟議が終了して・・・という連絡事項。こちらの案件では「大きな会社」との話合いというもので、なかなかものごとを動かすということの難しさを思い知っていたのですが、なんと本格的に取り組んでから数ヶ月で、事態が動いた。ただし、本格的に取り組むと言っても小さな個人企業としてできることは、目を見て話すことが出来る相方の担当者や、その会社の一般社員のみなさんと「心を通わせる」ということのみ。まぁ千里の道も一歩から、なんですが、それが半年も満たない期間で、さまざまな偶然の積み重なりで変化したのですね。ありがたい。
 やはり事態が動いていくのは、それまでの隠された努力、多くの人の「思い」というようなものが縁として結実するものなのですね。縁結びという言葉が深く実感される。
 ・・・やはり仕事のことはなかなか実名や事実を書きにくい(笑)。ただ、きのうは特異的な「仕事日」だったように思います。いわば日本社会全体の夏休みが終了し、社会全体が再起動する結節点のような日だったのではないかと。
 写真は先日の上富良野・後藤純男美術館へのドライブの帰り道に立ち寄った「三段滝」。こちらは北海道中央部の芦別市の名勝。石狩川の支流の芦別川の源流近くにある滝。堅い岩盤が地殻変動で上下にずれて河床が階段状になり、落差10m、幅7mの大きな滝を構成しているのですね。
 自然造形の見事さが、大自然のただ中で展開している。好きなスポットなのですが、この時期、本州地域のみなさんはことしの厳しすぎる残暑にさらされているでしょうから、画面からわずかでも納涼気分を味わっていただきたいと思います。さらに涼やかな「動画」も撮影してきたのですが、どうやってアップさせたらいいか、方法を失念してしまっているので、思い出したら、あとでリンク先を追加しておきます。よろしかったら、そちらもごらんください。

English version⬇

The “change of situation” is the result of various ties of fate.
Yesterday, the day after the holiday weekend, was a nationwide “restart work” day. Individual companies also received information about the restart of various work projects. We are thankful for the deep connections that we have made. Thank you for the deep connection.

 Yesterday, after a long holiday weekend, I got back into work mode.
 Although I have retired from a job that I had been doing for a long time, I have been working on several projects since then. Those projects are now back on track. Yesterday, I was able to handle all the projects that were due at once. It seems that the subconscious mind of “work day” is so strong that during the vacations, people tend to stretch things out and say, “Oh well, I’ll just get on with it. It is not that I can work if I have enough time, but it is what I do.
 I received an urgent call from the person who is working on the other matter that I am involved in, informing me that the vice president of a large company had completed the approval process. I was aware of how difficult it is to move things along in discussions with a “large company,” but to my surprise, things moved forward within a few months after we started working on the project in earnest. However, as a small private company, all we could do was to “communicate” with our counterparts who could look us in the eye and talk with us, as well as with the general employees of the company. Well, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, but in less than half a year, the situation has changed due to the accumulation of various coincidences. I am grateful for that.
 I guess it is the hidden efforts and “thoughts” of many people that bring things to fruition as fate. The word “karma” is deeply felt.
 I am still reluctant to write my actual name and facts about my work (laugh). However, I think that yesterday was a peculiar “work day. It was a day like a node, so to speak, where the summer vacation of the Japanese society as a whole ended and the whole society restarted.
 The photo is of San-dan Falls, which we stopped by on the way back from our recent drive to the Sumio Goto Museum of Art in Kamifurano. This is a scenic spot in Ashibetsu City in central Hokkaido. The falls are located near the headwaters of the Ashibetsu River, a tributary of the Ishikari River. I see that the hard bedrock has been shifted up and down by crustal movement, causing the riverbed to form a staircase, and composing a large waterfall with a 10-meter drop and a width of 7 meters.
 The magnificence of the natural formations unfolds in the midst of the wilderness. This is one of my favorite spots. At this time of year, people in the Honshu area are probably exposed to the severe lingering summer heat, so I hope you can enjoy even a slight feeling of coolness from the screen. I have also taken some cool “videos” but have forgotten how to upload them, so if I remember, I will add a link to them later. I will add the link later if I remember.

 

【花鳥風月の心象と宗教への向き合い方】


 写真は先日参詣していた菩提寺の境内に立っていた菩薩像。名前とか由縁などは確認してはいない。たまたま写真に収めてあとでパソコン画面で確認したら、なんとうっすらと霧が立ちこめていたのが、写真に写り込んでいた。なんとも神々しい雰囲気。菩提寺は後背に山を背負っていて、一度も行っていないのだけれど88箇所の参拝ポイントがあるのだと聞いている。そういう山の「気」が映り込んでくれたのかも知れないと喜んでいる。
 ご多分に漏れず、加齢とともに「心的風景」のようなことにこころが自然に向かっていく。健康のこととか寿命のこととかに否が応でも向き合うようになって、ひととして自然なことなのでしょう。
 日本列島では四季の変化が非常に明瞭だけれど、その四季変化がながく日本列島人に「花鳥風月」という心性を日本人らしさの骨格にしてきたと思う。とくに北海道という寒冷地も日本人の自然環境観に加わってきたことで、より深い陰影感が加わった。
 先日観てきた後藤純男さんの日本画には、そのあたりの日本人の「花鳥風月感」が大きく拡大・拡張した様子が、心象風景として表現されているように思えてならない。日本画という表現形式自体、日本人的な「自然」観をわかりやすく伝えてくれている。
 「こういう景色を見て、やっぱりこういう表現に至るよなぁ」という日本人的な納得感、美感というようなものがつたわってくるのだと思う。そしてそういう表現の系譜、連綿と伝わってきた精神性に深く帰依したくなってくるのだと思う。
 もののあわれ、という日本人的心性のコアと思える領域が、花鳥風月と通底する世界観。四季変化の中で諸行無常という哲学も自然に日本人は獲得してきたのでしょう。縄文社会由来の生活様式伝統のなかで明瞭な四季変化はその骨格を形成してきた。たぶん八百万の神が祀られる神道の世界観のベースなのだろう。それに対して世界宗教である仏教が伝来してくるけれど、他国の場合とは違って、日本列島では両者が非対立的に、基層と表層のように機能してきたのではないか。ホンネと建前みたいな「落とし所」感覚が日本人に強く生起していったと思える。世界宗教である仏教寺院である高山寺の宝物として「鳥獣戯画」のようなマンガ表現が存続し続けてきた社会。
 おっと、お盆休暇はきのうまでだった(笑)。これは休暇の「総括」か。
 本日から、残っていた懸案を処理して、またあらたな役務がスタートであります。なんとかテキパキと処理して行きたいと思います。

English version⬇

The mental image of “Kacho Fugetsu” and the way of dealing with religion
As I age, I am drawn more and more to the “mercy of things” sentiment. The four seasons show us their diverse expressions from year to year. The Obon vacation is over, and I’m back on track. … .

 The photo shows a statue of a bodhisattva standing in the precincts of a family temple where I was paying a visit the other day. I did not confirm the name or the origin of the statue. I happened to take a picture of it, and when I checked it on my computer screen later, to my surprise, a faint mist was rising in the air, which appeared in the picture. It was a divine atmosphere. The Bodai-ji temple is backed by a mountain, and although I have never been there, I have heard that there are 88 places of worship. I am happy that the “spirit” of the mountain may have been reflected in the image.
 As is typical, as one ages, one’s mind naturally turns to things like “mental landscapes. We are forced to face our health and life expectancy, and this is a natural part of human nature.
 The Japanese archipelago has four distinct seasons, and I believe that this seasonal change has long been the backbone of the “Kacho Fugetsu” (flower, bird, wind, and moon) mentality of the Japanese people. In particular, the cold climate of Hokkaido has added a deeper sense of shade to the Japanese view of the natural environment.
 The Japanese-style paintings of Sumio Goto that I saw the other day seem to me to express, as mental landscapes, the expansion and extension of the Japanese people’s sense of “Kacho Fugetsu” (flowers, birds, winds, and the moon). The form of expression itself, Japanese-style painting, conveys the Japanese view of “nature” in an easy-to-understand manner.
 The Japanese view of “nature” is conveyed in a way that is easy to understand. I believe that the Japanese people are deeply moved by the lineage of such expressions and the spirituality that has been handed down from generation to generation.
 Mono no aware (mercy of things), a core area of Japanese spirituality, is a worldview that is commonly shared by Kacho Fugetsu (flowers, birds, winds, and the moon). The Japanese have naturally acquired the philosophy of the impermanence of all things through the changes of the four seasons. The distinct changes of the four seasons have formed the framework of the lifestyle traditions of the Jomon society. This is probably the basis of the Shinto worldview, in which 8 million deities are worshipped. In contrast, Buddhism, a world religion, was introduced to Japan, but unlike in other countries, in the Japanese archipelago the two have functioned in a non-confrontational manner, as if they were the base and the surface of the world. It seems to me that a sense of “the bottom line,” like “honne” and “tatemae,” has emerged strongly in the Japanese people. In a society where cartoon expressions such as “Birds and Beasts Caricatures” have continued to exist as treasures of Kozan-ji Temple, a Buddhist temple that is a world religion.
 Oops, my Bon vacation ended yesterday (laugh). This is the “summary” of the vacation.
 Today, I will start my new duties again, dealing with the remaining issues. I will try to handle it as quickly and efficiently as possible.

 
 

【蕎麦粉・カツオ節を業務用専門店に潜入して購入】



 さて蕎麦打ち修行開始するには、まずは準備運動・・・じゃない、用意しなければならないものがある。たしかに「蕎麦打ちセット」はみなさんからプレゼントされたけれど、練習するにしても蕎麦粉がなければ練習も出来ないということにハタと気付いた・・・って、当たり前ですが(笑)。
 そういえば蕎麦粉ってどこに行ったら入手できるのか、そういう段階の情報から探す必要がある。WEBで「蕎麦粉、札幌」と検索しても、いきなり専門店の情報しか出てこない。「え、初心者なのにいきなり蕎麦粉専門店、それも業者さん専門の工場かよ」という驚き。
 寿司ならば、お米は別段ふつうに家にあるし、ネタはちょっとした鮮魚コーナーのあるスーパーなどで仕入れることができる。わたしの場合、札幌中央市場の鮮魚卸店が経営している食品店によく行っているので(店頭のお魚写真のお店)、通常の買い出しに苦労はしない。そのほか、積丹の余市にはときどき情報を教えてくれるお魚屋さんもある。その他、買い出し先はそれこそ多様にある。
 蕎麦粉の入手について、蘊蓄系の大先輩にさっそく指南をお願いヘルプミーであります。で、紹介いただいたのが写真のところで、自宅から車で30分ほどかかる札幌市白石区の蕎麦粉工場、札幌蕎麦製粉さんであります。
 行ってみるとほとんどが業務用の生産工場で、大先輩のご指導通り、一般向けにも販売しているということでした。で、「道産石臼」という蕎麦粉を購入。当面はヘタな蕎麦を食べる人身御供は自分とカミさんということで、練習を重ねるために3kgほどを購入いたしました。だいたい1kgで10人前くらいの目安ということで、5−6回の練習素材になってくれそうであります。

一方で「そばつゆ」の方は、こちらも札幌市白石区の専門店・大熊商店さんに。店内に入ると工場から香り高い「カツオ節」の匂いがここちよい香りで激しく刺激してくる。こちらもいかにも業者向け専門店らしい雰囲気でしたが、やさしい女性スタッフの方がいて、当方の初心者ぶりに親切に対応していただけました。
 わたしの潜在意識として出汁系の方はお寿司料理とも共通するので、いろいろ工夫したいと思うのですが、まずは王道から教えを乞いたいと思っています。そんなお話をしていたら、こちらの店主の方はシロウトの蕎麦同好者向けに「蕎麦教室」も開かれているそうで、「蕎麦汁のレシピ」という入門者向けの印刷物までいただいた。感謝。
 こちらもさすがに奥行きの深さがプンプンと匂ってきます。さて、徐々に修行を開始していきたいと思います。もちろん潜行してやりますので、しばらく長い目で、よろしく。

English version⬇

Soba flour and dried bonito flakes are purchased at a specialty store for professional use.
As a man who is not a professional, I would like to start with “form” first, so I would like to introduce myself to a specialty store for professional use. The specialty store has a wonderfully educational atmosphere. The atmosphere is wonderfully educational.

 Now, before we can start our training, we have to prepare for the next step…….. I had a buckwheat noodle making set, but I realized that I could not practice without buckwheat flour……..
 I had to start from where to get Soba flour, and I had to search for it on the web. I was surprised to find only information on specialty shops, and I thought, “Oh, I am a beginner, and suddenly I find a soba flour specialty store, which is also a factory specializing in suppliers.
 For sushi, rice is usually available at home, and ingredients can be purchased at supermarkets that have a small fresh fish section. In my case, I often go to a food store owned by a fresh fish wholesaler at the Sapporo Central Market (the store in the photo of the fish in the storefront), so I usually have no difficulty in buying fish. In addition, there is a fish shop in Yoichi, Shakotan that sometimes gives me information. There are many other places to buy buckwheat flour.
 I asked a senior knowledgeable person for help in obtaining buckwheat flour. He introduced me to Sapporo Soba Flour Milling, a buckwheat flour factory in Shiroishi Ward, Sapporo City, about 30 minutes from my house by car.
 When I went there, I found that it is mostly a production plant for commercial use, but as instructed by a senior staff member, they also sell to the general public. So, I bought a buckwheat flour called “Dosan Ishiwa. For the time being, I bought about 3 kg of it so that I and my wife would be the only ones to eat bad buckwheat noodles, and we could practice making buckwheat noodles. One kilogram of Soba flour is enough for about 10 servings, so it will be enough for 5-6 times of practice.

On the other hand, for “soba-tsuyu”, we went to Okuma Shoten, a specialty store in Shiroishi Ward, Sapporo City. Upon entering the store, the aromatic smell of “katsuobushi” (dried bonito flakes) from the factory was here, a pleasant aroma that stimulated us intensely. The atmosphere of the store was very much like a specialty store for traders, but there was a friendly female staff member who kindly responded to our novice-like situation.
 I would like to devise various ways to use dashi as my subconscious, as it has something in common with sushi cuisine, but I would like to learn from the best first. As we were talking, I heard that the owner of this restaurant also holds “Soba classes” for novice Soba lovers, and he even gave me a printed material titled “Soba Soup Recipe” for beginners. We were very grateful.
 I could smell the depth of the restaurant. Now, I would like to start my training gradually. Of course, I will do it undercover, so please bear with me for a while longer.
 
 
 

【日本画家・後藤純男美術館/上富良野】


 わたしは美術鑑賞というと基本的には「日本画」がメイン。東京では山種美術館がベースキャンプ的な存在で、だいたい展示替えがある度に鑑賞するのが習慣化しています。
 やはり自分の性向として絵画・美術がいちばん根の部分にあるのだと思っています。そういう人間として日本人が感じてきた「美感」の歴史みたいな部分への探究心が強くて、どうしても日本画が中心になっていくのだろうと思っています。京都高山寺の「鳥獣戯画」も高山寺に参観に行って観てきたので、いまちょうど北海道立近代美術館で展覧会については、もう見ているけれど一応と、参観に行ったのですが待ち時間が数時間と聞いてさすがに断念した。
 こうした日本画について北海道内では、唯一に近い存在として上富良野にこの美術館はある。これまでも数回このブログでも紹介していますが、往復では250kmくらいのドライブになるので、さすがに加齢と共にややツラくなっていたのですが、連休でもあり今回また訪問。
 作家は日本画を追求していく中で、北海道の自然に深くこだわられて、その雄大な自然造形を描くなかで神々しいまでの体験をしたと述べられている。
 氏は現・千葉県野田市の真言宗寺院に生まれて、父君のみちびきで奈良京都の古刹寺院に宿泊しながら絵を描き続けていたのだという。宗教人としてそれらの建築体験がベースを形成して、それと対話するなかで、ある「視点」を獲得されたのではないか。
 そういう視線で北海道の雄大な自然造形に接したとき、心理の内奥から強い感動が襲ってきたに違いない。その雄大で厳しい自然のなかに立ち尽くしながら、スケッチしていた。日本人が立ち向かったこの大地への感動を体の中に蓄積させられたのだろう。
 旭川市内で氏が層雲峡などの作品について講演されたときに受講されていた上富良野町の役場のひとたちが、ぜひ現在地にアトリエをと積極的に誘致したとされる。下の写真は上富良野のこの美術館から遠く西に視線を伸ばした空撮写真。<冬期の図>

 何回も行っているけれど、今回は氏の娘さんが案内役で紹介されているビデオが上映されていて、上の写真の「違いがわかる男のゴールドブレンド」という珈琲のコマーシャルに出演された経緯もユーモラスに紹介されていた。このCMは1967年に日本初のフリーズドライ製法を取り入れて発売した、ネスカフェゴールドブレンドの広告キャッチフレーズ。これ自体、50数年前という歴史の中に沈んでいるけれど、その時代の空気感がなつかしい(笑)。
 日本画家として名を残したあと、こういうお茶目な側面も見せていただいた。北海道はすばらしい美術館を持っていると思います。

English version⬇

Japanese Painter Sumio Goto Museum / Kamifurano
More than 50 years have passed since the commercial “of a man who understands the difference. In this way, what Japanese people live becomes history as it is. This is the legacy of sensitivity. The Japanese Art House, Goto Sumio Museum of Art/Kamifurano

 When it comes to art appreciation, my main focus is basically on Japanese-style paintings. In Tokyo, the Yamatane Museum of Art is my base camp, and I make it a habit to visit the museum whenever there is a new exhibition.
 I believe that painting and art are the most fundamental part of my nature. As a human being, I have a strong desire to explore the history of the “sense of beauty” that Japanese people have always felt, and I believe that Japanese-style paintings will inevitably take center stage in my life. I went to see the “Birds and Beasts Caricatures” at Kozanji Temple in Kyoto, and I have already seen the exhibition at the Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art, but I gave it up when I heard that the waiting time was several hours.
 The museum is located in Kamifurano, which is the only place in Hokkaido where Japanese-style paintings such as these are exhibited. As I have mentioned several times in this blog, the round-trip drive is about 250 km, which has become somewhat tedious as I get older, but I visited again this time because of the consecutive holidays.
 In his pursuit of Japanese-style painting, the artist was deeply attached to the nature of Hokkaido, and he says that he had a divine experience while painting its magnificent natural formations.
 He was born in a Shingon Buddhist temple in Noda City, Chiba Prefecture, and continued to paint while staying at ancient temples in Nara and Kyoto under his father’s guidance. As a religious person, these architectural experiences formed the basis of his work, and he must have acquired a certain “point of view” while interacting with them.
 When he came into contact with the magnificent natural formations of Hokkaido from such a perspective, he must have been strongly moved from deep within his psyche. I was sketching while standing in the midst of this magnificent and severe nature. He must have let his body accumulate the impressions of this land that the Japanese people had faced.
 It is said that when he gave a lecture on his works in Sounkyo and other places in Asahikawa, the people of Kamifurano who were attending the lecture actively invited him to build his studio in the present location. The photo below is an aerial view from the museum in Kamifurano, looking far to the west.

【寿司ネタの誘惑、蕎麦粉のいざない(笑)】



温暖化傾向は北海道周辺の海産物に広く及んできて、イマドキの鮮魚では「イナダ」とか「カツオ」という大型のお魚さんたちがこれくらいの値段で入手できる。
 「こんなの捌いたら冷凍庫、満杯になるっしょ」「なに考えてるのさ」みたいなコワい顔をしてカミさんが横からにらみつけてくるので隠れて(笑)しげしげと見ております。こういった魚体を捌いていく快感に脳味噌が刺激され続けています。読者のみなさんご承知のように、わたしの最大の趣味傾向は「握り寿司」フェチなので、こういう海の幸には深くとらわれてしまうのです。
 たぶんこれくらいのサイズの魚からは、数百カンの寿司ネタが供給されるでしょう。調理の魅力はこういう「素材」とのふれあい、対話という要素が大きい。人間はかれらのいのちをいただくことで支えられてきた。そういう思いから、根深いところでの愛情が育っているのかも知れませんね。物言わぬかれらの表情から、「食べるんなら、うまく捌けよ!」と訴えてきているように思えるのです。
 イキモノ同士のながい「付き合い」からこういった交感は続いてきたのでしょう。

 一方で、スタッフのみんなからはこういう「そば打ちセット」もプレゼントされている。「お寿司もいいんだけど、ぜひ蕎麦をふるまって欲しいなぁ(笑)」というかれらからのメッセージもアタマのなかにこだましている。工務店関係の知人たちのなかでは蕎麦の「挽き」からこだわって石臼で挽いて仕上げている猛者たちもいる。あの蘊蓄満載の世界もまた刺激的で、底なし沼の様相を感じさせてくれる。
 たしかに食べている分にはメッチャうまい。蘊蓄の深淵ぶり、魅力はよくわかりますね。
 しかしどうなんだろうか、寿司職人さんは同時に蕎麦職人の志向性も兼ねているモノなのだろうか。たしかに和食の2大領域であることは間違いないし、寿司と蕎麦は相性も抜群にいい。しかし「作り手」としてはどうも志向性の方向がすこし違っているように思える。・・・
 という料理大好き高齢者の「不惑」すぎの迷い満開であります(笑)。
 当面、蕎麦については自分で石臼を買って蕎麦粉づくりから、みたいなのめり込みはせず、手軽に蕎麦粉を入手して、せっかくの「セット」を生かして使ってみたい、まずは手ごねから始めたいと思っております。しかしやがてどっぷりとハマり込みそうなドツボの予感。・・・

English version⬇

[The temptation of sushi items, the lure of buckwheat flour…]
I am 40 years old, but I have not had enough training and I am far beyond that age, but I am still confused between sushi and soba. I am now far beyond the age of 40, but I am still confused between Sushi and Soba, and I am thinking of joining Soba as well. I’m not sure.

The warming trend is spreading to marine products around Hokkaido, and large fish such as “inada” and “katsuo” (bonito) are now available at prices around this level.
 My wife glares at me from the side with a scary look on her face, as if to say, “The freezer will be full if we process this kind of fish,” or “What are you thinking? The pleasure of processing these fish continues to stimulate my brain. As readers know, my greatest hobby is my “nigiri-zushi” fetish, so I am deeply attracted to this kind of seafood.
 A fish of this size would probably supply several hundred kan of sushi material. The fascination of cooking lies in the element of interaction and dialogue with these “ingredients. Human beings have been sustained by receiving their life. Perhaps it is from this thought that we have developed a deep-seated affection for them. The expression on their faces, which do not say much, seems to be appealing to us, “If you are going to eat them, handle them well! If you are going to eat them, handle them well!
 This kind of communication must have continued through the long “relationship” between the creatures.

 On the other hand, the staff members also presented me with a “soba noodle making set” as a gift. I am also thinking of the message from them, “Sushi is good, but we would like you to serve Soba (buckwheat noodles) to the guests. Among my acquaintances in the construction industry, there are some who are particular about the “grind” of buckwheat noodles and grind them on a millstone to make their own buckwheat noodles. This world full of knowledge is also exciting and makes me feel like a bottomless swamp.
 It is true that the food is very tasty. I can understand the fascination of the abundance of knowledge.
 However, I wonder if sushi chefs also have the orientation of buckwheat noodle chefs. There is no doubt that sushi and soba are two major areas of Japanese cuisine, and sushi and soba go very well together. However, as a “creator,” it seems to me that the direction of his orientation is a little different from that of a sushi chef. The “cooks” are not so different from the elderly who love to cook.
 I am an elderly person who loves cooking, but I am too “confused” to think about it (laugh).
 For the time being, I do not want to buy a millstone to make buckwheat flour by myself, but I would like to get buckwheat flour easily and make the best use of the “set” of buckwheat flour. However, I have a feeling that I will be addicted to it before long. I am looking forward to getting some more.

【オモシロ野菜発見、農産物市場探訪】


 札幌の近郊、長沼には国道沿いに広大な駐車スペースをそなえた農産物市場があります。ときどき手軽な行楽として季節の野菜類を探すことが習慣化しています。
 きのう、ちょっと朝寝坊したので長距離移動を避けて、こちらに向かった。行ってみたら各店舗棟が建て替えられていて、リニューアルしていた。わたしの実家、父親は入植した祖父から受け継いだ畑で「まるで野菜類の品評会だ」といわれるほど多種多様な野菜生産に取り組んでいた。そこでいろいろ実験して成果の得られた野菜類をほかの農家に伝え製法の勘所などを教えて、多量生産にして、その生産物を遠く大阪の市場に出荷して北海道野菜の販路拡大に取り組んでいた。そういうなかで「ユリ根」は大当たりしたと聞いている。
 その生産にあたっては当時のもっとも先端的農業者だった岐阜県からの移住者一家で育った母親が、その生産技術で取り組んでいた。わかい夫婦が手を取り合って新品種開拓に取り組んでいたのだというのですね。3歳までしか農家にいなかったわたしとしてはすべてが伝聞。
 だけれど、こういう農産物市場に来ると、無意識でそういう新品種に目が行く。はるかな父母のことをそういうカタチで「探している」のかも知れません。
 そんな目に飛び込んできたのが写真の「コールラビ」。〜アブラナ科の越年草。原産地は地中海北部。球状に肥大した茎部を、皮をむいて食用とする野菜である。茎は緑色系と紫色系があり、キャベツやブロッコリーの茎に似た味で、サラダやピクルスなどにする。語源はドイツ語で、キャベツを指すkohlとカブを指すrabiより。〜


 値段を見るとなんと「100円」。買ったときにはその素性詳細はわからなかったのだけれど、内面から「騒ぐ血」を感じて即座に購入(笑)。市場の売り場でもカンタンに説明があった通り、浅漬けにしてみた次第です。
 ということで頃やよし、ということでさっそく食してみた。軽く塩を振って「浅漬けのもと」を加えて厚手のビニールパックに入れ、なおコンブを小さく切って混ぜ合わせて加圧しまくる。で、放置して数時間。口に入れてみた。
 まぁライトな「カブ」か。カブ大根よりもちょっと「キャベツ」っぽい味わいがあって、カブよりも皮が厚くてごつい。「あ、こりゃぁ皮は剥いた方が無難かな」というところですが、切り方を薄くしたヤツだと、それなりの柔らかさは出てくる。まぁワルくはないといった一品でありました。
 店頭ではこれ一個だけの出品だった(売り切れ寸前だった?)ので、まだ実験的段階なのでしょう。さて日本人の味覚ワールドに参入できるかどうか、でありますね。でも姿はカワイイ。

English version⬇

Discovering New Vegetables, Exploring Produce Markets
I have a strong desire to pioneer new vegetables from my parents’ farming days, and my eyes tend to swim at the market. What is the reaction of the Japanese market to the “in-between cabbage and daikon” variety? …

In Naganuma, a suburb of Sapporo, there is a produce market with a large parking lot along the national highway. It has become a habit for me to look for seasonal vegetables as an occasional easy outing.
 Yesterday, I overslept a bit so I headed here to avoid a long-distance trip. When I got there, I found that each store building had been reconstructed and renovated. In my family, my father was engaged in the production of a wide variety of vegetables in the fields inherited from my grandfather, who settled in the area, to the extent that it was said, “It’s like a vegetable fair. He experimented with a variety of vegetables and taught other farmers the secrets of their production methods, which led to mass production and the shipment of their products to markets as far away as Osaka, thereby expanding the sales channels for Hokkaido vegetables. The “lily bulb” was a big hit among such efforts.
 The mother, who grew up in a family of immigrants from Gifu Prefecture, the most advanced agricultural community of the time, was the one who used the most advanced production techniques. As I was only a farmer until I was three years old, this is all hearsay to me.
 However, when I come to a farmers’ market like this, I unconsciously pay attention to such new varieties. It may be that I am “looking for” my parents in that way.
 The one that caught my eye was the “kohlrabi” in the photo. 〜Kohlrabi is a perennial herb of the Brassicaceae family. It originates from the northern Mediterranean. It is a vegetable whose globularly enlarged stems are peeled and used for food. The stems are green or purple in color and taste similar to cabbage or broccoli stems, and are used in salads and pickles. The word is derived from the German words kohl for cabbage and rabi for turnip. ~ (from the German kohl, meaning cabbage, and rabi, meaning turnip)

 When I looked at the price, I saw that it was 100 yen. When I bought it, I didn’t know the details of its identity, but I felt its “noisy blood” inside and bought it immediately (laugh). I tried to make asazuke (pickled in soy sauce), just as the explanation at the market had explained.
 So it was about time, and I tried it right away. I lightly sprinkled salt, added “Asazuke no Moto” and put it in a thick plastic pack, cut kelp into small pieces, mixed them together, and pressurized it. And left it for a few hours. I put it in my mouth.
 It was a light “daikon”. It tasted a little more like cabbage than daikon, and the skin was thicker and tougher than daikon. It was a bit like “Oh, it would be safer to peel the skin off,” but if you cut it thinner, it would have a certain softness to it. It was not bad at all.
 This was the only one of its kind on display at the store (or was it on the verge of being sold out?), so it is still in the experimental stage. So, it is probably still in the experimental stage. Now, it remains to be seen if it will be able to enter the world of the Japanese taste buds. But it looks cute.

【素木(しらき)造の神社と光のふしぎな美感】


 東北を横断して大きな被害をもたらした台風5号は熱帯低気圧に変わったけれど、北海道南西部の海上に停滞しているということで、お盆の最中ですが、1日中不安定な天気に翻弄されている札幌。
 どこにも出掛けられず、仕方なく「肉じゃが」をノンビリと作り置き(笑)。大鍋にいっぱい作って子どもに連絡したら、平らげるのに協力を申し出られた。ありがたく料理の腕をふるってほぼ8割方は持って帰ってくれた。いろいろな趣味があると思いますが、わたしの場合は、どうも最大の趣味は料理のようです。カミさんよりもノンビリ自由に作れるという男料理の気楽さを勝手に満喫している。ほんとうはそういうスタンスは良くないだろうと思いつつ、そういう自由さはウレシイ。
 ときどきスタッフに寿司を握ったりするのは、そういう勝手気ままの発露と思っています。ただ、わたしの場合は日常の3食の料理でもあれこれと工夫と任務は果たしてはおりますので誤解なきよう。
 本日の写真は、数日前の好天の朝に参詣していた北海道神宮末社「開拓神社」の本殿の様子。素木の簡素な造りの社殿なのですが、参詣時にちょうど朝日が差し込んできて、光のコントラストで抽象絵画っぽい、ちょっと不思議な反射ぶりを見せてくれていた。
 朝日の照射角度は季節によって微妙に変化するし、その日の日射条件によっても万化する。素木という素地はそういった環境のうつろいの一瞬の美感を映し出す鏡のような効果を持つのですね。
 単純に素材としての木の表情の自然さに惹かれていたけれど、このような美感装置にもなるということに今更ながら気付かされた次第。
 日本の神性感覚にはこういう美感感受の側面が大きいのかも知れないと思わされた。
 素木造りといえば、伊勢神宮社殿の式年遷宮で知られるけれど、日本建築のひとつの極点を表しても居るのでしょう。ひいては日本人の心性に強く影響して「伝統」を形成してきたと思われる。
 簡素な形式だからこそ、自然の豊穣なうつろいを象徴的にそこに反映できるのか。たぶん、こういった「効果」の認識は日本建築の中のひとつの大きな柱のような美感認識なのでしょう。
 さてお盆休み後半戦。台風から変わった熱帯低気圧からの天候不順も気になりますが、北海道らしいパノラマ景観、もうすこし楽しみたいと思っています。みなさんも良い休暇を。

English version⬇

The mysterious beauty of light and a shrine made of shiraki wood.
The simplicity of this sacred stage allows it to beautifully reflect the changes of the four seasons in the fertile Japanese archipelago. Is this an honest achievement of Japanese architecture? The shrine and the light

 Typhoon No. 5, which crossed the Tohoku region and caused great damage, has turned into a tropical cyclone but is now stagnant over the southwestern seas of Hokkaido, so Sapporo is at the mercy of unstable weather all day long, even though it is the middle of the Bon Festival.
 Unable to go out anywhere, I had no choice but to make “meat and potatoes” in a nonchalant manner (laugh). I made a big pot full of it and called my children, who offered to help me flatten it. Thankfully, they took almost 80% of it home with them with their cooking skills. I know there are many different hobbies, but in my case, apparently my biggest hobby is cooking. I enjoy the ease of men’s cooking, which allows me to cook more freely and nonchalantly than my wife. While I think this is not a good stance to take, I appreciate the freedom.
 I sometimes make sushi for my staff as a manifestation of that kind of self-indulgence. However, in my case, I do fulfill my duties and devise various ways of cooking for the three daily meals, so please don’t misunderstand me.
 Today’s photo is a view of the main shrine of Kaitakushi Shrine, a branch of Hokkaido Jingu Shrine, where I paid a visit on a fine morning a few days ago. The shrine is a simple wooden structure, but the morning sun was shining just as I was visiting the shrine, and the contrast of the light gave the shrine a slightly mysterious reflection, almost like an abstract painting.
 The angle of the morning sun’s rays changes slightly with the seasons, and the light changes depending on the day’s solar radiation conditions. The bare wood has a mirror-like effect that reflects the beauty of the momentary changes in the environment.
 I was attracted to wood simply for its natural expression as a material, but now I realize that it can also be used as an aesthetic device in this way.
 It made me think that the Japanese sense of divinity may have a large aspect of this kind of aesthetic perception.
 Speaking of “sukimoku-zukuri,” the Ise Jingu shrine pavilions are known for their ceremonial relocation of shrines, but they may also represent the extreme point of Japanese architecture. It is thought to have strongly influenced the mentality of the Japanese people, and thus to have formed a “tradition.
 Is it because of its simple form that it is able to symbolically reflect the fertile changes of nature? Perhaps, the recognition of such “effects” is an aesthetic perception like one of the major pillars in Japanese architecture.
 Now, the second half of the Bon vacation. Although I am concerned about the bad weather from the tropical depression that has changed from a typhoon, I would like to enjoy the panoramic landscape that is typical of Hokkaido a little more. I hope you all have a nice vacation.

【お盆につき菩提寺参詣、ご本尊「不動明王」さま】



 お盆の休み期間に入って、ことしは連休が続いていますね。だんだん加齢とともに自分自身のこととして身近になってくる。ということで、ときどきは参詣しているわが家の菩提寺参詣。小学校低学年ころ家族で、母親と次兄の3人でこの菩提寺に預かっていただいていた祖父と祖母の遺骨に詣っていたときの写真記録がある。そのときの空間の空気感を鮮明に覚えている。もう65年ほど以前の記憶。
 お骨は骨壺に収められていて、父はふさわしい墓地をどこにするか決めかねていたのだと思う。わが家系は広島県福山市近郊の「今津」から北海道に移住してきた。祖父は移住にあたって自分がどこに永遠の住み処を求めるのか、明確ではなかったのだと思う。そして末子でありながら結果として祖父の遺骸を管理する「家長」としての役柄が自分に下ってきて、父はさて、その亡骸を広島県に埋めるか、それともはるかに移住してきた北海道の地に埋めるべきか、という決断に迫られたのだろう。
 事実として、父の長兄・叔父の家はやがて福山に墓所を求めていくことになる。
 やがて父は札幌市の里塚霊園に墓所をもとめてそこに祖父・祖母とともに自分の遺骨も納骨した。結局父はそのように祖父を「北海道に骨を埋める」結論を出したのだ。自分の遺骨は北海道でと一択だったことと、同時に両親の遺骨もいっしょに葬ってもらったのだ。残された母は、その父の意思に忠実に従った。
 その墓所に納骨した日のことも記憶がある。
 ときは巡って、わたしたち兄弟世代のそういう瞬間もやがてやってくる。で、わたし自身はその家系の家の末子として、自分自身のことはまた別に思案せねばならない。ときどきわたしたち夫婦でそんなことを話題にすることがある。カミさんの家もほぼ同様のことをやがて選択せねばならなくなる。
 いま、北海道の住宅についての諮問会議に委員として参加しているけれど、自分自身の「行く末」自体も決めていかなければならないのだと思う。いま、人口減少期に入ってきてわたしたちの世代が管理しなければならない住宅は相当程度「複数」になってくる。それと似たようなテーマ構図が、人の世のNEXTの世界でも起こってきているのだと思う。

 この寺は1993年にこの本堂を新築した。そのときの「芳名録」があって、うかつにもはじめてそれを見た。そこに30年以上前の自分の意思と名前を発見して、菩提寺というコトバが現実的に感じられた。
 あ、こちらの寺院のご本尊は「不動明王」さま。密教特有の尊格である明王の一尊。大日如来の化身とも言われる。また、五大明王の中心となる明王でもある。 謹んで合掌。

English version⬇

The main deity of the temple, Fudo Myoo, is the Buddhist deity of the family temple.
Nobunaga is said to have said, “When you die, you have nothing. However, “Nobunaga’s Tomb” is located by the approach to the inner sanctuary of Koyasan where Kukai is laid to rest. Is this the truth of the Japanese people? …

 We are now in the Obon vacation period, and things have been going on for consecutive holidays. As I age, I gradually become more and more familiar with the holiday as my own personal matter. So, I have been paying a visit to my family’s family temple from time to time. I have a photo record of the time when my mother, second brother, and I visited the remains of my grandfather and grandmother who were kept at the temple when I was in the early elementary school years. I vividly remember the atmosphere of that time. It was about 65 years ago.
 The bones were in an urn, and I think my father was trying to decide where to place them in a suitable cemetery. My family had immigrated to Hokkaido from Imazu, near Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture. I think my grandfather was not clear about where he wanted his eternal home when he emigrated. As the youngest son, he was given the role of “patriarch” in charge of my grandfather’s remains, and my father was faced with the decision of whether to bury his remains in Hiroshima Prefecture or in Hokkaido, where he had moved far away from his family.
 As a matter of fact, my father’s eldest brother and uncle’s family eventually sought a cemetery in Fukuyama.
 Eventually, my father found a cemetery in the Satozuka Cemetery in Sapporo, where he buried his own remains as well as those of his grandfather and grandmother. In the end, my father concluded that my grandfather’s remains should be buried in Hokkaido. He had no other choice but to have his own remains buried in Hokkaido, and at the same time, his parents’ remains were buried there as well. My mother followed my father’s wishes to the letter.
 I remember the day I laid their ashes in the cemetery.
 Time goes by, and such a moment for my siblings’ generation will soon come. As the youngest child in the family, I have to think about my own life separately. Sometimes my wife and I talk about such things. My wife’s family will have to make a similar choice.
 I am currently participating as a member of the Hokkaido Housing Advisory Council, but I think that I must also decide my own “future” as well. Now that we are entering a period of declining population, the number of houses that our generation will have to manage will be considerably “multiple”. I believe that a similar thematic composition is occurring in the NEXT world of the human world.

 The temple built a new main building in 1993. The temple built a new main hall in 1993, and there was a “Houmeiroku” from that time, which I saw for the first time inadvertently. I found my name and my intention more than 30 years ago, and the word “Bodhidai-ji” seemed realistic to me.
 The main deity of this temple is “Fudo Myoo,” a deity unique to esoteric Buddhism. He is one of the Myoo, a deity unique to esoteric Buddhism. He is said to be an incarnation of Dainichi Nyorai. He is also the central Myoo of the Five Great Myoo. We respectfully bow our hands in prayer.