ここしばらくの間、仕事上の懸案対応事項が多くて忙しいのと、降雪が多かったことで毎朝除雪作業でほぼ体力を消耗する一方。で、散歩に出られる機会が極端に少なかった。除雪による筋肉疲労もカラダ各所から悲鳴が上がってきて、ときどきはマッサージのお世話になる季節でもある。
わが家は札幌の西部・山の手に立地していますが、周辺にはこの写真のように「発寒川」があって周辺からは四季折々の変化を楽しむことができる。写真は仕事も除雪も一服状況だったので、久しぶりに散歩してきた2/6早朝の写真光景であります。午前６時頃の気温はマイナス10度ほどでした。気温もだいたい平年並みというところ。一方きのう2/7現在の降雪量（札幌市西区）は345cm・平年値は342cm、積雪深は80cm、平年値は75cmとこれもほぼ平年並みで推移しています。平年では積雪深はほぼこのレベルを１ヶ月弱維持して融雪に向かう。そういう意味では冬至ではなく雪の季節の至り「雪至」とでも表現すべき札幌の季節感。なので「雪まつり」もこの時期に開催されるということなのですね。ことしはようやく感染症による中止が明けて、リアルな雪像群が造形されて、欧米からの観光客の姿が目に付いています。週末には温泉などで欧米人と交流もできています。やはりこういった国際交流の機会を作ってきてくれた先人の知恵には感謝です。
いちばん上の写真は発寒川を囲む緑地から西南側、手稲連山の方向を見晴らす様子。わが家周辺の旧国道５号線道路脇から、視界が急に開ける場所からの眺め。札幌人が北海道人に変わる瞬間でしょうか（笑）。冬以外の季節にはこの周辺緑地を上下して散策するコースがひとつの散歩定番なのですが、冬道なのでついつい足が遠くなってしまう。でも自然の方は忘れずに雄大な季節の営みを知らせてくれる。目とこころの保養。


さて一方、２枚目３枚目のGoogleマップと写真は発寒川をわたる歩道橋からコンクリート製の「段々滝」の様子ですが、雪の最盛期らしくすっかり水面が雪におおわれて、ごく一部が目玉のように見えているだけ。方角的にはマップは手許側が北で上が南になる。人間の感覚って不思議なもので、こういう光景を見るとかえって「あ、もうすぐ冬が終わってくれる」というように反応する。もちろんこれからもたぶん数回はドカ雪があって痛めつけられるのですが（笑）、確実に季節の切り替えスイッチは始動したと感じるのです。
ことしはいろいろなプロジェクトが着々と進行中。来るべき春のスタートに向けて雪と対話しつつ淡々と過ごしていきたいと思います。

English version⬇

Sapporo, where the winter solstice is not the winter solstice, but the “snow solstice”.
Tourists from all over the world are coming to Sapporo for the Snow Festival. Winter is over and spring is far away. The surface of the water with only eyeballs is active under the snow mountain. Winter is here…

For a while now, I have been busy with many pending matters at work, and the heavy snowfall has meant that I have had very few opportunities to go out for walks, while the snow removal work every morning has been almost physically exhausting. My muscles are also getting tired from the snow removal, and my body is screaming for a massage every now and then.
My house is located in the mountain side of western Sapporo, and as you can see in this photo, the Hassamu River is in the vicinity, allowing me to enjoy the changes of the seasons from the surrounding area. The photo was taken early in the morning of February 6, when I went for a walk for the first time in a while, since there was a lull in work and snow removal. The temperature at 6:00 a.m. was about minus 10 degrees Celsius. The temperature was about the same as normal. On the other hand, the amount of snowfall (in Nishi Ward, Sapporo) as of 2/7/2010 was 345 cm, 342 cm above normal, and the snow depth was 80 cm, 75 cm above normal, which is also about the same as normal. In a normal year, the snow depth maintains almost this level for less than a month before melting. In this sense, Sapporo’s seasonality should be described not as the winter solstice but as the “snow solstice. So the “Snow Festival” is also held at this time of year. This year, after the festival was finally cancelled due to infectious diseases, realistic snow sculptures have been created, and tourists from Europe and the United States have been seen. On weekends, we are able to interact with Westerners at hot springs and other places. I am grateful for the wisdom of our ancestors who created such opportunities for international exchange.
The top photo is a view from the green space surrounding Hassamu River to the southwest, looking toward Mt. This is the view from the side of the old Route 5 road around our house, where the field of view suddenly opens up. This is the moment when a Sapporo person turns into a Hokkaido person (laughs). One of my regular walks in the seasons other than winter is up and down this surrounding green space, but since it is a winter road, I tend to go too far. But nature never forgets to inform us of the majestic workings of the seasons. A feast for the eyes and mind.

On the other hand, the second and third Google maps and photos show the concrete “terraced waterfall” from the pedestrian bridge across the Hassamu River, but the surface of the water is completely covered with snow as if it is the peak season for snow, and only a small portion is visible like an eyeball. In terms of direction, the map is north on the side at hand and south at the top. Human senses are strange things, and when I see such a scene, I react as if to say, “Oh, winter will soon be over. Of course, there will probably be a few more snowstorms in the future (laughs), but I feel that the switch to change seasons has definitely been activated.
Various projects are steadily underway this year. I would like to spend my time in an unhurried manner while interacting with the snow to prepare for the coming start of spring.

Posted on 2月 8th, 2023 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: こちら発行人です, 日本社会・文化研究