４−５日前からご近所で住宅解体工事が行われていて、散歩の道すがら見学させていただいていた。
　ご近所なので時折騒音が発生したりするし、どうも建築の様式としてブロック造と木造のハイブリッド的な建てられ方だったので、興味も増していた。敷地面積は目測で80-100坪前後。油圧ショベル（バックホー・ユンボ）のほぼ標準タイプとおぼしき重機で作業していた。
　上の写真はその途中状況。こういう作業にも「作法」があることは、この写真でも理解できる。外部側に建材の飛散などが生じないように、内部と外部の「構造」をわきまえながら、慎重に作業していた。写真の右側にはコンクリートブロックの壁面が三角屋根の形状のままにきれいに姿を現している。
　内部は木造で造作されていたようで、柱梁や床材などを重機で「つかんで」道路脇で待っている運搬用のトラックの荷台に器用に運び出している。動きにムダがなく、また素人目にもムリも感じられない。人間の作業意思が正確に発揮されている様子は、見ている側にも伝わってきていた。
　こういう様子は隣人としてありがたい。
　日常生活に対して多少の不都合〜道路のある程度の「専有」による人間動線の変更などはあっても、このように自制的で配慮の行き届いた作業を見せられると、内心では徐々に「応援」したくなってくる。実際に夕方に作業を手仕舞いしている瞬間に遭遇して「おつかれさま。作業、安心してみさせてもらいましたよ」と声掛けしたら、おお、とよろこびの表情で応えてくれていた。たぶん近所のひとに自分の工事作業がひょっとして迷惑になっているのではないかと、内心で心配していたかのよう。声掛けにそういう意図がないと知れて、思わず安堵の念が盛り上がったかのようだった。
　そして、下の写真は昨日の夕方、雨が上がってまた10,000歩越えの散歩の帰り道、覗いてみた様子。
　重機の安定を心がけているような「作業終了」の様子。いいね。
　戦後社会で旺盛に新築されてきた住宅建築。人口縮小局面で、これからこういう解体工事も増えていく趨勢でしょう。なにより安全第一の姿勢で、市民の日常生活を守っていって欲しいですね。

●お知らせ
拙書「作家と住空間」幻冬舎から電子書籍で発刊
お求めはAmazonで。
https://amzn.asia/d/eUiv9yO

English version⬇

[Observing a House Demolition Project. All I can say is, “Impressive!”]
The trend is for new construction to decline, while rebuilds, relocations, and renovations are on the rise. Demand for demolition work like this is likely to increase as well. A firsthand look at the work in progress…

　For the past 4–5 days, a house has been undergoing demolition in my neighborhood, and I’ve been watching the process while out on my walks.
　Since it’s right next door, there’s been some noise from time to time, and because the building seemed to be a hybrid of concrete block and wood construction, my interest kept growing. The lot area is roughly 80–100 tsubo, based on a rough estimate. They were working with what appeared to be a standard hydraulic excavator (backhoe or “yumbo”).
　The photo above shows the work in progress. As you can see from this photo, there is a “proper procedure” even for this kind of work. They were working carefully, mindful of the “structure” between the interior and exterior, to prevent building materials from scattering outside. On the right side of the photo, a concrete block wall is neatly emerging, retaining the shape of the triangular roof.
　The interior appeared to have been constructed of wood, and the workers were using heavy machinery to “grab” the posts, beams, and flooring materials, skillfully hauling them out onto the bed of a transport truck waiting by the roadside. Their movements were efficient, and even to a layperson’s eye, there was no sense of strain. The way the workers’ intent was precisely executed was clearly evident to anyone watching.
　As a neighbor, I’m grateful to see this kind of work.
　Even though there are some inconveniences in daily life—such as having to adjust my route due to the road being partially “occupied”—when I witness work carried out with such self-restraint and consideration, I gradually find myself wanting to “root for” them in my heart. In fact, when I happened to see them wrapping up for the day in the evening and said, “Good work today. I felt completely at ease watching you work,” they responded with a delighted “Oh!” It seemed as though they had been secretly worried that their construction work might be causing a nuisance to the neighbors. Once they realized there was no such intention behind my comment, a sense of relief seemed to well up in them.
　And the photo below shows what I saw yesterday evening on my way back from a walk—another one exceeding 10,000 steps—after the rain had stopped.
　It looks like they’re wrapping up the work while taking care to stabilize the heavy machinery. Nice.
　Housing construction boomed in the postwar era. With the population now in decline, we’ll likely see more demolition projects like this in the future. Above all, I hope they’ll prioritize safety to protect the daily lives of citizens.

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

Posted on 6月 28th, 2026 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 未分類