Japanese Surgeon's Daily Life

Rinzou Mamiya, Japanese Adventurer

     In this entry,I'm going to introduce a Japanese adventurer, Rinzou Mamiya. He was a samurai who lived in the early 19th century. The Russians often showed up around Japan from the north at that time and sometimes attacked the frontier guard of Japan on the Kurile Islands. Rinzo was one of the guards of Etorofu island, which is one of the Kurile Islands. He was talented in surveying and Ainu, so Japan's feudal government dispatched him to Sakhalin to make a map of Sakhalin and investigate the border of Russia. It was his achievement to confirm that Sakhalin is not a peninsula but an island. Though Sakhalin must be a part of Japan based on the international laws, Russia is controlling it now. Anyway, setting that aside now, I'd like to visit Sakhalin. I had seen it a few years ago from the northern tip of Hokkaido. When I saw the statue of Rinzo at the north tip, I decided to visit Sakhalin and cross the Mamiya Strait between Sakhalin and the Eurasia continent.
     The signboard in the picture reads that Rinzo left for Sakhalin from here. In other words, here was the boarding point and the statue is viewing toward Sakhalin.

(Vocabulary)
He was a warrior who lived in the late 16th century.
彼は16世紀後半を生きた武将です。
Kurile Islands  千島列島
Japan's feudal government  幕府
Sakhalin  樺太　サハリン(ロシア名)
surveying  測量
based on the conventional wisdom  これまでの常識に照らせば
farthest north // northern tip  最北端
Eurasia continent  ユーラシア大陸

A Short Ride

     I got a half day-off today and went out for a ride on my scooter early this afternoon. Because I didn't have any particular purpose, I decided to choose directions when I stopped at the light by chance. Like, one time, I would go straight, and another time, I would turn right or left.
     The first picture shows a floodgate which was taken in the Dogo area. Japan is known as an industrialized nation, but it has such a rural and sleepy scenery too.
     The second picture is of an afforestation area. I admire that people are planting trees for the next or next next generation. People who planted and take care of these trees won't get any money, and nevertheless, they would have to pay the planting costs. It may be the return to the last generation for the services rendered.
     While I was wandering about, I found myself at the place in the third picture. If I was riding my old off-road motorbike, I could explore into the woods, but my scooter is not able to run on this sort of forest road, so I turned back.
     As I rode down the hill along Nibukawa Keikoku (Gorge), I got to Tamagawa Reservoir, on the surface of which a group of students were practicing rowing. I'll show you the picture of Nibukawa Gorge and Tamagawa Reservoir.
     The next picture is a small village and rice field. A couple of weeks later, this field will turn gold from the grains(ears) of rice.
     The last picture shows my scooter, which I took during a short coffee break.

(Vocabulary)
early afternoon  昼過ぎ
flood gate  水門
industrial country / industrial nation  工業国
afforestation / tree planting  植林
ear of rice  稲穂

Rebun and Rishiri Island

     Japan is a small island nation. The northern island of it is named Hokkaido. I'm introducing two tiny islands that are located to the west of the north tip of Hokkaido. These islands are well known for their beauty.
     The names of islands are Rebun and Rishiri, which are easily found on your map, I think. One of the pictures shows me with my off-road motorcycle on the Rebun's forest road against Rishiri island. To my regret, the top of Rishiri island was covered by cloud. Another picture is the distant view of me riding on the same road.

Northern Latitude of 45 Degrees

     I've been having serious discussions these days, so I'm changing the topic this time. I'll show you pictures that I took in the northern island of Hokkaido a couple of years ago. I was going up to the ultimate north of Japan on the west coast of Hokkaido, on my motorcycle at that time, when I found a monument that informs tourists of their whereabouts. I am silhouetted against the lights in front of the monument. You can also see Rishiri island behind me. The mountain at the heart of the island is called as Rishiri-Fuji, because the shape of the mountain is just like Mt. Fuji, which is also the symbol of Japan. You can easily detect the place we were on your map. We were at the point where the northern latitude of 45 degrees' line crosses the west coast of Hokkaido.
     I sometimes dream of my next adventure. Viewing the Japan Sea from the opposite side, across the sea. It means that I have to stand in North Korea. It is extremely difficult in the present condition, but I hope the cruel nation will be wiped out from the earth as soon as possible for the people of North Korea.

(Vocabulary)
northern latitude of 45 degrees  北緯45度
silhouette against the lights   逆光を受けてシルエツトになる

堅い話が続いたので、ちょっと前のツーリングの写真をお見せします。下に写真を載せますが、これは数年前に北海道で撮ったものです。北海道の西岸を北上しているときにこのようなモニュメントを見つけました。旅人に北緯４５度であることを告げています。僕は逆光でシルエットになっていますが、後ろの利尻島が見えます。この場所は北緯４５度線が北海道の西岸と交差する場所です。すぐにわかりますね。

次に考えている大きな冒険があります。それはこの地を海を挟んだ対岸から見ること。つまりそれは北朝鮮の大地を踏みしめると言うことです。もちろん現状ではまず無理なことですが、この残虐な国家が一日でも早くこの世から消えてしまうことを祈っています。

 

(KW: 利尻島　北緯45度線　オロロンライン　ＧＰＳ)

Evening Bazaar

     An evening Bazaar has been held in the summer for over 20 years in my hometown. The pictures were taken on 28th June, the first day of this season. This street is the busiest shopping street in the city.
     This bazaar is an opportunity to enjoy yukata, the Japanese traditional outfit in the summer. You can see some girls dressed fashionably in the picture. They look pretty, but they have to pay attention not to get their yukata stained by food or in the lavatory. It's not cheap to wash  yukata. Moreover, they have to walk slowly so as not to ruin their looks in their yukata. It sounds like it's not easy to enjoy yukata.

A Scene Of The Summer

     My hometown is on the coast of the Seto Inland Sea. This sea is usually calm and beautiful. Today was really fine and I went out for a change on my scooter. The picture shows Futami Beach, one hour's ride from my house, which is famous for its beautiful sunsets.
     It was just starting to get crowded and I saw some families with little kids on the edge of the surf. The scene reminded me of my daughters' younger days. When my daughters were little kids, I sometimes went there and stayed almost half a day. It took a lot out of me, but it was fun.
     Some of, or all of my daughters, would leave home with their partners in at least 10 years. I'm thinking about family trips that all the family could enjoy. One would be in winter and the other in summer.

(Vocabulary)
on the edge of the surf     波打ち際に

　僕の街は瀬戸内海に面している。この海はいつも静かで美しい。今日は快晴だったので気分転換にスクーターで少し走ってみた。写真はうちから１時間ほど走ったところにある双海海岸で、夕日が美しいことで有名な場所だ。

　ちょうど海が混み始めた時間だった。何組かの家族が子供を連れて波打ち際にいる。この家族を見ていて娘達がまだ幼い頃を思い出した。娘達が小さい頃、よくこの海岸へ来て半日を過ごした。かなり疲れることだったが楽しかった。

　娘達の何人か、あるいは皆がそれぞれパートナーを見つけてこの１０年以内に家を出ることになるだろう。今、みんなで行ける家族旅行を考えている。冬に一度、夏に一度。

Tsingtao beer

     I was astonished to see the picture of Tsingtao in the Herald Tribune this morning. I didn't have permission from the Herard Tribune, but I'm putting up the picture from the paper below.
     My image of Tsingtao was like this; beautiful scenery and a suitable place for a holiday resort. In the early 20th century, Germany was holding this district by lease and gave the Chinese the know-how to run the brewery. Tsingtao beer originated with German brewery technology and has now become the most popular brand beer in China. The Germans at that time must have thought that Tsingtao's water was very clear and suitable for making beer. The quality of the water is the soul of alcoholic beverages.
     What do you say after looking at this picture? Here is the competition site for the water sports in the Beijing Olympic Games in a month. I am eager to know why the committee chose China.

青島ビール

　今日付のヘラルドトリビューン紙を見て驚いた。同紙の許可は頂いていないがここに転載する。まあ、ご覧あれ。　青島についての僕の印象は、美しい、澄んだ空、きれいな水、リゾート地、といったところだろうか。２０世紀初頭に青島がドイツの租借地であった時にドイツ人はシナ人にビールの醸造法を伝えた。そして今、青島ビールは最も飲まれるブランドとなった。当時のドイツ人は青島の水が上質でビールの醸造に適していると考えたのであろう。質の良い水は酒の命である。　ところがどうだ、この景色は！この場所でボート競技が行われるのである。オリンピック委員会がこの国を選んだ理由を是非とも知りたいものだ。

Offline Meeting

     "Offline Meeting" might be a Japanese-made phrase. It means a real meeting at which people who usually meet on the internet meet in the real world. I joined an offline meeting today. A half of the members were new to me. I didn't know even their names. I only knew their nicknames and their way of thinking. I have just read their comments on the net.
     The motorcycle is our common language. We enjoyed chatting about our own motorcycles and other hobbies and jobs over local brand beers and distilled spirits. I had a fabulous time and got to know many things from other occupations apart from the medical services.
     One of them was planning to ride a motorcycle in the southwest islands, just on the border of Japan. As I talked with him, I grew eager to go for a long tour. The picture shows us lining up in front of the Dogo Onsen Spa, which is one of the national historic heritage buildings.

(Vocabulary)
fabulous  すばらしい

Matsuyama Tourist Port

     I came back to Matsuyama City by the same ferry before it got dark. It's not so often I can see the scenery of the port from the sea and I enjoyed the lovely views from the deck.
     I'll show you "Turner Toh" reef that is just outside the port. "Turner Toh" is the nickname of this reef and the original name is "Shijuu shima". This nickname was named in a famous novel, "Bocchan", that was the story of a teacher who worked in Matsuyama City in the Meiji era.

(Vocabulary)
Matsuyama Tourist Port　松山観光港
"Turner Toh" reef　ターナー島　四十島

(KW: 四十島 ターナー島 坊ちゃん 夏目漱石)
 

Seto Inland Sea

     Japan consists of small islands. The four biggest islands are called "Hokkaido", "Honshu", "Kyushu" and "Shikoku". My hometown is on Shikoku island, the smallest one of these four islands. The water area that lies at the north of Shikoku is called the Seto Inland Sea. This sea is known as the most peaceful sea in Japan.
     The ferry boat that I got on was very slow and was overtaken by a small boat. You might figure out how calm this sea was from the picture.

(Vocabulary)
calm sea / peaceful sea / quiet sea  穏やかな海

(KW: 瀬戸内海 北海道 本州 九州 四国)
 

Marine Corps Air Station(MCAS) Iwakuni, Japan

     The annual air show was put on at Marine Corps Air Station in Iwakuni City on May 5th. I knew about this Friendship Day long ago, but it was the first time I had attended it. I had been interested in this event, but didn't have a chance to visit the station.
     The days between Apr. 29th and May. 5th are called Golden Week in Japan and it's also a holiday week. I can take consecutive days-off during this week and would rather go out for a longer trip than a day trip. This is the only reason that I haven't been to MCAS Iwakuni.
     Iwakuni City is located on the coast of Chugoku District, just on the opposite side of my hometown across Seto Inland Sea.
     I went there by a ferry that was chartered by the tour company. This ferry was going to enter the military port of MCAS Iwakuni. I couldn't wait to arrive at the port, but there were no military vessels and moreover taking pictures was prohibited. The ferry was designed for a short service like 30 minutes at the longest. I had to stay on that ferry more than 3 hours. It was really an ordeal.
     The air show was great and I enjoyed it. The first picture is the ferry boat that I got on. The second is of a transport aircraft and the last is military jets (F18 Hornets) performing aerobatics at the air show.
(Vocabulary)
air show  航空ショー
put sth on ＜行事・コンサートなど＞を催す, ＜劇など＞を上演する
The school puts on a play every year.  その学校は毎年劇を上演している．
opposite ~~~ across ～を挟んで反対側に
ordeal  厳しい試練, つらい体験
the ordeal of doing sth  ＜…＞する苦しみ［つらさ］
aerobatics  曲芸飛行（術）

 

 

(KW: 米軍 海兵隊 岩国 基地 航空ショー)
 

The Cherry Blossoms

     My sleep was disturbed by the wail of a siren this morning. I was on the night shift last night. I concluded the handover with a co-worker and left my hospital. The sky was clear and the cherry trees were in full bloom. In Japan, people customarily have a party underneath the cherry trees. This party is called Hanami.
     The biggest municipal park in my city is near my house and it's about five minutes' walk from my house. It is one of the best places for Hanami. This park is always crowed on holidays, but the parking lot is closed at five o'clock in the afternoon and so the park gets less crowded after five. A, my wife and I went to the park about five o'clock and I'll show you some pictures in the left column. The cherry blossom season will end in about ten days. That's why we Japanese value the cherry blossoms, I think.

(Vocabulary)
wail of siren サイレンが鳴り響く音
conclude the handover  引き継ぎを終える
customarily 通例, 通常
value …を重んじる，（高く）評価する
I value her opinion. 彼女の意見を尊重します．
He is valued highly by his colleagues. 彼は同僚に高く評価されている．
value sb/sth for sth ＜…＞を＜…＞の点で重んじる

（ＫＷ： 松山市総合公園)

Nitobe Memorial Garden (Japanese Garden)

     It is the third time I've written about Mr. Inazo Nitobe here. He was one of the people who has influenced me. I read some of his books and knew a little about his life. Victoria in BC is famous also as the place of his death. I knew and got interested in Vancouver and Victoria while reading his biography and so I visited both cities several times. I have known about the Nitobe Memorial Garden near UBC in Vancouver, but didn't have a chance to visit there. I was going to drop in at the garden during this trip.
     This morning I got up earlier than the other members to drop in at the garden on the way to the airport. I asked a taxi to take us to the garden, but this garden might not be so famous judging from the fact that the taxi driver didn't know where it was. I handed the map to the driver, but he couldn't reach there directly.
     We ended up driving to and fro in the campus of UBC. I thought we were unlucky to catch this driver. However, to my surprise, this driver was very familiar with the geography of UBC and showed us a few places like the domitories, the library, some departments, playgrounds, shops and so on. It was also fun.
     After we finished sightseeing at UBC, we started for the airport. Just at the time we started, we found the garden. As we had lost time in the campus, we could stay there only 10 minutes.
     Mr. Nitobe said, "I wish to be a bridge across the Pacific Ocean." I visited Hokkaido University last summer, so I've managed to visit both abutments of the bridge; the east is Vancouver and the west is Hokkaido. I completed one of my purposes of the trip.

See also;
http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2008/01/ski-schedule.html

http://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2007/08/taking-a-walk-i.html

(Vocabulary)
abutment piece / bridge column / bridge footing  橋脚

　新渡戸稲造についてこのブログに書くのはこれで３回目です。過去２回については最下部にリンクを載せておきます。彼は僕に影響を与えた人の一人で、学生時代に彼の本を読み、彼のことを知りました。カナダのブリティッシュ・コロンビア州の州都ビクトリアは彼の終焉の地としても有名です。彼の作品だけでなく、彼の伝記を読み、バンクーバーとビクトリアに興味を持つようになり、この地に何度も訪れるようになりました。バンクーバーにあるブリティッシュ・コロンビア大学のそばにある新渡戸記念公園は以前より知っていて立ち寄りたかったのですが機会が無く、今回やっと訪れることが出来ました。

　今朝、他のメンバーよりも早起きして娘と一緒にホテルを出ました。空港への途中で公園に立ち寄るためです。タクシーに立ち寄るよう頼んだのですが、運転手はこの公園を知らず、大学の中をぐるぐると回る羽目に。しかし、大学の中はいろいろと案内してくれました。広い大学でした。これはこれで面白かったのですが、公園を諦めて空港へ向かおうとしたその時に目当ての公園を見つけましたが１０分ほどしか時間が無く駆け足で見て回りました。

　稲造は太平洋の架け橋となりたいと言葉を残しています。北海道大学には英文で、バンクーバーのこの公園には日本語でその言葉が残されています。これで、この架け橋の東の橋脚であるバンクーバーと西の橋脚である北海道の両方を訪れたことになります。この旅行の目的の一つを達成できました。

It says, "I wish to be a bridge across the Pacific Ocean."

(KW: 新渡戸稲造　武士道)

A Signboard

     It's a nondescriptive signboard that shows the street is closed due to the construction of the Canada Line. I found this sign just when I was looking for what indicates the date or the year. It shows that today is between April 2006 and April 2009. When A or A's kids take a look at these pictures long afterwards, I mean after my death, they will know that it was just before the Vancouver Olympics in the early 21st century.
     At the hotel, I saw several pictures on the wall of the lobby. They were taken in the 19th and early 20th centuries, that was to say, the history of the hotel. Seeing them, I thought I needed some pictures telling the year. That's why I took this nondescript picture.

(Vocabulary)
nondescript  ごくありふれた
nondescriptive  非記述的な、何の変哲もない、ごくありきたりの

The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver

     We reached our hotel. When I saw this hotel for the first time, I saw it from this direction. I remember that I thought how monolithic this hotel was.
     Anyway, the geography of the downtown of Vancouver was very easy and kind to visitors. I could get to the hotel without losing the way.

(Vocabulary)
monolithic
1 〈組織・制度などが〉 巨大な, 融通の利かない, 一枚岩的な
2 《通例[名]の前で》 (建物などが) どっしりとそびえ立つ

A Construction Site

     We walked and hung around going towards our hotel from Gastown. Such a walk without any definite porpose is fun during the trip. We came across a big construction site and I took a picture. Here was Granville Street, one of the busiest streets in Vancouver. Can you imagine? The street was completely closed.
     It looked like a subway construction and judging from the direction it would connect the airport and North Vancouver. They are surely preparing for the Olympics in 2010. I hoped I would be back again in 2010.

(Vocabulary)
hang around/hang around sth (＜場所＞で)ぶらぶらする, ぶらつく

Gastown

     Vancouver's history as a city has its roots in what was a tiny settlement nicknamed Gastown, where we are in the picture.
     Look at the picture. It is the steam clock in Gastown that is one of the main tourist spots in Vancouver. When I visited here about 20 years ago for the first time, I didn't have any interest in Canadian history, but a coupon I happend to get in a car rental shop made me change. I got to think about Canadian history. The coupon said; The name Gastown came into use after the first settler "Gassy Jack." This is, naturally, a nickname. His real name was John Deighton. In Victorian times the term "to gas" referred to talking a lot, something which Deighton had become famous for. Don't you think it is interesting?

(Vocabulary)
refer
refer to sb/sth〈言葉・数字・報告などが〉 ＜…＞を表す, 示す
These figures refer to crimes committed last year. これらの数字は昨年起きた犯罪数を表しています．

My parents, Eri, Yuri and I in 1995

Downtown and Nature

     We are walking along Coal Harbour heading for Lost Lagoon in the picture. The background is the downtown of Vancouver. The contrast between the modern area and the nature was interesting. The beautiful scene took nothing out of us.

A and Heron

     Now, we came across a group of herons. The youngest kid, Tomo, started chasing them. It's rare to see wild herons in our hometown and I could understand his delight. He's seven years old and his behaviour was acceptable. However, to my surprise, sixteen year-old A began to follow them. It was so funny that I took some pictures.

(Vocabulary)
heron サギ (大型の鳥)

Tomo & A are chasing herons.

On the Bridge to a Yacht Club

     The modern buildings, many yachts and forest. The children were surprised at the structure of this city. Shortly after I took this picture, meandering steps took us to Lost Lagoon. I didn't miss A's unconscious sigh. How beautiful!

(Vocabulary)
meandering 〈川・道などが〉 曲がりくねった, 蛇行した; だらだらした［続く］