Japanese Surgeon's Daily Life

Hagioukan

　　Hagi City is located on the Sea of Japan coast in Yamaguchi Prefecture. There has been a narrow and winding path from the side of the Seto Inland Sea to Hagi City across the mountainous area since long ago. The current road is built roughly along that old path.
　　We dropped in at a rest area called "Hagioukan". Several heros of the Meiji Restoration welcomed us as you see in the following pictures. An exhibition was showing that many young promising samurais were studying and discussing about Japan's future. Then we had lunch, "Kawara-soba", which was a regional specialty. Soba noodles were stir-fried on a roof tile called "Kawara". People apparently used Kawara as a frying pan in the times that frying pans weren't widespread. It's definitely a token showing how poor lives people spent, but this simple stir-fried Soba has become a famous specialty now.

Short Trip to Yamaguchi

　　I'm bonkers about trips. I'm always itching to set out for a trip. The restriction associated with COVID-19 has been deterring me from going out of Japan. The other day, however, Japan finally came out of the long tunnel and the restriction was lifted, though the government is still requesting to wear a face mask and frequent hand washing.
　　I planned a short trip nearby before the next wave's occurrence. My destination was Yamaguchi prefecture located at the opposite side of my prefecture across Seto Inland Sea. I've been to the prefecture only a few times, but I don't know much about it. Two cities on the side of the Sea of Japan, Hagi and Nagato, were the target places.
　　Hagi City is well-known as the ground zero of the Meiji Restoration. In general, revolutions are raised by people who can get benefit from them, but the Meiji Restoration was accomplished by the samurai who wanted to put an end to their era. They descended from the privileged class to commoners. I'd like to learn the secret of the restoration in Hagi City.
　　As you may know, the 126th Ten-noh, which is translated as an emperor for want of a better word, ascended the throne three years ago. His new palace was also newly built. I hear that the wall of the reception hall is decorated with a traditional picture of Japan depicting the Nagato Coast. After hearing that, I was eager to see the scenery of the coast. That's why I decided to visit Nagato City.
　　My ferry left the harbor and headed for Yanai port in Yamaguchi prefeture. It traveled on the Seto Inland Sea, which is famous for scenic islands and the complex sea current. When my ferry passed the waters of an usually rapid current, the current was at a standstill. Enjoy the following pictures which I took from the ferry.

(Vocabulary)
hypocenter 〚通例the ～〛震源(地); （核兵器の）爆心(地点).
ground zero （核爆弾の）爆心地. 出発[始発]点.
for want of a better word 他に適当な言葉がないので

Crane Climbing 2

　　Finally I got it! I climbed up to the operation room of a huge crane in my office. I had tried it once last year but couldn't make it. Since then, I have been feeling regrettable every time I look up at the crane. I took some pictures from the level of the operation room as a token of my successful climbing. Closely looking, there was a long ladder on the arm continuing to the tip. A specialist seems to investigate the crane up to the tip several times in a year. He brings some oil to the tip and puts it on the moving parts. I would never perform such an awful task.
　　You'll know where I took the following picture judging from my former entry (LINK). Stairs to the room were exposed outside and my climbing was thrilling. When I climbed down and stood on the earth, my glove was dirty with the dust and coating material of the handrail. I did a good job cleaning the handrail.(grin)

https://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2020/10/crane-climbing.html

Porsche Taycan

　　An exhibition of Porsche cars was held in an adjacent prefecture and I joined it. I was able to actually sit on the driver's seat of a Porsche Taycan, Porsche's first-ever electric vehicle. Its general appearance was wonderful and the instrument panel was also beautiful. It was gorgeous, but to my sadness the price was also gorgeous. I can't afford the car, but it was refreshing to see such a beautiful car with cutting-edge technologies.

TPMS (Tire Pressure Management System)

　　An alarming sign showed up on the screen of my car, which wasn't familiar to me, but I promptly understood what it was meaning from its design. It was telling me about the low pressure of tires. It would be exacting work to figure out the design which can be easily and correctly recognized by people.
　　Anyway, I brought my car to a tire shop and had all the tires checked. The right front tire was slightly low-pressured. It was taken off and was sunk into water to detect the puncture, but no puncture was found. The air would be discharged bit by bit for long hours. Nitrogen gas was infused into all the tires and the inspection was done.
　　The mechanic pointed out the tire wear at the same time. It's 23 months since the purchase and I drove the car almost 70000km though I used winter tires during winter. I have to think about purchasing new tires next spring.

(Vocabulary)　tire wear タイヤの摩耗　

Low-water Crossing

　　I felt a sense of confinement and drove my car nearby. The following picture shows a distinctive bridge connecting small clusters across the river. As you can imagine from its design, when the water level of the river becomes extremely high, this bridge can avoid the strong pressure from the flow. By sinking into the water, the bridge can avoid the collision with driftwood. It's the wisdom of people who had lived along the river. FYI, this river is well-known as the clearest river in Japan.
　　This bridge is called "Sinking Bridge" literally in Japanese. I googled the name of this type of bridge to write this entry, and I knew the word, "low-water crossing". The internet is really handy, and a new online trip will start often when I find something interesting.

(Vocabulary)
cluster 集落
driftwood [U] 流木

Anniversary of The End of The War

　　August 15th rolled around again. Showa Ten-noh declared the defeat of the Great East Asian War on this day in 1945. This day is deeply engraved in the mind of most Japanese, though the official signing day was Sept. 2nd. Since then, the Japanese have been brainwashed by biased historical education, but now lots of Japanese people came to learn the real history and became proud of being a Japanese.
　　There is a shrine called "Gokoku" in every prefecture. "Gokoku" means the protection of the country and numerous people who lost their lives for the sake of Japan are honored in the shrine. I was going to visit Gokoku shrine in my hometown, but I was afraid to be close to other people in the grounds. Then, I visited the Army's graveyard in my neighborhood to avoid crowded circumstances. I expressed my sincere gratitude for the present peaceful environment in my hometown.

At A Parking Lot

　　When I parked my car at a parking lot along the highway and dropped in at the toilet, a strident song of birds surprised me. The song was of three birds in their nest which is set inside the men's toilet. They seemed immature and looked unable to fly. Their parents were absent. They might be hunting for their children's food. It might be from the security issue that the nest was built in the toilet, not outside.
　　I noticed that a guard against a fall was set under the nest. It is considered to be auspicious in Japan that birds build their nest at the house, so the highway company might have set it. Or, just for the protection from droppings? Anyway, it seemed that I had to put up with the boisterous songs until they leave the nest.

(Vocabulary)
strident〈音・声が〉耳障りな, やかましい
a strident voice/tone 耳障りな声［音］
droppings (鳥獣の) 糞(ふん)

Mass Vaccination

　　The mass vaccination had already started in Japan. The health care workers, including me, were given a shot on a priority basis. Next, the elderly who wanted to get vaccinated and people with chronic diseases have been given the shot. Then ordinary people began to receive the vaccination.
　　However, there's a shortage of doctors, who perform the preliminary examination of applicants. I was asked to attend the vaccination meeting planned by the nearby municipality. Arriving at the designated place, there were about 10 doctors and 30 to 40 paramedical staff members along with clerical staff.
　　In addition, there must have been some more staff behind the scene who prepare the vaccines, which was frozen. The vaccine was from Pfizer and it was preserved frozen. It should be thawed before use and should be set in syringes. Paramedical staff members would be ready behind the partition wall. I'd like to join the vaccination projects when I have time.

(Vocabulary)
on a priority basis　優先的に
thaw [他] (thaw something ↔ out とも) 〈冷凍食品〉 を解凍する

Bridge Closed

　　The Japanese Government asks doctors to cooperate to accelerate the public vaccination as a national policy against the pandemic. The government wants to give it to as many people as possible before the Tokyo Olympics. The local medical association sounded my opinion the other day and I decided to join the vaccination meeting in Fukuyama city.
　　Fukuyama city is located at the opposite side of my hometown across the Seto Inland Sea. A scenic route called Shimanami Kaido connects both cities. Try to google "Shimanami Kaido", you can see beautiful pictures. Read the following paragraphs please, looking at the map to understand the rough picture.
　　I started out at 6:30a.m. When I reached Ikuchijima island, I knew that Innoshima Ohashi Bridge, which connects between Innoshima and Mukaishima islands, was closed due to torrential rain which hampered the sight. I was forced to get off the highway on the first interchange on Innoshima island. If only I could get to the next island of Mukaishima island, I was able to use a ferry boat to Onomichi City on Honshu. While I was waiting for the rain to become weak, another bridge, Ikuchijima Ohashi Bridge was also closed. It meant I was confined to Innoshima island. I'd already given up arriving at the designated site on time, but I became unable to come back home.
　　I heard about a tiny ferry boat for locals in the return direction, and headed for it. The boat was continuously working and I was safely able to come back home. The pictures were shot from the ferry boat. I took on a responsibility for joining the meeting next Thursday. I want to fulfill my task next time.

Wandering in My Memory

　　My wife and I took a drive to Misaki, which is located at the westernmost part of Shikoku. I spent 2 years there during my childhood. A regular liner connects this town and Saganoseki, which is the easternmost town of Kyushu. In other words, the liner operates between the shortest distance between Shikoku and Kyushu. I've often dropped in at this town on the way to Kyushu, but I've never got into the town itself. I just stayed at the pier for 20 minutes or so waiting for the ferry.
　　I sneaked into my beloved home today. Old narrow alleys and ruined houses whose active image I remembered evoked nostalgia. I came across the kindergarten which my youngest brother went to. I used to pick him up there. The kindergarten also had become one of the ruins. Faces of old friends came up to my mind. Faces which I remember were of 50 years ago. If I met them, I wouldn't recognize them. "How are they doing?" I uttered unconsciously.
　　We entered a famous restaurant, "Shirasu" Park. "Shirasu" is a kind of whitebait in English. I understood that the restaurant was usually so crowded, but today was a weekday and we were able to take seats outside. The "shirasu" bowl for my lunch was great.

(Vocabulary)
a regular liner 定期船
alley (alleyway とも) 路地, 裏通り

Kitchen Car

　　The sales in the kitchen car is getting popular in Japan. Under the pandemic of coronavirus, getting together in the bad-ventilated space became strictly restricted. Consequently, taking food out became preferable. The following pictures show a kitchen car and a flame in it. It is of a famous grilled chicken chain. I'll take their food for today's lunch.

Fun Driving

　　Today was a day-off and I went out for a drive to a restaurant located in the mountainous area. It was about an hour drive from my house. My car has no engines and is driven by electricity, which means the inside is very quiet. You can even hear the birds' sound during driving. Additionally, the car-driving assisted by its autopilot function was unspeakably comfortable.

Excavation

　　I have my hair cut once a month at a specific barber's. I was surprised to see around the barber's today. The scene around was unbelievably changed. Lots of houses were removed as part of the redevelopment of the JR Matsuyama Station. I found some people there who didn't look ordinary construction workers doing something. Their work looked very delicate. Looking closely, they were excavating the soil. They were too focused to speak to. I'm looking forward to seeing the archaeological findings.

 

Return Ride From A Business Trip

　　I was asked to cover the Okayama Branch from my company since April and I worked in the Okayama Branch today. I visited there by car last time, but I used a JR train this time. The reason why I chose the train is just for relaxation. It takes more than two hours from Okayama to my home by train. What did I do in the train?
　　On the return ride, I enjoyed a movie on Netflix with my small PC as you can see in the following pictures below. Time flied while I was in the movie world and the train arrived in Matsuyama City in a moment.

Newborn Baby's First Visit to a Shrine

　　I'm writing about a long-lasting tradition of Japan, "First Visit To a Shrine".
　　"Newborn Baby's First Visit To a Shrine" is celebrated by his/her parents and grandparents on about the 30th day after birth. As you may know, sunlight is harmful for newborn babies, so about 30 days after their birth, babies can go out for the first time while avoiding the direct sunlight. The parents of the newborn baby take their baby to the shrine to wish his/her happiness on this day.
　　My wife and I accompanied the visit. The baby's paternal grandparents were already in heaven, and five of us including the baby sat down on the tatami mat in front of the Shinto priests to receive purification from them. After the memorable visit, we got seated to a special dinner.
　　We flew to Tokyo, where my daughter's family live, with intensive care against the coronavirus pandemic. Our granddaughter can't do anything now, but I'd like to keep an eye on her growth.

Balneum

　　My daughter is giving her daughter a bath in her kitchen sink. I took this picture with my wide angle lens and consequently the baby's face is enlarged. She looks relaxed during bath time. I recalled the scene when my wife was giving my daughter a bath about 30 some years ago.

Arita Porcelain Park

　　If you like ceramics, you'd know about Meissen chinaware. Arita town has a sister city treaty with Meissen city and there was a facility to show the friendly relationship between them. It's name is Arita Porcelain Park and we visited there. It's not so long ago when it had been built, but the park was half-closed, or at least I saw the park so. Was it due to the unfavorable economic conditions? The museum, which I was eager to visit, was closed. I've heard that the museum houses several national treasure class porcelains. I really wanted to see them.
　　Today's hotel was Arita huis (link), where you can enjoy Arita wares; i.e. all cuisine was served with Arita wares. The dinner was really delicious and BEAUTIFUL. I reevaluated the importance of ceramic tableware. I understood that tableware can make the dishes more beautiful and extravagant.

https://aritahuis.com/

陶磁器に興味のある方はマイセンについても知っているだろうと思う。有田はマイセン市と姉妹都市提携をしている。そのマイセンとの繋がりが良くわかる施設がある。それが有田ポーセリンパークだ。数年前にテレビで見て一度訪問したいと思っていた。。。が、往時の面影はなく、不景気のためだろうか、寂しい雰囲気になっていた。景気が回復すれば元に戻るのかな？

今日の宿は有田焼の食器を楽しむことの出来る宿、、、すなわち、有田焼の器に載った料理をいただける宿。本当に美味しく美しい料理だった。料理を盛るための器を再評価する旅となった。

Imari

　　I visited Imari city. Needless to say, Imari is the town of porcelain and I visited its epicenter the "Okawachiyama" area. Even the ornament and rail of a bridge and the information board of the area were made of porcelain there. I dropped in at some potteries and saw their artworks in wonder. How did they make those pieces? My wife liked one of them, a small censer, and bought it. We both tasted coffee and tea with Imari ware in a coffee shop. I didn't have preliminary knowledge on Imari ware and the story of the owner was new and I learned much from him.

(Vocabulary)
censer 香炉
censor 〈本・映画・手紙など〉 を検閲する

伊万里市を訪ねた。伊万里といえば焼き物の町。その中でも特に窯の集まっている大川内山に立ち寄った。橋の装飾、欄干、町の案内板まで伊万里焼、、、(^_^;)
数件の窯元を訪ね、展示室を訪ねてその美しさに息を呑んだ。どうやってこれほどのものを作り上げるのだろうか。訪れた記念に小さな香炉を買った。そして、伊万里焼のコーヒーカップで出されたコーヒーで一服。伊万里焼について、たいした予備知識は持っていなかった。コーヒーを飲みながらその歴史を学んだ。

Whale Museum

　　After shopping at the morning market, we dropped in at an old folk house which had made a fortune by whaling. It's embarrassing to admit, I thought that Japan's whaling had been performed only on the Pacific coast like in Wakayama prefecture, which is still annoyed with the leftists from all over the world or activists of the Sea Shepherd. The Pacific side of Kochi prefecture is also well-known for its traditional whaling, but Yobuko is on the coast facing the Tsushima Channel, the opposite of the Pacific coast. Considering the occasional collision of whales against high-speed boats around Kyushu, the whale resources would have been abundant since long ago.
　　This old house was partially renovated to a museum of their family business of whaling. There was a variety of exhibits such as old whaling gears, documented records, lots of pictures, and whales' real bones. I learned that there had been surely a big whaling industry in Yobuko. Do you know about the International Whaling Commission - IWC? I wonder what on earth IWC has been for. After the withdrawal of Japan, which had conducted research whaling every year, the commission lost evidences or data on which they discuss about the whale resources. They don't investigate them by themselves. I believe that the purpose of the commission was to harass the nations which had the culture of whale eating. The IWC must be kind of a Whale Fan Club. They might think that banning Japan from eating whales leads to the promotion of their beef sales. The egoistic idea of non-whale-eating nations severed the line of passing down the culture and technique of whaling which was inherited in Japan for centuries long. While looking at the exhibits, I became angry at the continuing racial discrimination.

https://www.karatsu-kankou.jp/history_and_culture/detail/224/HistoryAndCulture

朝市観光の後で捕鯨で財をなした旧家跡に立ち寄った。恥ずかしながら、捕鯨は太平洋側でのみ行われていた漁業だと思っていた。和歌山は今でも続いているし、そのため、世界中からやってくるシーシェパードなど、左翼の活動家に悩まされている。そして、高知県も有名。だが、佐賀県で捕鯨が行われていたとは知らなかった。考えて見れば九州周辺では今でもジェットフォイルと鯨の衝突が時に起こるのだから、鯨資源は豊富だったのだろう。

この古い家は一部改装され博物館となっていた。内部には古い漁具や捕鯨の歴史が紹介されていた。国際捕鯨委員会という組織があるが、一体何のための組織だったのだろうか。日本が脱退した後、資源調査さえ行われていないと聞く。単に自分たちは食べない鯨を食べる国々に対する嫌がらせだったのではないかと思う。まるで鯨ファンクラブだ。鯨食を禁止すれば日本へその代替として牛肉をたくさん売れるとでも思ったのか。欧米に文化の継承をたたれば捕鯨技術。展示物を見ながら未だに続く人種差別に腹が立ってきた。