I came to the adjacent Kochi Prefecture on business. The speciality of the prefecture is lightly roasted bonito. As I hit a restaurant next to my hotel and took my seat at the counter, the chef just started to grill bonito for other customers. He used a straw-fired power to aromatize bonito. Seeing the chef's maneuver, I became unable to reject my feeling and ordered one. It was great.
(Vocabulary)
lightly roasted bonito カツオのたたき
aromatize ～に芳香を付ける
I'm low-spirited today, too depressed to do anything. Do people who are suffering depression feel this way all the time? I understand that my condition comes from the assassination of former prime minister, Shinzo Abe. He had been respected by national leaders of the world during his tenure of office, and despite his incurable disease, he has worked hard for us, Japanese. I wanted him to work as a politician as long as possible. His last moment was too miserable and cruel.
He built a solid trust with not only Mr. Trump in the U.S. but Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey, Narendra Modi in India, and even Vladimir Putin in Russia. I believe that he was born with an endowment for a politician in the family of politicians. Hearing the news of playing golf with Mr. Trump, I remembered the golf meeting between his grandfather-cum-former Prime Minister, Nobusuke Kishi and the then U.S. President Eisenhower. It was the start of the strong relationship between the U.S. and Japan. The following picture is cited from his Twitter account. Seeing this picture, most Japanese people would deem pro-China current Prime Minister Kishida and the U.S. President Biden as pitiful politicians.
Aside from people who can't see society properly, like communists, everyone who met Mr. Abe was said to have become attracted to his friendly smile and personality. I wish I could have met and talked with him.
I was invited to drink with former member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Shingo Nishimura. Every time I saw him, I was encouraged and felt uplifted. I'm looking to get out from depression.
(Vocabulary)
low-spirited 元気のない, 無気力の = depressed
tenure (フォーマル) (重要な役職の) 在職［在任］期間
Recep Tayyip Erdogan エルドアン
Narendra Modi モディ
endowment [C,U] (学校・病院などへの) 寄付（金）, 基金;[C](文) (生来の) 才能, 資質
pitiful 哀れな, かわいそうな, 惨めな;〈出来栄え・成績などが〉 惨めな, 情けない
I happened to be nearby for work, and I hit a famous drawbridge in Kochi Prefecture. I knew it from a TV program the other day and I had wanted to visit it. As the number of cars in the area was increasing, traffic jams came to happen often. The authorities wanted to widen the road or construct a new bypass or something, but the area was a well-known historic site which was keeping the nostalgic atmosphere of 100 years ago.
For the conservation of the old fishery port, the drawbridge was designed to cancel the traffic congestion. Seeing the upright bridge from the distance, anyone would be surprised at its quirky scene.
(Vocabulary)
drawbridge (城などに架かった) つり上げ橋; (船を通せる) 跳ね橋
low-water crossing 沈下橋
We are about to enter the rainy season in southern Japan. Hydrangeas and irises are in glory this season. My wife and I visited a botanical garden whose irises are widely known for their beauty. Then we headed for a seaside restaurant for lunch, but it was closed down due to the pandemic. We like the restaurant and we were disappointed to know its closing down. The aftereffects of the pandemic seem to be far-reaching.
(Vocabulary)
hydrangea /haɪdréɪndʒə/ [名] [C] アジサイ
iris 菖蒲
During climbing up, the sole of my climbing boots started to peel off and I had to walk carefully not to aggravate the situation. On the summit, however, the sole of the left boot peeled heavily, almost taken off. While climbing down, the right side one fell into the same condition and I had difficulties.
Everything has its life span and I bought these boots about 35 years ago. I used them one to two weeks a year for 10 years or so, but ever since the boots have been stored in the shoe box. This event shows that the component outlives its usefulness and capability of preventing failure.
However, I wasn't able to give up the boots and took them to my regular shoemaker. I appealed to him for revival of the boots. I'd like to use them a little longer. The shoes' trouble sometimes endangers climber's lives in high mountains. Especially in winter, that's the case. I'm not going to use them in winter or high mountains, but these boots truly fit my feet and I'd like to use them while trekking on easy routes.
When it comes to the shoes trouble, a happening in Whistler in Canada sticks with me. This incident is written here in this blog(link). After coming back to the lodge, my ski boots came apart in pieces as I stepped forward. If this incident happened in skiing, I would have been seriously injured. In today's case, I was just lucky with lots of helpful friends, the wonderful weather and the low mountains.
(Vocabulary)
climbing boots 登山靴
spats スパッツ
sole [C] 足の裏; [C] 靴底; [C] (複 sole, soles) シタビラメ (海水魚)
shoes with rubber soles ゴム底の靴
endanger one's life 命に関わる
https://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2012/03/miserable-boots.html
I'll write about the Besshi copper mine which is situated in my prefecture and is well-known for its huge deposits of copper. This mine had been essential for the modern development of Japan. The deposits were found in the late 16th century and the copper had been dug out for three centuries. The copper was truly a gift from nature, but the process of refining produced air pollution by sulfur oxide. The poisonous gas turned the mountains covered with green trees into bare mountains. The mine was closed a few decades ago due to the depletion of copper. Since then, the mine company started planting trees and the mountains are currently recovering their former normal glory.
If you go for a hike through these mountains, you would be surprised to recognize the ruins here and there which indicate that humans truly had lived there. This forest has been compared to Machu Picchu in Peru for its image of the disappearance of people. This former copper mine area is now called "Oriental Machu Picchu" and became a popular hiking route for good walkers.
I enjoyed trekking in the forest with my co-workers and recalled the harsh living circumstances of those days. The following picture shows the eco-friendly toilet. After the business, you have to work out for your excrement treatment.
(Vocabulary)
Besshi copper mine 別子銅山
deposit (鉱石・金属などの) 鉱床; (物質の) 堆積(たいせき)した層, 堆積物, 沈殿物
huge deposits of copper 銅の巨大な鉱床
refinery (石油・砂糖などの) 精製所, (金属の) 精錬所
bare mountain はげ山
good walker 健脚
excrement 排せつ物, 糞便
restore sth to its former glory ＜建造物など＞を元の状態に復元する
I've been in serious trouble about white rust on the aluminium window-frame of my car. I tried to remove it in various ways, but in vain. Recently I found the cause of the rust. Most Japanese car makers adopt stainless steel for the window frames, but on the other hand, European and American manufacturers adopt aluminium. My car, which was produced in the U.S., is also equipped with aluminium window frames and they are easily stained with white rust.
I've been wondering why European and American car manufacturers use aluminium for the window frames. I hear that such a white rust phenomenon doesn't happen in the EU and the U.S., so they continue to utilize aluminium for the window frames.
I knew its cause from my acquaintance today. Its culprit was yellow sand from China. Actually yellow sand would not exist in the EU and the U.S. The yellow sand generates alkaline rain and this rain seemingly brings white rust on the aluminium window frames. My repulsion against China, which doesn't stop its environmental destruction, was intensified greatly.
(Vocabulary)
I hear .... 聞けば、、、
culprit (問題・難局の) 原因, 元凶; 犯人, 罪人, (不正な行為の) 張本人
repulsion 《[U], a/the ~》(書き言葉) 嫌悪感;[同意] disgust, revulsion
My house was built 19 years ago, whose design was elaborately created by professionals. It's expansive, but keeps highly airtight on the other hand. The efficacy of air-conditioning is highly taken into consideration in its design. My wife hasn't allowed us to have a barbecue inside the house for these 19 years. She dislikes that the wall is stained by greasy smoke. Even in the cold winter, we had to stay outside if we wanted to roast meat and vegetables, or she cooks them in the kitchen equipped with a ventilating fan.
The other day, I happened to get a flyer on which a grill was introduced. It read that this grill doesn't generate any smoke and smell. The grill was delivered today. Its catchphrase was correct, but if you use it longer than usual, it emits a small level of smell and a certain ventilation is desirable.
It's wonderful to slightly toast slices of baguette with some cheese on the dining room table and have them with a glass of wine. I'll challenge the cheese fondue next time!
A fishery boat had been caught in a storm and had drifted out to sea from a tiny fishery village near Ashizuri Misaki Cape in the middle of the 19th century. The crew were all young. A boy among them, who would come to be called John Manjiro later, was only 14 years old. They were eventually able to land on a small isolated island in Bonin Islands. While they were struggling to survive the difficulties there, a whale boat of the U.S. found them and took them to Hawaii, not Japan. Japan was under its restrictive diplomacy at that time and foreign ships weren't allowed to visit Japan even if it was for humanitarian purposes.
He was brought up in the U.S. and acquired various kinds of knowledges along with English skills. He was very helpful for the modern development of Japan. His museum was built at his birth place and I dropped in at it.
(Vocabulary)
Bonin Islands 小笠原諸島
I took my car for a spin with no set goal and I ducked into Ashizuri Misaki Cape, which is located at the southwest end of the fourth biggest island of Japan, Shikoku. During the typhoon season, the cape often appears in news items. It's sited on the approaching route of typhoons. The terrain is as you see in the following picture and I've not reached the tip of the cape as I don't like heights. I admire constructors who built the lighthouse in such a place.
(Vocabulary)
height [C] 高い所, 高所
I don't like heights. 私は高い所は苦手です．
Japan is in the midst of a record boom of outdoor camping. It might be due to the pandemic, because camping in the park or mountains can keep enough distance from others. Under the various restrictions, outdoor camping would be one of the best pastimes. There are many types of camping cars on sale. Some people remodel their cars for camping use, or some people go hiking into the wilderness with light and simple camping gear. Lots of people post videos about their camping on YouTube, which might become a trigger of the boom. I wrote about a well-known comedian's video before, and put the link here.
I bought a cheap bonfire stand. The use of this can damage the ground and I got a protecting mat. I'll show you these items below. I tried to prepare "chan-chan yaki", a famous cuisine in Hokkaido, and found it very relaxing and fun. A bottle of Scotch whisky was at my side, which doesn't appear in the picture, though. Just seeing the bonfire was also comfortable.
(Vocabulary)
pastime 娯楽, 気晴らし
https://kumo.typepad.jp/weblog/2020/12/bocchi-camp.html
Japan is a disaster-rich country like earthquakes, volcano eruptions, and typhoons. Companies over a certain magnitude are required by law to always keep necessities for employees to survive several days just after the disaster. My company stores 5-year drinkable water, food, materials for emergency aid for all employees who are left stranded in their workplaces.
The other day all those items were replaced by new ones due to the expiration of their appreciation limit. Old expired items were going to be thrown away, but some workers insisted that it's a huge wastefulness because they can still be useful. Actually I thought that the food was still edible. Under the consensus on their own responsibility, abandoned food was delivered to employees who wanted it. I'm one of them and received a box of small hard dry biscuits that do not spoil easily. A box contains 60 packs with 400 kcal in each pack.
I don't have hard evidence about the security of eating them, but the food which has a 5-day appreciation limit would keep its freshness for at least 6 days in general. The biscuits I received, which have a 5-year limit, would be likewise ok for 6 years, maybe. The biscuits are put in my office and car as an usual snack. They're tasty and I like them.
There's a problem with this biscuit. It spawns small pieces of biscuit when I eat it. It scatters on my chest and in my car. I can dust my chest, but I couldn't remove the small pieces that dropped into narrow spaces in the car. Mice would never invade into my car, but I become irritated.
When I made a trip to a nearby electrical appliance store to get some dry cells, I happened to find a small charge type vacuum cleaner, which looked nice for narrow and small spaces. I bought one without a second thought. This was a very good purchase! The best thing which I did today was the discovery of this type of cleaner in the store.
(Vocabulary)
appreciation limit 賞味期限
spawn [他] …を引き起こす, 生じさせる
dust [他] 〈家具・部屋など〉 のほこりを払う［ふく］ [自] ほこりを払う
dry cell/battery 乾電池
I'll write about an old practice of Japan. I don't know when this custom started, but the maternal grandparents give a newly-born girl a set of dolls on the first March 3rd after her birth as a token of wish for a baby girl's healthy growth. This practice is called the Girls' Festival or the Doll's Festival in English. My first granddaughter was born on March 5th last year and March 3rd this year falls on the first Doll's Festival Day for her.
In most cases, baby's parents and maternal grandparents choose one at the doll's shop, but several restrictions due to the pandemic prevented us from going out for shopping. We could just send some money for it.
The following picture is the one which was given to my first daughter from my parents-in-law, that is, maternal grandparents for my daughters. The set of dolls is supposedly carried with the daughter to her new home when she gets married, but my daughter lives in a small apartment in the metropolitan area and hasn't enough room for strage for the dolls and she asked us to temporarily keep it in my house.
We displayed it today for airing. It reminded us of the old days when my daughters were small and our four parents were vigorous about 30 years ago. I wondered what life should I spend from now.
(Vocabulary)
the Girls' Festival, the Doll's Festival 桃の節句
maternal 《[名]の前でのみ》 母方の
his maternal grandmother 彼の母方の祖母
My high school is under demolition now. This building was newly built 49 years ago when I was 14 years old. I learned lots of things in this school and I'm here now. Asbestos was used here and there and its demolition should be done extremely carefully. It seems to take a month. My house is located in the same neighborhood as my high school and I often take a walk in front of the school recalling about the passed 49 years. Many things happened, good things and bad things in a span of this period. The way I see it though, I've spent a good life. I'm looking to do anything I can do from now on.
(Vocabulary)
dismantle 〈機械など〉を分解する, 解体する;〈組織など〉を解体する;〈制度など〉を徐々に撤廃［廃止］する
pull down （家などを）取り壊す
demolition [C,U] (建物などの) 取り壊し, 解体
here and there あちこちに
A lot of companies and private businesses have been heavily hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. After the pandemic happened, people started staying home and the economy became slack. The local medias tell us about various attempts of private businesses to survive this crisis.
In such a local news program, a bakery shop appeared. The shop seemingly started to offer authentic dishes as brunch. My wife was attracted by its beef stew and other Italian food, which I don't remember, and we visited the bakery.
I ordered a beef stew with all-you-can-eat bread. The taste was great. The bakery was a 30-minutes drive from my home, but I will become a frequent customer of this bakery.
(Vocabulary)
authentic 本格的な, 正統な, 本物の
authentic Indian food 本格的なインド料理
frequent customer 常連
No matter what country people belong to, they are educated to pay respect to their own national flags, but that's not the case in Japan. After the Great East Asian War, the U.S. distorted the education of Japan and in addition to that, it sent lots of communists into the field of education along with the expelling of ordinary educators from all kinds of school ranging from elementary schools to universities. By such ugly educators, most Japanese began to hold the thoughts of leftists.
My house was built 19 years ago. I forgot to equip it with a flag-hoisting stand at that time and I set a makeshift stand for flags later. It doesn't appear good, but I've been putting the national flag up on Japan's Foundation Day.
I visited Hiroshima city on business after long years of interval. Seeing how the port was, I was surprised. There was almost no one in its main hall, though it was Sunday. I understood it was from the pandemic, but even so, the situation was awfully terrible.
The passengers in the ship were sparse. I simply hoped that the pandemic will end as soon as possible.
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