Japanese Surgeon's Daily Life

Ehime Maru Memorial

　　The Oahu island tour started. We had a place which we should drop in at. Do you remember the collision of the fisheries training vessel Ehime Maru and the U.S. nuclear submarine USS Greeneville in 2001? We actually live in Ehime prefecture in Japan. The high school students who were to enter into the fisheries industry and their instructors left Uwajima City located at the southern part of Ehime prefecture. Out of them, 5 crews and instructors, and 4 students, a total of 9 capable and promising people didn't come back to Japan. We had put the Ehime Maru Memorial on the top of the queue to visit. The Memorial is located at a park near the coast and we were able to see the direction of its sinking point from the memorial. All of us put our hands together and paid a tribune for a short time toward off the coast.

　オアフ島半周ツアーが始まった。まず立ち寄りたい場所があった。我々の住んでいる愛媛県の水産実習船が２００１年２月にハワイ沖でアメリカの原潜と衝突して沈没し、９名が亡くなった。その慰霊碑が沈没地点を望む公園に設置されていて、まずその慰霊碑に立ち寄った。亡くなった教員・乗組員５名＋高校生４名と聞いている。慰霊碑から見渡した先の海域に向かって皆で手を合わせ冥福を祈った。

Drive Day

　　On the 12th, we chartered a minivan and went sightseeing around the island. The pick-up point was the entrance of our condominium at 9 a.m. I was going to have a late breakfast in the lounge, but to my surprise, my friends left for Diamond Head at about 5 a.m. to view the sunrise on its summit. Three of them ran the marathon 2 days before and I admired their physical strength. My wife and I saw the sunrise from my room over a cup of Kona coffee, though the Diamond Head and the Trump Tower got in the way. They got back with time to spare before the departure time of the tour. The following pictures were taken by them from the summit. They are really beautiful. The last two pictures were shot from my room.

(Vocabulary)
a late breakfast （いつもより）遅めの朝食

１２日にはガイド付きのミニバンを予約してオアフ島を半周した。ラウンジで朝食をゆっくりと済ませ、コンドミニアムでピックアップしてもらう予定だったが、同行の友人たちはそれまでには帰ってくると言ってダイヤモンドヘッドへ日の出を見ると言って出かけていった。１０日にはホノルルマラソンを走った３人が含まれている。なんという体力か。僕と家内は部屋から一杯のコナコーヒーを片手に朝日を眺めた。日の出はダイヤモンドヘッドの向こう側になるし、トランプタワーも邪魔だったが。下の写真は友人からもらったものでダイヤモンドヘッドの山頂から撮影したもの。実に美しい。最後の２枚が僕の部屋から撮影した写真。ダイヤモンドヘッドの頂上からの写真には比ぶべくもない。

Dinner

　　Unfamiliar countries will have unfamiliar food. We dropped in at the Ala Moana Center to get some food for dinner on the way back. A big-size beef as we expected in the U.S., Hawaiian traditional food of poke and turkey sandwiches - turkey is rare to see in Japan - and something unfamiliar. We got a variety of food and cooked as we liked. We enjoyed the merit of staying at the condominium. The last picture was shot at the adjacent yacht harbor from the wonderful walking route.

慣れない土地には珍しい料理がいろいろある。パールハーバーからの帰りにはアラモアナセンターへ寄って、食料品の買い出しをした。アメリカらしいビッグサイズの肉に、ハワイ名物のポキ、アメリカのサンドイッチによくわからないもの（笑）、いろいろ買って思うがままに調理。コンドミニアムへ滞在しているメリットを十分に享受している。最後の写真はコンドミニアムのあるヒルトンハワイアンビレッジの隣のヨットハーバーの夕景です。素晴らしい散歩コースです。

Lounge

　　We took a short rest at the lounge which visitors of the penthouse were allowed to use. We could drink beer, wine, and some soft drinks for free. Light snacks were also ready. This lounge was 20 meters from our room, so it was very convenient. The pictures are an example of what we ate after coming back from Pearl Harbor.

　夕食前にラウンジで休憩。ラウンジでは無料でビール、ワイン、ソフトドリンクを楽しめる。軽食が用意されており、とても便利でした。我々の部屋と同じ階にあり、２０メートルほど歩けば到着する。滞在中、たびたびお世話になった。下の写真は、パールハーバーから帰って軽く食べたもの。

Pearl Harbor

　　We visited Pearl Harbor on the 11th. I have a personal view about Pearl Harbor, but aside from it, we paid a short silent tribute to the war dead at the USS Arizona Memorial, which had been built over the sunken battleship Arizona in the harbor. After viewing the short video on the attack by the Japanese Navy, we got on a boat which connected the port to the Memorial. Bodies were apparently left in the sunken battleship and we refrained from taking snaps in a buoyant mood in the Memorial and bent down our heads.
　　We got into the submarine, USS Bowfin next. I could imagine the hardships of the crew's work judging from its narrowness. This submarine attacked and sank the passenger ship at the point of a few hours to its destination which was carrying close to 1000 primary school kids from Okinawa to Nagasaki to avoid the war. It was one of the vessels which most Japanese people had hated, but the crew would have been also struggling to beat Japan. Why did Japan have to fight the war? Where is the true reason? Though we have lots of evidence, this issue isn't closed yet.
　　Then, we got on a bus to the USS battleship Missouri Memorial, on which the surrender document of the war was signed. They call the deck on which it was signed "Surrender Deck." I didn't feel comfortable. If you wage a war, you surely win the war at any cost. This ship retired once, but it was called up for the Gulf War. This battleship participated actively in World War II, but it has the launch devices for Tomahawks. It tells its participation in the Gulf War after the magnitude of remodeling. The yellow circle in the following picture shows the site of the signature.
　　The battleship Missouri had a scar from a Kamikaze attack. A detailed description was set at the site. The body of the pilot seemed to have been taken apart into two pieces. He was respectfully buried at sea by the crew of USS Missouri. The identity of the pilot is known and he was only 20 or so. Why did he have to do the suicide attack called the Kamikaze attack. Thinking like those, I put my hands together.

(Vocabulary)
in a buoyant mood 浮かれた気分で
sign a surrender document 降伏文書に署名する
at any cost 何が何でも

 

１１日はパールハーバーを訪問しました。パールハーバーにはいろいろな想いがありますが、それは置いておき、まずはアリゾナ記念館を訪問。日本軍の真珠湾攻撃で沈没した戦艦アリゾナの直上に慰霊施設が作られており、事前に説明ビデオを見た後に船で渡ることが出来ます。兵士の遺体がいまだ船内に残されており、静かに頭を垂れました。記念館の中では写真は控えました。

次に潜水艦ボーフィン号の艦内に入り、その狭さから過酷な勤務環境を容易に想像できました。この船は小学生１０００名近くが沖縄から九州へ逃れるために乗っていた対馬丸を沈めた船です。憎い潜水艦ですが、乗組員も必死だったのでしょう。なぜこんな戦いをしなければならなかったのか、どこに責任があるのか、、、十分な証拠があるにもかかわらずまだ検証されていません。

次に戦艦ミズーリを見学。大東亜戦争の降伏文書が交わされた船です。この船はいったん退役したのですが、復帰して湾岸戦争にも参加した息の長い戦艦です。トマホークを発射できるように改造され、ミズーリから発射されるトマホークをテレビで見たことを思い出しました。同時にあの戦艦ミズーリ？と驚いたことも思い出します。下の写真の黄色い丸は降伏文書を交わした場所を示しています。そしてそのデッキの名前は『降伏デッキ』、アメリカ人らしい嫌らしさを感じます。次に戦争をするなら、絶対に勝たねばなりません。どんな犠牲を払ってでも。

この船には神風特別攻撃隊の零戦が体当たりした場所が残されています。その場所には詳しい説明も書かれていました。身体が半分にちぎれたパイロットは丁重に水葬に付されたといいます。そのパイロットはほぼ特定されており、まだ大学生程度の年齢でした。なぜこんな戦争をしなければならなかったのか、、、。そんなことを考えながら、『次は絶対に勝つ』と誓いつつ、彼の亡くなった場所で手を合わせました。

Condominium

　　We stayed at a penthouse of the Hilton Grand Islander, which was a condominium-style accommodation. Condominiums aren't well known in Japan and I'd like to write about them.
　　Condominiums are usually equipped with kitchens, plates and utensils, silverware, appliances like home electric washing machines with a built-in dryer, microwave ovens, fridges, dishwashers, and visitors can stay at them just like living in their houses. Visitors can shop for food and necessities at a supermarket and cook them like in their daily life. The following picture was shot in the kitchen. You'll know that everyone was enjoying staying in the condominium from it. The oven was from the U.S. and its setting was designed to be done by Fahrenheit. On the other hand, Celsius is principally used in Japan. As a result, every time we used the oven, we had to convert Celsius into Fahrenheit. My friend who doesn't cook in everyday life, took a role in conversion work sitting at the counter. To be more precise, his smartphone did the work. The use of unfamiliar appliances or cooking ingredients were also a lot of fun in condominiums.

(Vocabulary)
conversion（計量単位や通貨などの）返還

コンドミニアムについて：

今回の旅ではヒルトンのペントハウスを利用しました。コンドミニアムは日本ではまだあまり認知されていません。この記事ではどのような宿泊施設なのか、説明したいと思います。

キッチン、オーブンや電子レンジなどの家電品、食器類、調理道具、フルサイズの冷蔵庫や洗濯機などが備わっていて住むように滞在できます。写真は料理風景です。オーブンはアメリカ製なので温度設定が華氏で設定するようになっています。オーブンを使うたびに使い慣れている摂氏から華氏に変換してオーブンをセットするのですが、日頃料理をしない友人はカウンターに腰掛け、その摂氏から華氏への変換作業をしています。実際にはスマホがやっているのですが。使い慣れないアメリカ製の調理器具を使うのも、『これ何だろう』と思いながら珍しい食材を買って食べてみる、というのもコンドミニアム滞在の楽しみの一つです。

Honolulu Marathon

　　Before the entrance of my condominium, lots of runners were moving from the direction of Waikiki beach to the starting point. The start line was set in front of the Ala Moana Center, about 1km from my condominium. We got to the starting place 30 minutes before the starting time. The gathering spot was filled with excitement. The Honolulu marathon is one of the sports events, but I didn't feel any sense of tension from runners around me. The organizer of the marathon didn't set a time limit for finishing the marathon, so I enjoyed the marathon without being concerned about "time-out".
　　The marathon was begun not with a shot from a starting gun but the sounds of fireworks. It was 5 o'clock in the morning, but the sky was still dark before the break of day and the fireworks were really beautiful. The number of runners was about 30,000 and it was 15 minutes later for runners around me to move forward. I saw some on-screen talents running with lighting and shooting assistants. I was captured in a video of one of those talents, "Egashira 2:50", and I'll show you below.
　　I saw various runners, one of them was running with a horn. An old lady was running in memory of her doctor in charge. I was able to run in high gear until the 20km post, but as the sun started burning and it got sweltering, I got exhausted. I couldn't cover up the lack of practice.
　　One thing, the scenery of the seaside of Oahu island was wonderful and I often stopped running and took snapshots or chatted or danced with supporters along the route. After all, my finish time was 9 and a half hours, which was unbelievably bad. However, I enjoyed the marathon. I'd like to join the marathon again some day.
　　In the last picture, the marathon runners were having a party with American beef and wine. I look exhausted and the young lady seems to be perfectly normal. Age tells.

(Vocabulary)
be filled with excitement（催し物・試合などの場所が）熱気に包まれている
the break of day 夜明け

外へ出るとコンドミニアムの前にはすでにスタート地点に向けて大勢の人が歩いていました。アラモアナセンター前からの出発で、我々も１ｋｍほど歩いて３０分くらい前にスタート地点に到着。集合場所はすごい熱気で溢れかえりランナー達はみな楽しそう。スポーツイベントなのですが、あまり緊張感は感じられません。リゾート地のマラソンならではでしょう。制限時間がないので、いつも制限時間を気にしながら走る僕でも気楽に走れます。

スタートの合図はなんと、花火！朝とは言えまだ５時。真っ暗な空に打ち上がる花火の轟音とともにスタートするわけですが、僕の周りのランナーたちが動き始めるまで１０分くらいかかりました。参加者は３万人近くだったそうです。芸能人たちが照明係のスタッフとともに走っていて、そのうちの一人、コメディアンの江頭さんの動画に映り込んでいました。キャプチャー画像を下に載せます。さて、マラソンですが、２０ｋｍまでは快調でしたが、日差しが強すぎて後半はバテてしまいました。練習不足はごまかせません。

快晴の中、景色が素晴らしく、観光スポットで写真を撮りながら走るとついついペースが落ちて９時間３０分でゴール。タイム的には呆れたタイムでしたが、マラソン自体は楽しめました。沿道の応援に応えたり、所々で写真を撮ったり、一緒に踊ったり、，，，ホルンを演奏しながら走っている人や、主治医の追悼のために走っていると思われる高齢女性もいました。しんどかったですが、また走りたいと思っています。

最後の写真は夜、それまで我慢していたワインを飲みながら一緒に走った仲間で宴会をしています。僕のやつれた顔と若い女性の顔が対照的。いやはや歳には勝てませんな。

Honolulu Marathon Eve

　　On the eve of the Honolulu marathon, the dinner was beef steaks. I usually have wine with it, but I refrained from drinking wine for fear of impacting on the marathon. I went to bed about 9 p.m. and got up at 3 a.m. 2 hours before the starting time.
　　The following picture is the breakfast of the Marathon day. This was a typical Japanese-style one with rice and miso soup. Rice keeps you going longer than bread and miso soup goes really well with rice. We brought instant miso soup from Japan for this day. We set out for the starting site at 4 a.m.

明日はいよいよホノルルマラソン。夜はステーキを焼いてもらった。いつもならワインを飲むところだが、今日は不可。しっかりと食べて９時前に就寝し、午前３時に朝食。写真はその食事。腹持ちの良いおにぎりと味噌汁など和食。このために日本から持って来た。４時、スタート地点へ向かった。

Diamond Head

　　Climbing up Diamond Head was the second time for me, but it was new to my friends. Unlike the last time, we were required to reserve the admission of the park and pay $5 each. I'm not sure, but it might be for the purpose of the reduction of congestion on the climbing path as one of the protective measures against Covid 19. As we expected, there were lots of tourists climbing up and down, and staying on its summit. We could see far into the distance from the summit. The boundless prospect was indescribably great! It was perfectly understandable from its caldera formation that Diamond Head used to be an active volcano.
　　Only looking from Waikiki beach, you wouldn't notice its volcanic origin, but if you stand on its summit, you'd surely realize the formation process of the mountain. We were stranded by the comfortable breeze blowing in the midst of the Pacific Ocean.

(Vocabulary)
a boundless prospect 遙か遠くまで続く眺め

Pictures by 360-degree camera

A.    B.    C.   D.  

　ダイヤモンドヘッドに登るのは２回目ですが、同行の友人たちは初めてでした。今回は登山に予約が必要で、しかも有料で一人５ドル。パンデミックの影響から、混雑を避けるためかもしれません。人気の観光スポットだけあって登山者多し。ありがたいことに快晴で、遠くまで見渡すことができました。

　この山がかつて火山だったことは登ってみると一目瞭然でした。ワイキキビーチから見るダイヤモンドヘッドは有名ですが、全体像は見えていません。ここへ登ると、改めてこういう形の山だったのかと気がつきます。しばし、太平洋に吹く風を感じながら山頂に留まりました。

KCC (Kapi Olani Community College) Farmers' Market

　　There are some farmers' markets on Oahu island and we visited one of them, the most popular one among tourists. It was located in the parking lot of KCC (Kapi Olani Community College) and had been held once a week, on Saturday morning. I'd like to take pictures of unfamiliar fruits and plants there, but I gave up as I ate an oily hamburger and my hands got greasy. The pictures below were given to me by my friend. I was really interested in fruits and raw food, but I refrained from eating them. If I have stomach troubles from them, I should have to give up joining the Honolulu marathon. Being on the safe side, I ate heated food only.
　　We were going to climb up the Diamond Head next, but we had time by the appointed time and went back to Waikiki beach. I'll write about the appointed time of the Diamond Head in the next entry. Anyway, just simply walking around the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel was a lot of fun. People around the hotel pool were full of smiles and cheerfulness. At the entrance hall of the hotel, we saw a statue of three sea turtles and a sand statue of Santa Claus.
　　Sea turtles are called "Honu" in Hawaiian. They are considered to be very holy and are believed to bring good fortune. The airliner, A380, of ANA which connects between Narita and Honolulu is nicknamed "Honu" and three types of Honu are printed on its fuselage. A sand statue of Santa Claus was also displayed. He wore a short-sleeved jacket with a surfboard. That was really what you would have expected in Hawaii in this season.

(Vocabulary)
fuselage （飛行機の）胴体, 機体

　オアフ島で最も有名で観光客を集めている産直市へやって来ました。油っぽいものを食べて手がベタベタであまり写真を撮れず友人が撮影した写真をもらってＵＰしています。気になる食べ物、飲み物がいろいろありましたが、慣れないものを食べて万一腹を壊したら、明日のホノルルマラソンに参加できなくなるので、大事を取って加熱したものだけを食べました。かなり広いのですが、写真が少なくてすみません。

　ダイヤモンドヘッド入山の予約時刻まで間があったのでいったんワイキキビーチへ戻り、シェラトンホテル周辺を散歩。ワイキキビーチはどこを見ても皆笑顔にあふれていて気持ちが良い。シェラトンホテルのエントランスにはウミガメとサンタクロースのオブジェがありました。

　ウミガメは、ハワイ語で「ホヌ」といいます。ハワイではとても神聖な生き物とされ、幸運を運んでくる「海の守り神」として親しまれています。そう言えば、ＡＮＡが成田ーホノルル間を飛ばしているＡ３８０のニックネームはホヌで機体にはウミガメの絵が描かれていますね。そばにはサーフィンを楽しむ砂のサンタクロースがいました。夏の薄着のサンタクロースはどうも違和感がありますね。（笑）

　さて、午後はいよいよダイヤモンドヘッドに登ります。

 

Kalakaua Merrie Mile Run

　　Some marathon-related events were held on the eve of the Honolulu marathon. The topic of "Kalakaua Merrie Mile Run" was one of them. When we left the condominium just after 5 o'clock, masses of people in running outfits were walking toward the Honolulu Zoo, in front of which the run would start.
　　Take a look at the first picture. Two men with an orange T-shirt were outstanding with their flashy garnishes. The garnishes on their heads and waists were surely from the outfits for Polynesian dances. I was eager to get them and asked them where they bought those garnishes. They were from the Netherlands and they were brought from their country. Tough! I'd like to run the marathon with them on. The distance of the Merrie Mile Run was only one mile and you can join it lightheartedly. Separated into several groups, lot of people started. Some famous Japanese comedian were among them.
　　We were wandering on the almost empty Waikiki beach. It was really comfortable walking. There were around 20 people on the jetty. Their purpose seemed to view the rising sun on Diamond Head. We also saw it and it was indescribably beautiful. After cheering the last group, we headed for KCC Farmers' market, which was well-known by tourists. We were going to have something local as brunch. I'll upload some pictures in the next entry.

(Vocabulary)
jetty 突堤, 防波堤; 桟橋(pier), 波止場.

　

　ホノルルマラソンの前の日、マラソンに関連した様々なイベントが行われるが、その一つ、メリーマイルランがある。コンドミニアムを出発したのは５時過ぎだったが、既にカラカウア通りには出発地点へ向かう人の波が出来ていた。

　最初の写真に写っているオレンジ色のシャツの男性二人が人目を引いていた。頭の飾りと腰に巻いているものは間違いなくポリネシアダンスの衣装をモチーフにしている。欲しくなってどこで買ったのか尋ねたところ、オランダから持って来たとのこと。残念。付けてマラソンを走りたかったのだが。メリーマイルランの走る距離は１マイルなので気楽に参加できる。何組にも分けて大勢の参加者がスタートした。日本の有名なタレントもいて盛り上がっていた。

　スタートまで少しの間、人のまばらなワイキキビーチを散策した。突堤の先に２０人くらいの人がいた。ダイヤモンドヘッドから昇ってくる朝日を見るためらしい。とても美しい日の出だった。メリーマイルランのスタート風景を見終わってから観光客にも有名な産直市を見に行った。

Jet Lag

　　Jet lag is widely accepted as a nuisance, but it wasn't on this trip. We saw a need to keep being suffered from jet lag for 2 days. The start time of the Honolulu Marathon was 5 a.m., so we had to get up before 3 a.m. on the day of the marathon. Luckily for us, the jet lag helped us get up at such an early hour. All of us went to bed around 9 p.m. last night and got up at about 3 a.m. It was because of the jet jag, and four of us, who would join the marathon, had to keep this condition. I would usually continue to stay in bed to recover from jet lag even if I couldn't sleep, but not on this trip.
　　After breakfast, we left for Waikiki beach to watch a fun run.

　時差ぼけは厄介な物というのが通説だが、今回は違う。我々は時差ぼけを２日間は維持する必要があった。ホノルルマラソンは５時スタートなので、３時頃には起床して準備が必要なのだ。なので、９時頃にはマラソン組は就寝し、９日土曜日も３時に起床した。何の苦労もなく自然に目が覚めた。今日も目一杯遊ぶ！腹ごしらえをして午前５時過ぎ、出発。

Fireworks and Dinner

　　The fireworks display started on time. This display had been offered by the Hilton once a week on Friday night. A porter told us that our room is one of the best places to view fireworks, so we were waiting for it. His words were correct and we enjoyed it so much. We could watch every rocket from the set-off to its disappearance. The fireworks display is very popular and is an seasonal occurrence in Japan. However, it's rare to watch its ignition. We had a valuable experience. Every time a rocket was shot, a cheer arose on the ground. It would be hot and muggy in the crowd, but we were able to enjoy fireworks in a comfortable air-conditioned room and we were really happy. You can see the situation from the following pictures. Enjoy them.
　　We had a simple meal tonight with pizza and salad. The uncommonly big beef - at least in Japan - was prepared for tomorrow's dinner in advance. We were lucky to be with a good chef. Looking out after a while, the fireworks' viewing boats disappeared and a quiet ocean was there.
　　Viewing this peaceful scenery, I couldn't believe the incident which had occurred on Niihau island in Hawaii today 82 years ago. It was a simple property crime originally, but eventually developed into a serious murder case. Anyway, I'd like to honor a young man who had fought for Japan. He was from the same prefecture as ours.

(Vocabulary)
rocket [C] 打ち上げ花火
Someone set off a rocket. だれかが花火を打ち上げた．
property crime 窃盗事件

 

　ヒルトンの花火が始まった。ポーターがこの部屋は花火を見るには最高の場所だと言っていたが、まったくその通りだった。花火が打ち上がる瞬間から、消えるまで目で追うことが出来た。こんな経験はあまり出来ないだろう。打ち上がるたびに下の方から歓声が聞こけてくる。おそらく下は蒸し暑いだろうが、我々は涼しいところで花火を楽しめた。
　夕食はテイクアウトのピザなどで簡単に済ませた。日本で見ることのあまりないサイズの牛肉は明日に備えて下準備。食後、外を見ると沖合にいた花火鑑賞のための船はいなくなり、静寂な海が拡がっていた。
　この平和な景色を見ていると８２年前の今日、ここで起こったことが信じられなくなってくる。真珠湾攻撃に続いて起こったニイハウ島事件。住民による単純な窃盗事件だったのだが大きな問題になった。それに立ち向かったわが郷土出身のひとりの若者を讃えたい。

Relaxing Evening

　　We finished today's plan of getting food for a few days and the check-in of the Honolulu Marathon. We were so tired and had jet lag, but some started washing clothes in the washing machine and some started learning how to use kitchen utensils. The scene of four women gathering in front of the oven was humorous and I took a snapshot of them.
The following pictures are taken from the 34th floor of our room. How wonderful they were. The sinking sun and the night view were great. The 4th and 5th was the indoor pool for guests only. I'll show you the pictures of fireworks which are called the Hilton institution in the next entry.

(Vocabulary)
institution 〈話〉〔ある地域内の〕よく知られた人［もの］、名物

　食材の買い出しを済ませ、マラソンのチェックインも済ませ、今日の予定は終了。時差ぼけ中でさすがに疲れているが、洗濯機を使って洗濯を始めたり、キッチンの装備の使い方の研究が始まった。オーブンの前で４人の女性が並んでいる姿が少しユーモラスで笑えた。
　窓からのスナップを少し紹介する。この美しさはどうだ。太平洋に沈む夕陽に周辺の夜景。４枚目と５枚目の写真はアイランダー内にある、宿泊者専用のプール。雨の日には重宝する。次の投稿ではヒルトン名物となった花火を紹介する。多くの写真の中でどれを選ぶか一苦労しそうだ。

Waikiki

　　We went out shopping for food. The 1st floor of the condominium was the trolley terminal and it was very handy. We got on a trolley to the Royal Hawaiian Center and walked along Kalakaua street. I'll show you some snaps taken on the way.
　　I saw a big Christmas tree in the center. It didn't sit well with me in such hot temperatures. People around wore light clothes like a T-shirt, shorts, beach sandals, and so on. No one wore a long coat or snow boots. Anyway, such curious sensations were also a fun part of the trips. We walked through the International Market Place and reached Waikiki Market, which had opened early this year. This market, I thought, would be very convenient for visitors who stayed around Waikiki beach. With prices soaring, daily visits to restaurants cost a lot and take-out supper is also a high price. The room equipped with a kitchen was a blessing.
　　The last picture shows a famous hand gesture called "SHAKA". FYI, "SHAKA" isn't Hawaiian. Anyway, it has a sad story and I'd like to let my friends know the story, but in vain. There stands a statue of a man who had been the origin of the "SHAKA" gesture at the entrance of the Polynesian Culture Center in Kahuku, northeast of Oahu island. Kahuku was his original place. The description of the monument is a little different from the common explanation on the net, but the description on his monument was much more acceptable for me. I was going to take my friends there, but time was short.

(Vocabulary)
wear light clothes [clothing] 薄着する
hand gesture/signal ハンドサイン

　全員で買い物に出た。コンドミニアムの１階がトロリーのターミナルとなっているので実に便利。ロイヤルハワイアンセンターまでトロリーを利用し、後はカラカウア通りをブラブラと散歩。道中のスナップを呈示します。
　こんなに暑い中でのクリスマスツリーにはやはり違和感あり。カラカウア通りからインターナショナルマーケットプレイスを抜けてワイキキマーケット到着。今年初頭にオープンした話題のマーケットなので来てみた。ワイキキビーチ近くのコンドミニアム滞在者には便利な店だろうなと思う。物価が高いのでそうそうレストランは利用できないし、テイクアウトも高いから部屋にキッチンがあるのは助かる。
　最後の写真はシャカSHAKA（実はハワイ語ではありません）、ハワイでの挨拶のハンドサイン。実は悲しい歴史があるのだが、同行の仲間達に伝えることを忘れた。カフクにあるポリネシアンカルチャーセンターの入口にこのサインを生んだ人物の銅像と悲しい歴史が書かれていてそれを見てもらいたかったが時間が足らずに寄れなかった。ネット上の説明と少し異なっていてここに書かれている説明の方が僕には受け入れやすかったので。

Penthouse

　　We stayed in the penthouse on the 34th floor of the Hilton Grand Islander. This is one of the best rooms in the Hilton Hawaiian Village and was very wide. As one of the benefits, we were able to have breakfast and an evening meal, hors d'oeuvre, or pupu in Hawaiian including wine and beer for free in its lounge located on the same floor.
　　Eight of us used this room, so we got 8 key cards and 8 towel cards. The towel cards can be exchanged for towels at the towel stand near the beach or pools. When coming back to the room, you can receive it in exchange for the used towels. This system is very handy.
　　After enjoying the scene from the balcony, we went shopping for food. Shopping for food is one of the daily activities, but it's great fun in unfamiliar places.

(Vocabulary)
hors d'oeuvre〈フランス語〉pupu <ハワイ語＞　オードブル

　アイランダーの３４階にあるペントハウスへ入室した。最上級の部屋だけあってさすがに広い。同じ階にあるラウンジでは朝食と夕食（軽めのオードブル＋ワイン、ビール）が無料でサービスされる。
　８人で利用するので８人分のカードキーとタオルカードを受け取った。タオルカードはビーチに数カ所あるタオルスタンドでタオルに交換してくれる。使ったタオルと交換で返してくれるので何度もビーチへ行ってもその都度新しいタオルを貸してくれる便利なシステムだ。眺めをしばらく楽しんだ後、夕食の食材の買い出しに出かけた。
　買物は日常的な行動だが、見知らぬ土地での買物はそれ自体が非日常で楽しい。

Arrival

　　We left Japan in the evening on the 8th, but arrived in Honolulu in the morning on the same day as we strode across the dateline. I usually try to get over jetlag as soon as possible, but this was not the case on this trip. I'll write about the reason in the following entries.
　　Anyway, a brilliant blue sky of Honolulu welcomed us. All the procedures at the airport were perfectly done in a minimum time thanks to the face authentication system. We would stay at the Groud Islander in Hilton Hawaiian Village. I firstly visit Hawaii in this season. The Christmas tree displayed at the airport was a little curious to me.
　　After depositing our suitcases at the condominium some who would join the Honolulu marathon headed for the convention center to check-in the marathon and others started to walk around the village. Then we got some food at the Waikiki Market which was opened in early 2023.
　　I'll show you some pictures shot in the airport, the village and the convention center. The two medals are for the winners and they seemed to be made from 100% gold.

(Vocabulary)
a face [facial] authentication system 顔認証システム

8日の夜に日本を出発したが、日付変更線を跨ぐために到着は同日の朝。眠気はピークだが今回の目的であるホノルルマラソンに合わせるために敢えて時差を解消せず、維持する考え。
ホノルルは快晴で何のトラブルも無く入国審査完了。顔認証システムのお陰で実にスムースに入国できた。この時期にハワイを訪れたのは初めてで、真夏のクリスマスツリーに違和感大！
まずはホノルルマラソンにチェックイン。コンドミニアム近くのコンベンションセンターで受付を済ませ、コンドミニアム周囲やワイキキを散策。今年開業したホノルルマーケットで食材を買い込む。
この投稿ではリゾート内の風景とマラソン受付会場、そこに展示されていた優勝者用の純金のメダルを呈示します。

Flight to Hawaii

　　Some airlines like JAL, ANA, Hawaiian, etc fly various types of airliners from several airports in Japan to Honolulu. Japan's Capital, Tokyo, has two international airports, Narita and Haneda. My local airport has direct flights to Haneda, so the flights leaving Haneda are very handy in respect of the connection to overseas flights. However, we chose ANA Airbus A380 among them which starts from Narita International Airport. This is the world's largest passenger airliner and the only full-length double-deck jet airliner. I've experienced it once, but my friends never.
　　This trip is what you call an anniversary trip as I wrote in the previous entry, so we took premium economy seats. I'll show you the seat and our first in-flight meals.

日本からホノルルへは数社が飛行機を飛ばしている。東京には二つの国際空港があり、地元の空港と繋がっている羽田空港が便利だが、今回は先に書いたように記念旅行であり、日本からはこの路線しか飛んでいないA380に乗るために成田空港を利用した。シートは二階席のプレミアムエコノミー。搭乗待合室や最初に運ばれてきた機内食をＵＰします。

United Club

　　We left our local airport and made a connection at Haneda International Airport with an inter-airport connecting bus. It was about noon when we got to Narita International Airport. We checked in at ANA counter and passed through the departure formalities. Then we headed for the lounge offered from United Airlines, United Club for lunch. The three of us were gold members of the Star Alliance and utilized the benefit. The lounge was open and larger than I expected. Its atmosphere was gorgeous. I had lunch and some beer. I'd like to have taken snapshots to record the scene inside, but I couldn't avoid other customers coming in the pictures and gave up taking pictures.
　　I'll upload the pictures which my friend took. Our next destination was ANA's lounge! We had a short and small party there over dishes and alcohol offered from ANA for free. The lounge-hopping was new to me.

(Vocabulary)
come in the pictures 写真に写り込む

 


地元の空港から飛行機と空港間連絡を乗り継いで成田空港へ到着したのがお昼頃。ＡＮＡのカウンターでチェックインを済ませ、出国し、ランチはユナイテッド航空のラウンジで無料の料理やアルコールをいただいた。メンバーのうち３名がスターアライアンスのゴールドホルダーだったので特典を生かして全員で。ユナイテッド航空のラウンジは豪華で広く開放的でくつろげた。写真を撮ろうとしたがどうしても人が映り込んでしまうので迷惑を掛けてもいけないので写真は諦めた。
代わりに同行の友人が撮った写真をＵＰする。ほろ酔い気分でラウンジを出て今度はＡＮＡのラウンジに立ち寄り、まったり。ラウンジのハシゴは初めての経験。

Honolulu Marathon 2023

　　I found a flyer of the Hawaiian tours in my home which was designed by JAL, Japan's flagship airline company. My wife spotted it at a nearby supermarket and brought it back. The tours were for people who would join the Honolulu marathon which would be held on Dec. 10th. Lots of Japanese would join it after three years of the restraint on overseas tourism, including me and my friends!
　　The tour was elaborately tied-up with upscale hotels and restaurants along with the convenient flights. I've run the Honolulu Half Marathon several years ago. A few hundred top runners were serious at that time, but most runners were running with fun or sightseeing on the public road on which people weren't usually allowed to walk or run. The Honolulu Marathon would be the same. I'd like to enjoy the marathon in December, ignoring the finishing time.