小説を応募 Submission of My Novels

拙作を応募

今月は二つ小説を応募した。一つは「オール読物新人賞」で、応募作は「カエサルに屈しなかった男」、原稿用紙換算７６ページ。もう一つは「さきがけ文学賞」で、応募作は「運慶の邪念」、同じく１４２ページ。前者の締め切りが６月２２日で、後者が６月３０日であった。この一か月は馬車馬のように朝から晩まで、晩から朝まで原稿に取り組んでいた。推敲に推敲を重ねて全精力を使い果たした感じだ。
このブログ読んでいる人で、応募作を読みたい方、メールください。お送りします。メルアド: mhiroshi62@yahoo.co.jp

Submission of My Novels

I applied my two Japanese novels: one titled “The Man Who Did Not Succumb to Caesar”  (77 pages of 400-character manuscript paper) to All Yomimono Literary Prize, the other titled “Sculptor, Unkei’s Envious Mind” (142 pages) to Sakigake Literary Prize. The deadline for the former was June 22 and that for the latter was June 30. Therefore, I worked very hard from morning till night, devoting myself to improving the manuscript.

If anyone who is interested in reading my stories, please contact me. I will mail them to you. (Beware that they are written in Japanese)

Mail address: mhiroshi62@yahoo.co.jp.

交番 KOBAN

交番

私の家の近くに素晴らしい交番ができた。どこから見ても交番には見えない。まるでバーかカラオケ屋かゲームセンターのようだ。写真にパトカーが写っていなかったら、交番を探している通行人は通り過ぎてしまうだろう。正面の壁に桜の花びらがしつらえてあるのは、この交番名が「桜交番」だからだ。ちなみに、近所は「桜」にちなんだ名前が多い。例えば、地下鉄「桜本町」「小桜幼稚園」「桜台高校」など。
このような親しみのある交番は大歓迎だ。

Koban or Police Box

A wonderful new police box has been built near my house. It doesn’t look like a police box. It rather looks like a bar, a karaoke shop, or a game center. If a patrol car is not shown in this photo, a pedestrian looking for a police box will pass it. The front wall of the police box is decorated with cherry blossoms because the name of the police box is Sakura Koban or Cherry Blossom Police Box. Incidentally, there are several cherry-blossom-related names around here: Sakura Honmachi subway station, Kozakura Kindergarten, and Sakuradai High School.

I welcome such friendly-looking police boxes.

南山同窓会 Atending Nanzan Reunion

南山同窓会

６月１５日、南山の教え子の同窓会に出席した。皆６５歳の高齢者であった。全部で４０人ぐらい。亡くなったものが数名いた。招待された先生は私を入れて５人。体育のI先生、国語のM先生、英語のA先生、数学のW先生であった。東京や台湾から出席したものもいた。
先生が順にあいさつしたが、一番驚いたのはI先生だ。彼は９１歳であった。腰が曲がらず、元気に、しっかりした口調で挨拶された。いろいろ大病されたようだが、今は元気ということであった。
私は７６歳だからあと１５年ある。１５年後も教え子の前に元気な姿で顔を出したいものだ。

Attending Nanzan Reunion

I attended Nanzan High School ex-students’ reunion on June 15 at

Tokyo Daiichi Hotel in Sakae, Nagoya. There were about 40 ex-students, all 65 years old. Some came to the meeting all the way from Tokyo and Taiwan. Sad to say, several students had already died.  

Five former teachers including me attended it: Mr. I, PE teacher, Mr. M, a Japanese language teacher, Mr. A, an English teacher, and Mr. W, a math teacher.

   At the beginning of the party, each teacher made a brief talk on the stage one by one. What surprised me most was Mr. I. He said he was 91 years old. His back was not bent, his voice clear and cheerful. He said he had had serious diseases ten years before, but he had recovered.

I am 76 years old. I have 15 more years before I become 91. I would like to appear at the reunion 15 years later in a cheerful manner like Mr. I.

名古屋歌舞伎ファンクラブ会長離任の挨拶 Farewell Speech by the President of the Nagoya Kabuki Club

名古屋歌舞伎ファンクラブ会長離任の挨拶（架空）

 Farewell Speech by the President of the Nagoya Kabuki Club（fiction)

Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you very much for coming. I am honored to see so many kabuki fans here. Today, I am going to retire from the position of the president of the Nagoya Kabuki Fan Club, which has lasted for nearly 20 years.

I remember the day when our club started with only five members. Though the number was small, our love for kabuki was as passionate as the love between Okaru and Kanpei. Fortunately, the number of the fans gradually increased, and now it boasts more than 100.

Our club has supported Misonoza Theater mainly in three ways. First, we have been publishing the Misonoza Newsletter. It introduces what to see in the coming kabuki performances, covers interviews with kabuki actors and jyoruri chanters. It also includes opinions of the fan club members.

Secondly, we have solicited donations for Misonoza from companies in Tokai area. Seven years ago, Misonoza was immersed in a financial crises, and was near-bankrupt, but thanks to the desperate efforts of the fans and the donations from companies and businesses, Misonoza weathered through it.

I cried for joy when I knew that Misonoza, not only overcame the crisis, but would be reconstructed. During the five years when Misonoza was being reconstructed, we were just like fish out of water, unable to see kabuki plays, but last April the construction was completed, and kabuki resumed.

Thirdly, we have visited high schools in Nagoya to ask the principals to let the students see kabuki. Today N, H, and K high school students come to Misonoza and see kabuki every autumn. Kabuki is not only for middle and elderly people. It is also for young people. By increasing the number of kabuki fans among young people, I hope our fan club will prosper.

The only regret I have in retiring the office is the decrease of the kabuki audience in Nagoya. One of the reasons for this may be the expensive prices of kabuki seats. I recently discussed this problem with the president of Misonoza. I also advised him to introduce cheap standing-room-only tickets.

Lastly, I am going to walk down the hanamachi runway to the exit and pass the torch of the presidency to Mr. Ryuta Kaitani. I believe he will do his best to continue our activity and increase young kabuki fans, and ultimately prosper Misonoza Theater.

Thank you all and goodbye.