柿の影 PERSIMMON SILHOUETTE

柿の影　
 

 

 

今日の午後、東山植物園に行った。青空で風がなく、いい天気で、赤や黄色に染まった葉っぱが日の光を受けて常緑樹を背景にキラキラ光っていた。紅葉が燃えるように赤い。
　特に良かったのは柿の木の入り組んだ枝や柿の実のシルエットが家屋の白壁に映っていたことだ。いい天気だったので枝や柿の実のシルエットがくっきりと黒く濃かった。写真を一枚撮った。

PERSIMMON SILHOUETTE

　　I went to Higashiyama Botanical Garden this afternoon. It was a warm winter day with a blue sky and little breeze. Red and yellow leaves were shining brightly reflecting the sunshine with evergreen trees in the background. The red leaves were so bright that they looked as if they were a burning fire.
　　What attracted me most was the silhouette of a persimmon tree on a white wall of a Japanese style house. The intricate branches and round fruit of the tree cast their shadows on the wall. Since it was a clear day, the silhouette reflected the shapes of the branches and fruit faithfully.

「東京物語」 ”TOKYO MONOGATARI” (TOKYO STORY)

「東京物語」

 

 

 　銀幕の伝説女優、原節子が９５歳で亡くなった。先日、追悼記念ＴＶ番組「東京物語」（小津安二郎監督、１９５３年）を見た。映画は平山周吉（笠智衆）が妻のとみ（東山千栄子）を６８歳で亡くし、その葬儀に子供たち（うち一人が原節子扮する紀子）が集まる話である。
以前見たのは３０年ほど前で、私は４２歳ぐらいで父が存命中であった。その時は母親を亡くした子供の立場から見ていたが、今回は妻を亡くした夫の目線で映画を見た。正直言って、７２歳になった今、周吉の一語一語、顔つき、身振りが他人ごとではないように思った。私の妻がとみと同じぐらいの年齢であるため、妻を亡くしたら周吉のようになるのかと身につまされた。
同じ映画でも見方でこうも違うのかと思った。

TOKYO MONOGATARI (TOKYO STORY)

　　Legendary actress Setsuko Hara, who shined in films of the 1930s to 1960s, died at the age of 95. The other day, I watched “Tokyo Monogatari” (Tokyo Story) commemorating her on television. The film centers around the gathering of four children when their father, Shukichi Hirayama (starring Chishu Kasa) loses his wife Tomi (starring Chieko Higashiyama). One of the children is Noriko starring Setsuko Hara.
　　I saw the film once when I was about 42 years old. At that time my father was still alive and I saw the film from the viewpoint of a man who lost his mother. However, this time, I saw the same film through the point of view of Shukichi, an old man who lost his 68-year-old wife, Tomi. Frankly speaking, I identified myself with him, partly because I am 72 years old, probably as old as Shukichi, and partly because my wife is the same age with Tomi. I listened to every word Shukichi said, I watched his face, his movement after he lost his wife. He concealed loneliness in his flat tone of his voice. I thought I would feel like Shukichi when I lost my wife.
　　The same film gives completely different impression according to how you see it.

能はなぜ眠いか WHY NOH PLAY MAKES YOU SLEEPY

　

能はなぜ眠いか

　

 

１０月から１１月にかけて椙山女学園大学で開催された５回の「能楽鑑賞入門」講座を終了した。たった５回、時間にすると７時間半だけ能に接して、能のなんたるかを論ずるのはおこがましいけれど、講座を受けた感想を書いておきたい。　
　講座で扱かった能は、「船弁慶」「誓願寺」「葛城」「道成寺」「玉鬘」であった。講師は西村高夫観世流能楽師と飯塚恵理人教授であった。講座は西村能楽師が演ずる能のビデオを観ながら飯塚氏と西村氏が解説をしてくれた。
　今まで能を見たことは一回だけであったが、その時の印象はとても眠いということであった。今回、五つの能のビデオを観てなぜ眠くなるのかがわかった。うっとりするような美しい地謡もさることながら、舞台に登場するシテやワキの動きが極端に少ないのだ。おそらく１０分経っても同じ姿勢をしているかと思うぐらい動きが少ない。
　ここで思ったことは能楽師の舞台での舞いや動作は象徴であって、見せるものではない。能の面白さは舞台での役者の動きではなく（歌舞伎のように派手ではない）、バックグラウンドに流れる謡にある。その文章はよく練られていて、格調が高く、リズムがあり、古典を引用するなど奥が深い。能は見るものではなく、語りを聞くものだと思った。端的に言えば、能は浪花節や講談に紙芝居がついたものだ。しかしあの語りを理解するのは並大抵ではできない。十分な下調べが必要だと思った。さらに勉強していけば、能のなんたるかをもっと理解するだろうが、ひとまずこれにて終わりとしたい。
　能の専門家には、この解釈はお叱りを受けるかも知れない。

追記
最近イギリス人の大学の先生によるシェクスピアの戯曲に関する講義を聞いた。先生によると、当時の大衆は「シェクスピアの劇を観に行く」とは言わずに「シェクスピアの劇を聞きに行く」と言っていたそうだ。能と共通していると思った。能は「観るもの」でなく「聞くもの」かもしれない。

WHY NOH PLAY MAKES YOU SLEEPY

　　I attended a five-series class of Noh at Sugiyama Jogakuen University from October through November. Since it was only a 5-time class, a total of seven hours and a half, I don’t think I am qualified to comment on what Noh is, but I would like to write here what I thought about it.
　　The Noh plays which the lectures, Kanze-ryu Noh player, Takao Nishimura, and Professor Erito Iizuka, dealt with were: “Funabenkei,” “Seiganji,” “Katuragi,” “Dojoji,” and “Tamakazura.” They explained the Noh videos while the students watched them.
　　I had seen a Noh play only once, and to tell the truth, I had felt sleepy during the performance. This time, after attending the classes, I found out why Noh plays make the audience sleepy. The reasons are:
　　
　　1. The players rarely move on the stage during an-hour or two-hour performances. Even if you sleep for, say, ten minutes during the performance, you won't be able to detect the difference of the movements before you fall into sleep and after you wake up.
　　2. The traditional Japanese background Noh music is rhythmical, soothing, and relaxing. It hypnotizes the audience.

　　I thought the movement of a Noh player is a symbol, not a thing you appreciate by watching it. What attracts the audience is not the performance of Noh players but the musical narration by the storytellers. The narrations are well written, elegant, sonorous, and sophisticated with quotations from classical Japanese literature. I thought Noh was not a thing to watch but a thing to listen to. In essence, Noh is similar to the narrative performances like Naniwabushi and Kodan with static pictures in kamishibai (picture story show).
　　However, it is almost impossible to understand the meaning of the narration, because it is written in old Japanese. You need to prepare fully before you watch (listen to) Noh performances. The more you study various Noh narrations, the more you understand Noh plays.
　　Experts in Noh may be resentful about my opinion, but this is my candid impression.

(P.S. Recently I attended a lecture on Shakespeare by an English literature professor. He said “The people in those days went to ‘hear’ his plays, not to ‘see’ them.”)

 

プリウスが消えた MY PRIUS HAS DISAPPEARED

いやなニュース

一週間前、マンションの駐車場に置いておいた車が盗まれました。黒のプリウスです。初め信じられなかったのですが、今盗まれたことを現実として受け取るようになりました。世の中、いろいろな事が起きるけれども、車を丸ごと盗まれるなんて、考えられない。
警察官二人と刑事一人が家に来ていろいろ事情聴取していきました。二時間ぐらいかかりました。警察によると、黒のプリウスが一番盗まれやすいそうです。黒いし、音が静かだからです。夜、黒装束の三人組が来て、一人は見張りで、六、七分で盗んでいってしまうそうです。盗んだあと、その車を使って、次の犯罪を犯し、見つかりにくいところに放置しておくそうです。
女房も私も免許を車の中に置いておいたので再交付してもらわなければなりません。再交付代3,500円、写真代600円がかかります。本当に悪い奴らがいるのです。
三日前だったか、中日新聞に「プリウス窃盗団逮捕」という記事がありました。４人組で、この６ヶ月間に２０～５０台盗んだ模様と書いてありました。私の車も中に入っているかもしれません。なんという奴らだ。警察で徹底的に取り調べてもらいたいものです。
今日（２７日）保険会社の調査員が来て2時間も事細かく事情聴取していきました。最近体調がおかしくなってしまいましたが、こういう痛みは、犯人は全然感じていないのです。これが怒らずにいられますか。
9年間も乗ってきた愛車だったのに。事故やら怪我でなかったから、まだましと思うしかないのでしょうか。

My Prius Has Disappeared

     My car was stolen from my condominium parking lot about 20 days ago. It was a pretty black Prius. I bought it nine years ago and had driven it only about 25,000 kilometers. At first I couldn’t believe that it had been stolen, but gradually I came to realize that it had been. I know there are many bad people in the world, but I had thought bad things would happen only to others and not to me. How can you believe that your car suddenly disappears like smoke?
     Two policemen and a detective came to my house and asked many questions. Where did you last drive it? Did you have anything valuable like cash cards? Have you noticed any suspicious people around you recently? Was the parking lot equipped with security cameras? After asking their questions, they went to the parking lot and looked for any clues.
     According to them, black used Priuses are the easiest cars to steal because the thieves know everything about them: how to unlock them; how to replace the computer code. The thieves clad in black come to a parking lot in the dead of night and steal a car within five minutes. One of them is a lookout. After stealing the car, they use it during another crime and leave it in an out-of-the-way place like the beach or the forest. The police’s questions lasted more than two hours, which completely exhausted me.
     My wife and I had put our driver’s licenses in our car. We had to go to the Hirabari Automobile School and renew them. It cost 4,100 yen including the photograph fee each. This was an additional expense.
     About three days after the incident, the Chunichi Newspaper reported that the Aichi Prefectural Police had arrested an automobile theft ring consisting of four people including a woman. They were trying to steal a Prius. They had stolen 20 to 50 cars during the past six months. My Prius might be one of  them. I hope the police will investigate the theft through and through.
     A week later an insurance investigator visited us and asked a great deal of detailed questions. Where did you last fill the gas? Which gas station did you usually use? Do you have some documents that prove that you filled gas in the gas station? Which automobile dealer do you use? When did you last renew the automobile insurance? Do you have the insurance documents? How much did you pay for the car originally? How much insurance money will you be refunded? Who drives  the car most often, you or your wife? After a tremendous number of questions, he and I went to my vacant parking stall and took pictures. His investigation lasted more than two hours. It was really exhausting. My wife and I became sick. The thieves do not feel any of the pain that we feel. How unfair and how irritating!
     One of my friends said to cheer me up, “It could have been worse. If you had been in a car accident, you might  have been injured or killed. It was lucky you didn’t get in one.”
     Was I lucky?

(Just two days ago, the same newspaper reported that the number of automobiles stolen in Aichi Prefecture from January to October this year is 1,704, the largest number in all the prefectures in Japan.)

 

 

うれしいニュース GOOD NEWS

先週、大垣市文化事業団事務局から電話があり、「大垣市文芸祭・小説部門」で私が書いた小説「燃える般若心経」がトップの文芸祭賞に選ばれたと報告があった。授与式は大垣で１１月１４日に行われる。うれしいことだ。

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　１１月１４日、大垣に行き、文芸祭賞を受賞してきた。

 

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受賞感想

この度、大垣市文芸祭賞を受賞してうれしく思いました。先生はじめ皆様のおかげです。思えば二十年ほど前、全日空の国際便に乗ったとき、英文機内誌を読んでいて「英文短編コンテスト」のことを知りました。最優秀賞は世界中どこにでも好きなところに飛んでいける航空券でした。これはすごいと思って、それ以来、日本語と英語の短編を読んだり書いたりしてきましたが、何をどう書いていいやら悪戦苦闘でした。今回、なんとか芽がでたようです。現在、このコンテストは廃止されましたが、今後は邪心を捨てて、いい作品が書けるよう努力していきたいと思っています。（同人誌「R&W」に寄せた言葉）

 

Last week the Ogaki City Cultural Program Center office informed me of my winning of the first prize in the novel section of the Ogaki City Creating Writing Festival. I wrote a novel under the title of “Burning Hanya Shinkyo Sutra.” The award ceremony is to be held in Ogaki on November 14. I am very happy.

I went to Ogaki on November 14 and won the prize.

拍手は控えよう DO NOT CLAP HANDS

拍手は控えよう

 

　

９月２６日、愛知芸術劇場でアイリッシュダンスを見た。これで２回目。ダンサーの揃ったステップは驚くばかりで、ただ感嘆するのみだった。
しかし、不快に思ったことがある。ダンス曲の演奏者（バグパイプ、ヴァイオリン、アコーディオン、ピアノ、ギター）の一人が、観衆に向かって音楽に合わせて手拍子を取るように促したので、皆が手をたたきだしたからだ。いつまでも、いつまでも続く手拍子の音（雑音！）のため、ダンスがエンジョイできなかった。手拍子の音で、あの見事なダンサーのステップの音（２０本の足が同時に床をタップする、ザッ、ザッ、ザッという音）がかき消されてしまったからだ。観衆は次々に変わるダンスの度に（馬鹿みたいに）手拍子をする。いかにダンスの醍醐味を台無しにしているかがわからないのだ。イライラして、まったくもって落胆した。手拍子を促す方もどうかしている。
歌舞伎鑑賞の時も同じ事が起こる。長唄などで三味線の演奏者がバチを離れ業のように速く動かして演奏が最高潮に達すると、必ずと言っていいほど、拍手をしなければならないと思ってか、観衆はワーと拍手をする。一番曲の聞かせどころというのに。素晴らしい演奏に拍手をするのは気持ちはわかるが、おっと、待ってくれないか。全部演奏が終わってから大いに拍手をすればいいのだから。

DO NOT CLAP HANDS

 

I saw the Irish Dance Ragus at Aichi Geijyutu Theater on Saturday.　It was the second time that I saw the dance. The dancers’ quick movements of their legs in unison were exciting, amusing, and fantastic.
　　Unfortunately, however, I was irritated. One of the Irish musicians (the bag piper, violin, accordion, piano, and guitar) on the stage invited the audience to clap their hands in accordance with the music rhythm. The audience clapped their hands as the dancers danced. The long and loud clapping noise ruined the dance, because it drowned the wonderful sound of quick, continuous, tap dance-like sound the dancers made on the floor. I was disappointed. The audience clapped their hands during every performance.
　　The same thing happens when I see kabuki. The audience begins to clap their hands when the shamisen string player plays the shamisen quickly and skillfully. The noise of the audience’s clapping drowns out the superb shamisen sound. I know they want to express their admiration by clapping their hands while the shamisen player is playing the instrument, but don’t ruin the most exciting part. They should wait until the whole thing finishes. After the performance, they can clap their hands to their heart’s content.
 

懐かしの南山男子部校舎 MY BELOVED NANZAN BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL BUILDINGS

懐かしの南山男子部校舎

 

 

 

 

 

 

　２００７年（平成１９年）の秋、ちょうど私が南山男子部を退職する４カ月ほと前に撮った写真とビデオが出てきた。４３年間英語教師として南山で教鞭をとった思い出に撮影したものだ。幸か不幸か、男子部校舎は中高ともに壊されて、２年後に新しい校舎ができるそうだ。わが愛する校舎がネット上で永遠に生きているようにアップロードすることにした。生徒諸君、教職員の皆さま、覚えていますか、この風景を。]

MY BELOVED NANZAN BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL BUILDINGS

　　I have found some pictures and videos that I took in the autumn of 2007 (Heisei 19) about four months before I retired from Nanzan Boys’ High School. (I worked for Nanzan as an English teacher for 43 years.) I took them to remember how Nanzan looked like. Luckily or unluckily, Nanzan High School buildings, both the junior and senior high school buildings are now being demolished and new school buildings will be built in two years. I decided to upload them so that my beloved school buildings will remain intact on the Internet. Nanzan graduates and teachers and office staff members, do you remember the scenery?