映画『八犬伝』 A Movie, "Hakkenden"

映画『八犬伝』　　

 『八犬伝』を見た。役所広司が曲亭馬琴を演じた。映画は２場面の構成で、一つは馬琴が著述し、北斎がそれを絵にする場面。もう一つは、仁・義・礼・智・忠・信・孝・悌の玉を持つ八人の剣士と悪の化身・玉梓との一連の戦いの場面である。映画では、この二場面が入れ替わり繰り返される。「八犬伝」のシーンは正味１時間半である。

『南総里見八犬伝』は馬琴が２８年かけて書いた大作で、９８巻ある。これを、たったの１時間半に纏めるのは無理だ。しかし、玉を持つ若者が次々に紹介され、最後は里見家復興を成し遂げる。上手く纏めてあったが、上滑りなのは仕方がない。

『八犬伝』の挿絵は北斎ではない。また、鶴屋南北や渡辺崋山が登場するが、これもフィクションである。

感動した場面

①   馬琴が息子宗伯を亡くす場面。私は１８歳の兄を亡くしているが、私の両親の悲嘆は、如何ばかりであったかと察してほろりとした。

②   馬琴が盲目で著述できなくなった時、嫁のお路が口述筆記をする場面。馬琴は漢字が分からないお路に辛抱強く漢字を教え、お路は物語を完結する。

原文を読みたくなった。

A Movie, "Hakkenden"

I saw “Hakkenden” yesterday. Koji Yakusho performed the role of Kyokutei Bakin, an Edo era novelist (1764-1848).

The movie consists of two narratives. One depicts Bakin writing the story, with Katsushika Hokusai illustrating it. The other showcases eight young swordsmen, each possessing a bright, transparent ball representing virtues such as Humanity, Righteousness, Courtesy, Wisdom, Loyalty, Trust, Filial Piety, and Brotherly Love. They battle the evil spirit of Tamazusa. The movie alternates between these two narratives, resulting in about an hour and a half of fighting scenes.

Bakin spent 28 years writing the story which consisted of 98 volumes. The film condenses this long tale into just an hour and a half, which feels somewhat inadequate. 

Despite this, the film effectively introduces the eight swordsmen one by one. In the end, they defeat Tamazusa and restore the Satomi Clan. While it was well summarized, it inevitably felt superficial. This was perhaps unavoidable given the constraints.

Historical Inaccuracies:

The illustrator of "Hakkenden" is not Hokusai. The appearances of Turuya Nanboku and Watanabe Kazan in the movie are also fictional.

Moving Scenes:

①   Bakin’s son, Sohaku, dies young. This scene resonated with me as my elder brother also passed away at the age of 18. I believe my parents felt immense sorrow. Watching this part of the movie brought tears to my eyes.

②   In his later years, Bakin became blind and could no longer continue writing. Omichi, his daughter-in-law transcribed his words. Although she initially did not know how to write kanji characters, she learned with his patient guidance, eventually helping him complete his great work.

This film has sparked my interest in reading the original story.

 

鉄心の墓参り

目下、大垣藩の城代・小原鉄心の小説を書いている。

首尾よく執筆できるよう、１０月１０日、鉄心の墓のある全昌寺と、藩主戸田家の墓のある円通寺に参拝して来た。

運良く、全昌寺の住職が境内の墓を幾つか案内して下さった。全昌寺は１９４５年の大垣空襲で燃え、再建した寺である。寺には戊辰戦争で亡くなった大垣藩の藩士や九鬼水軍の子孫の墓などを見せていただいた。鉄心の墓では線香を焚き、蝋燭に火を点してお参りして来た。

大垣駅へ帰る途中、大垣郷土館と大垣城にも行って来た。執筆に役立つ資料が幾つかあった。

写真は上から大垣城模型、円通寺、全昌寺、小原鉄心の墓

Visiting Tesshin’s Grave

I am writing a novel about Ohara Tesshin, a chief retainer for the Ogaki-han Domain in the 1830s during the Edo era.

On October 10, I visited Tesshin’s grave at Zensho-ji Temple and the graves of the Toda clan, the lords of the domain, at Entsu-ji Temple to gather materials for my novel.  

Fortunately, the priest guided me around the graves. The temple was burned down in 1945 during WWII Ogaki air raids. He showed me the graves of Ogaki-han’s samurai warriors who were killed in the Boshin War (Japan's last civil war) as well as the grave of Kuki, a descendant of the naval force chief in the Seto Inland Sea. 

I paid my respects at Tesshin’s grave, lighting incense sticks and a candle.

On my way back to Ogaki Station, I visited Ogaki Historical Museum and Ogaki Castle. The materials I saw today will definitely help me write the novel.

Pictures are: from the top, Ogaki Castle model, Entsuji-Temple, Zensho-ji Temple, and Ohra Tesshin's grave.

富士河口湖コンサート Fuji Kawaguchi Lake Concert

 富士河口湖コンサート

9月２１日、辻井伸行さんのピアノ演奏を聴いた。会場は富士山の麓にある「河口湖円形ホール」であった。古代ローマの円形競技場のような造りで、３０００人収容する。ただし、座席は石造り、背凭れはない。会場入り口で敷物を借りる。

辻井さんの演奏は三回目。いつ聞いても鍵盤の音一つ一つに感情がこもっている。

アンコール演奏中に会場の天井が移動して富士山が一望できるようになった。カタンカタンと音がするので邪魔な音だと思っていたが、天井を開ける音だった。

改良すべき点：円形競技場は石造りで老人泣かせ。腰が痛くなる。演奏中に天井を動かさない。動かすなら音がしない装置にすべき。

写真真下にピアノと辻井さん

Fuji Kawaguchi Lake Concert

I enjoyed listening to Tsujii Nobuyuki’s piano performance at the Kawaguchi Lake Stellar Theater on September 21. The theater resembles an ancient Roman amphitheater and accommodates 3,000 people. The seats are made of stone and lack backs, so you need to borrow a cushion for comfort.

This was the third time I had the pleasure of hearing him play. Each time, the keys he strikes seem to convey his delicate emotions.

However, I was annoyed by the clickety-clack noise during the encore, caused by the theater’s ceiling moving to reveal the magnificent Mt. Fuji.

Some suggested improvements:

• The stone seats can be uncomfortable for elderly people with backaches.
• Avoid moving the ceiling during the performance. If necessary, ensure it moves silently.
  
  
  
  
  
  

串団子土星 Skeweredーdumpling Saturn

 串団子土星　

９月２０日、長野県八ヶ岳のホテルで星空観賞会に参加した。場所はホテルから十分ぐらい歩いた野原であった。十七夜で満月に近く、月光が明るかった。雲は、かなり出ていたが、南方には夜空が広がっていた。参加者は野原に敷かれた敷物の上に仰向けに寝た。周りは黒い灌木が我々を取り巻いていた。

担当の女性が懐中電灯で夜空を照らし、カシオペア、白鳥、北極星、北斗七星、オリオンなどの方向を示し、説明をした。ほとんどの星座は雲に隠れて見えなかったが、オリオン座や冬の大三角形が見えた。２０分後、説明は終り、天体望遠鏡で土星を一人ずつ見た。私も土星を見たが、土星の輪っぱの面が見えず、土星は串差し団子のような形であった。中学校の時に観た、土星は輪っぱが、ほどよく傾き、輪っぱの面も見えて感動したが、今回は呆気なかった。担当者によると、今年は輪っぱの面は見えないという。15年周期で面が見えたり見えなかったりするとか。中学生の時見た土星は、丁度いい時期だったのだ。

　Skeweredーdumpling　Saturn　

I attended a star-viewing event at a hotel in Yatsugatake, Nagano Prefecture, on September 20. The viewing site was a grassy field about a 10-minute walk from the hotel. With over 90 percent of the moon illuminated, it was almost as bright as a full moon. Clouds covered about one-third of the night sky, but the southern sky was clear. Each star-gazer lay on their back on a small mat on the grass, surrounded by eerie black bushes.

The woman in charge pointed her flashlight at various constellations in the dark sky, such as Cassiopeia, Cygnus (the Swan), the North Star, the Big Dipper, and Orion. Most of these constellations were obscured by clouds, but Orion and the Winter Triangle were visible. After a 20-minute talk about the stars, each participant had the chance to view Saturn through an astronomical telescope. I was disappointed because I couldn’t see Saturn’s rings clearly; instead, I saw a skewered-dumpling shape. The Saturn I saw in high school was unforgettable because the rings were tilted at a favorable angle towards Earth. The woman explained that this year, the rings appear edge-on and are nearly invisible due to their extreme thinness relative to their diameter. According to her, Saturn’s rings reach their maximum tilt towards Earth approximately every 15 years. The Satrun I saw when I was a boy had the rings tilted in a good angle.

大山鳴動して鼠一匹 Much Ado about Nothing

大山鳴動して鼠一匹　

「過去最大級の台風が接近しています。厳重な注意をして下さい」アナウンサーが話している。４日前、台風10号が鹿児島県に上陸した。それ以降、ニュースは台風の被害や対策ばかり。のろのろ台風で、明日にも名古屋に来るという予報に反して、三日経っても四日経っても名古屋には接近して来ない。。

スーパーでは米が売り切れとか、緊急避難とか。土砂崩れとか、避難セットが売れているとか、新幹線が運休とか、飛行機も飛ばないとかで、頭の中が台風だらけになる。いつものことだ。今日、やっと台風らしき雨が降ったが、普通の雨とそんなに変わらない。わいわい騒ぐほどのことはなかった。

今日は、栄で一時半から、シェクスピア講座を受講する日だが、予報によると大雨になりそうなので、欠席の電話を入れた。

しかし、大雨にならなかった。こんなことなら出席すればよかった。

江戸時代はいい。台風が接近しているなどという知らせは入ってこない。当日になって、はじめて「今日は嵐になるかな」と思うぐらいである。四日も前から気を揉む必要がない。今回はこの三、四日、気を揉んで揉んで疲れてしまった。余分な情報に引っ掻き回された。

Much Ado about Nothing

A TV news announcer warned, “One of the largest typhoons in recent years is approaching Japan. Please keep a close watch on it.” Typhoon No. 10 had reached Kagoshima Prefecture four days earlier. Since then, the news has been dominated by reports on the typhoon, detailing the damages and early countermeasures. The weather forecast predicted it would hit Nagoya within a day or so.

However, the typhoon moved very slowly and did not reach Nagoya even after four days had passed. TV news continued to broadcast updates on how people were coping with the bad news: scarce rice supplies, emergency evacuations, mudslides, unavailable shelter kits, and stoppages of Shinkansen bullet trains and airplanes. My head was overwhelmed with too much information about the not-yet-arrived typhoon. This happens every year. Finally, today, it rained rather heavily, but not as much as expected. TVs, radios, and phones made too much noise. Much ado about nothing.

I was supposed to go to the YWCA to attend a Shakespeare class this afternoon, but I didn’t, because the weather forecast predicted heavy rain. However, it turned out to be just ordinary rain.

I envy the people of the Edo era. They never heard about approaching typhoons. They judged the weather themselves. They might have looked at the sky and thought, “It will probably rain in the afternoon.” They didn’t have to worry about the weather for four days.

I am exhausted from worrying about the typhoon for the past four days. I have had too much incorrect information. Enough is enough.

断腸の別離 Heartbreaking Separation

断腸の別離　　

　今日（８月１１日）、「徹子の部屋」で黒柳徹子は、戦争体験者と対談した番組を放送した。２０年か３０年ぐらい前の対談である。対談相手は往年の映画俳優・池部良、シャンソン歌手・淡谷のり子、演歌歌手・三波春夫等であった。皆、言葉では言い尽くせない悲惨な目に会った人たちであった。中でも涙を誘ったのは淡谷のり子の体験談であった。

彼女は出撃前の神風特攻隊員の前で歌うことになった。隊員担当者によると、彼等は平均年齢１６歳だという。さらに「少年達は、あなたが歌っている間にも出撃命令が下って、歌の途中で退出するかもしれません。気を悪くなさらないで下さい」と言った。

彼女が歌い出すと、少年達は食い入るように彼女の歌を聞いていた。が、出撃命令が下ったらしく、彼等は起立して彼女に敬礼し、にこやかに立ち去って行った。生きては戻れない運命であった。

彼女は、まともに歌うことができなくなり、特攻隊員が部屋を出ると、とどめもなく涙が出た。

徹子は彼女の話を聞き、涙声で対談を続けた。私も目頭が熱くなった。何という痛ましい話か！

今の若者は幸せ過ぎる。出撃した少年兵に想い馳せるべきだ。

Heartbreaking Separation 　

イエオスト Gjetost

イエオスト　

Gjetost

I recently read The Witches, a children’s story by Roald Dahl. The tale follows a young Norwegian boy who, while staying at a hotel in London with his grandmother, stumbles upon a secret gathering of witches disguised as kindly old ladies.

Their leader, the Grand High Witch, who masquerades as a stunning young woman, uses a special potion called Formula 86 Delayed Action Mouse-Maker to transform the boy into a mouse. However, with the help of his resourceful grandmother, the boy manages to turn the tables, using the same potion to turn all the witches into mice, which are eventually devoured by cats.

After this thrilling adventure, the boy and his grandmother return home. Now in his mouse form, the boy indulges in his favorite treat: a slice of Gjetost, the brown goat cheese from Norway.

Curious, I picked up some Gjetost at the supermarket, just like the boy’s. As I took a bite, I noticed its sticky, caramel-like texture and the slight bitterness in its taste.

 “This is the cheese the boy ate,” I thought, savoring each bite.

 

Here’s an excerpt from the book:

“For supper that evening my grandmother had a plain omelette and one slice of bread. I had a piece of that brown Norwegian goat’s-milk cheese known as Gjetost, which I had loved even when I was a boy. We ate in front of the fire, my grandmother in her armchair and me on the table with my cheese on a small plate.”

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Here’s a revised version of your passage:

 I recently read The Witches, a children’s story by Roald Dahl. The tale follows a young Norwegian boy who, while staying at a hotel in London with his grandmother, stumbles upon a secret gathering of witches disguised as kindly old ladies.

 Their leader, the Grand High Witch, who masquerades as a stunning young woman, uses a special potion called Formula 86 Delayed Action Mouse-Maker to transform the boy into a mouse. However, with the help of his resourceful grandmother, the boy manages to turn the tables, using the same potion to turn all the witches into mice, which are eventually devoured by cats.

 After this thrilling adventure, the boy and his grandmother return home. Now in his mouse form, the boy indulges in his favorite treat: a slice of Gjetost, the brown goat cheese from Norway.

 Curious, I picked up some Gjetost at the supermarket, just like the boy’s. As I took a bite, I noticed its sticky, caramel-like texture and the slight bitterness in its taste.

 “This is the cheese the boy ate,” I thought, savoring each bite.

 Here’s an excerpt from the book:

 “For supper that evening my grandmother had a plain omelette and one slice of bread. I had a piece of that brown Norwegian goat’s-milk cheese known as Gjetost, which I had loved even when I was a boy. We ate in front of the fire, my grandmother in her armchair and me on the table with my cheese on a small plate.”

 

What’s Good About This Passage:

 

            •           Clarity and Flow: The revised passage reads smoothly, with a clear progression of events.

            •           Descriptive Language: The description of the cheese is vivid and relatable, helping to create a sensory connection.

            •           Narrative Integration: The mention of the book’s excerpt ties the story and your experience together effectively.

 

Suggestions:

 

            •           Emotional Engagement: You might delve a bit deeper into how the connection to the story made you feel. Did the taste of the cheese evoke a sense of nostalgia, or did it make the story feel more real?

            •           Personal Insight: Consider expanding on why this particular detail—the cheese—stood out to you. This can add a layer of depth and personalize the narrative further.

 

Overall, your passage does a great job of linking a literary experience to a real-life moment, making the story come alive in a tangible way.