Sep 29, 2007

"Yoitomake no Uta"


Today, I read "Mera Yoshikazu(米良美一)"'s hard history on today's newspaper. He had become popular by singing the title song of "Mononoke Hime(もののけ姫)" with his beautiful falsetto voice. But now he is singing "Yoitomake no Uta(ヨイトマケの唄)" with his real voice.
"Miwa Akihiro(美和明弘)" wrote and sang the song in the nineteen sixities, and several singers have covered since then. It has a message about relationship between a mother and her child like the one of "Tokyo Tower (東京タワー)" written by Lily Franky(リリーフランキー).
I was impressed by listening to it because the message of it has linked with his story. Please try to listen to it.
土方(どかた)= a worker who ues his/her body very hard at a place where a large structure such as road, bridge, building has been built. And it has an insulting meaning, so it is rarely used in public.
ヨイトマケ=an equipment that is used to stabilize a land, and its meaning changes to refer to workers who use it.
エンヤコラ=a kind of "掛け声(かけごえ)" that people use when they do a common movement, for example, to lift a heavy material, like どっこらしょ、よいしょ、せーの、わっしょい. It has no mean itself.

Sep 27, 2007

"Matryomin?!"

Last Monday, I went to a music instrument fair(exhibition) held in Fukuoka city with my family. I found an very interesting instrument there. Its name is "Matryomin". Its form looks a well-known Russian doll named "Matryoshka" and it has an electric instrument named "Termin" that is said the original of an electronic instrment in the inside of it. You can listen to its sound here.

Sep 23, 2007

"Mushi no Ne"

I found this cricket in the garden of my house. It is called "Enma-koorogi"(えんまこおろぎ). It chirps like this, "Kolo-kolo-kolo-li-i-i-n"(at least, it sounds like this to Japanese). In this season, I fall in sleep every night listening to this sound because I live in a countryside.

In Japan, some people raise a kind of cricket "Suzu-mushi"(鈴虫) and enjoy its sound.

I heard that Japanese people use a different part of their brain to listen to the sounds made by insects from a part that Westerners use. So, it sounds like a language, a song or a comfortable sound to Japanese, but only a noise or a noisy sound to Westerners.

I don't know that this is fact, or not, but it is very interesting, I think.

How do you feel "Mushi no Ne"(虫の音), comfortable or not?

P.S.
I have placed "Club Tropicana" by Wham at "My favorite song". You can listen to sounds made by a kind of "koorogi" before the sing starts.

Now. I remeber that there is a well-known children's song whose subject is "Mushi no Ne" in Japan. You can listen to it, here.

Sep 17, 2007

"Ine-kari" and a rainbow


Yesterday, I took a photo that a farmer did "ine-kari" with his "ine-kari" machine.
And, I saw a rainbow in the sky of east at about 6:30pm.

Sep 16, 2007

My Bike

I run with this bike around the rivermouth of the Onga river at leaset 1 hour every weekend. It is enjoyable and good for my health.

This bike's frame is made by an American maker "Klein". It is well known for its skill to paint frame. And the bike's components (gear, derailer, brake system) are made by a Japanese maker "Shimano". Bike components are occupied by only two makers, Shimano and Campagnolo(an Italian maker).

I bought this bike at near bike-shop. Its price was 250,000 yen!

If I have a chance to buy another bike, I want a bike with a frame made by an Italian maker, "Colnago".

Sep 15, 2007

after "Ine-kari"

I wanted to show a scene that a farmer was harvesting his crops with his "Ine-kari" machine. But it had already finished yesterday, so I could not.

ine-kari=”稲刈り”

Sep 11, 2007

"Tanbo September11"

実(みの)るほど頭(こうべ)をたれる稲穂(いなほ)かな

In this season, I remeber this saying when I see a "tanbo" where the plants have "inaho"s . It means that the more a man succeeds, the more modest he becomes . In other words, a man becomes not arrogant as he develops himself to be wise or to be successful.

It is one of my favorite saying.

Sep 10, 2007

"Ichijiku" & "Seigo"

Ichijiku
On Saturday, we bought figs whose Japanese name is "Ichjiku" at the farmer's shop. It is expressed "無花果” in Kanji character. "無" means "nothing or without. "花" means flower. "果" means fruits. So it grows to a fruit without a flower.

It is suitable season for eating a fig, now, in Japanese "Shun"(旬). Japan has four season, so "Shun" is a very important idea and word. In "Shun" season, "Shun" foods are sold at cheaper price because there are large harvests of them in this season. And they are very fresh!

I heard that Adam & Eve used leaves of fig because they have no cloth. Is it really?

Seigo
On Sunday, I went fishing with my daughter and my father again(but different place). We fished a lot of tiny sardine. My father got a "Seigo"(but only one).

We call a small Japanese Sea Perch "Suzuki"(鱸) "Seigo" because it is a kind of "Shusse-uo"(出世魚). "Shusse-uo" means that it has several names in their developing stage. It includes "Suzuki", "Bora"(鯔) and "Buri"(鰤). "Seigo" → "Fukko" →"Suzuki". "Ina" →"Bora" →"Todo". "Hamachi" →"Buri".

Sep 8, 2007

the Pierces

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I learned them through VOA Special Englsih. I feel they are very catchy.

Sep 3, 2007

"Chi-San-Chi-Syo"

I go to this shop to buy some vegetables every weekend with my wife. Farmers can bring their products and sell them here, and consumers can get them at lower price. But some groceries do not have good shapes such as higher foods sold at shopping center. But they are more fresh!

Recently, these shops have became more popular and increased more and more in Japan. This movement is called "Chi -San-Chi-Syou"(地産地消) . "地" means local, "産" means product, and "消" means consume. It means that people should eat food grown in their area.

In Korea, there is a similar idea called "Shindohuji(身土不二)". This idea is that eating foods grown nearby is good for person's health.

I have learned that a musician named Adrienne Young in the United States has continued a movement to let people buy locally grown foods through the VOA special English. It is so nice, I think, because it has good effect on environment and people's health.

Sep 2, 2007

Che'Nelle

Her song, "Love with DJ" is now one of my favorite songs, so I tried to embed her movie to my blog from YouTube, but it was not permitted by request. Her official web-site is http://www.emimusic.jp/intl/chenelle/.

Sep 1, 2007

"Tanbo September1"

Summer holiday have finished and September has started. "Rajio taisou" has also finished yesterday. The temperature is comparatively lower than the past days, but the air has included lots of humidity. Rainy and cloudy day has continued.