Tuesday, April 30, 2013

ホルモンは七輪でね - Enjoy Horumonyaki with Shichirin

七輪で焼いたホルモンは美味しいですなぁ。
(焼きは全て名人に任せましたけど)
が、七輪って「しちりん」と読むのでありましたか。。。 
七って「ひち」って言ってしまう。
両親が関西より西出身だから?

オーリーがCMでホルモンを七輪で楽しんでいるのでこちらをー
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itexkrY3eis


It’s so yummy - You should enjoy "Horumonyaki"; fresh Horumon grilled by yourself on “Shichirin”; the Japanese charcoal stove. (Actually I left a master in complete charge of grilling)

Oh, I thought it is “Hichirin” instead of “Shichirin” as I tend to pronounce “(seven)” as “Hichi”, different from the standard pronunciation as “Shichi”  Perhaps that’s because my parents were born in western part of Japan?  

Orlando Bloom is enjoying "Horumon" on the Shichirin in TV commercials NOW.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itexkrY3eis
 




Monday, April 22, 2013

昔ながらの魚屋さん - A classic fish shop

I was glad to see a classic fish shop when I was hanging around a nostalgic shopping mall “Harmonica Yokocho” near Kichijo-ji Station on 4 Saturdays ago. 
See? So many kinds of fishes are caught in the sea around Japan.


4週間前の土曜日に吉祥寺駅近くのハーモニカ横丁をうろうろした時に見かけた
昔ながらの魚屋さん。
こういう魚屋さんって最近見かけないから、うれしかったなー。
日本では、いろんな種類の魚が獲れるんだねー。



 


ハーモニカ横丁(Harmonica Alley)
>>From GO TOKYO
The name of this alley comes from its appearance ? the regular lines of small stores look like harmonica reeds. There's barely enough space to pass by other people in this narrow maze. Once you come out, there are many pleasant stores and the atmosphere seems almost musical. This alley is home not only to restaurants, but also to a full lineup of general goods shops, salons, fortune tellers, and more, so you won't get bored even if you spend a full day walking around there!

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

地震予知のリアリティ - Reality of earthquake prediction

I joined a session of my favorite “Science bar” at the end of March & that day’s topic was about “against epicentral giant earthquakes in metropolitan area”- we Japanese are most anxious to know about it.

In Japan, full scale researches for earthquake prediction started approx. 40 years ago and many theories and survey results by specialists have been disclosed in front of us. Then various predictions have been reported in the media repeatedly and we see sensational articles/news like “Giant earthquake COMING on a specific date” in magazines or on the internet for many times.

According to that day’s lecturer Goto-san; Associate Professor of Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto Univ. & professional researcher of marine electromagnetic survey, NO one can predict exactly when earthquakes could occur at this stage.  No doubt about big earthquakes level M7 occurring in Japan sooner or later but with our level of science at this time, unfortunately we are not able to predict accurate timing …

Especially, Tokyo & Kanto region are located at the area holding 4 plates underneath with complicated structure of many faults and it is very difficult to predict quakes…

His advice is quite simple and practical to protect our own life; be well prepared for earthquakes by yourselves. 

The following 3 are must buy for us;
 1.a whistle to carry always
 2.a small LED Maglite to carry always
 3.shoes at your bed side

Then, I’ve got to get a whistle!  I already carry a small LED Maglite in my pouch.



日本で本格的に地震予知研究が始まったのは約40年前。
それから以降たくさんの発表や説が展開されるたびに、
マスコミによる「〇〇年〇月〇日に巨大地震」みたいなセンセーショナルな雑誌記事や
ネット上のニュースを度々我々は見聞きしているわけであ

この日の講師、京都大学大学院工学研究科准教授にして
海底電磁気学スペシャリストの後藤忠徳先生によると、
正確な地震予知の術は、残念ながらまだ確立していないのだそう。
遅かれ早かれM7クラスの巨大地震が来るのは間違いない。
だけれども
発生のその正確な時期は誰も予測できないのである。
本当に残念なことに。

しかも、特に東京や関東地方は、4つのプレートを地下に抱え、
複雑な断層構造になっているので、現状、予測しようがないそうな。
「首都圏直下型巨大地震を迎え撃つ」期待をしてたのですけど。。。

曰く、自分の身は自分で守るために実行可能かつシンプルな
地震対抗措置は、そう、日頃自分自身で備えをしておくこと。
次の3つのアイテムがMust Buy
1.ホイッスル(常に携行する)
2.LEDライト(常に携行する)
3.靴(ベッドの傍に)

ホイッスル買わなきゃ!(既にLEDライトはポーチに入っているのだ)
 





Sunday, April 14, 2013

仏像でナイト – it’s got be Buddha Statue Night

I joined a workshop of Kyoouji(Kyo-o-temple) near my place 2 Thursdays ago. 
At the periodic workshops "night of Buddha Statue", we will learn about Buddha Statues from the chief priest of that temple. 
Some new generations set and made a trend several years ago to enjoy statues of Buddha & other Buddhist saints such as Kannon and Fudo as adorable characters or fine arts.

Actually, the first person who found the art value of the Buddha statues in Japan was Ernest Fenollosa from US and tried to save them during the anti-Buddhist movement in the early Meiji period that led to the destruction of Buddhist temples and images. He loved Japanese all sorts of arts so much and became a curator of the department of Oriental Art at Boston Museum after he returned to Boston in 1890.

The chief priest thinks we should appreciate them with correct knowledge of religious and historical backgrounds and then we can have spiritual dialogues without words when we confront them at the temples.  He said how you look a face of Buddha Statue is the mirror reflecting your feeling.  When you think his face is gentle, you have tender mind.  When you look his face is severe, you might have something inside to be accused by him. 

It was interesting workshop and I will try to join the next sessions.

先々週の木曜日は、近所の経王寺でのワークショップ「仏像でナイト」に参加。
お寺のご住職さまから仏像について教わる連続したワークショップなのだ。
随分前からのトレンドとして、仏さまや観音さま、不動さまの像を芸術品やキャラとして
愛する人たちが出てきているのだけど
実際、日本の仏像の価値を最初に認めたのはフェノロサというアメリカ人で、
明治初期の廃仏毀釈の流れの中、守り抜こうとしたのは誰よりも日本美術を愛したこのひと。
1890年に帰国後ボストン美術館の東洋アート担当責任者に。

ご住職がおっしゃるには、歴史的・宗教的に正しい知識あってこそ、
本当に仏像に向き合うことができ、
仏さまと向き合って対話することが大切なのだと。
仏さまのお顔がどう見えるかが、自分の気持ちの鏡であるから
優しいお顔に見えるときは、自分も優しい気持ちの時。
怖くみえるときは、自分の中にやましい気持ちがある時だそう。

なかなか面白かったので、次回も参加してみよう♪

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Boo Hoo Woo !


We had the second Origami session w/our Master @ the cafeteria 2 Wednesdays ago and made pigs - they looked lovely but serious surrounding the food...

先々週の水曜日、折り紙マイスターと一緒の2回目の折り紙会のお題は、
ぶたさん。
可愛いいんだけど、食べ物を囲んで、ちょっと怖く見える?



Tuesday, April 2, 2013

私のお気に入り テオ・ヤンセン – My favorite , Theo Jansen




とある天才がこの世に生を授けた新しい生き物 ----
ほぼプラスチックチューブだけできた巨大な生き物が
ビーチをうろうろしているのを眺めるのがかなり楽しい。
奇才テオ・ヤンセンが生み出したストランドビースト
(日本ではビーチアニマルと呼ばれている模様)はとても不思議で、
風だけを食べて、風の力を消化しつくすまで動くのだ。
波に足が触れたりすれば、濡れないように逆の方向へ歩きだすヤツも。
2年くらい前の展覧会で本物達に会ったことがあるのだけど、
デモで中の1匹が滑りやすい館内の床の上でちょこちょこ行ったり来たりさせられていて、
歩く姿が動物みたいで、とてもかわいかったー!
テオ・ヤンセン、スーパーかっこいー!! しかもかなりハンサムなの
たまにウェブサイトで不思議なクリーチャー達を眺めては楽しんでいるのだ。

logo


I occasionally love to access these websites to watch those huge creatures; living organisms looking which actually consist entirely of plastic tubes walking around on the beach.  - A genius creates new forms of life and breathes new life into them.  They only “eat” winds and move until digest all the energy from the winds.
Some of them can move & walk in the opposite direction when their legs just touch wave of the sea to avoid getting wet.

I’m really fascinated by STRANDBEESTs created by Theo Jansen.  Actually, I’ve ever met the real ones at an exhibition in Tokyo about 2 years ago and saw one of them toddled back and forth on the slippery floor of the museum at demonstration time.  It was really funny and lovely as if he or she was real animal.
Theo is so cool and also very handsome!