Weekly Topics/Archive
November 2009
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I went on a three-day trip to Kansai area with my wife from Saturday 14th
of November.
It was in order to check my new house under construction and have some
meetings about
the interior design.
We decided to use this opportunity to visit Mii-dera，formally called Onjo-ji
in Otsu to see the
colorful autumn leaves.
So, we stayed overnight at a hotel in Otu on Saturday.
On Sunday morning, we visited Mii-dera and walked around the temple grounds.
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| Nio-mon( Deva gate) of Mii-dera |
It was very fine but a little bit cold with a temperature of thirteen degrees
Celsius.
This temple had wide grounds and also much to offer visitors.
I never imagined it would be such a big temple.
I learned later that Miidera temple was ranked as one of the four biggest
temple in the nation
along with Todai-ji, Kohfuku-ji and Enryaku-ji on those day.
It happened that the principal Buddhist image called "Nyoirin-kannon"
housed at the Kannon-doh
has been shown to the public from October 3rd till November 30th.
According to the temple brochure，the special exposition of the principal
image is held once every
33 years.
It was lucky to pray for my family's good health in front of the image.
For details，please click the following website.
 Picture / Pilgrimage to old temples / 「滋賀・三井寺散策--長等山 園城寺--」
After we walked around the temple grounds all morning，we went to a building
site of my new
house.
The skeleton of the building and outer wall were already finished and tubular
scaffoldings were
taken down.
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| The appearance of my new house under construction |
They were doing the interior.
We had a meeting about interior design of the bath room like the attachment
position of faucet and
shower facilities.
On the following day，we visited the living showroom of Panasonic Electric
Works Co.,Ltd
in Osaka with my nephew in charge of Sales of P Corp as a guide.
We had a meeting about interior illumination in the morning.
I was worried about which material or design to choose from many samples.
My wife chose finally.
We visited the showroom of Kawashima Selkon Textiles Co.,Ltd from the afternoon.
We had a meeting here about interior decoration like window curtains.
It was so difficult for us to choose from many textile materials and designs.
I left these choices entirely to my wife.
It was already 5:30 p.m. when we finished the meeting.
This time，we stayed overnight at my youngest brother's place in Nara again.
I enjoyed Japanese sake with a nice home cuisine that his wife，Kazuko-san
cooked.
Thank you for your kindness and support.
[Note] interior design ； 内装、 Mii-dera ；三井寺、 Onjo-ji ； 園城寺
go to see the colorful autumn leaves ； 紅葉狩りに行く、 I learned later that
〜 ； 後でわかつたことだが
principal Buddhist image ； 本尊、 special exposition ； ご開帳、 all morning
；午前中ずっと
building site ；建築現場、 skelton of the building ； 建物の骨組み、 outer wall ；
外壁
tubular scaffolding ； (建築現場の)パイプ足場、 attachment position ； 取り付け位置、 faucet ；蛇口
shower facilities ； シャワ−設備、 living showroom ； 住まいのショ−ル−ム
with 〜 as a guide ； 〜の案内で、 in charge of 〜 ； 〜担当の、 interior illumination
； 室内照明
interior decoration ； 室内装飾、 textile ； 織物（の）
leave 〜 entirely to someone ； 人に〜を一任する、 home cuisine ； 家庭料理
Japanese Diary / No.209−2009.11.17 / 「滋賀・三井寺散策 & 新居の内装打合せ」
I had an opportunity to appreciate music twice in the past week.
Last Friday，I went to the special charity live concert at the Nippon Budokan in central Tokyo,
which was organized by Sumitomo Life Insurance.
Sumitomo says it planned the concert as part of social action programs.
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| The special charity live concert was held at the Nippon Budokan． |
A part o proceeds and any other money raised from the concert will be donated
to IUCN.
IUCN, which stands for International Union for Conservation of Nature and
Natural Resources,
is conducting environmental conservation activities on a global scale.
Performers were five vocalists like Iruka，K，Maki Oguro，HITOTO YO, Kousetsu Minami.
They are pop singers and Japanese modern folk ones.
I'm a senior and so don't know contemporary young singers very well.
I know only singers of my generation like Iruka and Kousetsu Minami.
When I listened to their pop music，for instance, ”Nagoriyuki” by Iruka and ”Kandagawa” by
Kousetsu，I remembered the old good days.
Anyway, I enjoyed the concert today.
Although I had some opportunity to pass through the central Tokyo by train，it's
been a while since
I went to such an event there.
This Sunday, I went to the piano recital at Santry Hall in Roppongi, Tokyo.
It was located in the place called ARC Hills，where was 5 minutes walk from
Roppongi−icchome
Stn, Nanboku Line of Tokyo Metro.
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| Pianist Seiko Shimoda gave a piano recital at Suntry Hall. |
It is surrounded by many skyscrapers and there are American Embassy, Hotel
Okura and so on
in the neighborhood.
Pianist Seiko Shimoda was a young little-known piano player who was a daughter
of my wife's
friend from her school days.
That's why we were invited to her piano recital from him.
The program featured some classical songs by Chopin, Beethoven, Debussy
and Liszt.
She said she made the selection of music numbers imagining "Nature".
But I'm sorry I couldn't understand it.
To be honest, I sometimes became sleepy.
It might be because I didn't become familiar with classical music.
I prefer pop music to classical one.
[Note] music appreciation ； 音楽鑑賞、 appreciate music ； 音楽を鑑賞する
social action program ； 社会貢献活動、 proceed ； 収益金、 raise money ； 寄付金を募る
donate to 〜 ； 〜に寄付する
IUCN＝International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
； 国際自然保護連合
stand for 〜 ； 〜の略である、〜を表す
conduct environmental conservation activities ； 環境保全活動を行う
performer ；出演者、 vocalist ； 歌手、 contemporary ； 現在の
it's been a while since 〜 ； 〜なんて久し振りだ、 skyscraper ； 超高層ビル
little-known ； ほとんど無名の、 Chopin ； ポ−ランドの作曲家、ピアニスト、 Beethoven ； ドイツの作曲家
Debussy ； フランスの作曲家、 Liszt ； ハンガリ−の作曲家
make the selection of music numbers ； 選曲する、 become familiar with 〜 ；〜に慣れ親しむ
Diary / No.206−2009.11.09 / 「下田 聖子 ピアノリサイタル2009」
Diary / No.205−2009.11.07 / 「チャリティライブ〜未来につづく地球のいのち〜」
On Oct 18th, I visited three old temples in Kamakura.
Since my wife was planning to go to her usual beauty parlor in Kamakura
by car, I went to
Kamakura taking her car that she drove.
She got off Yokohama-Yokosuka Road at the Asahina interchange as usual
and drove toward
Kamakura on prefectural road between Yokohama and Kamakura.
I dropped off in front of the beauty parlor on Wakamiya Street nearby JR
Kamakura station.
First, I visited Hongaku-ji temple.
When I passed Daiko-ji temple on the street and turned left at the next
corner, I could see
the postern gate of Hongaku-ji on my right.
It is one of the head temples of the Nichiren Buddhism.
There were a few visitors on the temple ground，perhaps because it was still
after 10 a.m.
I prayed for good health of our families ringing a kind of gong of the
main hall.
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| The main hall of Hongaku-ji temple |
When I went out of the temple gate called Nio-mon ( deva gate ), I happened to see the signpost
to Myouhon-ji temple across the street.
In Kamakura as well as Kyoto, we often have a chance to meet a temple when
we walk a little way.
Although I didn't schedule to visit Myouhou-ji temple, I decided to visit
there.
When I got across Ebisdou Bridge and went straight ahead, I could see the main gate of the
Myouho-ji temple which was one of the head temples of the Nichiren Buddhism.
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| The main gate of Myouhou-ji temple |
When I walked a little way from the main gate, there was the gate called
"Ho-zyo-mon".
I passed through the gate and walked up a long flight of stone stairs.
This temple had wider temple grounds than I might imagine.
The garan consists of three temple gates called "So-mon", "Ho-zyo-mon"
and "Niten-mon",
Soshi-do hall and main hall.
Wikipedia says Soshi-do hall is one of the largest wooden buildings in
Kamakura, along with
Buddhism sanctum in Kencho-ji temple.
I walked down a deeply forested front approach which was lined with big
trees and walked back to
Kamakura station.
I took Enoden line train and got off at the third stop, Hase station.
When I walked for about seven minutes, I got to Hasedera temple which was known familiarly as
"Hase Kannon".
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| The gate of Hasedera temple. |
The image of the Zyu-ichimen Kannon bodhisattva as the principal Buddhism image has been
called Hase Kannon.
The temple grounds streches out from foot of Mt.Kannon to the mountainside.
There is a circuit style garden in this temple, so visitors can enjoy the walk around the temple
grounds.
It had many high spots like not only Buddhist buildings but also a cave
and an observation deck
which offers panoramatic views of Uhigahama Beach.
Hasedera temple might be a well-known tourist attraction for foreign tourists.
I saw a few foreign visitors in this temple.
After I walked around the temple grounds for about an hour, I returned
to Kamakura to join
my wife for late lunch.
I really enjoyed nice walking under splendid fall weather.
According to the pedometer in my mobile phone, I took a little more than
10,000 steps and
traveled up to 5.4 Km.
[Note] one's usual beauty parlor ； 行きつけの美容院、 prefectural road ； 県道
drop off ； (乗り物から)降りる、 postern gate ； 裏門、 Nichiren Buddhism ；日蓮宗、 gong
； どら
walk a little way ；少し歩く、 a long flight of stairs ； 長い石の階段、 garan ； 伽藍
Soshi-do hall ； 祖師堂、 Buddhism sanctum ；仏殿、 forested ；樹木に覆われた
front approach ； 参道、 be lined with 〜 ； 〜が立ち並ぶ
get off at the third stop，Hse station ； 3 駅目の長谷駅で降りる
be kown familiarly as 〜 ； 〜として親しまれている、 bodhisattva ； 菩薩
Zyu-ichimen Kannon bodhisattvo ； 十一面観音菩薩、 principal Buddhism image ；
本尊
stretch out 〜； (土地・時間などが)〜に広がる， mountainside ； 中腹
circuit style garden ；回遊式庭園、 high spot ；見どころ、 observation deck ； 展望台
offer panoramic views of 〜 ； 〜を見渡せる、 well-known tourist attraction ； 観光名所
under splendid fall weather ； 秋晴れの空の下、 pedometer ； 歩数計、 take 〜 steps
； 〜歩歩く
Japanese Diary / No.199−2009.10.21 / 「鎌倉・古寺巡礼(4)」
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