Weekly Topics/Archive
October 2010
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It was before nine o'clock when I saw my old classmates off at the bus
stop who stayed overnight at my place last night.
It was cold out when the wind was howling.
I felt that it was rather muggy yesterday, but today winter suddenly come
along.
I thought intuitively this wind might be the 1st kogarashi in this season.
It's because I knew the kogarashi means a strongish and cold northerly
wind which
blows between Sõkõ and Rittõ.
They are adjacent solar terms in traditional East Asian lunisolar calendars.
Just to be sure, I checked today's temperature on the weather page in
the newspaper.
The weather forecast said the maximum temperature would be 18 degrees Celsius
and
the minimum one would be 11 degrees Celsius in Shiga prefecture.
I felt much colder than the forecast.
As I felt cold even in the room, I got my winter sweater out of the chest
of drawers and
wore it for the first time in this season，in spite of the fact that some short−sleeved summer
clothes was still hanging on the hanger in the coat closet.
When I looked at the garden from the window，a lot of fallen leaves could
be seen on the lawn.
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| The fallen leaves on the lawn scattered by kogarashi No.1 |
Come to think of it，the word kogarashi is derived from the meaning that
something kill trees.
That is to say，whenever the kogarashi blows，all the leaves are scattered
from the trees,
and it looks like the trees are killed.
I found out on the following day the wind was the first kogarashi.
It's because Osaka District Meteorological Observatory announced that the
Kinki region had
the kogarashi for the first time in this season on Oct. 26.
When we have a pressure pattern in which the high pressure area is to the
west and the
low pressure area is to the east and at the same time the notherly wind
with wind speeds of
over 8 meters per second blows from late autumn to early winter, the Meteorological Agency
identifies the wind as the kogarashi and announces the first season's kogarashi
as the
kogarashi No.1，Wikipedia says.
According to the weather forecast，the coldest air in this season will seep over Japanese
islands on Oct.27 and it will become colder.
(The forecasted maximum temperature is 15 degrees Celsius and the minimum one is
7 degrees Celsius.)
It's said the observation of the kogarashi No.1 within October is for the
first time in 8 years.
On the other hand，the typhoon No.14 is approaching Okinawa.
Compared to long hot summer，cold air mass came early this year.
So we might have short Autumn when climate is mild and comfortable.
What an abnormal weather it is !
I want warmed sake when it get this cold.
I already got a drink at night
[Note] kogarashi ； 木枯し、 see someone off at 〜 ； 〜で人を見送る
the wind was howling ; 風がヒュ−ヒュ−吹いていた、 come along ； やって来る、 現れる
strongish ； やや強い、 northerly wind ；北寄りの風、 Sõkõ ；霜降、 Rittõ ；立冬
solar term ； 節気、 just to be sure ； 念のために、 the chest of drawers ; たんす
in the spite of the fact that〜 ； 〜と云う事実にもかかわらず、 short−sleeved ； 半袖の
coat closet ；洋服掛け用クロ−ゼット、 fallen leaves；落ち葉、 come to think of it；そう云えば
be derived from 〜；〜に由来する，kill trees ; 木を枯らす、 that is to say ； つまり,すなわち
scatter〜 ； 〜をまき散らす、 Osaka District Meteorological Observatory ；大阪管区気象台
a pressure pattern in which the high pressure area is to the west and the low pressure area
is to the east ; 西高東低の気圧配置
Meteorological Agency ; 気象庁、 identify A as B ； AをBと認定する
seep ； 流れ込む、しみ出る、 cold air mass ; 寒気団
Japanese Diary / No.310−2010.10.26 / 「木枯1 号吹く」
It was too hot this summer and the lingering summer heat was intense.
However，the hot season changed to autumn at a stretch after Higan and the
weather has
been brisk.
And so I went on a cycling expedition with my sports bicycle after a long
interval.
I came up with an idea for cycling around Mt.Omi-Fuji.
Mt.Omi-Fuji is the nickname for the Mt.Mikami，which is located in Yasu
City in the southan
part of Lake Biwa.
I've been familiar with such mountain as showing me different shades of
color with
the season's transition.
Since I've been really charmed by aspects of the mountain which I can see
not only through
the window of my house but also around Yasu Station on the JR Biwako Line
and out of
the window of the Tokaido Shinkansen train.
I've always wanted to look at the mountain from nearby.
I bought cycling wear at a bike shop last week.
It is the first time that I go cycling in the cycling wear.
I left home at 1:00 p.m. and followed the route to Mt.Mikami I searched
in the Google Map
on the internet in advance.
Mt.Mikami is mere 432 meters in height.
However，we can see it at any sites on the route for its altitude because
Kusatsu, Yasu and
Omi-hachiman City is located in the relatively−flat region in the sourthern
part of Lake Biwa.
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| The view of Mt.Mikami from rural site near Moriya in Rittou City |
This time's cycling route is not only on the bikeway but also on community
roads, prefectural
roads and national roads.
So, I paid close attention to cars on the roads not to have a traffic accident.
I arrived at Mikami-zinzya-mae intersection when I crossed the bridge spanning
the Yasugawa
river.
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| The view of the downstream area from the bridge spanning the Yasugawa river |
I stopped off at Mikami Shrine at the foot of Mt.Mikami on the way and
prayed for my safety
during the cycling.
There was a torii gate at the entrance of the shrine and an old two-story
gate at the far end of
the approach，whose sides was surrounded by dark green old trees.
It is said that Mikami shrine set down Mt.Mikami as a Shinto shrine deity
and enshrine
Amano-mikagenokami.
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| The torii gate of Mikami Shrine |
The two-story gate of Mikami Shrine |
I cycle round the Mt.Mikami in anticlockwise direction from here.
I headed toward Kibougaoka-bunka park on R325.
After a while, R27 became parallel to a river and all around was a rural
landscape.
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| The rural landscape around R27 |
R27 around here had a bike path on each side，which helped me very much.
As the things turned out, that river was the upper portion of the Yasugawa
River.
When I was traveling on Route 27 in a rural area for a while，I lost my
way.
I got in the village and therefore took a circuitous route and lost about
an hour.
For details about this cycling，please visit the following picture.
(But you must know the password in order to look at the picture.)
Japanese Picture / Cycling / (B) 「近江富士(三上山)一周サイクリング」
I was very hungry and didn't feel like preparing dinner after this.
And so I went directly to Japanese restaurant，''Daiki" near my home.
As soon as I got there，I ordered a cold glass of draft beer.
Anyway，it was very good !
As a memory，I had pictures taken of my wearing new cycling suit by master
of the restaurant.
I can probably have a good sleep tonight because I drank alcohol with a
slight feeling of
fatigue.
[Note] the lingering summer heat is intense； 残暑が厳しい、 at a stretch ； 一気に
brisk ； 爽やかな、 go on a cycling expedition ； 遠出のサイクリングに出かける
come up with 〜；〜を思い付く、 cycle around 〜 ； サイクリング(自転車)で〜を一周する
be familiar with 〜 ； 〜に慣れ親しんでいる、 different shades of color ； 様々な色合い
the season's transition ； 季節の移り変わり、 aspect of the mountain ； 山の姿
go cycling ； サイクリングへ行く、 mere ； わずか、たかが〜にすぎない
432 meters in height ； 標高432 m、 altitude ； 標高、 stop off ； 立ち寄る
bikeway ； 自転車専用道路、 prefectural / national road ； 県道 / 国道
pay close attention to 〜；〜に細心の注意を払う
Mikami-zinzya-mae intersection ；御上神社前交差点
a bridge spanning the X river；X川に架かる橋，torii gate ； 鳥居、 downstream area ； 下流地域
at the foot of 〜 ； 〜の麓にある、 two-story gate ； 楼門、 gravel path ； 砂利道、 approach ； 参道
at the far end ； 突き当たりにある、 enshrine ； 祭る
set down 〜 as --- ； 〜を---であると見なす(認める、判断する)、 hinto shrine deity ； (御)神体
Amano-mikagenokami ； 天之御影神、 in anticlockwise direction ； 反時計回りに
the upper portion of the river ； 川の上流、 as things ( it ) turned out ； 後で分かったことだが
get into 〜 ； 〜に入り込む、 take a circuitous route ； 遠回りをする,回り道をする
therefore ； その結果、 with a slight feeling of fatigue；軽い疲労感
Japanese Diary / No.304−2010.10.05 / 「近江富士(三上山)一周サイクリング」
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