Weekly Topics/Archive
February 2013
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I've cared for my twilight dog Mac for several days.
I had some spare time between the care to see the International Orchid
Festival for a pastime.
Today my wife leave for Bangkok where her daughter lives in to take a trip
to Thailand with her
three sisters and sister-in-law.
And so I have to stay at home to take care of Mac in his old age.
All the fleight services with the Boeing 787 have been suspended due to
problems in the lithium-ion battery.
Today, a JAL morning flight from Narita Airport to Bangkok International Airport has been rescheduled
to afternoon flight because JAL couldn't prepare a replacement.
So she didn't have to leave home so early in the morning.
I accompanied her to Mita station on Toei Subway Mita Line to see her off.
After that, I went to Suidobashi station, which is the nearest station
to Tokyo Dome where there was
the site for the International Orchid Festival.
This was the 23rd time this event has been held since the first Festival
in 1991.
It's held at this time every year in Tokyo Dome and this was my third visit
here.
I got an authorized guidebook at the Dome's entrance and then entered the
Dome.
There was a colorful flower paradise.
We were welcomed with a large flower clock at the entrance of the attraction
site.
In each corner, many orchids from orchid gardeners and companies around
the world and agricultural high schools in the country are exhibited.
I hardly know about orchid.
A great variety of orchids such as western, oriental and Japanese orchid are exhibited and they have
a variety of colors and aspects.
I couldn't help but press the shutter button.
Please click the picture to see a full-size version
Some special exhibitions by the top flower artists were also held there.
A flower arrangement artist, Shogo Kariya well known in the Orchid Festival
exhibited his work in
which a graceful world like a picture scroll for a dynasty was expressed
through collaboration between
kimonos designed by him and various orchids, by using the orchid motif.
So, I wonder what kind of a orchid will get the prestigious Japan Grand Prix ?
The prize-winning orchids are exhibited near the center of the site.
The following picture is an orchid which won the Japan Grand Prix 2013.
Please click the picture to see a full-size version
Many works that won a prize like first prize, second prize, trophy prize
and etc were also exhibited.
Please click the picture to see a full-size version
It looks like OK to the untrained eye no matter which orchid won the grand
prix.
Every work was really fantastic.
My camera ran out of battery because I pressed the shutter button so frequentry.
Before I kew it, about an hour and a half have passed away.
According to a host announcement, the sight of 3000 different species and
100000 orchids from
25 countries and regions fill the site.
Honestly speaking, I get tired of looking at orchids when so many orchids
are exhibited in the site.
Don't you think so ?
And so, I decided to leave from here.
It was such a relaxative day that I could love colorful flowers and feel the air of metropolitan city after
a long time.
If you click the picture below, you can see more fantastic and a great
variety of orchids.
 Picture / Others / 「世界らん展日本大賞2013」
[Note] for a pastime ； 気晴らしに, fleight service ； 運航
suspend；一時中断(停止)する, replacement ；代替物, 代用品
accompany someone；〜に同行する,〜と一緒に行く,see off；見送る
authorized guidebook；公式ガイドブック,gardener；園芸、 aspect ; 表情,顔つき
can't help but do 〜；〜せずにはいられない, つい〜してしまう
press the shutter button；カメラのシャッタ−を押す, graceful、優雅な,優美な
picture scroll for a dynasty；王朝絵巻, picture scroll ; 絵巻物, dynasty；王朝
through collaboration between A and B ； A とB のコラボレ−ションにより
orchid motif； 蘭のモチ−フ, I wonder what 〜；どんな〜かしら
prestigious；栄えある, grand prix；大賞(最優秀賞), prize-winning；受賞した
first prize；優秀賞, second prize；優良賞
look like 〜 to the untrained eye；素人の目には〜のように見える
no matter which 〜；どちらが〜であろうとも
run out of battery ; 電池切れを起こす, before I kew it； いつの間にか
3000 different species；3000 種、 honestly speaking ; 正直言って
get tired of looking at 〜；〜を見飽きる,relaxative； 気晴らしの
metropolitan city；大都会
Japanese Diary / No.517−2013.02.23 / 「世界らん展日本大賞2013」
When I saw a small help-wanted ad in the town magazine entitled "Would
you care to join
a volunteer activity mowing reeds?", I have done it.
The organizer is a volunteer group “Yamada 21 Comittee for Health Advancement”
in Kita-Yamada Town, Kusatsu City which is next to my town.
I agreed with one of its activities, an enviromental conservation activity
of Lake Biwa and so took part
in it.
The ad said winter clothes, a saw-edged sickle and work gloves should be prepared if you would
take part in it.
Since I didn't have any sickle, I decided to borrow it from the group.
The place to mow the reeds is at reed community near public green space,
about 300 meters
north of Kita-yamada Port.
I went out by bike to be in time for the work, which begins at 2 pm.
Cycling along the biking trail along the lake, I got there in about 15
minutes.
Now let me explain a little here about reed.
Reed is a poaceous perennial grass found in wetlands in the temperate and
tropical zones and
grows up to 2-6 meters tall.
Reed (Reed bed) plays a role in cleaning up water because it soaks up nitrogen and phosphorus
in the water.
It also serves as beds and egg-laying sites of creatures such as fishes
and birds.
Reed bed which grew and spread is called reed community.
If the dried reed community is left as it is, it get rough.
It's said mowing reeds in winter has the effect of promoting the growth of their new sprout in spring
to grow fine and tough reeds.
The reed community along Lake Biwa |
About 60 men, women and children have already gathered at the lakefront
site.
As it was cold, bonfires were held to warm up.
After chairman's address and his explanation about safety precautions,
we begin our operation.
We spread out at the same time around reed community.
The site was bustling with people mowing, carrying and bundling reeds.
Please click the picture to see a full-size
version
I also mowed reeds with a saw-edged sickle for the first time.
Although it was so cold, my body was warmed up and a little sweaty while
I was mowing.
There are several different types of dry weeds similar to dry reeds, for
example, solidago canadensis.
It seems that some people chose only reeds and bundled them.
We took a break after about an hour.
We warmed up with boiled miso soup with pork and vegetables which was served.
We worked for another an hour and completed the mowing of reeds in the
reed community as scheduled.
After that, we had an event called Taimatsu Yaki.
(Taimatsu Yaki means great bonfire event or festival.)
Four great bonfires were prepared.
They were three conical bonefires and a bonfire in the shape of snake according
to this year's
zodiac sign, which were made of mowed reeds.
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| Bonefires before lighting |
These bonfires were lighted one after another.
Fanned by the wind from the lake, they burst into powerful flames.
It was really spectacular.
A bonefire in the shape of snake |
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Please click the picture to see a full-size
version
Please click the picture to see a full-size version
And the fire spread to dry grasses on the ground.
It seemed to be the burn in the field.
Last night, TV Asahi reported on its program “News Station” that the dry
grasses of Mt.Wakakusa
in Nara were burned in an annual festival known as “Yamayaki”.
(Yamayaki means prescribed burn.)
And so I remembered it just now in front of this burning.
When it gets around to 5 pm, dusk is falling on the shore of Lake Biwa.
I said good-bye to everyone and then pedalled my bike toward my home while
feeling a little tired
but very satisfied.
[Note] mow reeds；ヨシ(葦)を刈る, help-wanted ad ； 募集(求人)広告
town (community) magazine；タウン誌, Would you care to do 〜；〜しませんか
Yamada 21 Comittee for Health Advancement；山田21健康推進委員会
agree with 〜；〜に賛同する, winter clothes；防寒着, work gloves ；軍手
saw-edged sickle；のこぎりカマ, reed community；ヨシ群落
public green space；公共緑地、 biking trail；自転車専用道路, poaceous；イネ科の
perennial grass；多年草,wetland；湿地帯, temperate zone；温帯、 reed bed；ヨシ原
serve as 〜； 〜としての機能/役割を果たす、 creature；生き物、 egg-laying site；産卵場
leave 〜 as it is；〜を放置する, new sprout、新芽、 chairman's address；会長の挨拶
safety precautions；安全注意事項、 spread out； 散らばる
be bustling with 〜；〜であわただしく/ごったがえしている、 bundle； 束ねる
solidago canadensis；セイタカアワダチソウ、 miso soup with pork and vegetables； 豚汁
conical ; 円錐状(形)の、Chinese zodiac sign ；干支、 bonfire ；松明, 焚き火
burst into powerful flames ； 勢いよく(炎を上げて) 燃え上がる
be fanned by the wind；風にあおられる, the burn in the field；野焼き
Yamayaki / prescribed burn；山焼き, dusk；夕暮れ
feeling a little tired but very satisfied ；心地良い疲れを感じる
Japanese Diary / No.512−2013.01.27 / 「琵琶湖岸でヨシ刈り」
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