皆さまこんにちは、スタッフＹでございます。

このところ日が昇るのが早く、早々に目が覚めてしまいます。

昨夜は寝付くのが遅かったので、もう少し寝ていたかったのですが、また、そんなに日限って目の前の電線にヒヨドリでしょうか。今朝も朝から美声で鳴いておりました。昨夜は寝つきが遅かったので今朝はどんよりとした寝覚だったのですが、先日きいた雑学ネタのおかげで、「朝から鳥の鳴き声のせいで寝られなかった…。」などと、鳥のせいにはちょっとできなくなりました。

先日TV番組で、何故鳥が朝に鳴くのかという問いがありまして。ちょっとおさらいをしたいのですが、まだ存じ上げないかたは「なるほど…」と、うなずきながらお付き合いください。

実は、鳥というのはクリアな音質のために朝早く歌うようなのです。クリアとはなんぞや？という前に、まずは鳥の鳴き声について知っておかなければなりません。

鳥の鳴き声は、基本的には短いものです。「自分はここにいるよ！」や「危ないぞ！」と伝えるためにキーキー、ガーガー鳴いたりすることを、鳥たちは生まれた時から知っております。歌うのはオス鳥が多いですが、時々メス鳥が歌うこともあり、幼い鳥は、生まれた時から鳥の歌を知っているわけではないため、大人の鳥の真似をして学んでいかなければなりません。オス鳥はメス鳥を惹きつけるために歌うこともありますが、ほとんどの場合、ほかのオス鳥が自分の陣地に入らないようにするための警告として歌います。

ですから人間にとっては美しい歌であっても、実際にはあまり美しくないメッセージも入っているかもしれませんね。 これで鳥が歌う理由がわかりましたが、ではなぜ朝に歌うのでしょうか。鳥の鳴き声は一年中聞こえますが、鳥の歌をもっともよく耳にするのは春です。

とくに早朝には、より大きな声で何度も歌います。専門家は、この現象を「夜明けコーラス」と呼んでおり、音の綺麗さと関係していると考えています。夜が明けたら太陽が土を暖め、そして空気を暖めていきます。時間が経つにつれて、暖かい空気が上昇し、冷たい空気の層と混ざり、空気の分子が異なったスピードで動き回り、大気の動きを乱します。

実は、この動乱が鳥の歌の邪魔をするため、音質を下げてしまうようなのです。同じ種類のオス鳥でも、歌がまったく同じというわけではありません。一羽一羽がそれぞれ少し異なるバージョンで歌っており、それはほかのオス鳥と区別をつけてメス鳥にアピールするためであり、それにはクリアな音質が不可欠というわけです。だから複雑で綺麗なメッセージを送るには、大気の動乱がない早朝が一番適しており、さらに朝歌を歌うことは、オスが夜を生き残ったという意味があるのに加えて、朝ご飯を探す前にゆっくりして歌う余裕があるという意味も含まれているよう。

つまり、メスに健康的なかっこよさもアピールできるというわけであります。あさからどんよりと起こされる人間もたまったものではありませんが、朝から生存競争のかかったアピールをしなければならないオス鳥もけっこう大変なようで笑。

そんなわけで、少し気持ちをおおらかにしてお布団の中から「夜明けコーラス」を聞いておりました。そんなわけで、ちょっと眠いですけど。

それではごきげんよう。

Hello everyone, this is Staff Y.The sun rises early these days and I wake up early.Last night I was late getting to sleep and I wanted to stay in bed a little longer. Also, is it a shorebird on the power line in front of me so early in the day?It was singing beautifully this morning as well.

I fell asleep late last night and woke up this morning with a dull sleep, but thanks to the miscellaneous information I had heard the other day, I was able to say, “I couldn’t sleep because of the birds’ singing in the morning…” and so on. Thanks to the miscellaneous information I heard the other day, I can no longer blame it on birds.The other day, a TV program asked why birds sing in the morning.

If you are not familiar with it, please nod your head and say, “I see….Actually, birds seem to sing early in the morning for clear sound quality. What is clear? Before we can answer that question, we first need to know about birdsong. Bird calls are basically short. They are usually short, like, “I’m here! or “Watch out! Birds know from birth that they squeak and warble to communicate, “I’m here!Young birds do not know bird song from birth, so they must learn it by imitating adult birds.Male birds sometimes sing to attract female birds, but mostly they sing as a warning to keep other male birds from entering their territory.

So even though the song may be beautiful to humans, it may actually contain a not-so-beautiful message.Now that we know why birds sing, why do they sing in the morning? Birds sing all year round, but it is in the spring that we hear their songs most often. Especially in the early morning, they sing louder and more often. Experts call this phenomenon the “dawn chorus” and believe it has to do with the cleanliness of the sound.At dawn, the sun warms the soil and then the air.

Over time, the warm air rises and mixes with the cold layer of air, causing the air molecules to move around at different speeds and disturbing the movement of the atmosphere. In fact, this turbulence interferes with the bird’s song and seems to reduce the sound quality.Male birds of the same species do not sing exactly the same song. Each bird sings a slightly different version to distinguish it from other male birds and to appeal to female birds, for which clear sound quality is essential.

So the best time to send a complex and beautiful message is early in the morning when there is no atmospheric turbulence, and furthermore, morning song seems to mean that the male has survived the night and has time to relax and sing before looking for breakfastIn other words, it also appeals to the females in a healthy and cool way.It is not easy for humans to be woken up in the morning, but it is also hard for the male birds that have to compete for survival in the morning.

So I relaxed a little and listened to “Dawn Chorus” from my futon. I am a little sleepy

Good day to you all.

伽羅はベトナム山間部の森林地帯半径数十キロ内という限られた地域でしか産出されません。再良質の伽羅はもう採取できないため樹木の宝石といわれています。

自然が作り上げた幽玄な香りは人々を引き付け、日本でも昔から貴重な香料として皇族や貴族、戦国武将などの間で重用されてきました。現在１グラムで数万円の価値があり、金よりも高価なものとされています。

そして伽羅の中でも最も有名な香木として知られているのが、奈良の正倉院に収められている「蘭奢待（らんじゃたい）」です。正倉院の約９０００の宝物の中でも最も注目されている品とされています。

　　　　　　　　　　　　正倉院展資料より

全長１.５メートル、最大直径４３センチ、重量１１.６キロの大きさで、中は空洞で樹脂が溜まり表面が黒くなっています。「甘、酸、辛、苦、鹹(塩辛い）の五味の全てを持ち合わせ、香木の頂点とされています。

この「蘭奢待（らんじゃたい）」の３文字には、それぞれ「東」「大」「寺」の文字が隠されています。東大寺を火から守るという意味が込められているとも伝えられています。正式名称は「黄熟香（おうじゅくこう）」です。

歴代の天皇や将軍たちが手柄のあったものに、この木を切り取って与えたことで、この木を持つものは権力者であるというイメージに繋がっていきました。切り取った個所には名前が貼られ、足利義満、足利義教、足利義政、織田信長、明治天皇などの名前が記されています。

織田信長は時の天皇の許しを得て、１５７４年３年２８日に蘭奢待を切り取りました。５.５センチほどの欠片を２片、東大寺の大仏師に切りとらせたと伝えられています。一片を天皇に献上し、さらに天皇は公家に譲り毛利輝元にも渡りました。信長は千利休などの茶人に譲るなど、蘭奢待は香りを楽しむというよりは権力を示す役割を強くしていきました。

蘭奢待の香り、一体どのようなものなのでしょうか？想像ばかりが膨らみます。一説には「杏仁」の香りにも似ているとのこと。永遠に叶わないものへの興味や憧れが一層強くなります。

次回は香文化がどのように発展していったのかを綴りたいと思います。

それでは、また次の機会に。

Hello everyone. This is Staff H.

Recently, I often hear the word “inbound”. The number of travelers from overseas to Japan is increasing dramatically. What is it about Japan that attracts people from other countries? When thinking about what attracts foreigners to Japan, many people may cite the various traditional cultures that have been handed down from generation to generation.
Among them, there are “flower arrangement,” “tea ceremony,” and “kodo,” which are collectively known as the “three traditional arts. Kodo is not as familiar as flower arrangement and tea ceremony, and may be difficult to imagine. It is said that the reason for this is that fragrant wood, the main ingredient of Kodo, is difficult to obtain and is very precious.

In this article, I would like to write about the types of fragrant wood and their history.

-What is fragrant wood?

A fragrant tree is a tree that emits its own fragrance, and in Japan, it is called “agarwood,” “kyara,” and “sandalwood. I would like to write about agarwood and sandalwood.

Aloeswood
The oldest historical book in Japan, Nihonshoki (Chronicles of Japan), records that in the 3rd year of Suiko (595), islanders made firewood from a large piece of driftwood that had washed ashore on what is now Awaji Island. The driftwood was a tree that grew naturally in Southeast Asia. It was called “agarwood” because it was heavy enough to sink when placed in water, and this is the origin of the name “agarwood.

Agarwood is collected from trees of the Zingiberaceae family that grow wild in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, etc. Various environmental conditions combine to produce a precious aromatic tree whose fragrance is released when the resin accumulated over several hundred years matures together with the fibers of the tree.
The fragrance varies depending on the region of origin, but it is a fragrant wood with a refreshing bitter, sweet, and pungent taste.
It is said that Buddha loved the fragrance of agarwood and often burned it.

Agarwood is currently regulated by the Washington Convention to prevent overharvesting.

Successive emperors and shoguns cut down the tree and gave it to those who were successful, leading to the image that the owner of the tree was a powerful person. Names were affixed to the cut areas, including those of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, Ashikaga Yoshinori, Ashikaga Yoshimasa, Oda Nobunaga, and Emperor Meiji.

It is said that Oda Nobunaga, with the permission of the Emperor of Japan, had two 5.5 cm pieces cut out by the Great Buddha Master of Todaiji Temple on March 28, 1574. One piece was presented to the emperor, who gave it to a court noble, and the other to Terumoto Mori. Nobunaga gave it to tea masters such as Sen no Rikyu.

What kind of fragrance is Lanjatai? One can only imagine. One theory is that it is similar to the scent of “apricot. My interest and longing for something that will never come true becomes even stronger.

In my next entry, I would like to write about how the incense culture developed.

Agarwood is mainly divided into Tani and Siam.
Those from Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia are called “Siam agarwood” and are characterized by a sweet, sour, and slightly bitter aroma, while those from Indonesia and Malaysia are called “Tani agarwood” and are characterized by a pungent and slightly sweet aroma.

The highest grade of agarwood is called “Kyara”.

Kyara

Kyara is produced only in a limited area within a few dozen kilometers radius of a forest area in the mountains of Vietnam. It is said to be the jewel of trees because it can no longer be harvested in the same quality as the original Kyara.

The ethereal fragrance created by nature attracts people, and in Japan, it has long been valued as a precious fragrance by the royal family, aristocrats, and military commanders of the Warring States period. One gram of Kyara is currently worth tens of thousands of yen and is considered more expensive than gold.

The most famous of all Kyara fragrant woods is “Ranjatai,” which is housed in the Shosoin Repository in Nara. It is considered the most remarkable item among the approximately 9,000 treasures in the Shosoin.

It is 1.5 meters long, 43 centimeters in diameter at its widest point, and weighs 11.6 kilograms. It has all of the five tastes and is considered to be the pinnacle of fragrant woods.

The three characters of this “Ranjatai” are hidden in the words “East,” “Great” and “Temple,” respectively. It is said that the characters are meant to protect Todai-ji Temple from fire.

See you next time.

簡単な雑学をご紹介いたしましたが、いかがだったでしょうか。

晴れても華やか、雨でも妖艶、曇天でも映える紫陽花、今年もちょっと見に行きたくなってきました。

それではごきげんよう。

皆さまこんにちは。スタッフHでございます。

全国的に夏日が続いておりますが、暑さはこれからが本番。長く続いたエルニーニョ現象も終息し、今年の夏は厳しい暑さになるようです。なんとか乗り切りたいものですね。

さて、本日6月１５日は「生姜の日」とされています。生姜と言えば冬の寒い時期に体を温めるための食材というイメージがありますが、実は熱中症の予防や夏バテ防止にも効果があると言われています。

熱中症予防のためには少しずつ体を暑さに慣れさせていく‘暑気順化’が有効だと言われ、運動などで汗をかいて体温コントロール機能を正常にすることを勧められますが、これが中々大変です。そこで手軽な方法として「生姜」を摂取するという方法があります。

「生の生姜」には発汗を促す「ジンゲロール」が豊富に含まれており、体を内側から温め、全身の血流をよくすることで汗をかきやすくしてくれる効果があります。また生姜の香りは食欲を増進させ、胃腸の消化、吸収を高めてくれる効果もあり、暑くて食が進まない時に、冷ややっこやそうめんの薬味としては最適です。

更に抗菌作用もあり食材を傷みにくくすることも可能だそうです。

また生ではなく、生姜を加熱したり干したりすると体を温める成分の「ショウガオール」が増えます。夏でも冷房で冷えた室内に長くいたり、冷たい飲み物ばかりを飲んでいると体が冷えて体調を崩しがちです。そんな時は生ではなく加熱した生姜を摂取するという方法もあり、いわゆる万能食材です。実際に漢方には欠かせない生薬で、葛根湯や桂枝湯など約８割の漢方薬に生姜が含まれているそうです。

最近ではショウガオールやジンゲロールは老化の原因となる活性酸素を除去する働きがあり、体内の酸化を防ぎ老化を遅らせる効果があるともいわれ、効能はまだまだ計り知れないようです。

ただ胃腸が弱い人が大量に摂取すると不調を引き起こすこともあり、摂り過ぎは禁物とのこと。何事もバランスが大事なのですね。

先ほど本日６月１５日は「生姜の日」とお伝えしましたが、こちらは石川県金沢市の波自加彌（はじかみ）神社で生姜を祀る「はじかみ大祭」が行われることに由来しているとされています。

波自加彌神社の名前の由来は、生姜やわさび、山椒などの「歯で噛んで辛いもの」の古語で「薑・椒（はじかみ）」が語源とされているようです。

奈良時代に加賀国で数カ月間雨が降らず、国造（くにのみやつこ）が雨乞いをするために波自加彌神社に参拝し、断食して祈願しました。３７日目に神社近くより水が湧き出たそうです。人々はお礼のお供えをするにも干ばつ続きで作物がなく、自生していた生姜を献じて感謝の祭りをしました。その日が６月１５日で「はじかみ大祭」の始まりだといわれています。参拝者に振る舞われる生姜湯はこの湧き出た水を使って作られています。

日本で唯一「香辛料」を祀る神社で、県内外から生姜を扱う生産者・業者が自社製品を献納し、会社の発展を祈願しているとのことです。

「はじかみ」と聞くと焼き魚などに添えられている紅白の葉生姜を思い浮かべます。こちらは「矢生姜（はじかみ）」と書くようで矢のような形をしていることに由来しているとのこと。

子供の頃、これは食べていいものなのかどうかと悩み、周囲の大人をちらちらと覗き見していました。矢生姜は料理の口直しの意味があり、マナーとしては魚をいただいた後に白くて柔らかい根の部分だけをいただきます。子供には少し辛すぎて、吐き出すこともできず無理やり飲み込んだような…。苦い思い出です。

それでは、また次の機会に。

Hello everyone. This is Staff H.

Summer days are continuing nationwide, but the heat is just beginning. The long-lasting El Niño phenomenon has ended, and this summer is expected to be very hot. I hope we can manage to get through it.

Today, June 15, is “Ginger Day. Ginger is often thought of as an ingredient to warm the body during the cold winter months, but in fact, it is said to be effective in preventing heat stroke and summer fatigue.

It is said that “heat acclimatization,” in which the body gradually becomes accustomed to the heat, is effective in preventing heat stroke, and it is recommended that the body temperature control function be normalized by sweating through exercise, etc. However, this can be quite difficult. However, this is not easy. One easy way is to consume ginger. Fresh ginger is rich in gingerol, which promotes perspiration, warms the body from the inside, and improves blood flow throughout the body, making it easier to sweat. The aroma of ginger also increases appetite and improves digestion and absorption in the gastrointestinal tract, making it an ideal condiment for cold yakko or somen noodles when it is too hot to eat.

It also has antibacterial effects and can prevent food from being damaged.

When ginger is heated or dried instead of raw, the amount of gingerol, a component that warms the body, increases. Even in summer, if you stay in an air-conditioned room for a long time or drink only cold drinks, your body tends to get cold and you tend to get sick. In such cases, you can take heated ginger instead of raw ginger, which is a so-called versatile ingredient. In fact, ginger is an indispensable herbal medicine in Chinese medicine, and about 80% of Chinese herbal medicines, such as Kakkon-to and Katsurae-to, contain ginger.

Recently, gingerol and gingerol are said to eliminate active oxygen that causes aging, preventing oxidation in the body and delaying aging, and their efficacy is still immense.

However, people with weak gastrointestinal tracts should not take too much, as it may cause problems if taken in large quantities. It is important to keep a good balance in everything.

I mentioned earlier that today, June 15, is “Ginger Day,” which is said to derive from the “Hajikami Grand Festival” held at Hajikami Shrine in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture, where ginger is enshrined.

The name of Hajikami Shrine is believed to be derived from “Hajikami,” an archaic word for ginger, wasabi (Japanese horseradish), sansho (Japanese pepper), and other “spicy foods chewed with the teeth.

During the Nara period (710-794), there was no rain for several months in Kaga Province, and the Kuninomiyatsuko (a local municipality) went to Hajikaya Shrine to pray for rain, fasting for several days. The people were unable to produce any crops due to the drought, so they offered ginger, which grew wild, as a festival of thanksgiving. That day, June 15, is said to be the beginning of the Hajikami Grand Festival. The ginger tea served to worshippers is made using water from this spring.

It is the only shrine in Japan dedicated to “spices,” and producers and traders of ginger from inside and outside the prefecture dedicate their products and pray for the development of their companies.

When I hear the word “Hajikami,” I think of the red and white leaf ginger served with grilled fish and other dishes. Hajikami is written as “arrow ginger (hajikami)” and is said to be derived from its arrow-like shape.

When I was a child, I used to glance at the adults around me, wondering if this was something I was allowed to eat. Arrow ginger is meant to cleanse the palate of the dish, and as a matter of etiquette, only the white, soft root part is taken after the fish is served. It was a little too spicy for children, and they could not spit it out, so they forced themselves to swallow it…. It is a bitter memory.

I will see you next time.

皆さまこんにちは。スタッフでＴございます。

さて、先日のブログは「宝石珊瑚」と一般的なサンゴ礁を形成する「造礁珊瑚」はまったくの別物というお話でした。

「宝石珊瑚」は人の手では到底届かない水深100mを超える深海で生きており、宝飾品などの素材となる骨軸の成長スピードは、なんと1年間で0.2mmほど。加工されるサイズになるまで大きいものになると数百年という厖大な時間が必要となります。

そんな希少価値の高い珊瑚ですが、宝石として使用される珊瑚は主に「血赤珊瑚」「赤珊瑚」「桃色珊瑚」「白珊瑚」と、大きく分けて4つに種別されます。本日のブログは4つに種別される珊瑚について調べてみました。

●血赤珊瑚（チアカサンゴ）

日本近海の小笠原列島や五島列島、奄美、沖縄、宮古島周辺で、水深100m～300mの海底から引き上げて採取されます。
血赤珊瑚とは、日本産・赤珊瑚の中でも、特に色の濃い一級品のものだけを指します。血赤とは、文字通り血のように赤い色。少し黒味がある位の赤が上質と言われています。色調が深いほど、価値が高いと評価され、中でも、高知県の土佐湾で採れる血赤珊瑚、通称「オックスブラッド」は世界的で一番、希少価値の高い最高の赤珊瑚とされています。
日本産・赤珊瑚の特徴は、「フ」と呼ばれる白っぽい筋を持っていることです。これは原木をカット・研磨すると、より如実に表れてくるもので、日本産赤珊瑚の特徴と言えます。ちなみに地中海産には見られないため、よく産地の区別のポイントとされます。

●赤珊瑚（アカサンゴ）

赤珊瑚は地中海沿岸の各国(イタリア・フランス・スペイン・チュニジア・アルジェリア・ユーゴ・ギリシャ)で採取されています。赤珊瑚は業界でサルディと呼ばれていますが、これはイタリア半島西方の地中海にうかぶ島の名前（サルディニア）のことで、昔から宝石珊瑚が採取される好魚場で名前がそのまま珊瑚の名前になっています。

日本では、別名「胡渡り(こわたり)」とも呼ばれ、これは胡（ペルシャ）をはじめ西方から伝来したという意味でつけられた名前です。

地中海産の珊瑚は日本産と比較して浅いところ(水深５０～２００メートル)に棲息しています。色合いは、単一で、日本産よりも、やや明るめ。他の珊瑚よりも、材質が柔らかく、内部の傷や、内包物が白濁として見られてしまったり、傷穴が多いという欠点があります。
日本産・赤珊瑚と、地中海産・赤珊瑚との大きな違いは、地中海産には、「フ」がないことです。そのため、珊瑚自体の色ムラが少なく、仕上がり自体は綺麗な珊瑚です。

●桃色珊瑚

桃色珊瑚は赤に近い色から白に近いピンク色まで色調は幅広く、宝石珊瑚の中で最も大きく成長します。日本産・血赤珊瑚と同じく日本近海（小笠原列島や五島列島、奄美、沖縄、宮古島周辺）で採取されます。水深200～500mの深い海底に棲息しています。
桃珊瑚は、赤っぽいものから、白っぽいピンク色まで、幅広くあります。桃珊瑚の中でも、薄いピンク色をした単一な色調のものを、海外では「エンジェルスキン」日本では、「本ボケ」と呼んでいます。エンジェルスキンは「幻の珊瑚」と呼ばれ、非常に高値で取引されています。
桃珊瑚の特徴は、珊瑚の中でも最大級の原木であること。高さ、幅ともに1mを超える巨大な原木も珍しくはありません。重量は何と40kgオーバー何てことも。粘り気のある材質が特徴です。日本産・赤珊瑚と同じく、桃珊瑚にも「フ」が存在します。

●白珊瑚

南シナ海、沖縄近海、五島列島から長崎沖、土佐湾など広範囲で採取されます。水深１００～４００メートルの海底に棲息しています。
実際の色味は、名前と異なり、薄い桃色～セピア色をしたものが多く、白珊瑚にはあまり価値がないとされますが、純白の白珊瑚は希少価値が高いとされます。
原木の表皮が、柿色で、加工（研磨）する前の状態は、桃色珊瑚に似ています。骨軸は白色のため、磨くと、白っぽくなります。ものによっては、骨軸を確認しないと、白珊瑚と識別困難なものもあります。

珊瑚は古くから、厄除けや魔除けやお守りとして考えられてきました。特に「産後のお守り」として有名です。そのため、女の子が生れると（血の道を思い）子供の幸せを願って珊瑚（サンゴ）を贈る習慣があります。また、結婚35周年の「珊瑚婚」の贈り物や、還暦のお祝いとしての赤い珊瑚など、プレゼントとしても人気がありますね。

1年にほんの少ししか成長しない珊瑚。珊瑚のことを少し知って、お手元にあるアクセサリーが身近に感じることができるかもしれません。

ではでは、また。

Hello everyone. This is T. Staff.

The other day, I wrote a blog about how jewelry corals and reef-building corals are two completely different things.
Jewelry corals live at depths of more than 100 meters, which is far beyond the reach of human hands, and their bone shafts, which are used to make jewelry, grow at a rate of about 0.2 mm per year. It takes several hundred years for a large piece of coral to reach a size where it can be processed.

Coral used as jewelry is classified into four main types: blood red coral, red coral, pink coral, and white coral. Today’s blog is a look at the four types of coral.

Blood-red corals
Blood red corals are collected from the seafloor at depths of 100 to 300 meters in the waters around the Ogasawara Islands, the Goto Islands, Amami, Okinawa, and Miyakojima in the seas around Japan.
Blood-red coral refers only to first-class Japanese red corals that are particularly dark in color. Blood red means literally blood red. A red coral with a slightly darker color is said to be of high quality. The deeper the color, the higher the value. Oxblood coral from Tosa Bay in Kochi Prefecture is considered the rarest and most valuable red coral in the world.
Japanese red coral is characterized by its whitish streaks, known as “fu. This is more apparent when the log is cut and polished, and is a characteristic of Japanese red coral. This is a characteristic of Japanese red coral, but is not found in Mediterranean coral, and is often used as a point of differentiation between the two.

Red coral
Red coral is found in Italy, France, Spain, Tunisia, Algeria, Yugoslavia, Greece, and other countries along the Mediterranean coast. Red corals are called “Sardi” in the industry, which is the name of an island (Sardinia) in the Mediterranean Sea west of the Italian Peninsula, which has long been a favorite fishing ground for gemstone corals.
In Japan, it is also called “kowatari,” which means “from the west,” meaning “from Persia.
Mediterranean corals live in shallower waters (50 to 200 meters deep) than Japanese corals. They have a single color and are slightly lighter than Japanese corals. It is softer than other corals and has the disadvantages of internal flaws, inclusions that appear as cloudiness, and many holes that are often scratched.
The major difference between Japanese red coral and Mediterranean red coral is that Mediterranean coral does not have a “f” in it. The Mediterranean red coral has no “porphyry.” This means that the coral itself is less unevenly colored, and the finish itself is more beautiful.

Peach coral
Peach coral ranges in color from red to white pink, and is the largest of all gemstone corals. Like Japanese blood red coral, it is collected in the seas around Japan (Ogasawara Islands, Goto Islands, Amami, Okinawa, and Miyako Island). It lives on the deep sea floor at depths of 200 to 500 meters.
Peach corals range in color from reddish to whitish pink. Among peach corals, those with a single light pink color tone are called “angel skin” overseas and “honboke” in Japan. Angelskin corals are called “fantastic corals” and are sold at very high prices.
Peach coral is characterized by the fact that it is one of the largest logs of coral. It is not unusual to see huge logs that exceed 1 meter in both height and width. They can weigh over 40 kilograms. It is characterized by its sticky material. Like Japanese red coral, peach coral is also available in a variety of shapes and sizes.

White coral
White corals are collected from a wide range of areas, including the South China Sea, the waters around Okinawa, the Goto Islands, off the coast of Nagasaki, and Tosa Bay. It lives on the seafloor at depths of 100 to 400 meters.
Unlike its name, the actual color of the coral is often a light peach to sepia color. White coral is not considered to be very valuable, but pure white coral is considered to be rare.
The bark of the raw wood is persimmon-colored, and before processing (polishing), it resembles peach-colored coral. The bone shaft is white, so it becomes whitish when polished. Some coral is difficult to distinguish from white coral without checking the bone shaft.

Coral has long been thought of as an amulet or charm to ward off bad luck and evil spirits. It is especially famous as a “good luck charm after childbirth. Therefore, when a girl is born (thinking of the way of blood), there is a custom to give coral as a gift to wish the child happiness. It is also popular as a gift for “coral weddings” (35th wedding anniversary) and red coral as a gift to celebrate the 60th birthday.
Coral grows only a little per year. Knowing a little bit about coral, you may feel closer to the accessories you have at hand.

See you soon.

みなさまこんにちは、スタッフYでございます。

先日は、ご自宅やご実家にて刀剣を見つけてしまった際の取扱いや届け出などについてお伝えいたしました。かつては武器や賜りものなどとしての存在だった刀剣でありますが、現在の刀剣は主に鑑賞用でありましょうか。

博物館などを訪れた際に、もう少しその鑑賞のポイントを理解していくと、もっとその面白さや素晴らしさが理解できるんだろうな…と、思うこともあるのでは。本日は、その刀剣の鑑賞ポイントを綴ってまいりたいと思いますので、お手持ちの刀剣や美術館など、鑑賞をする際に是非参考にしてみてください。

1.姿(すがた)をみる。

日本刀の持つ、機能を追求し一切の無駄を省いた姿に美を感じる方は多いと思います。その姿や反り格好は、制作された歴史の中で、それぞれの必要性に応じて生まれ、その歴史や時代の思潮や様相を物語っています。

2.地鉄(じがね)をみる。

研ぎ澄まされた地鉄に美を見出し、その魅力に惹きつけられる方も多いことでしょう。日本刀は「折れず、曲がらず・よく切れる」という条件を満たすために、良質の玉鋼(たまはがね)を用いて何回も折り返し鍛錬し、炭素量の少ない心鉄(しんがね＝軟らかい鉄)を炭素量の多い皮鉄(かわがね＝硬い鉄)で包んで強靭な地鉄を作り出します。そのようにして現れる地鉄の模様は、樹木の木肌にたとえられ「板目肌」「柾目肌」「杢目肌」「綾杉(あやすぎ)肌」などと呼ばれ、様々な魅力を秘めています。

Hello everyone, this is Staff Y.

The other day, we reported on the handling and reporting of swords found at home or at your parents’ house. In the past, swords were used as weapons or gifts, but today’s swords are mainly for appreciation.

When you visit a museum, you may think that if you understand more about how to appreciate swords, you will be able to understand their interest and splendor more. Today, we would like to write about some of the points of sword appreciation, so please refer to them when viewing your swords or visiting museums.

1. Look at the shape of the sword.

Many people find beauty in the form of a Japanese sword, which pursues functionality and eliminates all waste. The shape and warp of a sword are born in response to the needs of each period in the history of the sword’s creation and tell the story of the history and the trends and aspects of that period.

2. Looking at the jitetsu (base iron).

Many people find beauty in the sharpened Jitetsu and are attracted to it. In order to satisfy the requirements of “no breakage, no bending, and good cutting,” Japanese swords are made of high-quality tama-hagane (tama-hagane) and forged over and over again to produce a strong hidetetsu (base iron). The pattern of the iron is called “itame-hada,” “masa-me-hada,” “mokume-hada,” “ayasugi-hada,” etc., and has a variety of attractive characteristics.

The most common type is itame-hada, which is often seen on Soshu swords (= swords made in the present Kanagawa Prefecture), which are famous for Masamune. The most common type is itame-hada, which is found in Soshu-mono (= swords made in today’s Kanagawa Prefecture), famous for Masamune. Ko-itame-hada, with well-deepened itame, is common among Yamashiro (= today’s Kyoto Prefecture) swordsmiths of the Kamakura period, and is called nashiji-hada when the grain is especially thin and clean.

The Aoe school in Bicchu (present-day Okayama Prefecture) is characterized by mokume, while masaime is a characteristic of Yamatomono (swords made in present-day Nara Prefecture). In addition, there is a case in which a white haze, like a shadow of the blade pattern, appears in the ground separately from the blade pattern, called “egori”. The most beautiful of these reflections is found on Bizen swords, and is a major highlight of this type of sword.

3. Look at the blade pattern.

The beauty of Japanese swords is not only in the shape and the iron of the blade, but also in the “hamon” (edge pattern). The haft pattern is a pattern produced by the quenching technique. The shape of the blade is determined by the way the clay called “yakiba-duchi” is applied to the blade with a spatula, and the shape of the blade is determined by the way it is applied, whether it is a straight edge or a midareba edge. This is called tsuchitori. When the clay from the tsuchitori has dried, the sword is placed in a furnace and then placed in a water tank to see how well the blade is burned. This is called “quenching,” and is said to be the most important process requiring the most skill.

The design of the blade pattern is a good indication of the period in which it was made, the lineage of the swordsmith, and the characteristics of the sword, and has an appeal that varies widely.

The blade is said to have “nie” (boiling) and “nioi” (smell), which are produced by the firing process.

The style with a lot of boiling in the blade is called nioi-deki, and is mainly seen in swords made in the early Kamakura period and in the Soshumono lineage. The “nioi-de” style is represented by Bizen-mono made after the middle of the Kamakura period (1185-1333) and Bichu-aoe-mono made in the Nanbokucho period (1392-1333). (Boiling is the coarse-grained part, which can be seen with the naked eye, while odor is the fine-grained part, which can only be seen under a microscope.

There is also a view called “working”. For example, the boiling in the blade is connected to form a thin line, which shines more brightly and appears to sparkle, and a slightly thicker and longer line is called “inazuma” (a kind of “lightning bolt”). Similar effects on the surface of the blade are called chikei, or tobiyaki, in which the boiling is concentrated in one area. Other notable features include the foot, leaf, and sandy flow that appear in the blade.

4. Look at the carving on the blade of the sword.

Carving on the blade of a sword has been practiced since the Heian period (794-1192). There are three types of carving: practical, religious, and decorative, and each type of carving has its own characteristics depending on the fashion and lineage of the period.

In addition to the guttering, many ancient swords were engraved with religious symbols such as Bonji, swords, Fudo Myoo, Kurikara, Sanko swords, Goma chopsticks, Hachiman Daibosatsu, Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, etc. In newer swords, the decoration became more decorative. The newer swords are more decorative, with engravings of cranes and turtles, dragons above and below, pine, bamboo, and plum trees, and more.

What do you think? I hope you have come to appreciate swords….

The swords, especially those with inscriptions, remind us of the long history of the sword, and at times they were weapons, objects of faith, and symbols of authority…….

I think I am not the only one who is almost absorbed by the scenery of those shining blades when I appreciate the history of swords, which were made stronger, more beautiful, sharper and more soulful, as well as the history of swords passed down to the present day….

If you are interested in swords, please try to appreciate them with these points in mind.

Have a good day.

皆さまこんにちは。スタッフでHございます。

名古屋では昨日から日中の日差しが強くなり、じりじりとした暑さが続いております。それでも夜になると涼しい風が吹いてくれるので、ほっと一息つける時間がありがたいです。　いつまでこの夕涼みを楽しめるでしょうか。

さて、店内のガラス戸棚に陳列されていて、ずっと気にはなっていたのですが、得体がしれなくてスルーしていたお皿がございます。カシャン民窯、染付志那風小皿と記載されています。染付の白地の部分は青味がかっており、まさに志那風をイメージしてのびのびと描かれているといった感じがします。縁の点々も幅が不揃いで藍色が滲んでいたりして面白いです。

先日、北欧の某家具量販店にてラグマットの売り場に大きな地図が掛かっており、その中にカシャーンの文字が。思わず反応して「カシャーン！」と声に出してしまいました。絨毯の有名な産地でもあるのですね。

カシャーンは現在のイランの首都テヘランの南東に位置し、ペルシア時代の都市でもあり、砂漠と緑地帯に挟まれたオアシス都市で、シルクロードを旅する人々の憩いの地でもあり、また貿易の要所となっています。古くから工芸の街として知られ、陶器やタイル、絹織物が生産されていました。特に絨毯は名品が多く、「カシャーンからやって来た人」というのが最大の賛辞とされていたようです。

ペルシアと聞くと、ペルシア絨毯やペルシア猫など、響きも洒落た感じがあり高貴な香りのするものを思い浮かべてしまいます。ペルシアという文字を最初に目にしたのは教科書に写真が載っていた奈良・正倉院の宝物で、ペルシア伝来のガラス「白瑠璃碗（はくるりのわん）」でしょうか。シルクロードを通り長い旅をして日本に辿り着いたのだなと子供心に感動していました。

しかし学年が上がるにつれ、アケメネス朝ペルシア、ササン朝ペルシアなどの複雑な歴史やカタカナばかりの言葉の羅列に、世界史はお手上げ状態でした。今は動画配信などで、とても分かりやすく、面白おかしく歴史を知ることができます。学校の授業も暗記ばかりではなく、もっと興味を持たくれる内容だったなら。いや自分の努力不足を棚に上げてはいけませんね。

勉強不足のせいかペルシアと聞いてもなんだかぼんやりしたイメージしか湧いてきません。そもそも「ペルシア」という地名は西欧の人々から見た呼称で、古代ギリシャの歴史家がペルシア人が移住したイラン平原西南のファールス州の古名「パールス」にちなんでペルシアと呼んでいたようです。パールスの語源は「騎馬者」を意味し、元々は騎馬民族だったと考えられています。

日本でも西欧に倣い、ペルシャの漢字表記を「波斯」としました。時々見かける漢字ですが、ペルシアを指していたのですね。

しかし１９２５年レザー・シャー・パハラヴィーが即位した後、ペルシア国民の間でナショナリズムが高まると、ペルシアという呼称ではなく、歴史的、地理的、民族的により広い意味を持つ「イラン」を自称すべきとの考えが広がりました。イランとは「アーリア人の国」を語源とするようです。

ペルシアは「イラン」への国号の変更を各国に通告し、日本に対してもペルシャの外務省から「ペルシア」を廃して「イラン」を用いることを要請し、１９３５年に日本政府はこれを受け入れました。

ただ現在でもペルシアという言葉は文化や特産物、言語などに用いられています。

ペルシャ語など全く縁がないと思っていましたが。ペルシャ語が語源の言葉で身近なものがありました。「パジャマ」だそうです。「パエ」は「脚」、「ジャマ」は「衣服」を意味し、ペルシアやインドでは民族衣装としてゆったりしたズボンをはく習慣があったようです。やがて西洋に伝わり「パジャマ」となったとか。

様々なものが古から繋がっているのですね。歴史を毛嫌いしてはいけないと昔の自分に伝えたくなります。

それでは、また次の機会に。

Hello everyone. This is H, a member of our staff.

Since yesterday, the sun has been shining strongly during the daytime in Nagoya, and it has been very hot and humid. Even so, I am thankful for the cool breeze at night, which gives me time to take a breather.　I wonder how long I can enjoy this cool evening air.

There is a dish displayed in the glass cupboard in the store that has been on my mind for a long time, but I have been unable to find it because of its mysteriousness. It is described as “Kashan Mingyō, Shina-style small dish with blue underglaze blue. The white part of the underglaze blue is tinged with blue, and it looks as if it was drawn in the image of the Shina style. The dots on the rim are also interesting, with uneven width and indigo blotches.

The other day, I was at a furniture retailer in Scandinavia and saw a large map hanging in the rug section, with the word “Kashan” in it. I couldn’t help but react and say “Kashan! I couldn’t help but respond and shout out “Kashan! Kashan is also a famous carpet production area.

Located southeast of Tehran, the current capital of Iran, Kashan is an oasis city nestled between a desert and a green belt, a resting place for travelers along the Silk Road, and an important trading center. Known since ancient times as a city of crafts, pottery, tiles, and silk fabrics were produced here. Carpets, in particular, were renowned, and it seems that the greatest tribute was paid to “the man from Kashan.

When one hears the word “Persia,” one thinks of Persian carpets, Persian cats, and other things that sound fancy and have a noble scent. The first time I saw the word “Persia” was probably in a glass bowl called “Hakururi no wan,” which was imported from Persia and is a treasure in the Shosoin Repository in Nara, Japan, and whose picture appeared in a textbook. I was impressed in my child’s mind that it had reached Japan after a long journey through the Silk Road.

However, as the school year progressed, the complicated history of Achaemenid Persia, Sasanid Persia, etc., and the list of words that were all in katakana, made me feel overwhelmed with world history. Nowadays, with video streaming and other means, we can learn about history in a very easy-to-understand and entertaining way. I wish the lessons at school had been more interesting and less rote memorization. I should not put my lack of effort on the shelf.

Perhaps it is because of my lack of study, but when I hear the word “Persia,” I get only a vague image of it. To begin with, the name “Persia” is a name seen by people in the West, and it seems that ancient Greek historians called it Persia after the ancient name “Pars” of the province of Fars in the southwest of the Iranian plain, where Persians settled. The etymology of the word “Pars” means “horsemen,” and it is believed that they were originally horsemen.

In Japan, following Western Europe, the Chinese character for Persia was written as “波斯. This kanji is sometimes seen, but it was referring to Persia.

However, after the accession of Reza Shah Pahlavi to the throne in 1925, as nationalism grew among the Persian people, the idea spread that instead of calling themselves Persia, they should call themselves “Iran,” which had a broader historical, geographical, and ethnic meaning. The word “Iran” seems to be derived from “the land of the Aryans.

Persia notified other countries of the change of the country’s name to “Iran,” and the Persian Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested that Japan abolish “Persia” and use “Iran,” which the Japanese government accepted in 1935.

However, the word “Persia” is still used today for culture, local products, language, and so on.

I thought I had no connection to Persian at all. But I found a familiar word of Persian origin. It is “pajamas. Pajama” means ‘leg’ and ‘jama’ means ‘garment.’ In Persia and India, it was customary to wear loose-fitting trousers as national dress. It is said that the word “pajamas” was eventually introduced to the West and became “pajamas.

So many things are connected to each other from ancient times. I feel like telling my old self not to hate history.

See you next time.