みなさまこんにちは、スタッフYでございます。

連日の不安定なお天気に少しうんざりしていたのですが、ここ名古屋、先日から猛暑であります。

しかも日差しが大変きつく、例年「これは目がやられてるな…。」などと気にはなっておりました。そんな中、なんと先日度付きのサングラスを新調いたしました。

先月の雨天続きの中に購入をしてなかなか使う機会がなかったのですが、はじめて強い日差し中運転中にかけてみました。それがかなり驚き。目がたいへん楽です。はすずしてみますと日差しが目に刺さるような感覚になってしまうので、これまでいかに酷使してきたことが伺えしれます。あぁ、買ってよかった…。

目そのものの保護もそうなのですが、「目から入る紫外線が日焼けやシミの原因になる」ということがいわれているようでして、そちらも気になって購入に至ったのですが。

なぜ？といいますと、日に当たると角膜だけでなく水晶体など目全体に紫外線が入り、炎症を起します。その情報を受けた脳は、肌を守ろうとして全身のメラノサイト（メラニンを作る工場のような細胞）にメラニンを作るように指示するらしく、肌に紫外線が当たっていなくてもメラニンがたくさん作られてしまい、日焼けやシミとなって現れるという仕組みのようです。

そんなわけでお洒落目的ではなく、あくまで目の保護目的なのですが、どうせ買うなら似合ったものを…と、ショップでしばらくあれやこれやかけたり外したりしていたのですが。

結論、厳選なるセレクトの挙句一つ選んだのですが、やはり似合わない笑。しばらくするとたぶん慣れてくるとは思うので、サングラスをかけた自分に慣れてくるのを待つしかないですが、まあ馴染んできたか…、あくまでも目の保護のためです笑。

とまあ、先日の新札発行ではないですが、新たな物事やチャレンジ？は自分にとっては当初違和感は多かれ少なかれありますが。そんな中に無理矢理飛び込むことは当初は違和感しかなかったのですが、少し気分も変わってワクワクもしますし、自分は案外すぐ馴染むことも分かりました。

ちなみにサングラスの始まりは、15世紀の明の時代裁判官が使った黒眼鏡が、サングラスのはじまりとされているのですが、当初の目的は、裁判中裁判官が証拠の真偽などをどのように判断しているのか、目の動きから相手に悟られないようにかけられていたようです。 ただし、サングラスといっても石英のレンズをススで黒くいぶしたものだったようです。そういったこともちょっと知ることができて面白かったのですね。なるほど。

さあ、猛暑が始まりました。この長い夏、新たな違和感をちょっと取り入れてみるのもいいかもしれませんよ。

それではごきげんよう。

Hello everyone, this is Staff Y.

I have been a little fed up with the unstable weather every day, but it has been extremely hot here in Nagoya since the other day.

The sun is shining so brightly that every year I worry that my eyes are getting burned. I had been concerned that my eyes were being damaged by the heat. I bought a new pair of sunglasses the other day.

I had not had a chance to use them since I bought them last month during a series of rainy days, but the other day I tried them on for the first time while driving in strong sunlight. I was quite surprised. It is very easy on the eyes. When I put them on, I could feel the sunlight stinging my eyes, which shows how much I have been using them. I’m glad I bought it….

I was concerned about the protection of the eyes themselves, but also about the fact that it is said that “ultraviolet rays entering the eyes can cause sunburn and sun spots,” so I decided to buy it.

Why? When exposed to the sun, ultraviolet rays enter not only the cornea but also the entire eye, including the lens, causing inflammation. The brain receives this information and instructs melanocytes (melanin-producing cells) throughout the body to produce melanin in order to protect the skin.

So, I went to a store and tried on and off for a while, not for fashion but for eye protection, thinking that if I was going to buy something, it should be something that suited me.

In conclusion, after careful selection, I chose one, but it still doesn’t suit me. I think I will probably get used to them after a while, so I guess I will just have to wait until I get used to myself wearing sunglasses, just to protect my eyes, lol.

Well, it is not the issuance of new bills the other day, but new things or challenges? is more or less uncomfortable for me at first. I was initially uncomfortable with the idea of forcibly jumping into such a situation, but I found that I felt a little different and excited, and that I was able to adjust to it more easily than I had expected.

Incidentally, the origin of sunglasses is said to be the dark glasses used by judges in the Ming Dynasty in the 15th century. The original purpose of sunglasses was to prevent the judges from realizing how they were judging the truth or falsity of evidence during a trial from the movement of their eyes. However, the sunglasses were quite different from those used today, with quartz lenses smoked black with soot. I see.

The heat wave has begun. It might be a good idea to try to add a new sense of discomfort to your life during this long summer.

Have a good day.

皆さまこんにちは。スタッフHでございます。

いよいよ本日、２０年ぶりとなる新紙幣が発行されますね。

新しい紙幣は本日から金融機関に引き渡され、順次、窓口やATMで手に入れることが可能だそうですが、初日は多くの金融機関が新紙幣の取り扱いを一部の店舗に限定するため、原則４日から新札に両替すると新紙幣を入手できるようです。

さて受け身で待つ私はいつ頃手にすることができるでしょうか。楽しみです。

何事も新しいものには何かしらの違和感を感じてしまうものですが、今回の新紙幣のデザインに関しても「重厚感に欠ける」などの否定的な意見も聞かれるそうです。

確かに初めて見た時は、海外のお札っぽい？という印象でした。アラビア数字による料金表示がかなり目立っております。

調べてみますと、偽造防止の強化に加えこれまでよりも実用性を重視したデザインだということです。

２０２５年には日本人の３人に１人が６５歳以上となる超高齢社会を迎え、国際化も進んでいく中、新紙幣においてもユニバーサルデザインが強く意識されているようです。年齢や国籍、障害に関わらず誰もが能力を意識しないで使えるデザインとされています。

年齢を重ねると視力が下がる前に「コントラスト」の感度が下がるそうで、色の差がはっきりしていないと読み取りにくくなるとのこと。

また文字と文字の間が詰まっていると識別が難しくなるため、新紙幣では数字の間が広めになっています。こちらもユニバーサルデザインの書体となっているそうです。

現在は教科書などにもこのユニバーサルデザインの文字が使われているものが増えているとのこと。

ちなみに一万円札の「１」と千円札の「１」の書体が違いますが、この差も全体として見た時に違ってくるそうで、ユニバーサルデザインとは奥が深いのですね。

また指で触って識別できるように、１１本の斜線がお札の種類ごとに、それぞれ違う場所に「識別マーク」として深凹版印刷でざらつきが作られています。旧紙幣では全種類のお札の同じ場所に違う記号が作られていましたがお札ごとに位置を変えることで更に識別しやすくなっているそうです。

しかし一方で伝統もしっかりと守られており、お札に使われる「紙」は国立印刷局で原材料から作られ、独特のしなやかな感触があり、水にも強く丈夫な和紙の原料である「みつまた」や「アバカ」などの植物から丁寧に作られています。

また国立印刷局には「工芸官」と呼ばれる専門の職員がおり、図柄を考える「デザイン」、原版を彫る「彫刻」、地紋や彩紋を担う「線画デザイン」、透かし担当の「すき入れ」の４部門で働いています。

デザイン担当の工芸官は何十年もの長い間修業をし、お札の元になる柄を描けるようになります。その絵をもとに彫刻担当の工芸官が特殊な彫刻刀で金属板に細かく刻み込みお札の原版を作ります。

工芸官が正確に何人いるのか、誰が何を担当しているかなどは極秘となっており、家族にも教えてはならないとか。

デジタル化が進んだ現代では高度な偽造防止技術も求められ、今回取り入れられた肖像が回転するように見える３Dホログラムの技術は銀行券への採用は世界初だということです。しばらくは物珍しくて遊んでしまいそうです。

ちなみに一万円札の肖像となっている渋沢栄一は全盛期とされる６０代の姿になっていますが、肖像に向く６０代の写真がなく、晩年の写真などを参考に想像して描かれているそうです。

すべての新札の肖像画は真似しようとすると違和感のある表情になるように描かれているとか。一体どういう技術なのでしょうか。

なにかと秘密が多い新札ですがいつか手元に来た時には隅から隅までじっくりと観察したいものです。

それでは、また次の機会に。

みなさまこんにちは、スタッフYございます。

先日Xを眺めておりましたら、とある方が川で拾った錆び錆びの鉄の塊が発見されまして、「これなんでしょう？」と、言う画像付きのコメントに、1500ほどのコメントがついておりました。、その反響がすごかったので、ついついコメントを読んでいますと、なかなかのヒートアップでありました。「世紀の大発見か？。」「どこかで調べてもらっては？。」「川でひろった鉄の魂が世紀の発見とはロマンがあるじゃないか！。」などなどいろいろ湧いておりました。

その鉄の塊、そもそも何かと言いますと、どうも6世紀の双龍文環頭大刀柄頭（柄の、先端の部分。 柄の先端。 また、その部分をおおう金具）ではないかと皆さま言っておりまして、発見された方がやはり採掘したところの文化財などを扱う機関などで鑑定を依頼されたようであります。

で、結果どうだったのかと言いますと、その鉄の塊は鑑定の結果、半世紀前に作られたレプリカと判明。6世紀の双龍文環頭大刀柄頭に比べてひと回り大きいようでして、青銅ではなく鉄とのことでした。

鑑定結果は、本人のみならず周りのかた（自分も含む）も期待しておりましたが、残念ながらレプリカのようでした…。それにしても、世紀の発見への期待がこんなにも人の気持ちをワクワクさせるとは。残念な結果のことは忘れて、むしろ周りの方の反響が大変興味深く感じましたね。その世紀の発見にあたかも立ちあえるかのような高揚感で、けっこう期待してしまいました。

情報を流したり受け取ったりする便利なツールではりますが、いつもこんなやりとりだったら世の中平和なのにな…、なんて鉄の塊を眺めながら思った次第です。

それではごきげんよう。

Hello everyone, this is Staff Y.

The other day, I was looking at X, and I found a rusty lump of iron that someone had found in the river. The other day, I was looking at X and saw that a person had found a rusty lump of iron that he had picked up in the river. The response was so great that I read through the comments and found that the situation was quite heated. The comments were quite heated: “Is this the breakthrough of the century?” “Why don’t you have it checked out somewhere?” “It’s so romantic that an iron soul found in a river is the discovery of the century! And so on and so forth.

The iron lump, to begin with, was a 6th-century dagger with a double dragon design and a ring-shaped handle (the tip of the handle, the tip of the handle. The tip of the handle. The person who found the piece of iron asked for an evaluation at the institution that handles cultural properties in the area where the iron was mined.

As a result, the iron lump was found to be a replica made half a century ago, a little larger than the 6th-century dagger with a double dragon design and an iron handle, rather than bronze.

The result of the appraisal was expected not only by the owner of the sword but also by the people around him (including myself), but unfortunately, it turned out to be a replica…. But I had no idea that the anticipation of the discovery of the century could excite people so much. Forgetting the disappointing result, I was rather intrigued by the reaction of the people around me. I was elated as if I were there to witness the discovery of the century, and I was quite excited about it.

Although it is a convenient tool for sending and receiving information, I thought to myself as I looked at the iron ingot, “If we could always communicate like this, the world would be a more peaceful place.

皆さまこんにちは。スタッフＴでございます。

本日の名古屋はしっかり梅雨空です。先日のスタッフＹのブログにもありましたが、雨の音の心地よさ。確かにそうだなと、今日はすっかり寝過ごしました（笑）しばらく雨が続きそうですので、雨音を楽しみたいと思います。

楽しみと言えば、最近始めた“庭に埋めるだけコンポスト”。

コンポストとは、英語のcompostからきており、堆肥・堆肥にするという意味です。家庭からでる生ごみや落ち葉などの有機物を微生物の働きを活用して発酵・分解させ堆肥を作るという昔から伝承されてきた日本の大切な知恵のひとつです。

きっかけは子どもの家庭科の授業で、ごみ処理場へ見学に行く課外授業があったのですが、その時に教科書を読んでみたことです。

今の子供たちの教科書ってなかなか面白い。でも読めば読むほど、このままだとゴミを捨てる場所がなくなって、地球がゴミに埋もれてしまうんじゃないか？と思ってしまいました。

あまり深く考えたことはなかったゴミ問題でしたが、何か“簡単に”できることはないかなと考えるきっかけになりました。

とはいえ、単に毎日出る生ごみをいちいち袋に入れて捨てるのが「面倒くさい」ってことが始まりだったような気もします…。夏になると臭いやコバエ問題も出てきますし…。

そんな中、SNSで“庭に埋めるだけコンポスト”なるものがあることを知りました。

始め方はとっても簡単。文字通り、庭に穴を掘って、野菜くずなどを入れ、土とかき混ぜ、その上に土を被せて終了。あっという間です。

ズボラの私にぴったりではありませんか。

「とりあえず埋めてみたら分かる」とのことでしたので、とりあえずやってみて、失敗したらやめればいいかという気軽な感じで始めてみました。野菜くずたちは、いずれ土の中の生き物たちによって分解され、土に還るということなので、どれくらいで無くなるのか今から楽しみです。

ただ、臭いや虫が発生したり野生動物が寄ってくることもあるそうですですので、念のため魚や肉の骨など臭いが強く分解が遅そうなものは埋めずに様子を見ています。もし始めようという方がいましたら、その点ご留意ください。

ゴミを減らさなければ！と気負って生活はしませんが、野菜は皮ごと食べたり、ピーマンなどは種ごと食べたり、キャベツは芯まで食べるなど、それを意識するだけでぐんと生ゴミの量が減る気がします。

続くかどうかは分かりませんが、“庭に埋めるだけコンポスト”負担にならない程度に続けてみたいと思います。

ではでは、また。

Hello everyone. This is Staff T.

It’s a rainy season here in Nagoya today. As mentioned in Staff Y’s blog the other day, the sound of rain is pleasant. It seems like it will continue to rain for a while, so I would like to enjoy the sound of rain.

Speaking of enjoyment, I recently started “composting in the garden.

The word “compost” comes from the English word “compost,” meaning to compost. Composting is an important Japanese wisdom that has been handed down from generation to generation, in which household garbage, fallen leaves, and other organic materials are fermented and decomposed by microorganisms to make compost.

It all started when my children’s home economics class had an extracurricular field trip to a waste treatment plant, and I read the textbook.

Textbooks for today’s children are quite interesting. But the more I read it, the more I wondered if, at this rate, there would be no more places to dispose of garbage, and the earth would be buried under garbage. I thought.

I had never thought much about the garbage problem, but it made me think about what I can do “easily” to solve it.

However, I think it all started with the fact that it is a hassle to put all the daily garbage into bags and throw them away…. In the summer, we have to deal with the smell and fly problems.

Then I learned on social networking sites that there is a composting method called “just bury the compost in the garden.

It is very easy to start. Literally, dig a hole in the garden, put in vegetable scraps, mix with soil, cover with soil, and that’s it. It’s just a matter of a few minutes.

It’s perfect for me, a lazy person.

I was told, “Just try it and you’ll see,” so I decided to give it a try and if it didn’t work out, I could just quit. The vegetable scraps will eventually be decomposed by living things in the soil and returned to the soil, so I am looking forward to seeing how long it will take for them to disappear.

However, I have heard that there are some smells, insects, and wild animals that may come close to the scraps, so just to be safe, we are not burying fish or meat bones that have a strong smell and seem to be slow to decompose. If anyone is interested in starting this project, please keep this in mind.

We don’t live in the ministry of reducing garbage, but we feel that just by being aware of it, such as eating vegetables with their peels, eating peppers with their seeds, and eating cabbage down to the core, we can greatly reduce the amount of garbage we produce.

I don’t know if I will be able to continue with it, but I would like to continue “just burying compost in the garden” to the extent that it does not become a burden for me.

See you soon.

皆さまこんにちは。スタッフHでございます。

梅雨の晴れ間、皆様いかがお過ごしでしょうか。

湿気のせいか室内の空気がよどんでいる気がします。先日より香木について綴っているせいか家で眠っていた線香やアロマグッズなどを引っ張り出して使っております。気分がすっきりする気がいたします。

古の日本人も香りにはとても敏感だったようで、室町時代の終わりごろに生まれた「香道」は「茶道」「華道」と同様に日本の「三道」として今日まで継承されています。

香道には様々な流派が存在しますが、室町時代から続く武家の流派とも呼ばれ、道具も簡素なものが多い「志野流」と和歌などの華やかな公家の文化を背景とし、お道具も煌びやかな「御家流」が二大流派として認識されているようです。

香木の一片を燃やさずに温めて香りを立て、その微妙な香りを聞きとる「聞香」が基本です。「聞香」で複数の香木の香りを聞き分けることが、香りを当てる遊びのような形となり、香りで文学や季節を楽しむ「組香（くみこう）」と呼ばれる遊戯に発展しました。

組香を深く楽しむために様々な作法や決まり事が生まれ、源氏香、花月香、古今香、七夕香、月雨香など季節などの風情を取り込んだ様々な種類の競技が考え出されました。

例えば源氏香では５種類の香木を用意し、それぞれ５包つずの香包に包んで２５の包を用意します。その中から無作為に５包を選び香炉で焚いていきます。

香炉を参加者全員に順番に回し種類の香りを聞きます。紙に５本の縦線を書き、５種類のうち同じ香りだと思った香りは横線で結びます。出来上がる図柄は５２通りとなり（数学の「くみあわせ」を思い出す方もいるのではないしょうか）５２通りそれぞれに源氏物語の章の名前が当てはめられています。この図柄は着物の柄にも使われているようです。

源氏香フリー素材より

この図をみると当てるのはかなり難しそうですが、正解することよりも香に敬意を払いながら、香を味わうことに集中することが大切だと言われています。機会があればぜひ挑戦し、足利義政が体系化した「六国五味」をぜひ体験してみたいものです。

香を焚く作法は流派によって違いがあるようですが、基本的には香元（こうもと）が７種類の火道具である火筋（こじ）、灰押（はいおさえ・はいおし）、羽箒（はぼうき）、銀葉挟（ぎんようばさみ）、香筋（きょうじ）、香匙（こうさじ）、鶯（うぐいす）を使い聞香炉の灰を整え、その上に銀葉と呼ばれる雲母版を置き、さらに一片の香木を載せます。

正客から順番に香炉が回され、香炉を左手で水平に持ち右手で覆って３回ほど香りを聞き分け次の人へ回します。

静けさのなかで粛々と進んでいく席の空気は、座禅の瞑想の場にも近いものがあるような気がします。

香道の道具も流派によって違いがあるようですが、主なものとして香りを焚くために必要な道具をいれるお盆である「乱箱（みだればこ）」、香りを聞く「聞香炉」、組香で使う香木を包む「香包」、炭団の上にのせ、その上に香木をのせる「銀葉」、銀葉をのせるための台「銀用盤」、銀葉を入れるための箱「銀用箱」などがあります。

蒔絵が施された華やかなものもあるようですので、ぜひ探してみてください。

それでは、また次の機会に。

Hello everyone. This is Staff H.

How are you all doing during the rainy season?

I feel that the air in my room is stale due to the humidity. I have been writing about fragrant woods since the other day, so I pulled out some incense sticks and aroma goods that were sleeping at home and have been using them. I feel refreshed.

The ancient Japanese were also very sensitive to fragrance, and “Kodo,” or the way of incense, which was born around the end of the Muromachi period (1336-1573), has been handed down to this day as one of the “Three Ways” of Japan, along with “Chado” (tea ceremony) and “Kado” (flower arrangement).

There are various schools of Kodo, but the two major schools are the Shino school, which has been practiced by samurai families since the Muromachi period (1333-1573) and has simple tools, and the Oke school, which is based on the gorgeous culture of the court nobles, including waka poems, and has glittering tools.

The basic method is to warm a piece of fragrant wood without burning it to create an aroma, and listen to the subtle fragrance. The process of distinguishing the fragrance of multiple fragrant woods by listening to them became a form of guessing the fragrance, and developed into a game called kumiko, in which literature and seasons are enjoyed through fragrance.

In order to deeply enjoy Kumiko, various manners and rules were developed, and various types of competitions were devised to incorporate seasonal and other aspects, such as Genjiko, Kagetsukiko, Kokin Koko, Tanabatako, and Tsukuyu Koko.

For example, in Genji-ko, five kinds of fragrant woods are prepared, and each of them is wrapped in five incense wrappers, making a total of 25 wrappers. Five of these are randomly selected and burned in an incense burner.

The incense burner is passed around to each participant in turn, and the participants are asked to listen to the different fragrances. Five vertical lines are drawn on a piece of paper, and the five scents that are thought to be the same are connected by a horizontal line. The resulting pattern consists of 52 different patterns, each named after a chapter in the Tale of Genji (some of you may remember the mathematical game “Kumiawase”). This design is also used in kimono patterns.

It is said that it is more important to concentrate on tasting the incense while paying respect to it, rather than trying to guess the correct answer. If you have a chance, I would like you to try it and experience the “Six Provinces and Five Flavors” systematized by Ashikaga Yoshimasa.

Although the manner of burning incense seems to differ from school to school, basically, the kogen (master) uses seven types of fire tools: koji, haioshi, haibouki, ginyoubasami, kyoji, kousaji, and uguisu (bush warbler) to prepare the ashes for the furnace, On top of the ash, a mica plate called a ginga (silver leaf) is placed, and then a piece of fragrant wood is placed on top.

The incense burner is passed from one guest to the next, who holds it horizontally with his left hand and covers it with his right hand, listening to the fragrance three times before passing it on to the next person.

The atmosphere in the quiet and solemn sitting room is similar to that of Zen meditation.

The tools used in kodo also vary from school to school, but the main ones include a “midarebako,” which is a tray to hold the tools necessary for burning incense, an “kobo,” which is used to listen to the fragrance, an “kobo” to wrap the fragrant wood used in kumiko, a “ginba,” which is placed on top of the charcoal burner and on which the fragrant wood is placed, a “ginyoban,” or stand for placing the ginba, and a “ginyo-dan,” or box for holding the ginyobas. A “Ginyo-bako” (box for silver leaves), a stand for placing silver leaves, and a box for holding silver leaves.

Some of them are decorated with maki-e (gold or silver lacquer), so please look for them.

See you next time.

皆さまこんにちは、スタッフＹでございます。

本日ここ名古屋典型的な梅雨空でして、朝から雨がしっかり降っております。梅雨前線の活動が活発になっていますので土砂災害警報情報や大雨警報が発表されている地域もあるようですので、このあとも非常に激しい雨や激しい雨が降り、線状降水帯が発生し大雨の恐れもある地域もあるようですので注意して過ごしたいところです。

ところで、しばらくこのようなすっきりしないお天気が続くということですが、みなさまはこのうつうつとした時期、どのような過ごし方で少しでも快適に過ごすようにしていますでしょうか。

思い付きやすいところですと、どうしても室内での過ごし方になっていしまいますが、例えば部屋の模様替えをするとか、新しいおうちごはんやお菓子のレシピに挑戦するとか、まあトレーニングジムで汗を流すなどなど、はたまた逆手にとって、傘や長靴を新調するという方もいらっしゃるのでしょうか…。皆様のそれぞれの快適な過ごし方を教えてほしいものであります。

自分も髪の毛がまとまらない、食材が腐るなどなど悩みは尽きないのですが、実は雨の日はそんなに嫌ではありません。雨の日に室内や自宅にいると少しホッとしたりするのは自分だけでしょうか。

そんな中、雨の日のもう一つのいいところをみつけした。昨夜も夜から雨が降り出してきまして、夜寝つく際にぱらぱらぱらぱらと心地よい雨音でありました。連続的なぱらぱらという音にいつもより耳を傾け、ちょっと瞑想に近いのか？たまに屋根にポツンと落ちたり、急に雨音が激しくなったり。その強弱や降り続ける音に注意を傾けていますと、雨音の中に包まれる感じでふーっと寝静まる感覚でしょうか、（速攻）寝入っておりました。普通に意識もしなくても雨の日はどことなく眠いのですが、雨音に注意を傾けるとさらに速攻寝入るとは雨の音恐るべし笑。

速攻寝入りましたので、結果さほど雨音を聞いてはいなかったのですが笑。日々の騒々しさや情報に翻弄されお疲れの方は、雨の日の憂いを逆手にとって一旦すべてを置いておいて、いつもより雨音に注意を傾けるのはちょっとおススメです。試してみてください。

それではごきげんよう。

Hello everyone, this is Staff Y.

Today is a typical rainy season sky here in Nagoya, and it has been raining since this morning. The rainy season front is becoming more active, and there are areas where landslide disaster warnings and heavy rain warnings have been issued.

By the way, this kind of unsettled weather is expected to continue for a while, so how are you spending your time during this depressing period?

For example, redecorating your room, trying out new recipes for home cooking and sweets, working out at the gym, or even taking the opposite tack and buying a new umbrella and new boots… Or perhaps you are going to buy a new umbrella or new boots…. I would like to know how you spend your time comfortably.

I, too, have endless problems such as my hair not staying in place, food spoiling, etc., but I actually don’t mind rainy days that much. Is it just me who feels a little relieved when I am indoors or at home on a rainy day?

I found another good thing about rainy days. It started raining last night, and as I was falling asleep, I heard the pleasant sound of the rain. I listened to the continuous flapping sound more than usual, a bit like meditation? Sometimes it would fall on the roof, or the sound of rain would suddenly become more intense. As I was paying attention to the intensity of the sound and how it continued to fall, I fell asleep (quickly), feeling as if I was enveloped in the sound of the rain. As a result, I did not hear the rain so much. I am usually somewhat sleepy on rainy days even if I am not conscious of it, but the fact that I fell asleep so quickly after paying attention to the sound of the rain is a sign of the fearless sound of rain.

If you are busy with the daily noise and information, it is recommended to take advantage of the gloom of a rainy day, put everything aside, and pay more attention to the sound of the rain than usual. Give it a try.

Have a good day.

Hello everyone. This is Staff T.
The rainy season has begun, but the days without much rain are continuing. There are many ways to describe the sunny days in between the rainy season, such as “the clear skies of the rainy season,” “the May sunshine,” and “the clear skies of the rainy season,” but it feels as if we are being steamed and roasted with the dampness of the rainy season.

There is a breeze today, but many people I pass on this hot day have small fans in their hands. It was around 2017 that they became popular. As to why they became popular, it is said that it is actually due to the influence of K-Pop idols. It is said that K-pop idols started using them and girls who saw them and liked idols brought them out. Today, they are used by people of all ages and are now a common sight in Japan.

When they were all the rage, of course I got on board and bought one, but I felt a little embarrassed at myself for using it in the same way as the young people, and eventually it became a burden in my luggage when I went out and got in the way, so I had to go back to using a fan.
For some reason, I usually carry a heavy bag, so a lightweight fan was more convenient to carry and took up less space. It’s an afterthought, but it’s also eco-friendly (lol).

When opened quickly, a fan reveals beautifully patterned and glossy paper, and when closed, its dignified appearance is eye-catching. Originating in the Heian period (794-1185), fans are still valued in a variety of settings, including traditional performing arts, tea ceremonies, and daily use. It is one of the traditional crafts that Japan is proud of.

The history of the fan is long, dating back to the early Heian period (around the 8th century A.D.).
Instead of paper, which was precious at the time, fans were made by layering “mokkan,” thin wooden boards 2 to 3 cm wide, which were used as recording paper. It was called a “hiwogi” because it was mainly made of cypress wood. The shape was refined, and later various designs were painted on the surface of the fan, which became popular among women in the court service.
The oldest surviving fan is said to be a cypress fan inscribed with the date “Genkei 1 (877)” that was found in the arm of a statue of the Thousand-Armed Kannon at Toji Temple in Kyoto.

In the early days, hinoki fans were used by male aristocrats as a scepter (a long, thin sheet held in the right hand when wearing a sokutai) for official occasions, and they were also used as notepads for writing down complicated court etiquette. Eventually, the hinoki fan became more decorative, and the main part of the fan changed from paper twine to wooden nails, and it was reinforced with decorated metal fittings. The strings used to bind the wooden fan also became more decorative.
When pictures were drawn on the surface of the fan, it became popular among court ladies as a decorative item. The hinoki fans held by women were called nebu-fan (worn by women but worn by men), and were used not only as ornaments but also as tools for shielding one’s eyes from the gaze of others in an emergency.

Thus, the hinoki fan became a necessity for the aristocrats’ formal wear during the Heian period (794-1185), and was used not only for its original role as a fan, but also as a tool for courtesy, gift-giving, and communication.
The use of fans for writing waka poems or placing flowers on them as gifts is written in many literary works and historical books, such as The Tale of Genji and the Dragonfly Diary.

Following the hinoki fan, the “kawahori-ogi” (bat fan) appeared. This is a paper fan with one side covered with paper, but it is not known when it was created. The name “kawahori-ogi” is said to have originated from its shape resembling a bat or from a change in the sound of the word “kawahoshi” (paper fan).

The current common use of fans to keep cool became popular in the late Edo period (1603-1868), when the culture of the common people was flourishing. The original fan is Chinese, but the original fan is Japanese.
The fan is a wonderful item that is both compact and elegant for adults. As I researched, I found something else that caught my attention… I’ll continue the story another time.

See you soon.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)