Essay - from Peco

No.21
Akashatsu (red shirt)

I enjoyed a play "Akashatsu" by Seinen-za (Japanese theatrical company). This play wright by Makino Nozomi and directed by Miyata Keiko take up "Botchan" wright by Natsume Soseki (novelist) as a subject matter, and show us an unexpected secret. It brings up fixed idea, prejudice, discrimination and historical examination in succession, and develop the story smartly just like solving a puzzle. Its unexpectedness, interest and amusement common to the play by "Komatsu-za" (Inoue Hisashi's theatrical company) which I laugh with slapping my knee whenever I see thier play. I was attracted by the stage to the end. It was also really fun that Botchan who is a hero in the original don't enter the stage. "Ah, that's good!" performance, stage, players... is ranked as one of the greatest play among my family.

(2003-08-02)

No.22
Uribou

The pumpkins in the side of the housetop vegetable garden had been growing up fast, and I harvested big ones. From the first they sprouted naturally from seeds in the compost, and I have been leaving them to spread wildly on the tiled roof of the warehouse which neighbor the housetop garden. In this rainy Summer I hardly remember giving water, they have been growing up excellently without much labor. Some bumblebees are buzzing noisily from the big yellow flower to flower and busy with their work. I also found striped patterned and chubby gourd under the heavy growth of the pumpkin's thick stem like a hose. Of course, as I never seed it, this is "gift from the compost", too. Well, how to cook...

(2003-09-19)

No.23
Takaramon (idler) and Takaramono (treasure)

Drawing: fish up
fish up
A story from "A selections from Tsuji Makoto's Works 1" which I read yesterday. At the province of Iwaki, the author fished out a char "Iwataro" that had been called the guardian spirit. He was modeling it and made a wood sculpture. To sculpture in wood of Ohshirabiso (Maries Fir), he spended "a week". He sent this sculpture to an exhibition. One woman came to a stop in front of his work and watched for a long time, then she looked back at him and said"You have much time, don't you?"

He attached a photo which an artist himself lifted up the big sculpture of the char and said he felt it was real that the public never understand the art. He said proudly that it was real art and treasure that the artist made by himself and admired and was satisfied himself.

It's interesting that he reminisced the treasure for a person was nothing but something not worth for other people. In the Tohoku region, when they scold a man who idle away his time, they say "This Takaramon! (idler)". Sometimes I want to be Takaramon.

Tsuji Makoto is one of the proposer and promoter of "Ishinoyu lodge" which Tomi & Yasu's regular inn in ski season and stayed this Summer.

(2003-10-03)

No.24
The natural style

Drawing: Thanks to foods
Thanks to foods
Although the most of human works are overwhelmingly geometric, the nature is really fluid and nothing is the same style. Each human being differ, but, how difficult we agree with each other "as it is"! And besides we possess ambitions and contend for victory. "Atanarjuat - The Fast Runner" which I watched at Iwanami hall the other day was a suggestive movie that gave a good picture of the love and ambitions of the Inuit family who live in harsh but beautiful nature.

Since early times a garden has been indispensable for home. We have peace of mind when we live close to nature. A single-flower vase give us the nature and a landscape or hanging picture in a tokonoma (alcove) are felt us relief. Although I've preferred, if anything, art deco, I've came to understand people's feelings to wish for art nouveau recently.

I learn from Poco cat who lie down on the cane mat in order to enjoy the cool and live in idleness singlemindedly. In this season that we taste homemade non-chemical vegetables, I deeply thank to the sun and I smile at healthy vegetables. I naturally join my hands in prayer to the daylight. Eating well for optimum health. I never forget that our body is made up of foods and I want to live selflessly as much as possible.

(2003-10-10)