晩秋の風物詩。
いまだ、収穫されてない
柿の樹も目にしますね。
畑はすっかり葉っぱが落ちて
大分見通しが良くなりました。

A seasonal tradition in rural Japan.

We can sight many persimmon fruit which
were left on the naked trees here and there.

The apples trees shed their leaves and the
orchards became see through.

by an unexpected personality

今日のクリスマス・レクチャー
民放ラジオでおなじみのT氏の講演。
心に病を持つ人々と向き合うカウンセラーの
資格をお持ちとかで、そちらの話であった。

心の病は自分でも忘れてしまっている過去の経験に
その理由が求められることが多く、それだけでは
自分ではどうしようもないという一見運命論的な印象で
始まった。が、過去と他人は変えられないが、
現在と未来は変えられる。自分がまず変わる事から
始まりますという、随分勇気つけられる話であった。
楽観論で、絶望せず、自分の存在意義を信じて未来を
描こうということを淡々と話してくれた。
会場の雰囲気が随分明るくなった気がしましたね。

ラジオとはまったく別の一面を見せてくれて、それ自体が
驚きだったのですが、この人はきっとあるとき
ご自分のレゾンデートルに確信をもたれたのだなあ、と
ふと思いました。心にすっと入ってくる話でした。

それにしても、関係者だけでなくて、もっとたくさんの
一般市民が聞いてくれたらなあと思いましたね。

Today’s Christmas lecture in Suzaka was delivered
by Mr. Toru Takeda, a famous media personality
having his own programs in local radio stations.
He is said to be certain certified psychological counselor
and the theme was about Wonders of Heart and Mind.

Causes of mental illness can be sourced back to the
past experiences which one cannot remember or which
happened even before one was able to recognize it. As such
it sounds like such illness is a destiny and one cannot be mended.
However, he said it can be mended. The past and other people
are the things that one cannot change but the present and the
future can be changed only if one wishes so and if one tries to
change by oneself first of all. It was really an encouraging talk.
Be optimistic, do not despair, believe one’s raison-d’être and imagine
one’s future that is what you want to be. Thanks to his easy
and friendly talk, the audiences seemed to be brighten up.

He looked like a different man from our image of him from
his radio talks which was a big surprise. I thought he must
have found his raison-d’être at one moment in his past. His talk
seemed to fall into the audiences’ mind straight and very smoothly.

There were many audiences but mostly were students and the
municipal office staff. I think many more citizens should attend
such a lecture and the announcement by the organizer should
have been better arranged.

今年もライトアップの季節がやってきました。
去年までは毎年出品していたので今年も
一応出すつもりなのですが、なかなか取り掛かれません
ねえ。

今年は、ポスターが一新されて、全部で8種類の
メッセージのポスターが街のあちこちに飾られてます。
私も、倉庫の窓に全8作貼りました。

私も一句作ってみました
「mc²よりでっかいハートのエナジーよ、ブラックホールから
出ておいで」。

The light up event is just around the corner.
As I have participated every year, I am supposed to
do so this year again. But I have not started making
something yet.

This year, the poster has been renewed totally and eight kinds
of them can be seen in the city. I pasted all of them on the glass of
my work hut by the road.

I followed the messages and have made my own;
‘’The energy of my heart bigger than mc²,
come and shine out of the black hole.’’

今年はりんごが不足しているようです。
どういうわけか、私がりんごは作ってないと
知っている近所の方からも
「楠さん、りんごない？」と聞かれます。
特に贈答用が品薄の様ですね。夏場の高温で
なかなか贈答用に使えるのが少ない状況です。

で、知り合いのりんご農家に聞いてみると
「うちもないんだよ」とか「新規は受けられない」
という返事が多いです。
家庭用も、早々と加工業者が引き取って行った
とかで、これから選別でもれたものしか出てこない
状況です。当然値段もいつもよりも高い様です。

それでも何とかあちこち聞いて廻って、頼まれた
分は確保しています。これを機会に「須坂のりんごって
美味しいね」という人が増えればいいなと思って
やってます。掛け値なし、須坂のりんごは美味いですよ。

It seems that the supply of apples is in shortage now.
To my surprise, even my neighbors who know that I do not
grow apples ask me if I can manage to get some for them.
Higher grade apples for gift is high in demand but in
short supply due to the summer heat.

So I ask some of apple growers but the reply is mostly
that they do not have enough or that they cannot take
new orders.

Processing factories collected the fruit out of standard
much earlier this year so the apples for family use is
in short supply, too. The price of the fruit seems higher
this year.

However, I have tried to get some any how as I hope
those who eat the apples will find the apples
of Suzaka are tasty.　No doubt that the apples
in Suzaka are really tasty.

一昨日、突然のワイン会。
民主党ワイン産業振興議員連盟というのができて
そのワイン会が催されたので出品してきた。
突然のお呼びで、主に長野県・山梨県のワイナリーが
多かったが、十勝さんも来ていましたね。
私のお隣がサッポロさんだったのですが
「サッポロもワインを作っているのか」とか、
「ソーヴィニオンというと、外国のワインを使っているのか」
等という質問がでて、苦笑いしてましたね。
「…30年程前からやっています」などとお答えでしたが。

(輿石さん、羽田さん、鳩山さん）

今までも、ワイン議連はあったらしいのですが、もっぱら
外国のワインを飲む会で、今回日本ワインを飲む会ができた
のは喜ばしいことです。外務省や在外公館に「日本のワインを使え」
と呼びかけると言っていましたから。そうなって欲しいものです。

（鳩山さん、輿石さん、樽床さん）

議連の会長が輿石さん、で副会長が樽床さん、実行委員長が
羽田さん、名誉顧問が鳩山さんで、その夜は千石さんも
見えられました。日本ワインを愛する会からも会長や理事の諸氏
も顔を揃え、辰巳琢郎さんも来場してました。議員の多くが
帰った後、辰巳さんは全ての出展社のワインを試飲して、
感想を述べていました。さすがです。

(挨拶する千石さん）

そういえば、開会前に樽床さんがお一人で全ての
出展社のワインを試飲していました。こういう形で
日本のワイン産業に力を入れてもらえるといいですね。
どういう形にせよ、始まらないとその次もないのですから。
日本ワイン産業にとっての記念すべき一夜となるか。

(人気の辰巳さん）

在日の大使諸氏も招かれていましたね。

「民主党」と「ワイン」で検索すると読売新聞やFNNのその夜の
記事やニューズが見れますよ。

There was a sudden wine tasting session at
Kasumigaseki the other night.
The Law makers’ wine committee was　formed inside
the Democratic Party and I went to participate
in its first wine tasting session. The committee was said to
be formed to promote Japanese Wine Industry. Only with
very short notice, the participating wineries were mostly
from Nagano and Yamanashi as well as some from Hokkaido.

My neighboring booth was Sapporo and a law maker said that
he had not known Sapporo was making wine but beer. He also
asked if they used foreign wines into theirs due to the variety
name cabernet sauvignon labelled on the bottle.
The gentleman from Sapporo seemed embarrassed but
said that they had had so since 30 years before.

Some told me that there was a similar committee about wine
but it was for import wine. As such, it is very good to have one
for Japanese wine. People from Democratic Party announced that
they would request Ministry of Foreign Affairs to use Japanese
wines and would have the Japanese foreign consulates
serve Japanese wines which is good.

The chairman is Mr. Koshiishi, with vice chairman Mr. Tarudoko and
the Executive Director Mr. Hata. The honorable chairman is Mr. Hatoyama.
Mr. Sengoku thought to be the opposing fraction leader also came to join
the wine session and made some comments and chatted with Mr. Hatoyama
which attracted most of the news media.　

Most of the Japanese Wine Lovers’ Committee’s directors
also participated including famous actor Mr. Takuro Tatsumi.
He tried most of the wines after the law makers left the party
enthusiastically chatting with the people from wineries. How
nice he was!

Mr. Tarudoko showed up by himself well before the party
and tried each one kind of wine of all the wineris. It would be nice
if the government pays some attention to the domestic wine
industry anyhow. Without first step, there is no second step.
I hope the night will become a memorable night for the
Japanese wine industry.

Some ambassadors to Japan were also present.

If you brows with the word ‘Democratic Party’ and ‘Wine’
on the web, you can find the articles and the news about
the party.