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Writer's pictureNigel

Sunrise, Sunset 日の出、日の入り

Updated: Jan 25


2024 年 1 月 23 日



Published earlier than usual for notice of Benefizkonzert/Japan Earthquake (see end of post)



The Italians get around don't they? The flashy lines of this Nissan Prince from 1962 were conceived by the car designer Giovanni Michelotti. You pass by it at the Nissan HQ in Yokohama, walking from the station to the harbour. (Nissan and Prince were actually two separate car makers until they merged in the 60s)

プリンス 1962


 

And no German town is complete without its Italian Eiscafé🍧. But the Italians close their cafés in the winter and disappear. I've often wondered where they go actually. My local Ice Cream bar Venezia looks rather forlorn now......they can't charge for the snow......

イタリア人は、冬になるといつもアイスクリームカフェを閉めます。 彼らはどこへ行くのだろうか?

....which is coming out of the sky, free.....

雪は、自然の恵みです。

But I haven't gone off to a warmer country......it's business as usual....

私は、いつも通り仕事をしています.

....even if it means getting out the shovel.....

However, as if to compensate, the next day started with a true winter sunrise in the East.....

それを補うかのように、次の日は真冬の朝焼けから始まりました.

...and ended with a true winter sunset in the West....

Obviously not much to do in the garden at the moment.......

ガーデニングの季節ではありません.

....although the Forsythia is flowering defiantly.....



 

Time to think of life's little pleasures - Back in November I scooped these up off the beach south of Kobe....

...........little fragments of pottery, rounded and shaped by the water and rocks......

人生の小さな楽しみ.....

....and I scooped these up in my local Asian shop - Yamato Mix.....mmmmm............... 😋

But I nearly stepped on this this morning. Was it an as-yet-undiscovered mollusc? No, for all its strangeness it is actually winter wheat ........

冬小麦

But how this plant survives when the waters rise I do not know....(Tonda River, Wakayama).....和歌山県

Our icy specimen was not alone....in fact there was a whole field of them....

stretching into the far distance....

.... nothing had been saved from the icy blast in Hessen this week....


....although, as ever, it`s lovely to see the blue sky.....

青空が見えると嬉しいですね.

...humans had to wrap up warm....looks like I'm leading an expedition across the Arctic, but it's only Langen 😄

暖かい服を 着た方が良いです。

Back in town, the light made my neighbour's entrance look almost transcendental.......

....and the cars looked harmless.....


 

It's the time of year for sinking into a good read on the sofa. But for me it's not fiction at the moment. Tom Mustill, a filmaker, has written this fascinating, engaging book about whales. OK, you might not get excited by this, but the author describes how a whale once breached over his Kayak, nearly killing him. This led him on an obsessive journey into the world of "Whale Language". You would be surprised......

ソファで読書に没頭する季節がやってきました.



 

On a completely different note, I always return to the author Erin Niimi Longhurst when I need some uplifting. She is half-British, half-Japanese, and lives in London, so I understand her language. For me she can bridge that communication gap between East and West. In other words she can explain Japanese concepts not only from a western perspective, but also from an British one as well, something I have been looking for a long time. When I first started learning Japanese it was in a German environment. This was a not a very productive idea. Going to an Asian language from German rather than from English was often confusing. This is because they are two different cultures, despite what people in Asia may think.

Here is Erin on an important Japanese philosophy: The concept of "Ikigai":

"....Ikigai is that thing in our lives that provides a delicious richness - it's what gives life its meaning or, as the French would say, its raison d'etre....." I could go on, but it's several pages. Maybe I can find a link to the book.......https://www.erinniimilonghurst.com/work/japonisme

新美英鈴

生きがい....

I often find myself saying ....."yes".... to myself when reading this book. Yes. That's why I leave my device switched off on a hike. Yes. I see beauty in that old chair. Yes. I try to appreciate the moment. Yes. The comfort of making, and eating Ramen.

I was so pleased to find her book that I actually wrote to her and said just that. From her reply you could tell that she was genuinely happy to get my email. Feedback to writers. So important 📖.

I'll leave you with one of the many proverbs which appear in the book......

沈む瀬あれば浮かぶ瀬あり.


 

📨 Thank you for reading "..Sunrise, Sunset.."

 "...日の出、日の入り..."を読んでくれてありがとう



📨  Feel free to share the blog with friends.

よろしければ、リンクを友達と共有してください



📨  And and I enjoy hearing from you...!

コメントすると楽しいです!





 

Before you go........If you are on Instagram like me you will probably have been bombarded with pleas for help from Ukraine, Gaza,....and, and, and. All events which are "man-made". You hope your little donation will help people in need, but you are maybe frustrated with the politicians, past and present, who have contributed to these catastrophes.


On the 1st January 2024, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck the Noto peninsular on the west coast of Japan. This was a natural phenomena - the plates of the earth shifting. Now the Japanese are no strangers to earthquakes, and in this case the warning systems functioned and newer buildings withstood the shock. But the area known for its quaint old streets with ceramic workshops and at least one historic Sake brewery stood not a chance. A majority of the residents are elderly, and with disupted power lines and damaged roads the cold winter is making life very difficult.

There are at least two fund-raising concerts in Frankfurt this week. Organized by people with personal connections to the area. This one (see below) is at 3pm on Saturday 27th Jan. in the Evangelische Reformed Church, in the Freiherr-von-Steinstr. 8 in Frankfurt West End. I will be there, and it would be great to see a few familiar faces in the audience. A group of musicians has put together a programme, and if you can come your support would be greatly appreciated. And if you can't , here is a link to donate money via the Social Welfare Corporation Central Community Chest of Japanhttps://www.akaihane.or.jp/english/ Just go to the next link, select "Disaster Relief Volunteer Support Fund" and put in an amount in Yen (e.g. €50 = approx Yen 8000) .

note: You don't have to give a company name, and you write the amount like this without commas eg 8000.


*Japanese/日本語 https://www.akaihane.or.jp/


Thank You - Arigatou gozaimasu



THE END

❄️

終わり

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