Blog

SAMURAI BLUE fought their best

2018.07.04

Our samurais’ fight at the FIFA World Cup 2018 is over.
They advanced to the final 16 for the first time in two tournaments and
whole nation has been filled with excitement, but a ruthless ending was to befall them.
How frustrated they were!
With football, it is said that leading 2-0 poses the highest risk.

Until they lost a point in the game with Belguim, they looked like they were in a ‘zone’ (intense concentration).
I think ‘zone’ means being:

*lucid
*sharpen senses
*confident
*fun
*unwearying

However, the ‘zone’ may be disappeard by a brief moment of inattention like a spell is broken.

Although it’s very difficult for me to understand their chagrin, I think that a strong spirit will born when they get over it.

Thank you, the Japanese national team, coach Nishino and staff.
I am looking forward to the next World Cup. (H.S)

Photo is from the official Twitter of the FIFA World Cup @FIFAWorldCup
The Inui’s back shot had me in tears.
At any rate, his middle-range shot was amazing!

Young swallow

2018.07.03

Random thoughts

The above is a picture I took at Rokko Mountain the other day. It is not so clear but there are four swallows on the branch.

Several young a little slender swallows are also singing a lot around my house in Fukui City.

Although it is a natural scene and so I have not thought about it in particular, swallows are decreasing and some prefectures designated them as endangered species.

I hope these young birds will grow safely and return here, and that they will remain familiar birds forever.

By the way, the word "young swallow" also means young lovers of older women in Japan.

The origin is that a young painter who became the husband of a female liberation activist Raicho Hiratsuka supposedly expressed himself as such. However, the impression of the word I read in the novel "Beauty in Disarray" is stronger for me, and in that book, the word was said by Raicho.

I read the book long time ago and I hardly remember the story, but I still think that the title "Beauty in Disarray" is a proper saying.
T.S

Picture book museum of Satoshi Kako

2018.07.01

Places to visit

Satoshi Kako, who was a picture book author from Echizen City, Fukui Prefecture, died at the age of 92 on May 2nd. It is unimaginable from his generous picture books, but he was a militaristic young person who aimed to be a fighter pilot during the war. However, he had bad eyesight and gave up becoming a pilot. His classmates who aimed to be a pilot became Kamikaze pilots and died. He regretted from the heart about his judgement and hopeed that children wouldn’t have a mistaken idea. So, he devotedly continued creative activities for children until right before his death. He was truly a person of strong conviction.

Although he was already 92 years old, I believed that he would continue being well yet.
I wanted to commemorate him and to feel the world of his works, so I went to the “Picture book museum of Satoshi Kako” located in Echizen City, Fukui Prefecture.

When I got its parking lot, I found that there were a few cars from other prefectures.
Inside the museum, it was impressive that not only families but also even adults were quietly reading picture books by Satoshi Kako.

You can read his popular series, “Human”, which is known for its precise description
and “Beautiful paintings”, which introduced famous paintings by Gogh and Picasso there.
Also, they sell items related to Kako’s books. On the second floor, the original drawings by Mr. Kako and I knew that he was a serious and well-organized person. I was moved by the fact that how great he was. (H.S)

The signboard of the museum