Hi there! How are you doing? Global warming is becoming so serious and right after we had heavy floods in Western Japan, abnormal heat wave is attacking all across the country. During the hot summer, we had a holiday of “The Ocean Day” on the 16th of July. My husband and I went to Yanagawa in Fukuoka that is called as a capital of water. The name of the city, Yanagawa means willow and river. There are many willow trees along the river in Yanagawa and the willows and the greenery change every season and you can enjoy the beauty whenever you visit the place.
みなさん、こんにちは。地球温暖化が非常に深刻な問題となり、ここ日本の夏も大水害の直後には異常な暑さに見舞われていますが、海の日の祝日に福岡県の水の都、柳川へ行って来ました。柳川とは柳と川に由来する名称であり、この美しい町の川辺に植わった柳や豊かな緑の情緒は季節ごとに変わり、訪れる度に目を楽しませてくれます。
In Yanagawa, river cruise is popular and just like Venice in Italy, a boatman sticks the bottom of the water with a bamboo and guides you around. The tourists and the boatman put on small umbrella shaped hat made of bamboo and it is very Japan. I think it looks so beautiful.
柳川では川下りが有名で、イタリアのヴェニスのように船頭さんが竹で川の水底を押しやり小舟を漕いでくれます。お客さんが竹で編んだ傘をかぶっているのも、日本的でとても素敵です。
They went through the water moat .
狭い水濠をくぐってゆかれました。
And also, Yanagawa is famous for eels nationally. The consumption of eels in Japan is the biggest in the world. It is believed traditionally that if you eat eel in a hot summer, your fatigue because of the heat will go away and you get vigorous power to survive the hot summer. Therefore, to eat eel in summer is very meaningful in Japan and a lot of TV programs and other medias feature the topic of eels in this season. My husband and I went to an eel restaurant in Yanagawa.
また、柳川は全国的に鰻が有名です。日本は鰻の消費量が世界一で、暑い夏に鰻を食べると精がついて元気になり夏バテをしないと日本では伝統的に信じられていて、「夏には鰻を食べる」ということが重要視されています。この時期になるとテレビなどのメディアで盛んに鰻の話題が取り上げられます。私たち夫婦も美味しい鰻を食べて来ました。
We ordered this menu. It cost 4,428 yen, about 40 dollars per person and I know it is quite pricy. However, it totally worth I believe. They used 1,5 eels per person and the taste was fabulous. Washoku, aka Japanese cooking that became UNESCO world heritage puts so much value on eating seasonal ingredients. And to eat eels in a mid of hot summer represents the spirit so very well.
この蒲焼き御膳の上は一人前4,428円と決して安価なものではありませんが、鰻が一匹半もふんだんに使われていて、それはそれは美味しかったです。世界遺産となった和食は「旬のものを食べる」ということに最大の価値を見出しており、「暑い暑い夏の鰻」はその最たるものの一つであるのです。
That’s all for today. Blessings to each one of you. I pray that people in the world would never give in to this abnormal climate.
それでは今日はここまで。みなさんに豊かな祝福がありますように。この異常気象の中になあって、みなさんが元気でいられますようにお祈り致します。
