東京大学大学院医学系研究科人類生態学教室で行われていた「健康・環境・国際」をテーマにした読書会での発表を再録しました(2012/12/12)。
http://blog.livedoor.jp/humeco/
1980年前後に一世を風靡した網野善彦が1990年頃に行った講演集である。1980年前後はまだ反権力であることそれ自体が支持を得る時代であった。しかし、そういったイデオロギーによる評価は抜きにして、歴史学者の商売道具である文字をテーマとして中世の社会の転換期の意味を考えていく手法は謎解きのようにわくわくするものであった。
筆者によれば、片仮名、平仮名、漢字が日本の文学や歴史の中でどのような機能を果たし、いかなる意味を持ってきたのかさえ、十分に考察されていないという。「古文書がなぜどの地域のものでも読めるのか」という自らの経験を出発点にして、「漢字−公−表−建前−男性」と「平仮名−私−裏−本音−女性」の対比から、日本社会の特質を論じていく。
平易な講演ということもあって議論は2項対立を使って進めているものの、社会の変化はねじれながら進んでいてそんなに単純ではないことがわかる。そして律令制(文字の普及)と家父長制がずれながら確立されたことが、女流文学が中世に生まれそして途絶えた理由という仮説を提唱している。
文字という歴史学者にとっての商売道具に立脚してその部分はしっかり論理を積み重ねつつ、考古学、民俗学など過去を扱う学問領域にも目を向けて素人とことわりながら論理というより豊かな発想でもって仮説を提唱していく。筆者は従来の「常識」が間違いで「自説」が正しいことを確信していたようだが、私は正しさよりも読み手を刺激させるような発想と表現にむしろ惹かれた。
ここに書いてある議論自体は、新たな事実で最終的には否定されてしまうかもしれない。しかし、自分の武器を一つ持ちながら、近隣の分野にも目を広げて組み合わせれば、常識を覆すような発想が生まれる可能性を秘めていることに励まされた。筆者は文字に対する愛を持ちつつも文字のみに依拠する歴史学の限界をも感じていたのではないだろうか。
Takahiro's BLOG
2016年11月30日水曜日
2016年11月23日水曜日
Welcome to tropical world in Tokyo!
12 June 2014
Have you ever seen a tropical rainforest? It is hot,
wet and located near equator. It has high levels of biodiversity: low and high
trees with colorful flowers, beautiful insects and unique animals. The Amazon
rainforest in South America is the biggest in the world. South part of the
archipelago of Japan, such as Amami, Okinawa and Ogasawara, has also tropical
rainforests.
Tropical rainforest region is far from Tokyo City but you will be
surprised when I tell you that you can enjoy it just 30 minutes from Tokyo
Station. It is a botanical garden with a big greenhouse named “Yumenoshima
Tropical Greenhouse Dome.” Yumenoshima (Dream Island) was a notorious landfill
area but now was developed into a park. The botanical garden, established in
1988, is a part of Yumenoshima Park run by Tokyo Metropolitan Government. It
has a large greenhouse dome, a small greenhouse for carnivorous plants, a herb
garden, an event hall, a video hall and a cafeteria. Entrance fee is just 250
yen for adult and 100 yen for Junior high school students. Primary school and
younger children are free.
Location: The
closest station is Shinkiba on the JR Keiyo Line (from Tokyo Station), Tokyo
Metro Yurakucho Line (from Ikebukuro, Ichigaya and Yurakucho Station) or Rinkai
Line (from Osaki and Oimachi Station). After getting off the train, walk for 2
minutes along the Meji Avenue to the north. Enter the entrance of Yumenoshima
Park. Go eastward through the lawn field of the park where families enjoy a day
out eating their lunch or playing exciting sports. Shortly after, we see a big greenhouse
dome. It takes 15 minutes from Shinkiba Station to the entrance of the
botanical garden.
Highlight:
To begin with, the main big greenhouse is divided into three domes with
different themes. Passing through the entrance, we see exotic tropical water
lily on a small pond. A number of unique tree ferns surround the pond, giving the
feeling to walk around a tropical rainforest.
Then, we come to the palm forest
zone with domestic pants. Royal palms and king palms grow so high that they
reach up to the ceiling. Crops like bananas, cacaos and star fruits are also
planted in the zone. At the third dome, we enjoy precious plants from Ogasawara
islands, Japan. The odd-shaped aerial roots of Pandanus boninensis, the indigenous plant in Ogasawara are
impressive (see the right picture). It is named “Takonoki” in Japanese, meaning
“octopus tree.”
Close to the exit, we find remarkable trees and the leaves
spread out in a rare fan-like form. The tree is called traveler's palm, coming
from Madagascar.
Foods and
Drinks: A small cafeteria, located just beside the big greenhouse, has a nice
view of fantastic plants. You can enjoy fantastic ethnic foods and drinks here.
Indonesian and Vietnamese dishes are available. It is worth trying tropical
fruit desserts such as durian, mango and coconut ice creams and fruits. Mango
and guava juices taste good. It is also allowed just to take a seat and a rest.
If you prepare lunch, you can bring foods and drinks here without ordering
anything.
The botanical
garden is compact but very unique. In addition to trees in the main greenhouse,
insect-eating plants in a small greenhouse are well worth seeing. Events like
art craft, cooking, science, and lectures are hold every weekend. We can enjoy the
tropical forest even in central Tokyo.
Summary
- Time: 9:30 – 17:00 (enter before 16:00)
- Closing day: Mondays (Tuesdays in case of holidays) and from 29 December to 3 January
- Contact: TEL:03-3522-0281 Address: 2-1-2 Yumenoshima Koto-ku 136-0081 Tokyo
- Getting there: 15 minutes walk from Shinkiba Station of JR Keiyo Line from Tokyo Station, Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line from Yurakucho Station or Rinkai Line from Osaki Station.
- Ticket: Buy at the entrance. Fee: ¥250 (adult), ¥120 (65 years or more), ¥100 (Junior high school student living outside Tokyo) and free (Junior high school student living in Tokyo, primary school or younger child, disable person and an attendant)
- Annual passport: Buy at the entrance. ¥1000 (general) and ¥480 (65 years or more).
- Facility: a large greenhouse dome, a small greenhouse for carnivorous plants, a herb garden, an event hall, a video hall, cafeteria and souvenir shop
- Food and drinks: Cafeteria serves you ethnic foods and tropical drinks and desserts. You can take a seat and rest without ordering in the cafeteria.
- Events: Exhibition on plants, craft workshop using plants, cooking with herbs, music concert and dance on weekend
- Review: Plants in greenhouses are good particularly for family, senior adults and everyone interested in nature. Foods and drinks are reasonable.
The island of mixed-culture
The nature in the countryside surely makes your stay fascinating, but
do not forget that people live here. They are also fantastic/unique/awesome/different/rare. It is interesting to know that
ancestor settled here only 1,500 years ago, coming from Southeast Asia by boat.
Afterwards, people from the African continent immigrated to this island.
Nowadays, Asian and African cultures are well mixed here. You can also enjoy
western culture – even excellent croissant and delicious coffee, remaining
parts of the influence of French colonization.
Rime ices in a mountain in late April
22 May 2014
We are climbing up a narrow trail. We
haven’t met any other parties probably because the weather is not good and our
route is not popular. Suddenly, the mist
disappeared. My friend told me, "Look! Isn't it rime on trees?" I see
a line of trees with white branches along the upper ridge. After 3 hours walk,
we reach the main ridge. An alpinist is passing when we take a rest there. The
altitude is not very high, just 1300m, but it is very cold for late April. I
feel my fingers painful, so I change my gloves to thick ones covered with overgloves.
There is no snow on the ridge but in the valley. The trail on the main ridge is
full of rime ices. My friend is excited because it is her first time to see
them. Finally, we are on the top of the mountain called Hinokiboramaru after
climbing steep slopes. It is misty again.
Quiet enthusiasm – concert of Shugo Tokumaru
7 July 2014
Sold out. To my regret, I missed to get a ticket of a special
concert of Shugo Tokumaru, a Japanese pop musician, in commemoration of his 10th
anniversary. However, just one week before the concert, I was so fortunate that
I found a ticket selling at a ticket-trading web site. At last, I come to the
show! It is a second time for me to see his performance. Five years ago when I
firstly saw his performance, his excellent guitar impressed me. Not only the
guitar. He played various instruments such as ukulele, xylophone and
percussion. That is not all. He played non-instruments – toys!
The concert hall is not very big. My seat is in the back row
on the second floor, but it has a good view of the stage. Woody objects,
hanging down from the ceiling, make the stage stand still. The audience is
waiting for the show, reading a free booklet provided. Most of spectators, 80 %
or more, are young females who are of the same generation as the artist. Nobody
talks nor smiles. Young girls are eager to read the booklet quietly. I, a
middle-aged man, am not quite comfortable with that.
Once the show starts, I am drawn to his music. He is singing
and playing a guitar with an excellent technique. To my surprise, he is
shoeless. He gives a quick bow after each song without saying anything. Only
once, he said between songs, “ I am not good at talking. You see a booklet at
your seat. Everything I want to say is inside. Read it after the concert,
please.” Contrary to his shy attitude, he says at the last part of the show, “I
am so excited that I want to cry out.” But he looks calm and plays a guitar
quietly.
The audience is as similar as the performer. I am surprised
that no one stands up throughout the show even at the encore performance. This
concert is quieter than a classic concert. Nevertheless, I feel that the
spectators are surly impressed his sound and performance and their minds are
glowing. I also leave the hall with mental fulfillment.
Shugo Tokumaru official website
http://www.shugotokumaru.com/index_eng.html (English)
http://www.shugotokumaru.com/index2.html (Japanese)
https://youtu.be/BSpJRiV3CGw
Shugo Tokumaru official website
http://www.shugotokumaru.com/index_eng.html (English)
http://www.shugotokumaru.com/index2.html (Japanese)
Katachi
Live on KEXPhttps://youtu.be/BSpJRiV3CGw
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