[From July Issue 2012]
In recent years, all over the country there has been a movement towards regenerating local communities. One famous example of this is the “B-1 Grand Prix,” a festival that gives regions good PR by showcasing inexpensive and delicious dishes (B-grade cuisine) loved by locals. With 63 exhibitors from all over Japan, attracting over 500,000 visitors, last year’s festival was held at Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture.
To revitalize their towns, most municipalities are pouring their efforts into tourism. To attract tourists, especially foreign tourists, they are pulling out all the stops in order to uncover the previously overlooked charms of their local areas. The Japanese government is behind this movement and is encouraging tourism with the aim that it will become a key industry for Japan. The Government Tourist Office is advocating “new tourism” holidays, through which tourists can find out about Japanese lifestyle and culture.
Famous tourist spots, like Kusatsu in Gunma Prefecture, Kamakura in Kanagawa Prefecture, and Okinawa, are finding out how to attract foreign tourists, by holding “monitor tours” for foreign residents in Japan, or by inviting over members of the foreign media. These efforts are being carried out not only in major sightseeing spots, but also in towns and villages which foreigners are not familiar with.
Towards the end of March this year, Fujieda City, Shizuoka Prefecture invited foreign media and government officials from foreign embassies in Japan over for a monitor tour. Shizuoka Prefecture is located in the center of Japan and is a long prefecture that stretches 155 kilometers from east to west. Flanked by the sea and home to Japan’s iconic Mt. Fuji, it is known for being a beautiful place boasting both attractive scenery and a warm climate.
Fujieda is located in the center of Shizuoka Prefecture, and it takes about two hours by car from Tokyo to Fujieda. The city is known to Japanese as “the football kingdom.” Fujieda Higashi High School has done extremely well in the All Japan High School Soccer Tournament. It is the home town of J-league striker NAKAYAMA Masashi and the Japanese national team captain HASEBE Makoto. However, the town is not well known for anything else.
Shizuoka is the number one producer of tea in Japan. Fujieda Tourist office, which planned this sightseeing tour, highlighted tea as one of the area’s most important attractions. The itinerary included a trip to a tea plantation to show how “gyokuro,” (high quality tea) is made and to a tea factory to show how tea is produced. In addition, at Gyokuro no Sato, you can drink tea served by women in kimono while gazing at a traditional Japanese garden.
The tourist office intends to highlight its many temples and castles as sightseeing spots. The group visited Daikei-ji temple, where you can see a 750-year-old pine tree, works of calligraphy and paintings of historical note. They also visited Jurin-ji temple, where you can see Buddhist monk Mokujiki’s famous two smiling Buddha sculptures. In addition, they visited Tanaka Castle Villa located on the site of Tanaka Castle, which was built 500 years ago. Completely surrounded by a moat, as a result, the castle has never been attacked by enemies.
Furthermore, the group visited Kashiwaya, a samurai period inn. In the old days, between Edo (present-day Tokyo) and Kyoto, there were 53 post stations. One of them is Okabe which, in recent years, was merged with Fujieda. Kashiwaya is located in this area. The tour participants were interested in the life size dolls and tools that vividly brought the period back to life, as well as a diorama that showed what the town was like in those days.
The “cherry blossom tunnel” alongside the Seto River running through the city is a sightseeing attraction in spring. The group had lunch at Suigetsuan, where customers could enjoy a traditional Japanese shoujin (vegetarian) meal, overlooking the river. The participants were impressed with the variety of dishes that had been cooked with local vegetables and fruits. The mayor of Fujieda City came to greet them and gave a welcome speech. On top of this it had been arranged that a local journalist would cover their trip to the cherry blossom tunnel.
The group visited Shidaizumi Sake Brewery on the banks of the Seto River, and sampled sake made from its delicious waters. It’s expected that this renowned sake will become a popular souvenir. Shizuoka Prefecture is also famous for strawberry production, and a visit to “Japan berry,” the largest strawberry farm in Japan was also included. There you can indulge in a “30 minute all-you-can-eat” package; picking and eating as many strawberries as you like in the vast plastic greenhouse. It seems like the tourist association is intending to make food and beverages one of the area’s attractions.
Fujieda also intends to get tourists to visit the surrounding area, including the nearby city of Yaizu, which was also a stop on the monitor tour. Yaizu is well-known as a port for tuna fishing boats to land in, and the group visited the port. They stayed at the Yaizu Grand Hotel, which has a view of the Pacific Ocean. This hotel is ideally located with a view of both the sea and Mt. Fuji from its hot spring.
Those staff from the national tourist bureau and from Fujieda City, as well as the volunteer interpreter, who were responsible for running the tour, promoted the local area passionately. The participants in turn were satisfied with their hospitality. However, it’s a pity that Fujieda does not have any distinctive attractions like Nikko’s Toshogu or Kamakura’s great Buddha. The tour participants were really aware of this, and the tourist office seemed to be groping around for something eye catching.
Fujieda is located in the center of Japan, and has both sea and mountains, as well as a variety of sightseeing spots. The population of Fujieda City is currently 145,000, and, in spite of the fact that Japan’s population is decreasing in many municipalities, that figure is continuing to grow. The city has enough charm to attract tourists and could be described as “a miniature version of Japan,” where typical Japanese people live. It might be a good idea to promote it to foreign tourists as a “sightseeing spot in which you can witness everyday Japanese life.”
Japan has a wide variety of tourist attractions, and moreover it enjoys a good reputation for its “omotenashi” (hospitality) all around the world. If local municipalities keep up their efforts to attract foreign tourists, it might not be long before Japan’s localities become well known as a tourist destination.
[2012年7月号掲載記事]
近年、日本全国で地域を活性化させようとする動きが起きています。安くておいしい、地元に愛されている食べ物（B級グルメ）によって地域をPRしていくイベント、「B-1グランプリ」はその代表的な一つです。昨年兵庫県姫路市で行われた大会では、日本各地から63団体が参加し、来場者は50万人を超えました。
地方自治体が「街おこし」でもっとも力を入れて取り組んでいるのは観光です。これまで見過ごしてきた地元の魅力を引き出し、観光客、とりわけ外国人に来てもらおうと動き出しています。政府は観光を国の主要産業に育てようと、その動きを後押ししています。また観光庁は日本らしい生活や文化を発見する旅、「ニューツーリズム」を提案しています。
草津（群馬県）や鎌倉（神奈川県）、沖縄などの有名観光地では在日外国人にモニターツアーを行い、外国人観光客の受け入れの改善を行ったり、外国人向けのメディアを招待してPRをしたりと、それぞれが外国人客誘致の道を模索しています。こうした動きはメジャーな観光地だけでなく、外国人になじみのない町や村でも行われています。
今年3月下旬には、静岡県藤枝市が外国人向けメディアや在日大使館の高官らを招いたモニターツアーを行いました。静岡県は日本のほぼ中央に位置し、東西155キロにわたる県です。海に面し日本の象徴でもある富士山もあり、温暖で景色がきれいなところとしても知られています。
藤枝は静岡県の中央に位置し、東京から車でおよそ２時間です。日本人には「サッカー王国」として知られています。藤枝東高校は全国高等学校サッカー選手権大会で上位を競っています。また、Jリーガーで活躍する中山雅史や日本代表チームのキャプテン、長谷部誠の出身地でもあります。しかし、それ以外についてはあまり知られていないのが実情です。
静岡は日本一のお茶の生産地です。モニターツアーを企画した藤枝市観光協会は、それをふまえてお茶を見どころの一つとしています。茶畑を訪れ、高級茶として知られる「玉露」の作り方やお茶が作られる過程を見るお茶の工場見学が行程に組まれていました。そして、「玉露の里」では、日本庭園を見ながら着物の女性がもてなすお茶を楽しむことができます。
観光協会は、藤枝に数多くある寺や城なども観光スポットにしようとしています。一行は、樹齢750年の松があり、歴史的価値のある書画も見られる大慶寺、また、木食上人の微笑仏を代表する２体がある十輪寺、さらに500年前に建てられた史跡、田中城の敷地内にある下屋敷を訪れました。堀で丸く囲まれていたため、敵から攻められることがなかったといわれています。
さらに、侍の時代の旅館「柏屋」も見学しました。昔、江戸（現在の東京）と京都の間には53の宿場町がありました。その一つであり、近年藤枝市に組み入れられた岡部地区にあります。参加者は再現した実物大の人形や当時使用していた道具、また、当時の街の様子がいきいきとわかるジオラマなどを興味深く見ていました。
藤枝市を貫く瀬戸川沿いの「桜のトンネル」は春の観光アトラクションです。一行は瀬戸川を眺めながら精進料理を食べられる「水月庵」で昼食を取りました。地元でとれる野菜や果物を使ったさまざまな料理に参加者は感動していました。ここには市長もあいさつに駆け付け、歓迎のスピーチをしました。さらに、花のトンネルを訪れる一行の取材を地元の新聞社に手配していました。
瀬戸川沿いにある志太泉醸造も訪問し、おいしい水で造られた酒を試飲しました。評判のこの酒はおみやげの一つとして期待されています。静岡県はイチゴの産地としても有名ですが、スケール日本一といわれる「ジャパン・ベリー」への訪問も組まれていました。ここでは「30分食べ放題」があり、広大なビニールハウス内のイチゴを好きなだけ取って食べることができます。観光協会は飲食を観光アトラクションとするようです。
藤枝市は隣町の焼津市を加えた広域で観光客を誘致しようと考えているため、モニターツアーには焼津市も含まれていました。焼津はマグロの水揚げで知られており、漁港を見学しました。宿泊は焼津グランドホテル。ここからは太平洋が一望できます。温泉から海と富士山をながめることもできる絶好のロケーションにあります。
このモニターツアーでは、観光局、藤枝市職員、ボランティア通訳などが熱心に街を紹介していました。参加者は、そのもてなしに満足していました。しかし、残念ながら藤枝には日光の東照宮、鎌倉の大仏のような目玉となるものがありません。それはツアー参加者も感じ、観光協会はその目玉を探しているようです。
藤枝は日本の中央に位置し、海も山もあり、さまざまな観光スポットもあります。人口は現在14万5千人ほどですが、日本の多くの自治体の人口が減るなかで近年伸び続けています。人を引き付ける魅力は十分あり、日本の標準的生活者が住む「日本の縮図」ともいえます。あえて「日本人の普通の生活が見られる観光地」として外国人に売り出すのも一案かもしれません。
日本にはバラエティーに富む観光資源があり、世界の人々から称賛されている「おもてなし」もあります。各自治体の外国人観光客の誘致への熱心な取り組みにより、日本の地方が観光地としても脚光を浴びる日がやってくるのは、そう遠くはなさそうです。
[From July Issue 2012]
Now, a big movement from Osaka, that advocates completely overhauling the Japanese political system, is underway. Standing at the vanguard as the head of the Osaka Restoration Association, is HASHIMOTO Toru, the mayor of Osaka. When he became governor of Osaka Prefecture in 2008, he vigorously carried out administrative reforms to slash the outstanding deficit that Osaka Prefecture had had since 1998, putting the prefecture back in the black in 2009. In order to cut wasteful expenditure caused by the dual administrations of prefectural and municipal bureaucracies in Osaka, in 2011 he resigned his post as governor of Osaka, becoming Osaka city mayor.
By unifying Osaka’s administration under his “Osaka Metropolitan Plan,” Hashimoto aims to make Osaka like Tokyo, and is now promoting the reform of the city. To realize this plan, it’s necessary to revise the law. Judging that he won’t be able to gain support for revising the law from the party currently in power, Hashimoto is grooming more than 200 candidates for the next general election.
Furthermore, Hashimoto is advocating that national referendums be used to vote for prime ministers, and is pressing for other radical reforms to change the stagnant political system. Hashimoto is popular with voters, so that in the early stages, most political parties got on the bandwagon and were favor of the Restoration Association. However, politicians and political parties who view his political reforms as being too radical and aggressive have gradually been distancing themselves from him. There are also people who accuse Hashimoto, who aggressively carries out reform, of being like HITLER.
Conservative governments, with the Liberal Democratic Party generally being in office, have continued to be in power for the 50 years since the Second World War. During this period bureaucrats have held the reigns of political power from behind the scenes and people’s frustration with politics has increased. In the general election three years ago, the Democratic Party of Japan rose to power by advocating administrative reforms aimed at cutting wasteful expenditure on bureaucracy, and providing better benefits to the population. These policies gained them the full support of voters.
However, citizens were disappointed with the DPJ as they did not vigorously pursue these reforms. Spearheaded by Hashimoto, the Restoration Association, which advocates genuine reforms, has appeared on the scene, and citizens are expecting great things from him. He has a strong belief that Japanese politics cannot be altered unless political systems are changed. He has proposed that the prime minister is not chosen by Diet members, but is directly elected by citizens.
How is the Japanese Prime Minister Currently Elected?
Having two legislative houses, the Japanese Diet is modeled on Great Britain’s system of government. The total number of members of the House of Representatives is 480. Three hundred of these are selected from 300 constituencies (one from each constituency). One hundred and eighty are selected from each party’s list of candidates by a system of proportional representation (people vote for a party in 11 separate constituencies). One term is four years, but if the prime minister dissolves parliament during that term, members lose their seats and an election is called.
The membership of the House of Councilors is fixed at 242. Divided up into prefectures, 146 members are selected from each constituency. Ninety six are selected by the whole country through a system of proportional representation. Their term of office is six years, but half of them are re-elected every three years. The minimum age of candidates for the House of Representatives is 25, and for the House of Councilors, 30. The voting age is over 20.
The Japanese prime minister is elected by the members of the Diet and is usually the most influential man in the party. If the House of Representatives and the House of Councilors select different candidates in the elections for prime minister, the candidate selected by the House of Representatives becomes prime minister.
[2012年7月号掲載記事]
今、日本の政治を根底から変えようとする大きなうねりが大阪から起きています。その先頭に立つのが大阪維新の会の代表、橋下徹大阪市長。2008年に大阪府の知事になると、1998年以降続いた大阪府の赤字予算を徹底的な行政改革をはかり2009年以降黒字に導きました。そして、大阪の府と市の二重行政の無駄遣いをなくすため、2011年に大阪知事を辞任し、大阪市長になりました。
橋下市長は大阪を東京と同じように都にして大阪の行政を一本化する「大阪都構想」を打ち出し、今、市の改革を進めています。この構想を進めるには法律の改正が必要となります。橋下市長は現在の政党からは改正の支持が得られないと判断し、総選挙で大阪維新の会から200人以上の候補者を出す準備をしています。
さらに橋下市長は、現在の停滞している政治を変えるには総理大臣の公選制にすべきと唱え、他の根本的な改革も必要と訴えています。各政党は当初、国民から人気のある橋下市長の勢いに乗ろうと大阪維新の会に好意的でした。しかし、改革を過激と受け取る政治家や政党は次第に距離を置き始めました。さらに、強引ともみえる改革を進める橋下市長をヒトラーのようだと批判する人もいます。
日本は戦後の50年以上、自由民主党を中心とする保守政権が続きました。この間は官僚が裏で政治を主導し、国民の政治に対する不満は高まっていました。3年前の選挙で、民主党は官僚の無駄をなくす行政改革、さらに国民に恩恵のある政策を掲げ、政権につきました。これらの政策は選挙民の圧倒的な支持を得ました。
しかし、国民は積極的に改革を進めない民主党に失望しました。そこに本物の改革を掲げる橋下氏が率いる大阪維新の会が登場し、国民は大きな期待を寄せています。橋下市長は、制度が変わらなければ日本の政治は変わらないという強い信念を持っています。そして、総理大臣は国会議員ではなく、国民が直接に選べるようにしようと提案しています。
日本の総理大臣は現在どのように選ばれるのか
日本の国会は二つの議院を持つイギリスをモデルとしています。衆議院議員の定数は480人です。300人は、全国300の選挙区から選ばれます（各選挙区で一人）。180人は、政党別に登録された候補者の上位から順に決まる比例代表制で選ばれます（国民は全国を11に分かれた選挙区で政党への投票を行います）。任期は4年間ですが、任期中に総理大臣が解散を宣言すると、議席は失われ選挙となります。
参議院議員の定員は242人です。146人は各都道府県を1選挙区として選ばれます。96人は、全国を一つの選挙区とした比例代表制で選ばれます。任期は6年ですが、半数は3年ごとに改選されます。衆議院に立候補できるのは25歳ですが、参議員は30歳以上です。選挙年齢は20歳以上です。
日本の総理大臣はこれらの国会議員による選挙で選ばれますが、通常は最も大きな政党の有力者です。衆議院と参議院の総理大臣の選挙で異なる候補者が選ばれた場合には、衆議院で指名された候補者が総理大臣になります。
[From July Issue 2012]
Toyama Prefecture is located along the Sea of Japan, just about in the center of Honshu (Japan’s main island). Located in the Northern Alps, it’s surrounded on three sides by steep mountain ranges like Tateyama, and is blessed with an abundance of beautiful nature. The Kurobe Gorge is a deep v-shaped gorge that runs between the Tateyama Mountain Range and the Ushiro-Tateyama Mountain Range.
The distance between the mountaintops and the bottom of the gorge can be as much as 1.5 to two kilometers, and until around 1927 the area was a secluded region, off limits to tourists. Today, however, trains nicknamed “Torokko Densha,” run through the area, allowing anyone to easily visit the Kurobe Gorge. Torokko are carts used to carry dirt and stones from construction sites. Torokko Densha have roofs, but unlike normal trains, they have no windows, enabling passengers to get a physical sense of the vast wilderness. A one way trip is an adventure of about 20 kilometers, through 41 tunnels and across 22 bridges, and takes about one hour and 20 minutes.
A trip on the Torokko Densha starts out from Unazuki Station, Kurobe Gorge Railway. In the vicinity is the hot spring town of Unazuki, bustling with tourists who have come to enjoy the onsen. A characteristic of Unazuki Onsen is its smooth, transparent water, which has been long been known as “hot water for beautiful skin.” As much as 3,000 tons of hot water bubbles out of the spring each day, and you can see 60-degree hot spring water shooting up like a fountain in front of Unazuki Onsen Station, Toyama Chihou Tetsudou Honsen Line.
After departing from Unazuki Station, the Torokko Densha travels through some spectacular scenery, stopping at Kuronagi, Kanetsuri, and Keyakidaira stations. Kuronagi has the oldest open-air baths in the gorge, and in Kanetsuri there is an observation deck which commands a view of “Kurobe perpetual snow” – mounds of snow that have accumulated from avalanches. At Keyakidaira, the last stop, there are paved walkways so that visitors can enjoy seeing the Kurobe Gorge up close. Around each station, there are hot spring inns, which are popular because they can only be accessed by Torokko Densha.
Walking up a gentle slope from Keyakidaira Station for about 50 minutes, you arrive at Babadani Onsen. The name “Babadani” (baba means an old woman) comes from a legend about an old woman who went up the mountain to look for her adulterous husband, but she died without finding him and her flames of jealously caused a hot spring to bubble up from the ground. On the banks of the river in Babadani, hot water can be seen boiling up everywhere.
Along with the Kurobe Gorge, the most famous scenic spot in Toyama Prefecture is the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route. Running through the Tateyama Mountain Range – which comprises of mountains that reach 3,000 meters high – this world famous mountain trail connects Tateyama-machi, Toyama Prefecture, with Omachi, Nagano Prefecture. Although it’s just less than 25 kilometers as the crow flies, it should be noted that it spans 2,000 kilometers from its lowest to highest points, offering fantastic and beautiful views from above the clouds.
One of the charms of the Alpine Route that it’s impossible to overlook is its many unusual modes of transport. On these you can enjoy rides unique to the Alpine Route, such as: the Tateyama Cable Car, which goes up slopes as steep as 29 degrees; the Kurobe Cable Car, the like of which cannot be found anywhere else in Japan, which runs underground for its entire route; and a trolleybus that passes through a tunnel that is situated at the highest altitude of any other in Japan. The Ropeway in particular has been called a “moving observation deck” and offers panoramic views of the magnificent scenery.
Starting from Tateyama Station, this cable car travels for about one hour until it gets to Murodo Station which sits at the highest point of the Alpine Route. There are a number of must-see spots along the way. On the Midagahara Plateau, located 1,600 to 2,100 meters above sea level, you can enjoy a stroll while looking at the Alpine flora. At Shomyo falls, water collects from the Tateyama Mountain Range and flows down rapidly in four stages from the Shomyo Gorge; taken as a whole this is the biggest waterfall in Japan and has been designated as a national natural treasure.
Located at the highest point of the Alpine Route, Murodo is extremely popular with tourists and mountaineers who use it as a base. From there, you can enjoy views of 3,000-meter-high mountains, including three mountains in the Tateyama range. You can also walk around a variety of tourist spots like Mikuriga Pond, one of the most beautiful sights in Murodo, and Jigoku-dani (Hell Valley). About a two hour climb up from Murodo is the highest point of the Tateyama mountain range (on Mount Oyama). At the summit of Mount Oyama is a shrine, Oyama-jinja Mine-honsha, from which you can see Mt. Fuji far in the distance as well as Mt. Ontake and the Toyama Bay.
The Alpine Route has attractions unique to each of the four seasons. April begins with walls of snow that have built up during winter along the Alpine Route. In years when there have been heavy snowfalls, these walls can be as high as 20 meters, giving the route its nickname “Yuki no Otani” (Great Valley of Snow). In summer, the alpine plants on the plateau begin to simultaneously burst into bloom. When the short summer is over, the whole mountain range turns yellow, heralding the arrival of kouyou, or autumn leaf viewing, season. When the autumn leaves have all gone, the first snow of the year falls, and silence returns to Tateyama.
Tateyama is a mountain range high above sea level where a wide variety of animals and plants can be seen. Bijodaira is known as being a treasure trove of wild birds and many kinds of birds can be spotted there, such as the Bush Warbler, the Robin, and the Blue-and-white Flycatcher. The sight of alpine plants like Cotton Grass and Tateyama-rindo (Gentiana thunbergii var. minor) delights tourists. In Murodo, if you are lucky, you might encounter a Japanese ptarmigan, a bird that has been designated as a special national natural treasure.
Flowing through the 3,000-meter-high Tateyama Mountain Range and running along the Kurobe Gorge, the Kurobe River is one of Japan’s major rivers, and has been chosen as “the clearest stream in the country.” The snow falling deep in the mountains of Kurobe doesn’t melt until early summer, bringing with it an abundance of water even in midsummer. A wide range of products unique to the region, that are popular as souvenirs, are made using this famous water, including local beer, sake, and curry.
It takes about one hour to fly from Haneda Airport in Tokyo to Toyama Airport. From the airport, located in a suburb of Toyama City, it takes approximately 25 minutes by bus to Toyama Station. If you’re travelling by JR railways, it takes about one hour to get to Echigo-Yuzawa Station by Joetsu Shinkansen from Tokyo Station, transferring there to the Hokuriku main line, you arrive at Uozu Station in roughly one hour and 50 minutes. To access the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route and the Kurobe Gorge, transfer at Uozu Station to the Toyama Chihou Tetsudo Line and get off at Tateyama Station and Unazuki Onsen Station, respectively.
Official site Tourism Information in Toyama
Kurobe City
The Kurobe Gorge Railway Co., Ltd.Text: HAMASAKI Yayoi
[2012年7月号掲載記事]
富山県は、本州日本海側のほぼ中央に位置しています。三方を北アルプス立山連峰などの険しい山岳地帯に囲まれ、美しく豊かな自然に恵まれています。黒部峡谷は、立山連峰と後立山連峰の間にある深いＶ字形の大峡谷です。
山頂と峡谷の落差は1.5～2キロメートルになり、1927年頃までは人が立ち入ることのできない秘境とされていました。現在はトロッコ電車が走っていて、誰でも気軽に黒部峡谷を訪れることができます。トロッコとは、工事現場から土や石を運ぶときに使用する貨車のことです。普通の電車とは違い、屋根はありますが窓がないので、大自然を体いっぱいに感じることができます。片道約20キロメートルの間に、41のトンネルを抜け22の橋を渡る、約1時間20分の冒険です。
トロッコ電車の旅は、黒部峡谷鉄道本線、宇奈月駅から始まります。周辺には宇奈月温泉街が広がっていて、多くの温泉客でにぎわっています。宇奈月温泉は、透明でなめらかなお湯が特徴で、昔から「美肌の湯」といわれています。１日に3,000トンのお湯がわき出ていて、富山地方鉄道本線、宇奈月温泉駅前では、60度の温泉が噴水のように上がっているのを見ることができます。
宇奈月駅を出発したトロッコ電車は、迫力ある景色のなかを黒薙駅、鐘釣駅、欅平駅の順にとまります。黒薙には峡谷最古といわれる露天風呂、鐘釣には雪崩によって積み重なった雪のかたまり「黒部万年雪」が見られる展望台などがあります。終点の欅平には遊歩道が整備され、黒部峡谷の景観を間近で楽しめます。各駅の周辺には温泉宿もあり、トロッコ電車でしか行けない温泉として人気があります。
欅平駅からゆるやかな上り坂を約50分歩くと、祖母谷温泉に着きます。「ばばだに」という地名は、あるおばあさんが浮気性のおじいさんを探しに山に入ったものの、見つけられずに亡くなり、嫉妬の炎から温泉がわいたと伝えられています。祖母谷の河原では、あちこちで湯がわき上がる様子が見られます。
黒部峡谷とともに富山県を代表する景勝地といえば、何といっても立山黒部アルペンルートでしょう。標高3,000メートル級の山々が連なる立山連峰を貫き、富山県立山町と長野県大町市を結ぶ世界的な観光山岳ルートです。直線距離にすると25キロ足らずですが、注目すべきは約2,000メートルにもおよぶ高低差で、雲の上から幻想的で美しい景色を眺めることができます。
アルペンルートの魅力として見逃せないのが、珍しい乗り物の数々。最大29度もある急な坂を一気に登る立山ケーブルカーや、日本でもここにしかない全線地下を走る黒部ケーブルカー、日本で一番高い場所にあるトンネルを走るトロリーバスなど、アルペンルートならではの乗り物が楽しめます。なかでも「動く展望台」とも呼ばれるロープウェイは、雄大な景色を大パノラマで見渡すことができます。
起点となる立山駅から、アルペンルート最高所である室堂駅までは約１時間。その途中には多くの見どころがあります。標高1,600～2,100メートルにある弥陀ヶ原高原では高山植物を眺めながらの散策が楽しめます。立山連峰の水を集め、称名渓谷から４段となって一気に流れ落ちる称名滝は落差日本一で、国の天然記念物にも指定されています。
アルペンルート最高所にある室堂は、観光や登山の拠点として最もにぎわう場所です。立山三山をはじめとする3,000メートル級の山々の眺望、室堂を代表する美観のひとつ、みくりが池や地獄谷など散策スポットも豊富です。室堂から約２時間の登山で、立山山頂に到達します。頂上の雄山には雄山神社峰本社があり、遠くには富士山を、また、御嶽山や富山湾を眺めることができます。
アルペンルートには四季折々の楽しみがあります。4月、アルペンルートは冬に積もった雪の壁とともに始まります。積雪が多い年は高さ20メートルになり、「雪の大谷」と呼ばれています。夏、高原の高山植物がいっせいに咲き始めます。短い夏が終わると山全体が黄色に染まり、紅葉シーズンが始まります。紅葉が終わる頃、初雪がやってきて立山に再び静けさが戻ってきます。
標高差のある立山では、たくさんの動植物を見ることができます。野鳥の宝庫として知られる美女平では、ウグイスやコマドリ、オオルリなど多くの野鳥が観察できます。ワタスゲ、タテヤマリンドウなどの高山植物は観光客の目を楽しませてくれます。室堂では運がよければ、国の特別天然記念物である雷鳥に出合えるかもしれません。
3,000メートル級の立山連峰の間を通り、黒部峡谷を縫うように流れる黒部川は、「清流日本一」に選ばれたこともある、日本を代表する川のひとつです。黒部奥山に降る雪は初夏にようやく溶けるため、真夏でも豊かな水量をもたらしてくれます。この名水を使った特産品には、地ビールや日本酒、カレーなど様々な種類があり、お土産として人気があります。
富山市郊外にある富山空港は、東京・羽田空港から約１時間。空港から富山駅まではバスで25分くらいです。JRの場合は東京駅から上越新幹線で越後湯沢駅まで１時間、越後湯沢駅で在来線の北陸本線に乗り換えて、約１時間50分で魚津駅に着きます。立山黒部アルペンルート、黒部峡谷へは、魚津駅から富山地方鉄道に乗り換え、立山駅、宇奈月温泉駅でそれぞれ下車します。
文：濱崎弥生
[From July Issue 2012]
You could say that traditional Japanese rooms naturally derive their beautifully simple ambience from tatami flooring. Tatami is made of three components: the surface known as tatami omote, the inner part called tatami doko, and the edging, tatami beri. The surface is made of igusa, a species of rush that has been used in Japan for around 2000 years.
The inner part of the tatami is about 5.5 centimeters thick and is made from straw. The material used for the edging binds the inner part to the surface of the mat. Depending on the purpose of the tatami, the material for the border can be made of cotton, linen or silk. The fabric is decorated with typical Japanese patterns that enhance the beauty of the tatami mat.
Tatami mats are of a fixed size of 174 centimeters long and 87 centimeters wide (in the east of Japan) and are also used for measuring square footage. The length of a tatami mat is always exactly twice as long as its width. The size of a room is measured in tsubo (3.3 square meters). One tsubo is equivalent to the size of two tatami mats.
Tatami were first used as cushions to elevate the person with the highest status. It was later customary to use it as flooring for tea ceremony rooms and then was more widely used in normal rooms. Shoes are not permitted on tatami. Furthermore, you should not place your feet on top of the border. There are also regulations concerning how far the chawan (teacup) should be from the edge of the tatami.
The use of tatami is waning: modern apartments and houses might have only one tatami room, or none at all. Tatami is usually made locally by small businesses, who are now seeking new practical applications for tatami. Products such as tatami cell phone and iPad covers, tatami clocks, or vase coasters, have recently appeared and are becoming more and more popular, not only amongst foreigners, but also with Japanese.
http://www.ANYTHING-FROM-JAPAN.COM/?Click=94
Text: Nicolas SOERGEL
[2012年7月号掲載記事]
日本の伝統的な部屋は、床が簡素で美しい雰囲気のある畳でできています。畳は三つの部分からできています。畳表と呼ばれる表面、畳床と呼ばれる内部、そして畳縁。表面は2000年ほど前から日本で使用されてきたイグサから作られています。
畳床は5.5センチほどの厚さで、わらでできています。畳縁の生地は畳床と畳表を縫い付けて止めます。畳縁の生地は目的により、綿、リンネル、絹が使われます。繊維は、畳の美しさを引き立てる伝統的な日本の洋式で飾られます。
畳のサイズは定形で長さ174センチ、幅87センチ（東日本）。正方形の計測にも使われます。畳一枚の長さは、幅の倍と決まっています。部屋の大きさは坪（3.3平方メートル）で表します。一坪は畳2枚の大きさです。
畳は最初、位の高い人のためのクッションとして使われました。その後、茶室の床として定着し、広く庶民の部屋にも使われるようになりました。畳の上では靴をはいてはいけません。また、縁はふまないようにします。茶道では茶碗を畳の縁からどの位置に置くかが決められています。
畳の使用は減っています。モダンなマンションや一戸建ての家には、畳の部屋は一つだけ、さもなければ、まったくありません。畳は主に地方の小さな畳屋で作られていますが、今、畳の新しい使い道を模索しています。畳で作った、携帯やiPadのカバーや時計、花瓶敷などの製品が最近登場し、外国人ばかりでなく日本人にもますます人気となっています。
http://www.ANYTHING-FROM-JAPAN.COM/?Click=94
文：ゾェルゲル・ニコラ
[From July Issue 2012]
HONBORI Yuji
This artist makes Buddhist images out of discarded corrugated cardboard. HONBORI Yuji who lives in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, studied sculpture at Aichi Prefectural University of Arts and, after completing graduate school, has been constructing works made out of junk and construction waste. “The Great Hanshin Earthquake completely destroyed my house and when I saw the damage to the surrounding area, I was completely shocked. Since then I’ve felt some reluctance about using fresh timber as a raw material.”
Moving to a new location, he spent days searching for the right material, experimenting with soil, wood chips, and so forth. “On one occasion I made a sculpture of a likeness of a zushi (miniature shrine to display Buddhist images） with scrap wood taken from an old shrine. The shape of the left over wood unexpectedly resembled a Buddhist statue. This incident was the impetus for me to create my first work by dissolving a milk carton in water and pouring it into a plaster mold to make a Buddhist statue. After that, I finally hit on the idea of using discarded corrugated cardboard as a material,” says Honbori.
It takes about a month and a half to make a 160 centimeter Buddhist image. One characteristic of these works is that, from the side, you can see colored text printed onto the corrugated cardboard, which has been intentionally left that way. And from the front, through undulating spaces in the cardboard, you can see right through to the back. A circle has been created in the center of the Buddha; a void made from poured concrete. This resembles a tainaibutsu (a small Buddhist statue placed within a larger one), a devotional kind of statue that dates from the Heian period.
“It would make me happy if people want to see traditional Japanese Buddhist statues after viewing mine. I make statues based on my own mental image, but I have difficulty walking that fine line of creating a form that is just about recognizable. But that is also why the production process is enjoyable,” Honbori says.
In March this year, his works were exhibited at ART FAIR TOKYO for the second time. They were displayed in the same space along with joumon doki (straw rope-patterned ancient Japanese pottery) and ancient Buddhist statues. This juxtaposition attracted a great deal of attention. “I used the eleven-faced Kannon (Goddess of Mercy) of Shorinji Temple in Nara as the model for my work. Although these are modern art works made of corrugated cardboard, I realized that their charm could be seen in a new light if they were exhibited with art works from antiquity that were of national treasure quality,” Honbori says. In May, he also participated in the Hong Kong International Art Fair, the biggest Art Exhibition in Asia.
“When I see people putting their palms together in prayer in front of my work, I realize that because I’m making an image of Buddha, I can’t create half-hearted works. With a playful heart, I want to continue making pop art,” says Honbori, who continues to challenge audiences with his works.
Text: KAWARATANI Tokiko
[2012年7月号掲載記事]
本堀雄二さん
捨てられた使用済みのダンボールを素材に、仏像を作るアーティストがいます。兵庫県神戸市に住む本堀雄二さんは、愛知県立芸術大学で彫刻を学び、大学院を卒業後は廃品や建築廃材を使った作品作りを発表していました。「阪神大震災で自宅が全壊して、周囲の被害の状況を見て大きなショックを受けました。それ以来、素材として木材を使うことに抵抗を感じるようになったのです」と本堀さんは話します。
移転した土地では土を使ったり木くずを利用したりと素材探しの日々が続きました。「あるとき、神社の廃材で厨子（仏像を安置する仏具）をイメージした作品を作ったときに、最後に残った部分が、その偶然できた形に仏像の姿を感じました。この出来事がきっかけで、牛乳パックを溶かしたものを石こうの型に流し込んで、一体の仏像を仕上げたのが最初です。その後、使用済みのダンボールを使うことにたどり着きました」と本堀さんは続けます。
160センチの仏像1体に、約1ヵ月半の制作日数がかかります。横側からは、あえて残しているダンボールの色の文字が見え、真正面からはダンボールの断面にある波状の空洞により、背後が透けて見えるのが特徴です。仏像の中央には、コンクリートを流し込む建築材料のボイドを使った輪が入っています。平安時代から仏像のなかに納められているとされる「胎内仏（仏像の胎内に納められている小仏像）」をイメージしています。
「日本に古くからある仏像を見たいと思ってもらえたら嬉しいですね。自分のなかでイメージした仏像を元に作りますが、これ以上つきつめたら形がわからなくなるというぎりぎりのラインを生み出すのが、毎回難しいです。そこがまた楽しみでもありますね」と本堀さん。
今年の3月には日本最大の美術の展示会、アートフェア東京に2回目の出展をしました。縄文土器や古来の仏像と同じスペースで展示され、そのコラボレーションが大きな注目を集めました。「奈良にある聖林寺の十一面観音をモデルにしました。素材がダンボールの現代美術ですが、国宝級の古い美術品と一緒に展示できるのが、この作品の魅力だと再認識しましたね」と本堀さんは話します。5月にはアジア最大の美術の展示会、香港アートフェアにも出展しました。
「作品に手を合わせてくれる人を見ると、仏像を作っているのだからいい加減な作品作りはできないなと思います。遊び心も大事にして、ポップな作品を作り続けたいですね」。本堀さんの作品への挑戦は続きます。
文：瓦谷登貴子
[From July Issue 2012]
700 Days of Battle: Us vs. the Police (Director: TSUKAMOTO Renpei)
Based on an extremely popular “blog novel,” this story is partly true and partly fictional. It was subsequently adapted into a comic book, and translations have been published overseas. The movie was released in Japan in April 2008 and was later shown in Taiwan and Korea. The original story was set in Yamagata Prefecture in 1975, but in the movie version, this became Tochigi Prefecture, 1979.
In a certain rural town, seven high school friends generally make a nuisance of themselves in their school and town. Their ring leader is nicknamed “Mamachari,” because he rides around on a type of bicycle commonly used by housewives that has a basket in front. One day, one of the gang, Saijo is arrested by a policeman for breaking the speed limit on his moped.
Looking to get even with the police and believing that they won’t get arrested on their bicycles, the seven friends ride their bikes at great speeds in front of the device used for recording speed violations. However, a policeman who is at first convinced that the speed infractions were caused by an automobile, finds out that this is a prank carried out by the bicycle-riding kids and catches them in the act. He summons one of their high school teachers and orders him to strictly discipline the boys.
But even after this incident, the high school kids wage war by playing one prank after another on the police officer. In response, playing fast and loose with the letter of the law, the officer gets his revenge. On one occasion, saying that he’d like to make peace with the boys, he invites them out for a drive to the neighboring town. He takes them to a scenic spot deep in the mountains and lets them out of the car to watch the sunset. Then he seizes the opportunity to leave the boys stranded. This is just one example of his behavior.
During the summer holidays, Saijo is involved in a traffic accident on his moped and is hospitalized. When his friends visit him in hospital, he asks them to steal the fireworks that were going to be used at a display in a neighboring town and begs them to set them off in a dry riverbed near the hospital. He insists that this is part of their campaign against the police officer. However, regardless of whether the plan is successful or not, if they get caught by the police officer, they’ll be expelled from school.
While everyone is half-hearted about carrying out this plan, Mamachari realizes why Saijo thought up the scheme. Mamachari understands the tender side to Saijo’s personality and explains the reason to his pals. Resigned to being expelled, the friends decide to steal the fireworks. However, when they set off towards the neighboring town, the officer, who has been informed of their plans, stands in the way.
This movie is set in 1979. In that year young people all over Japan were caught up in the “Space Invaders” craze, but it was also the year in which standardized entrance exams for national universities were introduced. This movie draws a partly humorous, partly heart-rending portrait of the war between a group of rural high school students overwhelmed by the upcoming challenge of these fiercely competitive high school entrance exams, and a police officer who seriously tackles them head on and tries to teach them how to live correctly.
[2012年7月号掲載記事]
ぼくたちと駐在さんの700日戦争（監督：塚本連平）
原作は大人気になった「ブログ小説」で、半分が実話に基づく。後にコミック化され、海外でも翻訳版が出版されている。映画版は2008年4月に公開され、その後、台湾や韓国でも上映された。原作は1975年の山形県が舞台だが、映画版では1979年の栃木県になっている。
ある田舎町で、地元の高校に通う7人の仲間たちは、校内や町でいたずらばかり仕掛けている。リーダーは、主婦が買い物などに使う、前にかごがついた自転車の通称で、彼が母親の自転車に乗っていることから「ママチャリ」と呼ばれている。ある日、仲間の一人、西条が原付きバイクのスピード違反で警察官に捕まる。
警察官に仕返しをしようと考えた7人は、自転車なら逮捕されないと確信し、スピード違反取り締まり器の前を猛スピードで駆け抜ける。一方、自動車のスピード違反だと思い込んだ警察官は、自転車に乗った高校生たちのいたずらだと知り、彼らを捕まえる。高校の教師を呼びつけ、彼らを厳しく指導するように命じる。
だが、その後も高校生たちは次から次へと作戦を立て、警察官にいたずらを仕掛ける。しかし、警察官は法律を破らないぎりぎりの仕返しをする。あるときは、仲直りしようと言い出し、彼らを隣町にドライブに誘う。山奥の景色のいいところに連れて行き、彼らを車から降ろして夕日を眺めさせる。そのすきに彼らを置き去りにしてしまう、という具合に。
夏休みのある日、西条が原付きバイクで事故を起こして入院する。仲間が見舞うと、彼は隣町で行われる花火大会の打ち上げ花火を盗み出し、病院近くの河原で打ち上げてくれと頼む。それが警察官を苦しめる作戦だと言い張る。だが、作戦が成功しても失敗しても、警察官に捕まれば全員が退学させられてしまう。
誰もが気乗りしない中、ママチャリは西条がなぜ、そのような作戦を思いついたかを知る。西条の優しい一面にふれたママチャリは、その理由を仲間に知らせる。そして、彼らは退学する覚悟を決め、花火を盗み出す。しかし、隣町に向かおうとしたとき、作戦を知った警察官がまたしても彼らの前に立ちはだかる。
映画版が設定された1979年は、日本各地で若者たちがインベーダーゲームに熱中し、全国の国公立大学などで一斉学力試験制度「共通一次試験」が始まった年でもある。受験戦争の波にもまれようとしている田舎の高校生たちと、彼らに真剣に向き合い、強く正しい生き方を教えようとする警察官が繰り広げる闘いの日々が、時にコミカルに、時に切なく描かれている。
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