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I reread my diary. Yesterday we talked about jazz, and before that we talked about John Lennon. Are you bored with all the music talk? But I love music. I realized that again. When I’m thinking about music, no matter how much time I have, it’s never enough.

I love John Lennon. The songs he writes, his guitar playing, his interest in art and literature, his performances. Why is that person so interesting?

Yesterday, I bought Beatles CDs and records. Both were produced by the Beatles in their early days. At this time, they were mainly active in rock and roll music. After that, they stopped their live performances and started experimenting with music in the studio.

I also love studying the evolution of the Beatles’ activities. John Lennon was the leader of the Beatles. However, from around the time of the White Album, he shifted his focus from working with the Beatles to working with Yoko Ono.

Unfortunately, I don’t have the time to write about it in detail right now, but I feel very fulfilled by carefully unraveling the changes in John Lennon’s activities.

日記を読み返しました。きのうはジャズ、その前はジョン・レノンの話題でした。音楽の話ばかり続いて、あなたは退屈でしょうか？でもわたしは音楽が大好きなのです。そのことに改めて気付きました。音楽のことを考えていると、時間がいくらあっても足りません。

わたしはジョン・レノンが大好きです。彼が作った曲、彼のギター演奏、アートや文学に関心があること、彼のパフォーマンス。どうしてあの人はこんなに興味深いのでしょう？

きのう、ビートルズのCDとレコードを買いました。どちらもビートルズが初期に製作したものです。彼らはこのとき、ロックンロールを主体に音楽活動をしていました。そのあと、彼らライブ活動を止めて、スタジオで音楽の実験を行っていきます。

ビートルズの活動の変遷を研究するのも大好きです。ジョン・レノンはビートルズのリーダーでした。しかし、ホワイトアルバムのころから、ビートルズの活動より、オノ・ヨーコとの活動に軸足を移しました。

残念ながら、時間がなくて、いまは細かく書くことができませんが、こうしたジョン・レノンの活動の変遷を丁寧に紐解いていくことに、とても充実感を覚えます。

Last night, before going to bed, I listened to jazz piano for the first time in a while. When I was in high school, I was interested in playing the piano. At that time, I was listening to various jazz pianists.

I listened to Thelonious Monk, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Bill Evans, a lot of jazz pianists. Some of the songs I heard were difficult and difficult to understand, but I felt that all of the songs were played very well.

I don’t play jazz piano. I play a little rock piano. It’s fun to play rock piano, the phrases are cool, and I really like it. I like jazz piano as much as rock piano.

Let me tell you about some jazz pianists that I have listened to. Gerals Clayton, Bill Charlap, Yuki Futami, Yuka Yanagihara.
These pianists’ performances were amazing.

I really want to write more about jazz, but I don’t have time, so I’ll stop here for today.

ゆうべ、寝る前に久しぶりにジャズピアノを聴きました。わたしは高校生の頃、ピアノを弾くことに興味がありました。当時、いろいろなジャズピアニストを聴いていました。

セロニアス・モンク、ハービー・ハンコック、チック・コリア、ビル・エヴァンス、多くのジャズ・ピアニストを聴きました。中には難しくて分かりにくい曲もありましたが、どの曲もとても素晴らしい演奏だと感じました。

わたしはジャズピアノは弾きません。ロックピアノは少し弾きます。ロックピアノを弾くのは楽しく、フレーズはかっこよくて、とても好きです。ジャズピアノもロックピアノと同じくらい好きなのです。

ゆうべ聴いたジャズピアニストをお教えしましょう。Gerals Clayton, Bill Charlap, Futami Yuki, Yuka Yanagihara。
これらのピアニストの演奏はとても素晴らしかったです。

本当はジャズについてもっと書きたいのですけれど、もう時間がありませんので、きょうはここまでにしておきます。

Today I’ll be talking about John Lennon again. Sorry if you aren’t interested. However, this is what I’m most passionate about right now, so please bear with me.

I bought a CD called Rock and Roll by John Lennon. Recorded by John in 1975.

John’s singing is very good. John sings rock’n’roll from the mid-1950s to early ’60s. John sings about 14 songs. The performance of every song is wonderful.

I would like to explain what’s great about each song, but unfortunately I don’t have time since I’m about to have breakfast.

When I listen to this CD, I feel much closer to John’s life than ever before. I feel relieved of the frustration I had been feeling.

I have to prepare breakfast soon. That’s all for today.

きょうもジョン・レノンのお話をします。もし関心がなかったらごめんなさい。でも、わたしがいま一番熱中していることですので、どうか我慢してください。

ジョン・レノンのロックンロールというCDを買いました。ジョンが1975年に録音したものです。

ジョンの歌がとてもいいのです。ジョンは1950年代半ばから60年代初めにかけて作られたロックンロールを歌っています。ジョンは14曲くらい歌っています。どの曲の演奏もとても素晴らしいです。

一曲づつ、どこが素晴らしいか解説していきたいのですが、これから朝ごはんですので、残念ながらその時間はありません。

わたしはこのＣＤを聞いいると、ジョンの人生にこれまでより何倍も近づけた気持ちになります。これまで感じていたもどかしい思いが晴れた心持ちです。

そろそろ朝食の支度をしないといけません。きょうはここまでで終わりにします。

Thursday in September

I’m currently writing this letter while listening to a Beatles song. I like the Beatles. But to be honest, I only recently realized this.

The Beatles have three songwriters. All three of them are excellent songwriters. If a band had at least one talented songwriter, they would be happy, but the Beatles had three. It’s no surprise that they reigned at the top of the pop music world for eight years.

Out of the three, I like John Lennon the most. His songs seem much more appealing than Paul’s or George’s songs.

It’s almost time for lunch, so I’ll stop here for today.

Rain is coming and going due to the influence of the typhoon. The typhoon is moving slowly eastward. The Japan Weather Association has announced that people in the Tokai region should be on the lookout for heavy rain.

I’m at home listening to George Harrison songs, George Harrismo playing a Moog synthesizer.

When I attended a party held in Tokyo, Mariko Hayashi was also there. She was a guest and gave a short speech at the beginning of the party.

The speech was wonderful and left a strong impression on me.

Unfortunately, I have forgotten the content of the speech, but I remember what was wonderful about it.

☆

I was going to write about what was wonderful about it, but it seems pointless now, so I will stop writing.

However, after hearing her speech, I became a big fan of hers. That is the truth, and it has not changed.

A typhoon is approaching. I folded up the tent I set up in the garden.

The typhoon is moving slowly around Kyushu and is expected to then change course toward the Kansai region.

The Tale of Genji describes a scene from the day a typhoon passed. The storm destroyed the blinds on the door of a house, allowing a nobleman to catch a glimpse of the woman he admired.

The house needs to be repaired after the typhoon has passed. But that is the job of the servants. The nobleman’s interest was always in the woman he admired.

Due to the typhoon, the weather tomorrow may be rough. 
Right now it is sunny and very calm. 

The tree I planted in my garden died. A typhoon was approaching, and it would be dangerous if the dead tree fell over, so I cut it down using an electric saw.

The farmer is harvesting pears in the pear orchard next to the house.

I left home in the morning with the intention of finding the graves of soldiers who died in the Boshin War, mourning their souls, and investigating the graves.

The cemetery I will be investigating today is located in a small communal cemetery that contains the graves of local residents.

As soon as I arrived at the cemetery, I started looking for the grave I was looking for. However, I couldn’t find it easily. I walked back and forth many times in the not so large cemetery.

Today, the Obon festival has passed and it is near the end of August, but the temperature was 33°C and the sun was shining brightly, making it a very hot day. It was unfortunate that I could not find the grave I was looking for, but I decided to stop searching because I was worried about my health.

At the communal cemetery, I asked an elderly local woman and a middle-aged man who had come to visit his grave where the soldiers’ grave was. Neither of them knew about the soldier’s grave that I was looking for.

It was unfortunate that I was unable to find the grave I was looking for, but actually visiting and investigating the site was a very meaningful experience for me.

At night, a cool breeze blew into the room from outside. It made me happy to realize that the seasons were definitely changing.

I grow bitter melon in my garden. This morning I found three bitter melons. I picked them right away.

I made Goya Chanpuru for dinner and ate it. It was bitter and delicious.

I investigated the Yoneyama Tomb today. I investigated the Yawatayama Tomb in June. This is my second time investigating a tomb.

There is a temple at the foot of the burial mound. This temple is the historical site where the Sanada clan of Ueda Castle became enemies and fought each other.

Next to the temple, there is a narrow path that leads up to the top of the burial mound. Large stones are exposed on the ground. On both sides, there are tall trees. A large tree branch lies at my feet. The slope is quite steep.

I started to climb the hill. Spider webs were sticking to my face. Mosquitoes were biting my legs and arms.

I reached the top, where there were three shrines, but no indication of a burial mound.

It was disappointing that I couldn’t find anything related to the ancient tomb, but it seemed quite fitting that there was a shrine standing on the site of the tomb.

I went back to my parents’ house in Sano.

Sano has become the hottest city in Japan.

Fortunately, the temperature didn’t exceed 40°C on the day I returned.

At night, a cool breeze blew.

I could hear insects chirping.

I felt a little bit of autumn in the air.

The moon was big and beautiful.

My wife bought some pears from a pear farmer.

We ate them.

They were sweet and juicy.

We decided to take three to our parents’ house.

I live in a pear-producing region, and there is a pear orchard next to my house.

I’ve also eaten pears in Taiwan.

The gods of Japan did not create humans.
Yahweh created Adam and Eve.

The gods of Japan created the land of Japan.

In the land created by the gods, animals and plants appeared.

Humans also appeared.

What is the state of Japan?
I can’t express it in one word.

The way of life of the people who have lived on the land of Japan

Now, that is shaking

日本の神様は人間を創造しなかった。
ヤハウェはアダムとイヴを創造した。

日本の神々は日本の国土を創造した。

神々が創造した国土に、動物や植物が出現した。

人間も現れた。

日本の国のあり方とは、どういうものか？
一言では表現できない。

日本の国土に生きてきた人々のの生きざま

いま、それが揺らいでいる