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Asuka II is the biggest cruise liner of the Japanese flag. Its home port is Yokohama.
2008年8月4日 終日航海 / 4 August 2008 at sea
中村大輔船長のもと約500人の乗組員,満室の乗客850名の航海。こんなに満杯のクルーズは初めての経験。
<8：30の船長の航海情報： 8：40～10：00に前線通過のため強風・雨
現在南南東の風6ｍ 気温 25.5度Ｃ 湿度 84％ 海水 24度Ｃ 波1.5～2.0ｍ
金華山沖南東28ｋｍを航行 水深 430m>
前線通過後までプロムナードデッキにも出られないし、やはりSHISEIDOのサロンに逃げ込んで背中のマッサージをしてもらうこととなる。根っから怠け者なのかもしれない。
そうこうしているうちに、前線を通過。嘘のように青い空と静かな海が広がる。
夜は華やかなインフォーマル・ナイト。正装とまで行かないドレスアップでステージやカジノ、ダンスなど楽しむよう趣向がこらされている。「青森・秋田民謡コンサート」はその各分野の全国大会のチャンピオンたちの出演で本物のよさをじっくり聞かせてもらう。
There was an announcement of our captain to inform us that our ship was about to pass the front. There would be strong wind and rough sea for about 2 hours from 8:40. I escaped to the Shiseido Salon & Spa to get massage. While I was dozing off on the comfortable massage bed, the ship passed the front. There lay only the gentle calm sea under the serene blue sky after that.
This eveing is an "informal night" to dress ourselves a little less informally than in a "formal night" and enjoy the evening at the concerts, dance hall, casino, and whatnot. I enjoyed the Japanese folk music concert very much.
☀ Asuka II is the biggest cruise liner of the Japanese flag. Its home port is Yokohama.
2008年8月5日/ 5 August 2008
竿灯祭り・ "Lantern Festival" of Akita
秋田港入港:
船川港を13：00に出港し、15：00秋田港に入港。/arrival at Akita Port at 15:00
The English article follows Japanese.
市内は太鼓、笛、威勢のいい掛け声で活気付いている。
竿灯祭りは泣く子も黙る東北三大祭りのひとつ。
毎年8月4日～7日に開催される七夕行事で、邪気払い、五穀豊穣の祈願、盆に迎える精霊のための明かり、などの意味合いを持って行われてきた。竿灯は大きな稲穂のかたちとされている。
８ｍもある丈の高い竿に横竿をわたし46個から48個の提灯を下げる。それを額、手のひら、腰、胸、肩などに乗せてバランスをとって高くかざす。小さい子達が順番に大人の先輩から小型竿灯を渡されては妙技を披露していてほほえましかった。竿灯の継承者については余り心配しなくても大丈夫そうだ。
笛、太鼓、鉦の乱調子も体に気持ちがいい。なんだか古い昔のファンタジーの中に迷い込んだような一夕で、余韻が心地よくいつまでも後を引いている。
The center of Akita City is totally filled with the sound of drums, bamboo flutes, and energetic chants. Forty-six to forty-eight lanterns are fixed on the bamboo frame with a long holding bamboo stick measuring 8m and weighing about 45kg. It is lifted up high by one holder to the next one being cheered with the music peculiar to the festival.
This festival is originated in Akita, Northeast Japan. Once a year it used to energize the village, calm the spirit, and to be a prayer for a good harvest of rice in autumn. An ear of rice is the original model of lanterns.
It was a fantasic evening with the lights and the music left lingering in me for a long time.
2008年8月6日(水）/ 6 August 2008
昨夜23：00秋田港を出航。
一夜明け、朝食の頃には陸奥湾内。遠くに八甲田連峰が望める。入港は10：00なのでゆっくりと朝食をとっていると、フィリピン人のウエイターが｢マダムに」と薔薇を届けてくれる。薔薇は薔薇でも一枚の紙ナプキンを折った薔薇。こんなやさしく粋な心づかいがあるから船を降りたくなくなってしまう。
入港時には埠頭に、歓迎の笛や太鼓のねぶた囃子の面々がずらりと揃って雰囲気を盛り上げて待っていてくれる。可愛い保育園児の太鼓囃子には船上デッキから眺めていた乗客の誰もが相好をくずしてしまう。
Last night at 23 hours we left Akita for Aomori.
Before breakfast, the ship entered the Bay of Mutsu. From there we could see the Hakkohda Range far inland. While enjoying long breakfast at the Rido Deck, the eleventh floor, we were enjoying the view. Then one of the Philippine waiters came over to my table with a rose, not real one but the one made of a paper serviette, saying "For Madame." with a bow. Wow! Is a rose not something?
A ship's arrival is another something. The distance between the people waiting on the pier and the passengers onboard becomes gradually closer. Many Akitaites (if there is such a word) with flutes and drums were playing festival music of welcome that stirred up our expectation for the wonderful Nebuta Festival of Aomori. Even the kindergarteners headed by their teachers played drums so well that every passengers was all smile.
2008年8月7日夜 / night 7 August 2008
Firework Grand Finale of Aomori Nebuta Festival photoed from my cabin of ASUKA II
2008年8月7日(木）/ 7 August 2008
十和田湖/Lake Towada
余りにも有名な高村光太郎の乙女の像を訪ねる。このあたりではもうナナカマドの紅葉が始まっていた。
Statue of Maidens, the last sculpture by Kohtaro Takamura, stands at the lake side of Towada. Some trees near the lake have already started to color their leaves. We had lunch at the Prince Hotel that has a nice open view of Lake Towada.
2008年8月7日(木)/ 7 August 2008
奥入瀬の植生/ vegitation of Oirase
2008年8月7日夕刻/ the evening of 7 August 2008
ねぶた祭は7日（なぬかび）の海上運行と花火大会でフィナーレとなる。ASUKA IIは17：00に青森港新中央埠頭を離岸し、港沖に停錨。そこからねぶた海上運行と花火大会を見物する。
For sea travel, Nebutas are put on a barge and towed to the sea. Its music played on the barge is heard clearly even on ASUKA II cabin deck of ours. Our ship left the pier at 17:00 and anchored off the port to see Nebutas' sea travel and fireworks.
First you get familiar by exploring unknowns about each other in the effort to see if you will be long time friends
or even acquaintances. If the chemistry is right the relationship will strengthen, if not, then you may remain on an occasional contact level. Don’t we all have names on our Christmas card list where the only contact we have is the annual Christmas or New Year’s card? Relationships strengthen on many levels with travel to exotic locals, good restaurants and through numerous cultural experiences—even the quintessential tourist traps.
No relationship is perfect or absolute; well maybe between a dog and its owner. Flaws and shortcomings should be expected and evaluated in perspective to the overall relationship. So what if a recommended restaurant wasn’t as tasty or clean as you expected. Or the directions to the hotel were off by one street. If it is consistently hit or miss perhaps sole reliance on the friend’s knowledge is an error on your part and additional acquaintances can add strength to another’s weaknesses.
If one is retrospect about their life they might notice they are attracted to the same personality type time after time. This is not, in itself, a bad thing but once aware of this I made an effort to get out of my rut and open my mind to other perspectives. At first it was hard as I always compared my new friend’s perspective to the comfortable old standbys I have always surrounded myself with in the past. Doesn’t everyone have a comfortable old pair or shoes, shirt, belt, or a teddy bear that is past its prime but acts much like a “blankie” acts for a toddler? Or maybe the item has taken on supernatural or superstitious power such as a certain lucky shirt one wears for every triathlon race? As time goes on I found myself enjoying the differences my new friends provided our relationship. It was an enhancement all around as the group leveraged the best each had to offer and offered support when one fell short of expectations. None of us are perfect but are trying to better ourselves by being students of life’s lessons—good or bad.
As the years fly by faster and faster you may lose touch as interests, jobs and life changes happen until you think about each other at Christmas, when paging through an old photo album, or in pleasant reminiscence over a glass of wine of past exploits.
While I hope I am growing wiser I know my friends are out of touch with the world and are dated as the years pass us all by.
Before you, the reader, think I am being cruel to my friends first answer this one question...
With name changes, old business failures, new business launches, border shifts and currency inflation to just name a few items, how can any guide book ever be current?
Were you thinking the same thing?
Here’s to reliable friends of any ilk, old and new!
Get out and explore the world!
2008年8月7日(木）/ 7 Augtust 2008
overnight at Aomori the second day
青森2日目
ねぶた最終日夕刻のねぶた海上運行・花火大会にはたっぷり時間があるので｢奥入瀬・十和田湖」のオプショナルバスツアー」をとる。
ぶなの原生林を縫うようにまず奥入瀬へ。奥田元宗画伯の奥入瀬シリーズを見てから、夢に見るほど来たかった場所。身まで潤うような豊かな水の流れ。水しぶきがマイナスイオンの空間を作り、周辺の緑が空気を浄化し、遠来の人々の身も心もすっきりと清々しく清めてくれる。
Since we had plenty of time before evening's Nebuta Sea Travel and fireworks, I took an optional bus tour to Oirase Ravene and Lake Towada.
A stitching road through the primeval forests of beech trees led us to Oirase Ravene. Ever since I saw Mr. Genso Okuda's traditional Japnese paintings of Oirase Ravene, I had long wanted to visit the place. I was very impressed by the abundant water of the river. Breathing the purified air by the river and the primeval plants covering the ground, we felt as if we were reborn.