"Neko-ha Shitteita" by NIKI Etsuko

Ms. NIKI is a Japanese writer who lived from 1928 to 1986. She was unhealthy and could not go to any schools, so his brother taught her. After he had gone to the war, she studied alone with a radio and books. In 1957 she got the 3rd Edogawa-Ranpo Syou, a famous prize for Japanese mysteries. At that time she was reported as a bedridden writer and/or a Japanese Agatha Christie.

So this book was written almost about a half century ago, and the manners in this story are very different from the present Japanese one. For example, there leave many air-raid shelter, tape-recorders and family cars are very rare things, there is no bathroom in typical houses and people walk to public baths every day(? ^_^;;;), and the price is very low - maybe one order cheaper than the present one.

Anyway the brother and sister, NIKI Yuutarou and Etsuko, came to Hakozaki Byouin, a private hospital run by Hakozaki family, as boarders. On the moved day a disappearance happened, and the next day a murder case occurred. The brother and sister will chase the criminal...

FYI:
The title means 'The Cat Knew'.

(Finished reading on Jan.26, 2008)

The more detailed Japanese version of this article is here!

Japanese character(s) (kanji)
* NIKI Etsuko : 仁木悦子
* Neko-ha Shitteita : 猫は知っていた
* Edogawa-Ranpo Syou : 江戸川乱歩賞

Ako

In 1701 the Lord Asano of Ako drew his sword and injured the Lord Kira in the Edo Castle. It was strictly forbidden to draw swords in the Edo Castle, so the 5th Shogun Tsunayoshi got very angry, and the Lord Asano was ordered to commit suicide. On the other hand the Lord Kira was not punished, though both should have been blamed by the law in those days.

After about a year Ohishi and other samurai, who were the followers of the Lord Asano, plotted to avenge their lord's death upon the Lord Kira, and killed him at his house on December 14th (strictly speaking on the early morning on December 15th). The plot was succeeded, but the 47 samurai were commanded to commit suicide, because they violated the Shogun's order.

Hearing this story people praised their loyalty for their lord, and they have been known as "Ako Gishi". Since then Chushingura, the story of 47 Ako Gishi, has been played many times in dramas, films, and so on.


Last Saturday I did a short visit to Ako city. The followings are the pictures I took at that time

[Kagaku-ji Temple]
Here is the main temple for families of the Lords of Ako.


[The Main Gate of Ako Castle]
The Lord of Ako controlled 53,000-goku: 'goku' was a variation of 'koku' which shows about 150 kg of rice - approximately an annual consumption of a man.


[Ohishi Shrine]
This shrine was dedicated to Ako Gishi, lords and generals of Asano and Mori families.


[The Statues of 47 Ako Gishi]
These are aligned both sides of the load in front of Ohishi Shrine.


[The Ruin of Ako Castle]
Here was the main castle of Asano family. Now only the ruin remaineds.

"Tsubasa-aru Yami" by MAYA Yutaka

Mr. MAYA is a new legitimate mystery writer (though I don't know there is such a word in English ^_^;) in the second stage in Japan. This is the first his book I have read, and it is also his first published book, though the subtitle is 'Merukatoru-Ayu Saigo-no Jiken' which means the last matter for Mercator Ayu. Mercator Ayu and KISARAZU Yuya are detectives appear in this story.

Mr. KISARAZU received a request letter from IMAKAGAMI Ito who lives in an large and old estate located in the North of Kyoto. When he came to the villa with his friend KOUZUKI Sanetomo, his client was killed. And murder cases continued in the estate...

(Finished reading on Jan.23, 2008)

The more detailed Japanese version of this article is here!

Japanese character(s) (kanji)
* MAYA Yutaka : 麻耶雄嵩
* Tsubasa-aru Yami : 翼ある闇
* Merukatoru-Ayu Saigo-no Jiken : メルカトル鮎、最後の事件

"Sacrifice" by KONDO Fumie

Ms. KONDO is a Japanese writer writing a book series about Kabuki, which I would like to read some day... Anyway this book is not about Kabuki but Road Race (^_^;;; I knew very few about Road Race maybe same as many Japanese people. In this book it is very popular in European countries. Right?

The hero Chikau was a track runner and got championship in the inter high school tournaments. But he cannot get used to the situation. When he was 18 years old, he knew Road Race, and intuitively he thought that it suits for him. And now he is a member of professional team called Team Oddge(?). The member includes a leader Ishio and a mate Iba, and he enjoys as an assistant....

Very impressive book! Of course this contains unpleasant part as you can imagine from the title... I would like to recommend this for the first in the books I read in this year (^^;;;

(Finished reading on Jan.20, 2008)

The more detailed Japanese version of this article is here!

Japanese character(s) (kanji)
* KONDO Fumie : 近藤史恵
* Sacrifice : サクリファイス

"Ai-no Nendaiki" by SHIONO Nanami

This is a independent (not included in any series) book, and it contains people mostly lived in Italy in Middle Ages, who almost (but not completely) buried in the flow of history following many annals, legends, and so on.

(Finished reading on Jan.19, 2008)


The more detailed Japanese version of this article is here!

Japanese character(s) (kanji)
* SHIONO Nanami : 塩野七生
* Ai-no Nendaiki : 愛の年代記

Bayberry

The picture below shows 'Yamamomo'. The other Japanese name is 'Youbai'. The English names are bayberry, wax myrtle, bay rumtree, waxberry, wild clove, etc. The botanical name is Myrica rubra.



This tree is used as roadside trees, and it fruits red fruits which we can eat. The Japanese name means 'mountain peach', but the attribution is not the same as peach tree.


The Japanese version of this article is here!

Japanese character(s) (kanji)
* Yamamomo : 山桃
* Youbai : 楊梅

"Kazoku Sore-ha HENTEKO-na Mono" by HARADA Munenori

Mr. HARADA is a Japanese essayist and a writer, and we can easily enjoy his works. This book includes many essays about strange things ('HENTEKO-na Mono' in Japanese). The contents are separated into three parts. The first is a family part (mainly described about his wife and children), the second is a love, and the third is a youth (mainly described about his high school days).

(Finished reading on Jan.16, 2008)

His web-page is はらだしき村 (Japanese).

The more detailed Japanese version of this article is here!

Japanese character(s) (kanji)
* HARADA Munenori : 原田宗典
* Kazoku Sore-ha HENTEKO-na Mono : 家族それはヘンテコなもの

"Romajin-no Monogatari (X)" by SHIONO Nanami

This tenth book of the "Roma-jin no Monogatari" series is slightly different from other books. It is written about the infrastructure made and maintained in Ancient Rome. There are two kinds of infrastructure. One is hard-infra like roads, bridges, and water-works, while another is soft-infra like medical treatment, and education. It is very surprise that those were made and maintained in one century BC...

(Finished reading on Jan.14, 2008)


The more detailed Japanese version of this article is here!

Japanese character(s) (kanji)
* SHIONO Nanami : 塩野七生
* Roma-jin no Monogatari : ローマ人の物語
* Subete-no Michi-ha Roma-ni Tsuuzu : すべての道はローマに通ず

"Romajin-no Monogatari (IX)" by SHIONO Nanami

This ninth book of the "Roma-jin no Monogatari" series is written about the central three emperors of Five Good Emperors. The Roman Empire was in a very good situation during the reign of these emperors, but that made historians of these days not write the history. That made us difficult to know about these period.

Marcus Ulpius Nerva Traianus (Reign: 27 Jan.98 - 9 Aug.117)
Publius Aelius Traianus Hadrianus(Reign: 9 Aug.117 - 10 Jul.138)
Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Augustus Pontifex Maximus(Reigh: 10 Jul.138 - 7 Mar.161)

(Finished reading on Jan.12, 2008)


The more detailed Japanese version of this article is here!

Japanese character(s) (kanji)
* SHIONO Nanami : 塩野七生
* Roma-jin no Monogatari : ローマ人の物語
* Kentei-no Seiki : 賢帝の世紀

"Syokubutsu-no Namae-no Tsukekata" by L.H.Bailey [translated by editorial office]

The title of this book means 'How to name plants', and this is a text of nomenclature in flowers and trees for beginners. The author was a famous botanical scholar, and a member of the International Committee of nomenclature in botany(? I don't know the real name in English...). Anyway the original book was written in 1933, which is just after the international agreement of this field. Only small changes were made after this, so the contents are almost valid.

(Finished reading on Jan.7, 2008)


The more detailed Japanese version of this article is here!

Japanese character(s) (kanji)
* L.H.Bailey (Liberty Hyde Bailey) : Ｌ・Ｈ・ベイリー
* Syokubutsu-no Namae-no Tsukekata : 植物の名前のつけかた

"Onritsu-to Onkai-no Kagaku" by OGATA Atsushi

How the musical (or sound) scale is defined? Why is it selected? There are many scales like Pythagorean scale, just intonation, meantone, equal temperament scale, and so on. Each has merits as well as demerits. At present most instruments like pianos and violins are tuned with equal temperament scale. This is a introduction of these scales from the scientific and/or psychological view. The title means 'Science of Temperaments and Scales'.

(Finished reading on Jan.6, 2008)


The more detailed Japanese version of this article is here!

Japanese character(s) (kanji)
* OGATA Atsushi : 小方厚
* Onritsu-to Onkai-no Kagaku : 音律と音階の科学

"Romajin-no Monogatari (VIII)" by SHIONO Nanami

This eighth book of the "Roma-jin no Monogatari" series is written about seven emperors after the fifth emperor Nero. The death of Nero caused confusion of the Roman Empire. In particular the Emperor changed three times in a year of 69 AD. So the subtitle of this book is 'Kiki-to Kokufuku' or 'Crisis and Overcome'. The Emperors in this period (about 30 years) are listed below. The last of the list, Nerva, is the first emperor of 'Five Good Emperors'.

Servius Sulpicius Galba (Reign: 18 Jun.68 - 15 Jan.69)
Marcus Salvius Otho (Reign: 15 Jan.69 - 15 Apr.69)
Aulus Vitellius Germanicus (Reign: 16 Apr.69 - 20 Dec.69)
Caesar Vespasianus Augustus (Reign: 21 Dec.69 - 24 Jun.79)
Titus Flavius Vespasianus (Reign: 24 Jun.79 - 13 Sep.81)
Titus Flavius Domitianus (Reign: 14 Sep.81 - 18 Sep.96)
Marcus Cocceius Nerva (Reign: 19 Sep.96 - 27 Jan.98)

(Finished reading on Jan.5, 2008)


The more detailed Japanese version of this article is here!

Japanese character(s) (kanji)
* SHIONO Nanami : 塩野七生
* Roma-jin no Monogatari : ローマ人の物語
* Kiki-to Kokufuku : 危機と克服

"Yasashii Kankoku-go Nyuumon" by Kim Yuhon

I think there are two types of books for beginners to master foreign languages. The content consists of detailed grammatical description from the beginning or not. This book is the latter type, and conversational examples are the main of it. This book contains some editorial mistakes and drops of letters, but in general good book I believe.

(Finished reading on Dec.31, 2007)


The more detailed Japanese version of this article is here!

Japanese character(s) (kanji)
* Kim Yuhon : 金裕鴻
* Yasashii Kankoku-go Nyuumon : やさしい韓国語入門

"On'na-Kyoukou Yohan'na (ge)" by Donna Woolfolk Cross [translated by SAKATA Yumiko]

The second book of the Japanese version of "Pope Joan".

When she almost comes out that she is a woman, she escaped again, and she came to Rome. She began to work as a doctor in Rome, and her fame was spread. One day she was called to Pope Sergius, and she cured his gout, and got his trust. After the assassinations of Popes Sergius and Leo III, she was elected as a Pope...

The Pope Joan seems to be well-known in Middle Ages, but today most historians treated it only as a legend and, she was not a real person. Of course, Curia does not accept the existence of her, the first and the only female Pope. This story seems to be a film and it will appear in 2009?

(Finished reading on Dec.29, 2007)


c.f.
The book "Pope Joan"s page

The more detailed Japanese version of this article is here!

Japanese character(s) (kanji)
* Donna Woolfolk Cross : ドナ・Ｗ・クロス
* On'na-Kyoukou Yohan'na (ge) : 女教皇ヨハンナ（下）

"On'na-Kyoukou Yohan'na (jyou)" by Donna Woolfolk Cross [translated by SAKATA Yumiko]

The original title of this book is "Pope Joan" and the Japanese version is separated into two: this is the first one.

Johanna Anglicus was born on January 28 in 814 at Ingelheim. She wanted to study reading and writing and asked her brother to teach her. But in those days womens are generally not permitted to study, and her father strictly prohibited. However, she got and created some chance to learn Latin and Greeks, and she could go to a school at Dorestad, where she met a knight Gerold(?). While he was absent, Dorestad was attacked by Norman people, and she escaped with her bare life to Fulda, where she became a pastor(?) after changing her name to Johannes Anglicus...

(Finished reading on Dec.28, 2007)


c.f.
The book "Pope Joan"s page

The more detailed Japanese version of this article is here!

Japanese character(s) (kanji)
* Donna Woolfolk Cross : ドナ・Ｗ・クロス
* On'na-Kyoukou Yohan'na (jyou) : 女教皇ヨハンナ（上）

"Shika-Otoko Awoniyoshi" by MAKIME Manabu

The author is that man who wrote the book "Kamogawa Holmooo"! This book is also a very interesting story about Deer-Man (^_^) Yes, the English title of this book is "The fantastic Deer-Man".

An scientist in Kanto area (around Tokyo) caused a trouble in human relation in his laboratory, and the professor recommended to work at a high-school for women in Nara as a lecturer. He took it on and began to work. And one day he meet a deer who speaks human language! Then he was given an important mission for human beings...

(Finished reading on Dec.25, 2007)


The more detailed Japanese version of this article is here!

Japanese character(s) (kanji)
* MAKIME Manabu : 万城目学
* Shika-Otoko Awoniyoshi : 鹿男あをによし