tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25988562940523155962024-02-08T12:56:33.396+09:00Choose Your Future. Now, Restart.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger412125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2598856294052315596.post-10100977702272316632020-04-07T23:00:00.000+09:002020-04-08T15:27:27.742+09:00Kappa by Akutagawa Ryūnosuke, Foreword
FOREWORD
At a certain asylum there is a patient, number twenty-three, who will tell his story to anyone. He's at least thirty, but no one appears so youthful as a madman. His experiences the first half of his life -- well, that's not important. These days he just sits, arms around his knees, sometimes glancing out the window. Outside the iron bars is a single oak tree without leaves and the Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2598856294052315596.post-52811090325918812642020-04-07T22:00:00.000+09:002020-04-08T15:27:59.432+09:00Kappa by Akutagawa Ryuunosuke, Chapter One
CHAPTER ONE
Three summers ago, rucksack on my back, I decided to hike from Kamikouchi hot springs resort up to Mt. Hotaka. As you know, the only way is along the Azusa River. Since I'd climbed the mountain before, as well as Yariga Peak, I set out without a guide in the morning fog. If it didn’t clear up, I would have been blinded to the scenery around me. It seemed to grow thicker. I’d only Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2598856294052315596.post-571617919524639102020-04-07T21:00:00.000+09:002020-04-08T15:28:14.095+09:00Kappa by Akutagawa Ryuunosuke, Chapter Two
CHAPTER TWO
When I regained consciousness, I was lying face up surrounded by kappa. One, kneeling beside me, was pressing a stethoscope to my chest, a pair of pince-nez on his beak. Meeting my eyes, he gestured for there to be quiet, then made a quack quack noise to someone behind him. Two kappa came up carrying a stretcher. Lifting me onto it, they bore me through the middle of a great crowd Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2598856294052315596.post-32541573467779949372020-04-07T20:00:00.000+09:002020-04-23T18:43:02.609+09:00Kappa by Akutagawa Ryuunosuke, Chapter Three
CHAPTER THREE
Until this point, I haven't explained much about the kappa. There continues to be the question about whether a creature such as kappa can even exist. But, since I have myself lived among them, there is absolutely no room for doubt. If we are describing them as an animal, the hair on their head is short, their hands and feet are webbed as described in the book “Studies on Kappa”. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2598856294052315596.post-75614933550359605662020-04-07T19:00:00.000+09:002020-05-04T16:59:22.430+09:00Kappa by Akutagawa Ryuunosuke, Chapter Four
CHAPTER FOUR
Gradually I learned all the words kappa used in everyday life. This included their manners and customs.The most confusing is that the kappa found ridiculous what us humans were earnest about, while themselves taking seriously things humans found absurd. This was one of their customs.
For example, we humans attach significance to justice and humanity, but when I asked a Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2598856294052315596.post-58676995730543933162020-04-07T18:00:00.000+09:002020-05-04T17:05:46.139+09:00Kappa by Akutagawa Ryuunosuke, Chapter Five
CHAPTER FIVE
Bag kindly introduced me to a kappa named Lap, but Lap acquainted me with the most unforgettable, a poet named Tock. Not unlike our human poets, Tock had long hair. Sometimes I'd go to his house to pass the time. Tock was always lining up his plants in a narrow room or writing a poem while smoking tobacco; he led a very comfortable lifestyle. In the corner of that room was a Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2598856294052315596.post-45395294773378597372020-04-07T17:00:00.000+09:002020-05-07T16:50:21.802+09:00Kappa by Akutagawa Ryuunosuke, Chapter SixCHAPTER SIXIn fact, romance among kappa is quite different from romance among humans. The female looks for a male quickly, and upon finding him does not think twice. The most straight-forward female will chase the male. I myself saw a female in mad pursuit. Not only that, but her parents and siblings followed. The male looked miserable. If he were lucky enough to escape, he would still be laid upUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2598856294052315596.post-42113908637289996392020-04-07T16:00:00.000+09:002020-05-07T16:54:36.027+09:00Kappa by Akutagawa Ryuunosuke, Chapter SevenCHAPTER SEVEN
I went to several of Tok's recitals, but the one I will never forget was the third time. The hall was no different from ones you'd see in Japan. The stadium seating was filled with three or four hundred kappa, holding programs, eagerly listening. I sat with Tock, his mate, and the philosopher Magg in the front row. After a cello solo, a kappa with strangely narrow eyes arose, Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2598856294052315596.post-58675424651528176372020-04-07T15:00:00.000+09:002020-05-07T17:30:09.230+09:00Kappa by Akutagawa Ryuunosuke, Chapter EightCHAPTER EIGHTI was oddly fond of the glass company president, Gehru. He was a capitalist's capitalist. Not to be rude, but among kappa he had the largest belly. His wife resembled a lychee and his children cucumbers, but they seemed to have good fortune in life. With a judge named Pepp and the doctor Chak I went to dinner at Gehru's house. Taking his letter of introduction, I visited various Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2598856294052315596.post-14500961278998484342020-04-07T14:00:00.000+09:002020-05-24T18:35:58.900+09:00Kappa by Akutagawa Ryuunosuke, Chapter NineCHAPTER NINE But Gehru, the glass company's president, was no less friendly than before. Sometimes a message came from his club, inviting me to an enjoyable evening. This was more intimate than the super-kappa club which Tock attended. Gehru’s conversation was not as profound as that of Magg the philosopher, but it opened a new world to me -- a wide world. Gehru spoke cheerfully of various Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2598856294052315596.post-73816287039458886692020-01-20T07:04:00.001+09:002020-01-21T15:32:30.425+09:00古神札焚き上げ式
Attended the ceremony for burning last year's protection charms at Tsubaki Grand Shrine in Granite Falls, and picked up a new one. Apparently this is for Business Success which I could certainly use.It reads くぼさ which I'm not sure what the 漢字 for it is: I expected business success to be something like 商売繁盛 read しょうばいはんじょう.
I've frequently carried this kind of small protection Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2598856294052315596.post-16532262329172151042012-05-14T20:06:00.000+09:002012-05-14T20:09:31.468+09:00Kimono Contest (April 8th, NHK Hall)Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03651675507824175484noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2598856294052315596.post-24750871864859261172012-03-12T20:43:00.000+09:002012-03-12T20:44:56.158+09:00Another graduation song…Appropriately titled “Graduation” originally sung by Hikaru Genji, but I’m rather fond of this cover by Heike-ha, a temporary group made up of members from Tokio and V6.   We won't forget Graduation. We will surely meet again, And, unable to stop, we'll cry and cry. Set out walking at Graduation, You will always be yourself. I can feel my breath Grow just a Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03651675507824175484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2598856294052315596.post-9957102904691502132012-03-09T22:33:00.000+09:002012-03-09T22:34:03.487+09:00One Graduation SongThe graduation ceremony for the third years will be this coming Monday. It never fails to amaze me how few things have changed in Japanese schools. My students still have the same hair-styles, the boys wear the black gakuran, the girls the sailor-style dress, and for special days the teachers wear hakama. We sing the same song, and I would bet good money the bunting in this black-and-white video Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03651675507824175484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2598856294052315596.post-31478905934659982732012-03-03T22:31:00.001+09:002012-03-03T22:31:44.389+09:00Doll’s FestivalLet's light the paper lanterns, And raise up the peach blossoms. A five-man band of whistles and drums, Today will be a fun Doll's Festival. The Emperor and the Empress Side-by-side, expressions blank. The white-faced court lady resembles An older sister who intended to marry. The torch reflected in the gold screen Is weakly coaxed by the spring breeze. Has Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03651675507824175484noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2598856294052315596.post-56032398766069180422012-02-07T20:28:00.001+09:002012-02-07T20:31:20.067+09:00Strong like ox.I’ve pictures I need to finish posting, and when I’m behind in that I avoid posting at all because it makes me feel guilty. But an un-updated blog is a thing of woe, so I’m going to tell you some silly little recent stories to tide us over until I get to the pictures.   I ate school lunch opposite S-kun today, and since a bunch of kids are out with the flu, there were a lot of extra milk Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03651675507824175484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2598856294052315596.post-81123146795359758792012-01-11T21:39:00.000+09:002012-01-11T21:42:18.508+09:00Kinki Kids “Odd-Shaped Stone” lyricsNew single, “Kawatta Katachi no Ishi” out today! This is an interesting version with the backup instrumentals removed: 変わったかたちの石 歌詞 翻訳 英語 When did I pick up This odd shaped stone From the river of the village Where I was born? I put it beneath my window, And just left it. When asked, "What's with that?" I'd answer, "No reason." And yet We are Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03651675507824175484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2598856294052315596.post-88013856793731728652012-01-09T15:06:00.001+09:002012-01-09T15:06:51.645+09:00Fushimi Inari Taisha. August 20th 2011I adore this shrine. If I had my way, I’d visit every week, and it was one of the main reasons I wanted to bring my mother to Kyoto. This is one of those thousand-word pictures. My camera has an “identify the face” function which comes in handy, but here I was more interesting in the headless statue of a fox. But my camera refused to focus on it. It Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03651675507824175484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2598856294052315596.post-60371004515010363992012-01-09T14:20:00.001+09:002012-01-09T15:33:36.280+09:00Kitano Tenmangu, Toji The real draw of Toji for me is the antique market held on the grounds the 21st of every month. Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03651675507824175484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2598856294052315596.post-39588301579609623782012-01-08T21:52:00.000+09:002012-01-08T21:53:48.095+09:00Tofuku-ji, August 19th 2011Tofuku-ji is a temple that makes me go “awww” right from the start. Its name is a portmanteau - or “name-squish” as my not-so-inner-fan-girl would say – of Todai-ji and Kofuku-ji in Nara. Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03651675507824175484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2598856294052315596.post-60979240321413252422012-01-08T20:58:00.000+09:002012-01-08T22:33:46.211+09:00Sanjusangendo, Arashiyama, Kyoto StationEmilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03651675507824175484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2598856294052315596.post-6416084135269368402012-01-07T10:29:00.000+09:002012-01-07T10:30:07.026+09:00August 18th, 2011–Otagi NenbutsujiThere are lots of ways to visit places in Japan, and I’ve tried most of them at one time or another. From having a strict schedule and sticking to it to getting blissfully lost and happening upon secret gardens. And then there’s Otagi Nenbutsu-ji, where I tried to go every time I visited Kyoto for the past four years and never managed to find it. Every time I tried, I got one of the following Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03651675507824175484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2598856294052315596.post-32483234547446482172012-01-07T09:00:00.001+09:002012-01-07T09:02:10.312+09:00August 18, 2011–Nijo Castle  “YOU. SHALL NOT. PASS.” Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03651675507824175484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2598856294052315596.post-11430835748442242342011-12-04T17:28:00.001+09:002011-12-04T17:28:52.902+09:00Gion CornerEmilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03651675507824175484noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2598856294052315596.post-26243365790001745662011-11-14T21:51:00.000+09:002011-11-14T21:52:14.830+09:00Day Seven ~ Nishi Honganji, Higashi HonganjiEmilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03651675507824175484noreply@blogger.com4