Monday, April 30, 2018

輕井澤行/莊峻華


輕井澤行/莊峻華
輕井澤在長野縣北佐久郡,是長野縣之中南部,莫因漢字縣,混肴與台灣之
縣,日本之縣內有郡,英文稱之為區,其區又自稱為郡,和我們休市所隷屬
之哈理斯郡又不同,非常有趣,日本縣以上,就是國,也有府,城市縣之稱
像大阪府,東京就稱都矣,台灣稱六都,直轄市。我特別趕到輕井澤鎮,找
到皇后美智子之網球塲,和舊輕井澤老街銀座通。

我讀過美智子,姑娘時代,善長網球,日本宮庭長官大臣辦公室,特別安排
明仁皇太子相親,到輕井澤網球塲,與美智子球局單打,美智子故意讓他,
明仁一見鍾情,昭和天皇和國會,助成美事,是第一位與平民結婚之皇太子
。有一日,我在秋田驛候車到新瀉,巧遇一位加州同鄉老日本,旅行日本五
十次,建議我訪問輕井澤,說到這段逸事,我就放在心上,愛美想看松本城
內究竟,於是我單槍匹馬,直奔輕井澤。

山田晴彥兄,聞我擬輕井澤行曰,此鎮為旅行休憩中心,但未詳述,奇怪我
只想參觀網球塲,原來驛前就是一大滑雪塲,有六處以上之滑雪徑,驛旁就
是一大美式購物中心,地上積雪推到路邊池畔,幾呎以上。走出驛,順一大
通直走,經一鎮立御案內所,趨前問路,聞詢美智子網球塲,女職員立即了
解,取圖一張曰,僅十分鐘步程,順便推薦舊街。我在半路遇見幾位台灣同
鄉,剛從老街天主教堂,,參觀出來,不知網球塲,女店員親切出來,指著
方向。原來這是一大型紅土網球塲,正在翻新,兩邊約有十座球塲,中間是
辦公室,換洗浴室,和觀眾席,是一私人俱樂部,緊鄰是諏訪神社,頗俱規
模。

走出神社巷道,就是老街,此鎮為兩外籍人士,推廣而成,一為天主教神父
,一為東大英語教授,因為高原氣候,夏日涼爽宜人,冬日可以滑雪活動,
我路過一別墅,為明治時代,,海軍大將所購買,至今仍有碑文。老街較為
新穎整潔,都是一層平房,遇見許多講粵語者青年。

回旅店途中,巧遇愛美於街頭,我們買些食物回旅店,我又出去逛松本城一
兩遍,美景依舊,一對白天鵝,正在天守閣城櫓下護城河逍遙遊,無首日之
爆裂脾氣,遊客仍舊排隊入城,我坐在黑門紅橋前,欣賞兩座天守閣,想起
戰過時代,約是五百年前,紛亂時期。

Visiting Zenkoji Temple, Nagano/Carlos Pueblo


Visiting Zenkoji Temple, Nagano/Carlos Pueblo
Zenkoji Temple is located on a hill 3 kilometers away from Nagano Station. We
marched to the temple through beautiful streets with spring flowering trees and
small Buddhist temples with gardens inside. The city is on a basin of Japanese
Alps with snow still on top of the mountains, with Shinano River flow through
and irrigate the farm, peaches and purple grapes famous in Japan. At the station,
there was a tense security present because an international ski contest was held
at the time. Nagano was the site of 1998 Winter Olympic. I was in both Niigata
and Kanazawa of the coastal line of the Sea of Japan in 2016. Missing Nagano was
my regret. Niigata is where Shinano River empty the flow to the sea. It’s also called
Chikuma River which a popular enka song by Goki Hiroshi in 1975 is about this river.

We ran into a couple of French spoken Swiss ladies inside a small court yard of a
Buddhist temple called Nishi Light of a legend story about a big snake from Mt.
Asashihi. They enjoy eating lunch boxes under a red color cherry blossom. Another
Japanese group and us joined them. I still have had a hard time to distinguish red
flowers among plums, peaches, and cherries.

We entered the Zenkoji. I believe that the whole area is a combination of Japanese
Shrines and Buddhist Temples. As usual, I read almost every epitaph, stone tablet
monument for their story. Many worshipers, previous and current days, donate all
kinds of stone pagodas, lanterns, and others to honor their ancestors and appreciation
of the temples. There are all very well kept and allowed for the visitors to view. Some
huge temples require ticket and bare feet to enter.

Outside of colorful temples, there is a big drum to knock at certain time during a day,
of course we are not allowed to make a noise. It is a huge garden park around the drum
stand. I saw an epitaph of poem composed by Natsume Soseki, the same fellow which
I mentioned at Suizenji Temple in Kumamoto, a famous poet and novelist and his picture
Appeared on 1,000 Japanese Yen bill. He was invited here to visit and wrote a piece and
the park honored his visit. My dad used to keep a novel of his left by a Japanese teacher
when he left Taiwan after the War. I didn’t know which one and never read it before I
left Taiwan. It is very interesting that ever have had the opportunity to visit Japan and
see how Japanese celebrate his work in literature. After he graduated from the university
, he went to teach at Kumamoto, then he went to England for advanced study and back
to teach in Tokyo and became famous.

長野市行/莊峻華


長野市行/莊峻華
長野市為長野縣治,古信濃國,屬日本中部地區,又稱信州,休市均購得
信州味噌,為補上次未訪遺憾,特地搭車一日遊,參拜善光寺。從松本驛
回搭來自名古屋之長野特急,不到一小時,即達長野驛,當日上午,驛站
警衛密佈,原來是有國際滑雪比賽,難怪連善光寺,都有許多歐美遊客,
長野市曾主辦1998年冬季奧運。上次旅行日本,我來到信瀉市,就是信
濃川,千曲川入日本海口,因天雨日短,僅在新瀉徘徊,未曾東向長野。

長野市觀光廣告,鼓勵參訪善光寺,步行三公里,路標顯著,街道整潔美
觀,而且植有花株,春日花開,非常漂亮,幾座小廟庭院,盡是早櫻,引
人入勝,我們在一小佛寺庭院,看到一紅色花朵,正與兩位瑞士姑娘討論
,是桃花或櫻花,剛好有一群日本女士旁座,肯定是櫻,兩姑娘入境隨俗
,也是櫻花下野餐。

續行善光寺,此佛寺規模巨大,連神社都加入,一座一座之建築,真是香
火鼎盛,日本廟宇不燒香,此寺群各顯神通,引來許多遊客,善男信女,
如此規模,巴黎市之聖母院,差可比擬。我仍舊到處尋花拍攝,加上許多
多寶殿,這是西本願寺系統,尊地藏王菩薩,我想也有觀音等古佛,今佛
釋迦應也在,善男信女中,有事業成功,捐贈小石塔者,遍佈全寺庭院。
庭院整理像一大公園,古株新花,像大盆栽,別俱風格,難得長野市。

我看到夏目漱石之提詩,寺在庭院立碑,我提過熊本市水前寺,夏目故居
,他東京帝大畢業後,在熊本市教書,應邀來訪善光寺,已是著名騷客詩
人小說家,其像在日圓一千幣上,可見其名氣。

松本驛到長野驛間山景,號稱最美,主要是白頂積雪,其實,桃園和葡萄
園棚架,也非常特殊,老株彎曲爬在架上,若非農田廣告,真不知是何農
作物?原來此處桃和大紫葡萄,受信濃川水灌溉,甜美可口,馳名全日本

五木鴻志之千曲川,就是描述此河,日本最長河流,當年習日文,按恩師
譯,翻成漢文,存在存部落格,有興趣讀者可翻閱,多謝讀者捧場。

Sunday, April 29, 2018

Visiting Matsumoto Castle, the Crow Castle/Carlos Pueblo


 Visiting Matsumoto Castle, the Crow Castle/Carlos Pueblo
We had visited the Castle twice, once together on the 1st afternoon arrival, and
on the 3rd  day Amy went inside while I went ahead to visit Karuizawa and came
back for my 2nd visit before our departure. I like the Castle very much because it
is in black color and do have many crows flying around the keep and the moat up
and down; therefore the nick name is the Crow Castle. All structures are either
rebuilt or re-innovated and are more beautiful than before. The garden park is
very charming especially during the early spring, cherry blossom and snow cap
mountain on the background.

We entered the park before the moat, turned right to the Taikomon Gate, the
Drum Gate, which was a new flame construction at the time of current Emperor.
There is an epitaph on a stone tablet which contains many Kanji character I can
guess to understand. On the side, it is a side of the moat with a male white goose
bullying a small white egret by pounding water and loud noise. Many tourists were
wondering what was going on, yet he left all the small dark color ducks alone. On
the 3rd day afternoon, I did see him with his partner leisurely swimming on the
other side of the moat near the Kuromon Gate, the Black Gate like white swans.

The park authority installs all the previous lords’ banners on the court yard. I do
Search all their names, Ishikawa, Matsudaira, Mizuno, Ogasawara, Takeda, and
Hotta. Amy’s brochure indicates that those lords of Shino Han are comparable  
small to midsize at that time less than 100,000 koku a year mostly about 80,000
koku. 1 koku is 278.3 liters of rice and 10,000 koku is about 7.5 million U.S. dollar
in 2016. The lord needed to maintain his small government, military force samurai
, and family, and then if anything left, to build a castle.

I am very impressed of the current day Japanese to engage the restoration of their
heritage and the beautification of their city and environment. It has attracted so
many tourists from all over the world to witness such unique civilization. When I
write this this report, I also check something that gets my attention. The peach farm
and grape farm on both sides of the railroad. Natsukko, or Nectarine and large purple
grapes or koho grapes  are very famous in Japan. Farmers set them up like a mat
awning and both peach trees and grape vines grow on it. I guess that is easier to
harvest. It says that is a crop from the fertile Shinano River, or Chikuma River, 228
miles and the longest one in Japan. There is a famous song called Chikuma River
after the War in 1975 by Goki Hiroshi.

I run out of my space to introduce Kumamoto soy bean pasta, Shinshu, and the
old Kumamoto post senior high, called 9th Ko, the precedent of the National
Shinshu University in Kumamoto.




Visiting Matsumoto/Carlos Pueblo


Visiting Matsumoto/Carlos Pueblo
We took an advice from two ladies staff at Shizuoka station to take Shinkansen
back to Nagoya station and transferred to an express trains to Matsumoto. It
was turned out exceptionally across the Japanese Alps with mountain view with
snow cap peak far away. It also reminds me my experience in the American West
and New England except I am not worrying about the road side. It is an advantage
of Japanese railroad systems, comfortable, efficient, and comfortable for a long
journey. After checking in to the hotel nearby the famous Castle, we marched to
top three ranking Castles of Japan to join a good size of visitors. It was a beautiful
day.

I did have a similar train riding experience last time when I travel on the coastal
line of the Sea of Japan. I cut down to the southwest from Kanazawa to Osaka
via Lake Biwa. There are so many lovely mountain townships with hot springs to
offer and farms, temples, and castles to visit similar to this route, the heart of the
rural of Japan. I can stop at any town one after another to enjoy hanami, spring
blossom, or fall foliage, koyo. The advantage is that I don’t have to drive. Another
of my dream is to meet the harvest of peaches, nectarines, purple grapes that I
have seen so many vine type of farms along the way.

On the second day of Matsumoto after the first afternoon of the Castle tour, we
went to visit Nagano, about one hour train ride to finish the rest of Nagano Express
from Nagoya a day before. We went to visit the Zenkoji Buddhist Temple. A day after
Nagano, I kept on going to visit Karuizawa to locate the famous Michiko tennis courts
where the Empress met her future Emperor husband. Amy went on to see the inside
of the Castle. We ran into each other on a street corner near the station.

Matsumoto’s visit was short yet very relax. I felt that I should do more study before
I go to visit more places of interesting such as the Shinshu University not far away
from the hotel. It is a national university derived from an old 9th Kodougako, 9th
senior school after middle school before the War. I visited the 4th at Kanazawa in
2016 and was graduated from Taiwan Normal which was derived from Taihoku
Kodogako before 1945. I’ll explain it when I write about the Castle and the city.

Saturday, April 28, 2018

松本市行/莊峻華


松本市行/莊峻華
靜岡驛御案內所兩女職員,熱心幫忙,電腦計算里程,結論是搭新幹線,
回名古屋驛一小時車程,換日鐵特急火車到松本市兩小時車程,比搭新幹
線經東京到大宮驛,北上長野,再換車到松本市,簡單又省時,意外之收
穫是,車經日本阿爾卑斯山脈,山峰仍舊積雪,非常美觀。放下行李後,
立即報到松本城,這是三大名城之一,隨後兩日,我分別拜訪長野市和金
井澤市,將分別介紹。

名古屋也是一古城,驛內也是忙碌不堪,豐田在此有車廠,換特急號車,
上下月台,均是電梯流龍,非常方便,快車上欣賞沿路山景,非常愉快,
這和驅車科羅拉多州落機山有異,我無需小心路面。我們之旅店,就在松
本城對面,從房間窗戶,就可以拍攝到天守閣,非常壯觀,非常美麗。

松本市櫻季,應是十日後全盛,但公園內已有早櫻花盛開,也有紅梅花點
綴,雖是寒冷,遊客帶來春意,我仍舊檢視每株花朵,護城河中,有隻大
白天鵝,正在欺侮一小白露斯,趕它出水面,展翅擊水,口出惡聲,造成
巨響,引人注目,此天鵝卻又許可小浮鴨共存,真是費解,我找到機會,
特別拍其岸上棲姿留念,隔日後,從金井澤回來,又見它與伴侶,逍遙游
於河面各處。

城之於有名,在於規模,前三名名城,姬路,熊本,和松本城公園,都是
大規模,有很精緻之花園設計,規劃,和維護,松本城主,更迭頻頻,公
園將其旗幟,立碑標在園內各處,我從護城河內,走到河外,公園作好許
多標誌,標上古跡建築,和其用途,松本位於山區,許多全球遊客,慕名
而來。

松本市屬古信州,信州味噌醬,馳名全球,我們在休市東方超市,均能購
得。此行倉促,注意到信州大學,但未仔細搜尋資料,信大是國立大學,
其前身為舊制松本高等學校,九高,我有參觀舊制高校之嗜好,從我母校
台灣師大之前身,舊制台北高校開始,一高東京,二高仙台,三高京都,
四高金澤等,我都城市經過,而心有餘而力不足也,四高我參觀過,二高
則尋而未覓,聽說至少有十高校,十帝大,明治維新教育法之賜,我們台
灣台北,兩校均俱備,現在之台大和師大,日本之富強,與學校教育有關
,我問松本路旁補習班,升學補習目地為何?曰信州大學。

Returning to Tennis/Carlos Pueblo


Returning to Tennis/Carlos Pueblo
After Hurricane Harvey, I have lost my regular tennis exercises for 8 months. It is
one of the two routine in my regular life and I miss it very much. I like to play double
with a partner against another team on the court. During the game, I would have the
exercises to help me getting to sleep better at night. My physicians always encourage  
for such routine; however, tennis is waning nowadays due to various reasons.

I picked up tennis when I was at junior high school, on and off for some time until my
middle age. I joined two tennis games weekly, Tuesday night and Saturday morning,
and a league match two seasons of a year until interrupted due to Hurricane damaged
courts. Most of my tennis bodies either move out or quit before the interruption of
courts and people recommend me play golf yet I can’t hit straight and hate to take a
lesson.

I intensify my travel, going out on cruises and land trips to foreign countries and
marching on the old towns and parks, etc. I still like to have a local tennis exercises
which is needed to my time and my old body. I feel that I still can play for another
5 years and after that, I am adding additional 5 years and I shall be satisfied.

Friday, April 27, 2018

恢復網球局/莊峻華


恢復網球局/莊峻華
上週日,幫忙整理網球塲,週二晚上,恢復例行網球局,然而參加者,仍然
有限,不若當年,有兩位球友,也無法久待,約是年紀故,週六有球賽,我
賽前擬暖身,例行清晨球局,也僅兩人參加,我正憂慮球局,無法維持下去

日常生活,僅有一運動,就是清晨散步,如果能恢復往常之球局,至少可以
有期待,時間過得稍快,我可以不需經常旅行,但想找到如此接近之球塲,
熟識之球友,則是難得,我曾表示願意,參加鄰區球塲球局,但似乎各處均
有缺人之患,打網球者渺,連琳兒都重整高爾夫球桿。

我希望能再打網球五年,再衡量身體狀況,能繼續打網球,就能割草,就能
自由旅行,飲食無礙,身心健康。

Visiting Shizuoka/Carlos Pueblo


Visiting Shizuoka/Carlos Pueblo
After 5 days at Kumamoto, We moved again to another famous Castle to visit,
Matsumoto, hidden inside of Japanese Alps. I was not sure how far it was from
the central Kyushu; therefore, I made a break at Shizuoka where I would visit if
we were on the cruise from Yokohama back to Seattle. Shimizuku would be the
second port to disembark. I have seen Mt. Fuji several times when the Shinkansen
passing through Shizuoka during clear days. We started early from Shin-Suizenji
station to Kumamoto, changed to Shinkansen eastward through north Kyushu,
Chugoku, Kansai and changed train at Shin-Osaka toward Tokyo. At Shizuoka
Station, I got a help from two ladies in the information center to get the direction
to reach our hotel at Yaizu station; how to make it to Matsumoto on the next day;
a recommendation to visit Sampu Castle Park at Shizuoka.
Yaizu City is a suburban city of Shizuoka, a good size of commercial fishing port
where I can get a better hotel rate for one night. JR Tokaido Line would take us
there in 10 minutes three stops. The scenery of the countryside in the spring is
amazingly beautiful, cherry blossom everywhere on banzai style old trunks,
slow current of creeks, and organized farms. I could see the leisure life of Japanese
rural area. After checking in, the hotel manager reassured me 10 minutes train ride
back to Shizuoka Station and 15 minute walk to Sampu Castle Park and came back
before sunset. I attempted to locate Yaizu on the Google this morning and found out
more and more interesting of my Japanese historical memory. Yaizu is on the
southwest coastal line of the Saruga Bay, keeping on northward would be Shimizuku
Port next to the famous Izu Peninsula. I remember the Nobel Laureate, Yasunari
Kawabata’s novel and movies, The Dancing girl of Izu, and again Ishikawa Sauri’s
Amagigoe, across the Amagi mountain, her top three hits in the early 70’s. Amagi is
a mountain pass of Izu Peninsula.

There is more about my good memory of Japanese drama OOku during the Tokugawa
Period. One of the legendary story was that the nurse-maid of the future third Shogun,
OFuku, rides a horse from Tokyo to Sampu Castle to seek a help from Ieyasu to solidify
the future 3rd Shogun. This is the same Castle in history, the retire castle of the 1st Shogun
, and now a beautiful park of Shizuoka. Blooming cherry from huge tree reach to river
surface of the moat. The keep, Tenshukaku, is gone yet there are still two lovely castles
standing. The city plans plenty cherry and plum trees to decorate the park even invites
schools in the city to maintain flowers pots. I saw the locals to sit on the ground under the cherry blossom like residents everywhere in Japan for picnic. Ieyasu’s statue is standing
there with his hunting hawk.



靜岡行/莊峻華


靜岡行/莊峻華
熊本行結束,擬赴松本市,但不知路途之遠近,選擇在靜岡過夜,經過靜岡
驛幾次,車上眺望富士山,這次錯過郵輪旅行,剛好補上清水區港停留之憾
,我們清晨出發,新幹線經北九州,中國,關西,在新大阪換車,東海新幹
線,幾乎一氣喝成,抵達靜岡驛,在御案內所,兩位女職員,熱心幫忙,迅
速安排簡短行程,如何搭日鐵東海線到燒津市旅店,翌日如何搭新幹線回名
古屋驛,換日鐵特急列車,,北上松本市,聞我喜愛觀賞古城,特別推薦靜
岡城,就是鼎鼎大名之駿府城。

我訂靜岡附近,最便宜之旅店,就在燒津市,從靜岡驛,慢車幾站就到,放
下行李,連忙趕回靜岡驛,旅店經理,非常有把握,日落前可以看到駿府城
,火車單程十分鐘,步行十五分鐘。燒津市在靜岡市西南,駿河灣上漁港,
  火車沿途,鄉村景色,春花艷麗,古梅古櫻,盆栽老株,溪畔並列,加上阡
陌井然,真是淵明先生筆下之桃花園,今晨查谷歌,這駿河灣,不僅北連清水
區港,甚至連伊豆半島,就是川端康成著名小說中,伊豆之踊子之背景,石川
小百合名曲,越過天城,真是有眼不識,日本文學歌謠重鎮。

穿過美麗新穎之靜岡市中心,就看到駿府城,此城著名處為徳川家康隱居城,
大奧劇中曰,其孫竹千代,繼位有難,奶母阿福,單騎投奔駿府,求救於大御
所,跪在內院,令家康長考,我在思考路程,阿福縱是武家女,何以離職位,
而不為主母阿江所覺察?當然歴史輪不到我來怨嘆,但家光後來逼死忠長是事
實,削加藤藩於肥前熊本,也是事實,我的日本行,更加有趣。這駿府城,已
經是一公園,城垣高牆外有護城河,城內花園到處,市政府請來各級學校,種
植維護花圃,到處是櫻花林,有圍籬包住燒毀之天守閣,正在考古挖掘,雖是
週日,仍有多人席地而座,享受花開季節,徳川家康銅像屹立,千古英雄,風
流人物。

剛好遇上花季,就是當地人,也忍不住外出賞花,城牆內巨大櫻樹,花幹枝越
出牆外,伸入護城河水中,近代日本政府,遠離窮兵黷武,經費用來整理古蹟
古物,景色絕佳,獨樹一格。

Thursday, April 26, 2018

Visiting Suizenji Joiuen Garden, Kumamoto, Japan/Carlos Pueblo


Visiting Suizenji Joiuen Garden, Kumamoto, Japan/Carlos Pueblo
On the 5th day of Kumamoto, Amy didn’t feel well due to marching several days
of rain and cold weather. We canceled a plan to visit Beppu city of hot spring
spa resort east of Kumamoto facing the inner sea of Seto Naikai. Instead, we
decided to visit Suizenji Joiuen Garden just across the street from our hotel. It
was a beautiful days and meeting crowded visitors. It was on Sunday, the 2nd
day of a spring festival, matsuri, free of entrance to encourage people to join the
membership and contribution to rebuild earthquake damaged Kumamoto Castle.
We started from outside shopping strip with many shops and entered the garden
with handy booklet delivered by volunteers. It was the 3rd day of cherry blossom
peak and flowers were still very charming.

There was a life band singing on the platform of Noh Theater and I asked the
volunteer ladies if Ishikawa Sayuri was coming to perform, they said oh, no.
Ishikawa is a famous singer from Kumamoto. She would perform in Tokyo in
order to raise more fund for the Castle. I was busy to check on every beautiful
cherry blooming tree for my record like in Tidal Basin, Hyde and Huntington Parks,
and Green Park in Ireland. In adjacent to the Noh theater, there are two huge
grounds called Sakura spacious ground and retreat area. People sit on the ground
to enjoy their drink and lunch box. It is a kind of spring festival called matsuri. Amy
was consuming her box and a delicious fish on a concrete bench while I was still
taking my photos.

 I overheard a Taiwanese guide to introduce the scenery to his group that the man
made hill with Mt. Fuji shape called Tsukiyama and a spring fed lake, Ezu Lake,
symbol the Lake Biwa near Kyoto. Colorful koi carp swimming freely in the pond
with small arc shape bridges to connect islands. Would it be nice to have some
lotus blooming as well?

We went to visit the Izumi Shrine and extant Buddhist temple, Gentakuji passing
through the spring of longevity. Some visitor really drink it for longer life. There is
a life museum of sand art performance, putting colorful sand on a plate similar to
the Tibetan art work. I read the old document hanging on the wall about one of
the lord Hosokawa.

As a matter of fact, there are two Hosokawa statues in the garden, the 1st lord
Yuusai and the 3rd lord Tadatoshi. Tadatoshi started to build this garden and
finished by the 4th and 5th lords in 60 years. I did mention that how the Hosokawa
replaced Kato on my previous article about the Castle. Hosokawa had lasted for
235 years.




訪問熊本市水前寺/莊峻華


訪問熊本市水前寺/莊峻華
居停熊本市旅店,就在水前寺隔街對面,幾日天寒淋雨,愛美不支,
開始咳嗽,她想取消而後行程,只居一處,我不知所措,最後一日熊
本居,臨時決定就近拜訪水前寺,取消搭車東向別府鎮行,就濱臨瀨
戶內海之溫泉鄉。水前寺是一意外收穫,春天就像一山水花園,剛好
有位郵輪行認識法國朋友,與我通信,聞我拜訪水前寺,立查谷歌,
來信曰漂亮,囑寄相片。

剛好這是今年水前寺祭,春季首輪,寺外商塲已經擠滿遊客,商店均
約免稅,外國遊客甚多,遊覽車擠滿停車塲,許多當地義工,招待服
務,我查了一下我想購買之奈良漬瓜,超市有售,於是我就寬心進塲
。這是櫻季,諸花怒放,我忙著拍照,一株接連一株,需與愛花女士
爭奪鏡頭位置,先是能樂殿歌唱,問曰歌唱者,將有石川小百合?招
待女士們笑曰否,這是年度一系列祭,為熊本城重建募款,石川為舉
國馳名歌后,在東京義唱多次。能樂殿前四週是櫻花。

接連者,櫻廣塲也是櫻花林,休憩廣塲四週櫻花怒放,愛美找一位置
,開始吃便當,日本家庭,則是席地而座,坐滿休憩廣塲,然後享用
便當飲料,我特別注意,並無酒類,約是寺廟禁酒故,這是日本家庭
迎春活動之一。旁邊就是江津湖和假山,台灣一隊領隊曰,此山象徵
富士山,江津湖則是琵琶湖,非常有趣。接著參觀一傳統砂圖藝術館
,出水神社,和水前寺,就是玄宅寺,此花園為首任細川藩主之手筆
,細川忠利,彼接加藤藩,後傳兩百餘年,園中有其銅像。我曾稍提
加藤第二代,不小心為第三代將軍削藩,由細川氏接任,西南戰爭中
,熊本城守將,力拒薩摩叛軍,城閣被毀,水前寺則無恙,日本歴史
故事,生動有趣,更難得者為,其國人民,善於保存古蹟,善於寫作
戲劇,留給後人緬懷。

湖水中,錦鯉滿佈,真是美觀,我在想,日本市塲有蓮耦,何不見水
池中無蓮花?必是蓮出汙泥而不染,錦鯉喜愛清水故也,我毫無微言
只不過遺憾有錦鯉之美,無蓮花陪襯之憾也,否則,吾將以近體詩對
ㄓ,聞小說家夏目漱石舊居於此,我看到路標,在出水神社井水前,
卻未見蹤影。