重訪廣島2018/莊峻華

重訪廣島2018/莊峻華

愛美希望參觀廣島，所以我安排一日，再搭車西向，車上巧遇一隊29位

台灣旅客，和一位台南女士，愉快交談，她之旅行原則，與我相似，節約

不浪費，可以多旅行幾次，她問我是否看過北極光？我是窘然無以對，她

跟台灣團到加拿大看過一次，津津樂道，而且出示相片，我是不注意，確

實有幾次到達範圍，但都不是時間不對，或是無知而錯過，那是搭船過冰

島，還有三次搭郵輪，一次驅車到阿拉斯加，都在夏天。她們在大崗山下

車，我去過該城市，而且特地搭車跨海，到四國高松市，不知丸龜總部讚

歧，就在附近，我告訴她注意驛前，桃太郎銅像，神話起源於此，小時後

父母傳授之童謠。我們在次驛下車，不巧雨天，也剛好日鐵與當地觀光巴

士有約，免費接駁到平和公園，和廣島城。

雖是下雨天，仍然有許多遊客，有幾班中學生，前來戶外教學參觀，原爆

點之平和公園，大田川穿梭其間，我看過櫻花，也看過楓葉轉赤，這次遇

到椿花，日本椿花株高大，花朵美麗，紅白黃粉紅色，小林幸子之雪椿，

是我喜愛演歌之一，我拍攝許多相片留念，當然，幾株早櫻，開始點綴。

這圓頂歐式建築，仍舊屹立不搖，這是古縣立農業廳。

搭巴士回廣島驛，然後再等車到廣島城，驛內一陣騷動，原來是當地高校

球隊過境，引來球迷記者電視，驛內職員也列隊，維持秩序，原來是全國

球季已達決賽，此隊準備搭新幹線外出。

車抵廣島城，這是複製城，今為博物館，我一直找二之丸，因為上次我來

，參觀這二丸平櫓，很深印象，因丸內展覽一徳川時代之松下廊忠烈故事

，我以為就是廣島藩之故事，這次城主事，已將圖片拿掉，於是我和新主

事筆談，他幫我簡單說明，這是毛利藩，然後是福島，最後是淺野，我問

毛利是否和下關之毛利同宗？當然是，日本戰國時代之戲劇電影，實在資

料豐富，逸趣橫生，我為此到訪，下關，小倉城，東京泉岳寺等地，每次

訪日，都像時空穿越。主事聞我為台灣人，特別帶我們到丸前大門，察看

巨大台灣紅檜，此丸在1994年，完成重建。

丸外庭院，櫻花已在雨中開放，非常美麗迷人，丸外就是護城河，有遊艇

生意，河內都是鯉魚，此城古曰鯉城。

Re-visiting Himeji Castle 2018/Carlos Pueblo

Re-visiting Himeji Castle 2018/Carlos Pueblo

Himeji Castle is located at Himeji City, Kansai about 1 hour train ride from Osaka.

It is very beautiful and precious listed as a Cultural World Heritage, a National

Treasury of Japan. After my first visit in 2016, I have learned more of Japanese

history and decided to fulfill a dream of additional two visit of the same caliber,

Kumamoto and Matsumoto Castles on this trip this year. Kiyoshi Otani San is from

Himeji and appointed as a tourist ambassador for the city and gives us two passbooks

of the city tourist bureau. We also visited the neighbor gardens of Senhime and

Kokoen. Both are beautiful especial the Kokoen Garden, one of the most beautiful

garden in Japan.

The castle from far away is looked like a white crane with open wings. It is one of

a few original castles in Japan, 100 plus more remaining from the counted 1000.

Only few of the cherry were blooming when we entered the Tenshukaku, the

commanding tower of 6 story, needed a few more days to peak. The que was very

long from outside to the top of the building and required to take off and carried our

owned shoes up. Because of crowded visitors, everything was removed and safety

officers installed. It was clearly a long que from outside to inside and to the top and

down. Even the living quarter of the other structure, Nishino maru, most of the

decoration such as Senhemi’s figure with servant playing cards and her background

illustration were gone thin time. After the first visit, I have reviewed several time of

the history of the last leg of the 150 year war period, Sengoku period or Warring

States period. Senhime, daughter of Tokugawa, lived at the Nishinomaru, first married

to the son of Toyotomi then the lord’s son of Himeji. Her mother Oeyo was a sister

of Nobunaga. Nobunaga, Toyotomi, and Tokugawa were three major characters of

that period. I have watched so many video of movies in my life.

Kokoen was built in 1994, a modern Japanese garden. There are more than four

Flowering trees sub-garden in it and a lovely tea house surrounded with a long

pond with colorful koi carps swimming under small arc bridges connecting islands

with a stream flowing down through rocky hills. I especially crossed the path order

to visit old plum blossom red, white, and mixed colors. There were some early

cherry blossom. I asked a permission to photo for Amy and a come to age girl with

costume kimono dress under a tree of cherry blossom. I have heard and read a lot

of plum flower in my childhood and this is my lucky time to observe some of them

on old banzai trees.

重訪姬路城2018/莊峻華

重訪姬路城2018/莊峻華

姬路城在關西，離大阪市約是一小時內車程，我曾拜訪過一次，非常珍貴

美麗，已經是世界級國寶，和熊本城，松本城，號稱日本前三座美麗古城

，我稍同意，但日本美城甚多，加上花園其間，難分軒輊，例如鄰近之大

阪城，燒毀兩次，重建後，仍有帝王宮殿之雄姿。姬路是大谷兄之故鄉，

他送我兩本姬路之觀光御招待劵，我們更是義不容辭，抵大阪翌晨，就搭

車前往，順便拜訪美麗之好古園花園，水池錦鯉，桃梅花開。

一下車，就可看到白色雄偉之天守閣，姬路城像是展翅之白鶴，我從驛前

就開始拍照，經過上次深藏商區之旅店，就已接近城池廣塲，城前已經結

集許多遊客。幾株早櫻花開，但不顯著，我們脫鞋提鞋上天守閣，兩條長

龍，一上一下，毫無間斷，主事招待，已經開始注意安全，幸好遊客均聽

話守規矩，下閣後始喘出一口氣，戰前日本帝國陸軍師團，佔用各地城堡

，所以美軍不客氣，一一轟炸，現在之城堡，都是戰後重建。

我覺得日本歴史很有趣，主要是日本文學獨特，許多作家，認真寫作，許

多歴史文學作品，發表在文章，小說，詩歌，歴史等，連我是外人，都深

受影響，我照很多相片，也寫遊記，許多過去看過之日劇，都一一貫通，

例如此城，與豐田秀吉也有關，谷歌字典中提到有關之安土城，就是秀吉

老板織田信長之城，是古今城之分水嶺，城垣已經不在山頂，功用也不再

軍事防禦，而是行政住家之豪華。日本城堡和歐洲古城堡相似，都有護城

河，引水自山頂溪流，現在姬路城，已經契約商人，在城河遊艇營業。

好古園花園，在城旁間隔千姬公園，千姬曾住城天守閣旁之西之丸，她是

城主長子本多忠刻之妻，住此十年，能詩賦有文才，公園內之紅梅已怒放

引起我注意。

過千姬花園後，就是好古園花園，這是近代日本花園，有松竹桃櫻園，小

橋流水，環繞花園茶屋，錦鯉特大，幾株早櫻，不若梅圃古梅之艷麗，我

們遇到兩位少女，和服盛裝，穿梭於花叢中拍照，我請她母親和她同意，

讓愛美與彼合照留念，她們欣然同意，如此繞園兩圈，始入園內餐廳用餐

，沒點到刺身盤，但代替者也不錯。出花園到對面吃甜點，又買一瓶清酒

，準備購買魷魚酒菜，結果忙了兩位店員，查手機翻譯，原來我寫下英文

拼字有誤，最後拼對，而該店無此貨。

Visiting Osaka 2018/Carlos Pueblo

Visiting Osaka 2018/Carlos Pueblo

After 3 nights in Tokyo, we started our journey westward to Osaka for the second

leg of Japan. I have been very fond of this high speed rail called Shinkansen,

comfortable and enjoyable about 2 ½ hours ride. I didn’t make any reservation

a day before to get rid of the timely stressful situation. Shinkansen is very rapid and

almost one car in every 15 minutes from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka Station. If I don’t get

the reservation right on the spot before I go, I can always wait for the next one or

try the non-reservation line for the first 3  carriages. Upon arriving Shin-Osaka

Station, we would change to a Japan Rail trains to the old Osaka Station to get a

shuttle bus to the hotel. During this 4 nights stay, I planned to take Amy to visit

Himeji Castle, Hiroshima Castle and the Pease Park, and Kitashinchi and Osaka

Castle Park.

Both train stations in Osaka are very lively and prosperous business. Japanese make

good use of their railroad systems which I don’t see very much in the U.S. The other

variety of business are also derived. Salarymen are in suit, ladies are high heel and

stylish overcoats only seen in London and Manhattan subways, students are in

uniforms, and some elder ladies are in kimono. They are moving quietly through the

traffic of station crowd in and out. There are even rooms for our luggage while we

try to have a shushi lunch at restaurants even with a box under your chef front table

for your bags, hat, and scarf, etc. It is quick and efficient. I met two young ladies and

a gentleman at an international information stand to help passengers who are from

Taipei, Tsindao, and Hong Kong accordingly. Japan has begun to employ foreigners

to fill some jobs in their market like the U.S. and its unemployment rate is 2.5%.

I like to describe the hotel which we stay, Hyatt Regency. First, we need to thank our

daughter Michelle for her kindly treatment. The hotel is outside of the station near

the container port of Osaka about 30 minutes shuttle ride. It is out of nowhere, the

general manager indicates to me, and is a re-claim land of the 80’s bubble burst.

Now, it is all built up new business center. I see that IBM is there as well. The hotel

provides a very nice breakfast, both oriental and occidental menu which I am very

impressed. I can maintain my two meal routine by fill up in the morning and get a

late shushi lunch at Osaka station and waiting for the breakfast next morning.

You are going to see our visits to Himeji, Hiroshima, and Osaka Castle Park very

soon.

大阪行2018/莊峻華

大阪行2018/莊峻華

結束東京居留，開始西行大阪，搭乘新幹線，這次未先訂票，避免趕時間

壓力，旅途舒適愉快，我搭過多次此線，駕輕就熟，先達新大阪驛，然後

接駁日鐵列車一站到大阪驛，再搭每小時一班之酒店專車，抵新商業區，

接近大阪港，中間有許多時間午餐。我說酒店是海耶特，要感謝琳兒招待

，大阪四夜，北海道函館喜萊登三夜，其餘兩週餘，都是普通房間，樸素

清潔旅館。大阪居留，原計劃是，一日北新地和大阪城，一日是姬路城，

一日是廣島城和平和公園。

新舊大阪驛，均是非常忙碌熱鬧，井然有續，列車，新幹線和日鐵傳統，

班次頻頻，進出車站以秒計，驛內巨大商塲，我們就在餐廳，吃壽司喝啤

酒，結帳是刷小盤計算，迅速準確，而且價錢合理。日本富裕繁榮，觀看

車站商店，可知一二。我在驛內走道上問路，遇見幾位制服姑娘男士，分

別來自台北，青島，和香港，日本早已聘用東方青年，服務於各個行業。

日本人善用鐵道運輸，我只是使用日鐵系統而已，尚未涉及地下鐵，若非

快速新幹線，其餘票價均合理便宜，我發現新幹線也開始有特價票。驛內

人群，許多是上班族，很多穿制服，男士西裝，女士姑娘則是洋裝，看起

來很有精神，長者衣飾也是整潔，偶見傳統和服打扮，學生多半制服，而

且彬彬有禮。

我們在驛外候車接駁，許多酒店提供如此服務，我猜海耶特較遠，其他一

車，約十分鐘一班，而且經常座滿，尚有人排長龍，而且大半都是年輕人

，我曰青年者，年幼於我者也。

酒店房間廣闊，有兩邊鄰落地窗，我懷疑是總統級房間，我們更感謝琳兒

。酒店提供朝食，非常豐盛，每餐我均食用四碗白飯，許多漬食，梅漬，

海菜，烤魚，泡菜，味噌湯等和食，另一半是西食，自助餐型式。

最後一夜，遇上每月一次之酒會，招待會員，與瑞士總經理聊天，其他幾

位經理也作陪，酒會不是很多人，但食品點心精緻，招待親切，留下非常

好之印象。

Dinners with Japanese friends in Tokyo/Carlos Pueblo

Dinners with Japanese friends in Tokyo/Carlos Pueblo

The reason why I arranged three nights stay in Tokyo was because we liked to have

dinners with our Japanese friends in the city and let Amy to have a taste of typical

Japanese cuisine other than those in Houston. Haruhiko Yamada helped me to locate

the restaurant, Shuraku near by our inn Jimbocho 1 Chome. It clam that all are directly

delivered from Wajima Port, Noto Peninsula, Ishikawa Prefecture on the northwest

part of Japan facing the sea of Japan. The Peninsula is famous for Japanese lacquer

developed since early 17 century from a wisdom of a local lord Moeda family. I was

very closed to Noto one year when I stayed at Kanazawa, the capital city of Ishikawa.

I also like to mention that I have been attracted by the popular song sung by Ishikawa

Sayuri during the 70’s, Noto Peninsula; therefore, I have made a visit and researched

the history of that war era in the late 16th century. Keyoshi and Keiko Otani accepted

the invitation and came to meet us on the second night of our stay in Tokyo.

We have known the Otani’s family ever since their time in our neighborhood as our

neighbor. Amy is very fond of Keiko because they have had four kids at a consecutive

ages at that time, 1,2,3,4 years old. We have kept correspondence since they return

to Japan. The kids are all in their 30’s except Naoko who is the third children added

to their family after returning to Japan. Keyoshi was the bureau chief of Nikkei Journal

in southern states territory at that time. After his retirement, he has been invited to be

a vice president of Tokyo Tech University, a very prestige engineering school back to

Meiji era and one of the best like Tokyo University. We usually go to his office at

Ookayama campus for a visit when we come to Japan. He is a tourist ambassador of his

hometown city, Himeji near Osaka and famous for its Castle; therefore, he has given us

passbooks to visit the Castle and next door, Kokoen a lovely garden of the previous lord.

I have met Haruhiko Yamada at a small inn in London outside of the Hyde Park and ever

since we have become pals and I always try to have dinners with him either in Tokyo or

London. He is a very well learned person with very good knowledge of Japan and I am

benefit from our dinner conversation to know Japan. After his retirement, he will engage

to a fruits business to import mango from Thailand and ship to Manila or Japan.

Both dinners, our friends have consulted with the restaurant manager for dishes they

order for us. I am very impressed with the raw fish, Sashimi, presented to us in a very

beautiful way, the fish are clean cut put on top of white basil leaves and white radish

thread, etc. A proper way to taste the delicacies is dip the raw fish to soy sauce and

apply a small portion of wasabi, similar to horse radish paste, and join with sake or

draft beer. I shall explain more in details later.

與日友晚餐/莊峻華

與日友晚餐/莊峻華

這次旅行，選擇居留東京三夜，主要是安排兩夜，在同一餐廳，與日友晚餐

，餐廳就在旅店附近，神保町一丁目，店名集樂，北陸輪島漁港直送，兩年

前，山田晴彥兄，帶我到此晚餐，留下美憶，因寫遊記，又旅遊金澤市，查

谷歌對照兄語，把歌曲能登半島，和輪島港連上關係，這次再加上大谷清和

啓子夫婦，連續兩夜光顧，兩次餐廳均客滿，兩次經理都設法安排擠進。這

山田兄首次介紹之輪島塗漆，和石川小百合之能登半島名曲，都是同地，濱

日本海，海產清酒等，都是石川縣輪島港直送，塗漆是古前田藩之智慧。

先是與大谷家庭團聚，大谷清兄與我同庚，三十餘年前鄰居，愛美和啓子

是閨友，小孩同齡，一，二，三，四歲，當年岳母大人，與我們同居，能

言日語，非常親近，八九年返國，兩家均有賀歲書信往返，最近，我們開

始訪問日本，均安排飯局，通常到東京大崗山東工大，蓋大谷兄日經新聞

退休後，出任東工大副校長，啓子小孩成人後，參加公義活動，是全日本

女網協會主角。他出身姬路市，與市長相識，被聘為該城觀光大使，這次

我們也拿到一本門票，免費參觀姬路城和好古園花園。

次夜山田晴彥兄，提前趕來旅店，我們五店許，赴集樂餐廳試運氣，果然

誠意感動經理，要求我們七時結束。我在倫敦海徳公園外一小客棧，認識

這位旅行者，兩年前來日旅行，連絡到他，他到旅店帶我到集樂，印像深

刻，剛好愛美喜歡刺身壽司。他仍在上班，退休後，準備與友合夥水果生

意，大概是從泰國進口芒果，和其現今食品安全無關。他喜歡古典鐘錶收

集所以常旅行歐洲。

喜愛日本餐，不會點菜，也是苦腦，我觀看啟子夫婦，隨時和經理研究，

山田兄亦然，要看廚房鮮魚素材，整盤端出，有諸刺身拼盤，然後一一認

出魚名，也有魚卵，花枝，鮮魷等，紫蘇菜頭絲舖底，然後就是芥末生薑

，正確吃法，山田兄說法是，魚沾醬油，芥末少許其上，清酒生啤酒隨後

，甚是清淡美味，幾巡後已經滿臉微赤，心頭熱呼呼也，有美食又酒逢知

己後，始知千杯恨少，集樂清酒，也是石川特產。