昨日、ある方からの「住宅についての相談」を伺っていて同道した札幌市中央区のある一角。ほぼ自然状態が放置されていたなかに一本の見覚えのある花の姿。北海道では「ヤマボウシ」という名前の方が一般的で、それも花が白いほうが圧倒的なのですが、本州、つくば市の国の住宅研究所「国総研」を訪問した際に、その玄関前に満開の赤いはなびらを見せてくれていて「これがウワサに聞くハナミズキか」と聞いたところ、そんなの当たり前じゃないか、みたいな表情で上の空の返答をいただいた樹種。
わたしの個人的な体験で言うと、北海道ではこうしたピンクの花びらの花はほとんど見たことがなかった。本州地域のみなさんからは、なかば「置いて行かれる」花常識の世界。
でも、そういうのにも最近は開き直ってきている。「いいじゃないか、なんと言おうとハナミズキは北海道人には他界の花だ」と。
有名な歌も、北海道では体感しようもない架空現実の世界のようだった。
北海道の「夏場」は一気に全部の植生が一斉に百花繚乱するので、いちいちの個別種には気がつかないとも言えるし、そもそも本州とは「季語」自体に共通性があまりない。
花鳥風月についての会話には、北海道人はただ、ニコニコとスルーさせていただくしかない。内心はそういう小さな世界での「決まり事」みたいな決めつけは遠慮したいと思っているけれど、さりとて日本人であり、共通理解を妨げるのも申し訳ない。そういうときは沈黙一択なのですね。
でもこうしてほぼ自然状態の中で、自立的に花開いている様子を見ると、うれしい。
やっと北海道でも季語がやや遅れてとはいえ、同期できることがうれしい。なんかいじましいけど（笑）。ということで本日はややひがみも感じられる樹木の話題でした。狭い心、もうすこし拡張させていきたいと肝に銘じております。
English version⬇
[Oh, is that a red dogwood in Maruyama, Sapporo?
In the midst of various activities, I encountered a tree at a site where I was responding to a housing consultation brought to me. In the history of personal encounters with trees, I was reunited with a distinctive one. .......
Yesterday, I visited a corner of Chuo Ward, Sapporo City, where I was visiting to consult with a client about housing. In the midst of the almost natural state of the flowers, I saw a familiar flower. When I visited the National Institute of Housing Research in Tsukuba City, Honshu, the red petals were in full bloom in front of the entrance of the institute. When I asked him if this was the dogwood that I had heard so much about, he replied with a blank expression on his face, “Of course it is.
From my personal experience, I have rarely seen such pink petals in Hokkaido. It is a world of common knowledge that people in the Honshu area are “left behind” in terms of flowers.
However, I have recently become more open to such things. I don't care what they say, the dogwood is a flower of other worlds to the people of Hokkaido.
Even the famous song seemed to be an imaginary reality that we cannot experience in Hokkaido.
In Hokkaido, all the vegetation blooms at once in the summer, so it can be said that we do not notice each individual species, and in the first place, “seasonal words” themselves have little in common with those of Honshu.
Hokkaido people can only smile and let the conversation about “Kacho Fu Fugetsu” pass them by. Deep down inside, I would like to refrain from making such “rules” in our small world, but I am Japanese, and I am sorry to interfere with our common understanding. In such a case, silence is the only choice.
However, I am happy to see the independent flowering in this way, almost in a natural state.
I am glad that we can finally synchronize the seasonal words in Hokkaido, albeit a little late. It's kind of a tease, though (laughs). So, today's topic was about trees, which I feel a bit cynical about. I am determined to expand my narrow mind a little more.