ミュージカル「オペラ座の怪人」

3月31日（土）曇

1986年ロンドン初公演以来、世界27ヵ国・145都市・14言語で上演され、観客動員数は１億人を突破。全世界での総収入は4,200億円を超え、歴史上のすべての映画・演劇における最高の興行収入を記録。ブロードウェイでは史上最長のロングラン記録を更新し続けています。カレッタ汐溜の電通四季劇場「海」でミュージカル見物。 

音羽御殿と汐溜御殿

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Musical, “ The Phantom of the Opera”   Sat. March 31 : fine

After the first stage in London in 1986 this musical has been performed in 27 countries and 14 languages and gathered more than 100M audience in the world. The total income all over the world exceeded $420B, the historical highest box-office revenue of all movies and stages. At Broad Way historically the longest long-run record has been renewing. I will see the musical at Dentsu Shiki Theater “Umi” in Caretta Shiodome.

Castle Otowa and Castle Shiodome

ノスタルジー専科

3月30日（金）快晴

過去を悔やまない、未来に期待しない、長いものに巻かれない、が僕の生活信条。「ALWAYS 三丁目の夕日63」を見ましたが、実につまらない映画。世間はあるべき姿で眺めるのではなく、あるがままに見ないといけません。今夜はショーカンパニーのミュージカル「駄菓子屋エンジェル・二丁目の夕日」を見に行きます。

東京タワー

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Special course of nostalgia   Fri. March 30 : fine

“Always Sunset on Third Street” that won Japan Academy Prize in 2005 is a record-making film that gathered 2M of audience. After that 2 more sequels were shot but I haven’t seen any of them yet. I’m going to buy some DVDs and go to Shinjuku Zenrosai Building to see the musical ,“Engel of Cheep Candy Shop /Sunset on Second Street” by Show Company.

 Tokyo Tower

消費依存

3月29日（木）快晴

今月はユニクロ銀座店オープン、新iPad発売など長蛇の列ができたようです。恥も外聞もなく食べ物屋に並ぶ人たちもいます。OZは新iPadなんか見向きもしないので、どの電気屋にも在庫があります。日米は買い物に欧豪の5倍の時間を割くとか。もう少し心豊かな生活ができないのでしょうか？

電気街

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Shopping addiction   Thu. March 29 : fine

UNIQULO Ginza opened this month. A long line was made in front of the shop with people who gathered to buy new iPads. Some people still shamelessly make line in front of food shops. As no OZs pay the least attentions to new products like iPads so many of them are displayed at every electric shop in Australia. Japanese and Americans seem to spend time for shopping 5 times more than Europeans or Australians do. I wonder how they can become a little more richer spiritually. 

electronic quarter

運転免許の更新

3月28日（水）快晴

僕は豪州の運転免許も持っていて、顔写真を持って保険会社に行き2000円を払うと国際免許がもらえます。日本の運転免許は返上してもいいのですが、自動二輪や大型免許もあるので何となく名残惜しい。ホテルの宿泊証明書を持参して今回は東京で更新。免許の現住所はワシントン・ホテルになりました。

豪州免許

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Renewal of driving license            Wed. March 28 : fine

As I have the Australian license besides Japanese license I can get the international driving license, if I bring the mug shot to the insurance company and pay them $25. I could give up Japanese license by now but I somehow feel reluctant to do so because it also holds my motorcycle and heavy vehicle licenses. So with my hotel staying certificate I went to renewed it in Tokyo this time. My address in Japan has been changed from Aomori to Washington Hotel.

Australian license

芸術の森

3月27日（火）快晴

上野には国立西洋美術館、東京都美術館、東京芸術大学美術館、上野の森美術館がある。国立博物館、国立科学博物館、下町風俗資料館もある。東京文化会館、旧東京音楽学校奏楽堂、それに上野動物園。以上10か所を巡るとなると最低1週間？寒さで桜が咲かず人影のない今年の上野の森は芸術鑑賞の絶好のチャンス。

考える人

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Art Park Museum    Tue. March 27 : fine

There are National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo Metropolitan Museum, University Art Museum and Ueno Royal Museum in Ueno. There are also Tokyo National Museum, National Museum of Nature and Science and Shitamachi Museum. There are even more - Tokyo Bunka Kaikan, Sogakudo and Ueno Zoo. If you want to go to see all of those 10 museums, you will need more than a week. Ueno Park must be crowded with cherry blossom viewers. To go or not to go, that is the question.

the Thinker

東京臨海広域防災公園

3月26日（月）快晴

僕が泊る有明のホテルの隣に首都圏の防災拠点施設があります。首都直下地震など大規模災害発生時に防災司令部として機能するそうです。しかし昨年3月まで東京湾で2mを越える津波が観測されたことはなかったので、津波対策はゼロ。湾岸コンビナートの火災や電源喪失などで司令部が真っ先にメルトダウンするのは必至です。

有明

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Tokyo Rinkei Disaster Protection Park   Mon. March 26 : fine

There is a metropolitan disaster protection base next to the hotel where I am staying in Ariake. They say it will function as the disaster protection headquarters when some big disasters such as metropolitan epicenter earthquakes happen. But as no high tsunamis that are over 2m have ever observed before March 2011 it has no counterplan against tsunamis. The headquarters will definitely be melted down upper most due to seaside complex fire, loss of power and others. 

 Ariake

企業の落書き

3月25日（日）快晴

東京に移動。成田空港は世界でも稀なほどアクセスが不良。「成田と羽田でハブ空港」なんてどういう意味？ハブには関空が適していますが、着陸料が高過ぎ。などと考えていたら、あれっ、駅に落書き！街を汚す行為は、愉快犯の仕業なら犯罪でも企業なら許される日本。美醜の区別がつかないほど神経が麻痺している国民。

夜の落書き

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Tokyo graffiti    Sun. March 25 : fine

I moved to Tokyo. Narita is one of the airports that has bad access in the world. I cannot understand how you can call it “the hub airport, Narita and Haneda”. Kansai Airport is suitable for hub airport but the landing charge is too expensive. While I was thinking about this and that I found graffiti inside the station! Soiling town by spray artists is guilty but that by enterprise is innocent in Japan. People are too paralyzed their nerves to distinct beauty from ugliness.

graffiti at night

 

 

成田空港の半世紀

3月24日（土）快晴

ケアンズから成田に飛び、今夜は成田泊。1960年代後半に僕は毎月のようにここに来て空港反対期成同盟の農民たちと「日本帝国主義粉砕！」と叫んでいました。原発と同じで国策遂行のために、政府は現ナマの懐柔策と機動隊による暴力的弾圧の2段構えのゴリ押しに徹しました。死者も出る激しい戦いでした。

ヒルトン成田

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Half century of Narita Airport   Sat. March 24 : fine

I flew from Cairns to Narita today and staying at Narita tonight. Late in 1960s I came here almost every month and cry “Smash the Japan Imperialism!” with the farmers from the Against Airport League. As same as nuclear reactors the government consisted double tactics of conciliatory by cash and violent pressure by the riot police in order to accomplish the national scheme. It was a furious movement ended up with some dead victims.  

Hilton Narita

芸術家の村・キュランダ

3月23日（金）快晴

熱帯雨林に囲まれた人口500人のキュランダにはヒッピー芸術家が大勢住んでいます。本格的な画家や彫刻家や陶芸家もいれば、安物のアクセサリーや置物を作るベジタリアンもいます。ヒッピーは1960年代後半に生まれ、既成の伝統や制度を否定し、自然・愛・平和・芸術・自由を追求する運動です。明日から日本です。

ヒッピーの聖地・ニンビン

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Artists’ village   Fri. March 23 : fine

In Kuranda that is surrounded by tropical rain forest and with the population of 500 lots of hippie artists live. Some of them are authentic painters, sculptors or ceramists and others are vegetarians who make cheap accessories or ornaments. Hippies started in late 1960s. It’s the movement that denies the existent tradition and system and quests nature, love, peace, art and freedom.  

hippi's sacred village

アボリジニの絵

3月22日（木）快晴

OZは自宅に絵を飾るので大きな町には必ず画廊があります。不況で現在は数が減っていますが、それでもケアンズには美術商が30軒ほど。無名の作家の美術品はお手ごろ価格。絵画や版画ではアボリジニの作品が人気があります。ユミも1枚欲しいと言いますが、我家のインテリアはモダン・アジアンだから駄目です！

前の借家の絵画

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Aboriginal paintings    Thu. March 22 : fine

As OZs like decorating their homes with paintings there are always some art galleries in the big towns. Due to the depression the number has decreased at this point but there are still about 30 art galleries in Cairns. You can get some works by nameless artists with good prices there. As for paintings and carvings Aboriginal works are more popular. Yumi also says she wants to get one but they won’t fit our home that is designed in modern Asian taste. 

painting in former our rental house

ケアンズ市立美術館

3月21日（水）曇

ケアンズには比較的大きな美術館が2館あります。どちらも世界的に有名な作品を見ることはできませんが、地元の芸術家の絵画、版画、写真、映像、彫刻、オブジェ、陶磁器、ガラス製品、織物、その他の工芸品、民芸品などが展示されています。いつでも空いていて、入場料も安いし、気に入った作品の購入も可能です。

美術館巡り

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Cairns Municipal Art Center   Wed. March 21 : cloudy

There are 2 comparatively big art galleries in Cairns. You cannot expect to see any worldly famous works there but they have local artists’ paintings, prints, photos, movies, carvings, objects, potteries, glass works, textiles and other handcrafts and folk crafts. It’s always empty and the entry fee is inexpensive. You can buy any works you like.

museum tour

洪水と停電

3月20日（火）雨

1週間以上強い雨が断続的に降りケアンズ市内のあちこちで洪水が発生。ワニや毒蛇が庭にやって来たり、デング熱を媒介する蚊の大量発生が危惧されています。追い打ちをかけるように停電が発生。大半の家庭は台所の熱源がガスではなく電気。夕食時になると一斉にテラスのBBQストーブで肉を焼く香りが漂って来ます。（photo by Cairns Post）

水は友達

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Flood and blackout    Tue. March 20 : rainy

Heavy rain has lasted intermittently more than 1 week and floods have occurred here and there in Cairns. It is apprehensive that crocodiles and poisonous snakes will come to the garden and a plague of mosquitoes that intermediate dengue will happen. As one misfortune follows another a blackout occurred. The energy in the kitchen in most homes is not gas but electricity. At dinner hour the smell of grilling meat with BBQ stoves on terrace drifts simultaneously. （photo by Cairns Post）

water is our friend

動物虐待は重罰

3月19日（月）雨

建物の外壁や電車にカラー・スプレーで落書きをする愉快犯の罪刑は軽過ぎるように思います。しかし今月、落書きの最中に吠えて来た犬にスプレーをかけた男に1年半の禁固刑の判決。動物虐待は2年以下の懲役または200万円以下の罰金です。鯨肉を食べるのは日本では愛国者（？）ですが、豪州では犯罪者です。

世界遺産に落書き

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Sever punishment to animal abuse    Mon. March 19 : rainy

I think the punishment for graffiti with color spray onto building walls or trains is too light. Apart from that, the man who jetted color spray onto the dog that barked him while he was spraying graffiti was sentenced to 1.5 years imprisonment this month. Animal abuse is sentenced to up to 2 years imprisonment or fined up to $25,000. Whale eater is considered to be a patriot in Japan but a criminal in Australia.

graffiti on world herritage

OZは日本の捕鯨を怒っています

3月18日（日）雨

1986年商業捕鯨が国際的に禁止された後も日本は「科学調査」と称して、豪州領海を侵犯し、年間900頭を捕獲して来ました。商業捕鯨ではない証に捕鯨船団派遣は税金を使用。鯨肉は国内需要が停滞してだぶつき気味。今年の日本の捕鯨数は環境保護団体の妨害で266頭。豪州政府も国際司法裁判所に日本を提訴しています。

海の731部隊

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OZs are angry about Japanese whaling    Sun. March 18 : rainy

After commercial whaling had banned internationally in 1986 Japan has till invaded in Australian territorial seas and caught 900 of whales every year calling it “scientific research.” In order to show the evidence that it isn’t commercial whaling the whaling fleet use tax. There is an oversupply of whale meat because of domestic demand lag. Due to the blocking by some environmental organizations the number of whales Japan caught was 266 this year. Australian government has accused Japan to the International Court of Justice.

Troop 731 in the ocean

日本の高原の町

3月17日（土）雨

日本版「戦争と平和」とも言うべき島崎藤村の大作「夜明け前」を50年振りに再読。木曽街道の高原の町・馬篭を舞台にした明治維新の歴史小説。主な登場人物だけでも100人以上。難しい漢字と旧仮名遣いで読みやすくはありませんが司馬遼太郎の大衆小説より数段重みがあります。3度は読みませんが、馬篭にも行ってみようかな。

日本橋

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A highland town in Japan    Sat. March 17 : rainy

I read again Toson Shimazaki’s voluminous work “Before the Dawn” that must be called a Japanese version of “War and Peace” for the first time for the last 50 years. It’s the historical novel that set in time of Meiji Revolution and place in Magome, the highland town that locates along Kiso Highway. In the novel there are more than 100 main characters. Many difficult Chinese characters and old kana spelling used in the book wouldn’t allow you to read it so easily but it has much weight than Ryotaro Shiba’s popular novels. I will never try to read it for the 3rd time but I want to try to go to Magome.  

Nihonbashi