20130506

A wonderful place, Okinawa 4: Okinawa cuisine


in the aquarium 

< in the aquarium >
This time, I introduce some Okinawa cuisines that I have eaten at this time travel.
I enjoyed several popular tastes, delicacies, and the atmosphere.

I ate A Tako rice at the restaurant in the aquarium in Ocean Expo Park.
It was like fried rice, and a pungent condiment of salsa was effective.  
It was nice.
A good point is to have a meal while looking at the swimming big fish.


今回は、旅行で味わった沖縄料理を紹介します。
沖縄の庶民の味や珍味、さらには雰囲気を味わって来ました。

海洋博公園の水族館内のレストランでタコライスを食べた。
これは炒めご飯に似ており、サルサの辛みを効かしたもので、旨かった。
一番は、遊泳する大魚を眺めての食事でした。


Naha Makishi Public Market 

< Naha Makishi Public Market >
Here, there are all foods of Okinawa and popular tastes.
The foods of the pig stood out in the butcher.
For example, Rafute was braised an unhusked pork, Chiraga made of a skin from the head.

You can take ingredients purchased on the first floor and have them cooked for you on the second floor.
Fresh tropical fish and strange shrimps are lined up at stores.
You can enjoy the variegated Okinawa food easily in many restaurants on the second floor.
There are also many overseas tourists.

ここでは沖縄の食材、庶民の味が一同に会しています。
肉屋では、豚の食材が目についた。
例えば、豚の皮付き肉を煮たラフテー、頭部の皮を使ったチラガー。

1階で食材を買い、2階で料理してもらって食べることが出来る。
新鮮な熱帯魚や風変わりなエビが並んでいる。
2階の食堂街は手軽に多彩な沖縄料理を楽しめ、海外観光客も多い。


a bowl of rice topped with Sashimi and Umibudou(seaweeds), and Okinawa noodles

< a bowl of rice topped with Sashimi and Umibudou(seaweeds), and Okinawa noodles
 >
I have a lunch on the second floor.
The Umibudou that is not eaten usually was nice.

2階の食堂で昼食。
日頃食べることのない海ぶどうが旨かった。


Okinawa cuisines of hotel 

Okinawa cuisines of hotel 

< Okinawa cuisines of hotel >
Gurukunn (a fish of Okinawa) and balsam pear are visible to the upper photo.
The Okinawa cuisines at hotel are fairly delicious.
In fact, my favorite was the pickled balsam pear that was pungently flavored.

上の写真に沖縄の魚グルクンとゴーヤが見える。
ホテルのバイキングでの沖縄料理は結構美味しいかった。
実は一番気に入ったのは、ゴーヤのピリ辛漬けでした。


Naha, Okinawa home cooking 

< Naha, Okinawa home cooking >

Hanagasa restaurant in Naha city is famous in Okinawa home cooking.
It was being crowded with local people and overseas tourist.
All menus are set menu, and the price is cheap.
Although it was light taste, it was probably popular taste in Okinawa, and a secret of a long life.

In this way, for four days, I was contented to eat the Okinawa cuisines and the foods.

Next time, I will look at the culture and history of Okinawa.


那覇市の花笠食堂は沖縄家庭料理で有名です。
地元の人と海外観光客で賑わっていた。
総べて定食で、値段は安い。
薄味だったが、これが庶民の味、長寿の秘訣なのだろうと納得した。

こうして4日間、沖縄料理と食材をたんのうした。

次回は、沖縄の文化と歴史を見ます。

















20130504

A wonderful place, Okinawa 3: Naha and Gyokusen cave


Gyokusen cave


< Gyokusen cave >

This time, I introduce a central city Naha and a limestone cave.
Probably, the greatest pleasure of Naha is Kokusai street, and nature of south part is a limestone cave.

今回は、沖縄の中心都市那覇と鍾乳洞を紹介します。
那覇の楽しみは国際通り、南部の自然は鍾乳洞でしょう。


MAP of Okinawa


< A yellow frame is the place that I introduce this time. >


Gyokusen cave 


< Gyokusen cave >
The biggest feature in here is many icicle-like stalactites and many stalagmites that extended from the bottom around us.
It is easy to walk, and we can sightsee in it within 30 minutes on 890m in length.

Although south part in the main Okinawa island is flat ground, it consists of many limestone layers, and is a low number of rivers.
This geographical feature and the typhoon of summer had directed Okinawa to the dry-field farming of sugarcane or pineapple.

ここはつらら状の鍾乳石と下から伸びる石筍が身近に多く見られることが特徴だと思います。
ここは歩き易く、長さ890mを30分以内で観光出来ます。

この本島南部は平地が多いのですが石灰岩層が多く、河川が少ない。
この地形と夏の台風が、沖縄をサトウキビやパイナップルの畑作に向かわせた。


Naha City 


< Naha City >

I am surprised that this place has been developed much further, because I had traveled to it about 20 years ago once.
Here is a prefectural capital at the present day, and has been the center in Okinawa since a capital of Ryukyu Kingdom that has born in the 15th century.

私は20年ほど前に、一度旅行で来たことがあるが、発展していた。
ここは県庁所在地であり、15世紀に誕生した琉球王国の首都以来、沖縄の中心地です。


Kokusai street, a public market


< Kokusai street, a public market >
The greatest tourist spot is Kokusai street that is the greatest shopping quarter.
Its scale is the same or more than Grand bazar in Istanbul or Namdaemun market in Seoul.
There are restaurants, souvenir shops and clothing stores on both sides of 1.6-km driveway in Kokusai street.
Furthermore, ten long shopping streets have been continuing from it.
A public market in it is the most interesting and we can experience there the Okinawa people's life.
We can taste Ryukyu, seafood, and Chinese food at a handy price on the second floor, where there are many restaurants.
I recommended it.

When I was walking Kokusai street, I looked many tourists of Taiwan or China.
Though there is a territorial issue between both countries, I thought that Okinawa is a familiar existence by both countries.

Next time, I introduced the Food of Okinawa.


観光地として外せないのは最大の繁華街、この国際通りではないでしょうか。
ソウルの南大門市場やイスタンブールのグランドバザールに負けない規模を誇ります。
国際通りは1.6kmの車道の両側に飲食店や土産物屋、衣料店が並びます。
さらにそこから10本ほど枝別れした長い商店街が続きます。
最も興味深いのは公設市場で、沖縄庶民の暮らしを味わえます。
2階は琉球、海鮮、中華料理を手頃な値段で味わえる食堂街で、お奨めです。

国際通りを歩いていると、台湾と中国の観光客が多く、尖閣の問題がありながらも両国とは身近な存在なのだと感じた。


次回は、沖縄の食を紹介します。















20130502

A wonderful place, Okinawa 2 : The sea of coral and Ocean Expo Park


 The coral reef in Okinawa

< The coral reef in Okinawa, by a photo of a diving shop > 

This time, I introduce the sea and the park in central part of main Okinawa island.
Here is a place that people enjoy many marine leisure and life of resort hotel.


今回は、本島中部の海と公園を紹介します。
ここは海のレジャーとリゾートホテルを楽しむ所です。


a map of okinawa

< A yellow frame is the place that I introduce this time. >


Manzamo

The view from Manzamo 

< ManzamoThe view from Manzamo >

The upper surface of Manzamo is prairie of lawn grass, differs from Hendo cape slightly.
Here is a famous tourist spot, and many beaches or resort hotels dot.
From the edge of the cliff, I could see several upheaval coral, reefs and whitecaps, the sea of dark blue.
There are many coral reefs throughout the sea of Okinawa, and the diving is enjoyed.


万座毛の上面はシバ草原で最果ての辺戸岬とは趣が異なります。
ここ一帯は有名な観光スポットで、ビーチやリゾートホテルが点在しています。
眼下には隆起珊瑚、リーフと白波、紺碧の海が広がっています。
沖縄の海には、到る所に珊瑚礁があり、ダイビングが盛んです。


Ocean Expo Park, a fountain square, a hibiscus, appearance of aquarium, a huge fish tank

< Ocean Expo Park, a fountain square, a hibiscus, appearance of aquarium, a huge fish tank

When I entered central gate and went down, could see an island beyond the fountain square.
There are a huge aquarium, seaside parks, a botanical gardens, etc in this vast park.


中央ゲートを入り下ると、噴水広場の向こうに島が見えます。
ここは広大な公園で、巨大水族館、海浜公園、植物園などがあります。


A seashore in Ocean Expo Park 

< A seashore in Ocean Expo Park >

The upper photo shows Emerald beach.
A lower photo shows a small bay that is below the aquarium.
The fragments of white coral are innumerably scattered all over sands, and a marine color looks white.
Standing on the seashore, when the sun just shone from the interval of clouds, I was not able to open eyes due to dazzling.


上の写真にはエメラルドビーチが見えます。
下の写真は、水族館の下側にある小さな入り江です。
砂浜には白い珊瑚のかけらが無数に散らばり、海の色が白く見えます。
雲の合間から太陽が照ると、海岸に立っている時など、眩しくて目を開けることが出来なかった。

A resort hotel

< A resort hotel >

There are many hotels with a private beach, and people can enjoy the leisure of the seas such as diving.

この一帯はプライベートビーチを有したホテルが多くあり、ダイビングなどの海のレジャーを楽しむことが出来ます。



forest

< forest

On the other hand, if I go into neighbor hill for a while, the primeval forest has remained.
Unfortunately, we look at the topsoil spill of red clay in some places.
It shows that the grand is poverty of soil.
Today, I enjoyed an aquarium, flowerbeds, seashore, and the sunlight of Okinawa all the day.

Next time, I look at nature of south part in the main Okinawa island.


一方、裏山に少しはいると原生林が残っています。
残念なことに、所々、赤土の表土流失も見られ、地味が乏しそうです。

今日は、水族館、花壇、海岸、沖縄の日差しを満喫した1日でした。

次回は、本島の南部を紹介します。






20130430

A wonderful place, Okinawa 1 : A cape and a karst mountain



at Daisekirin mountain from Hedo cape


< I looked at Daisekirin mountain from Hedo cape. It is distant place left-hand side. >

I traveled through Okinawa and looked at main tourist resorts in early April.
Although it was overcast weather, my travel was very comfortable.
I will introduce the nature and sightseeing of main Okinawa island.

4月の始め、沖縄を縦断し、主要な観光地を見ました。
天気は曇りがちだったが、過ごしやすかった。
沖縄本島の自然と観光を紹介します。



a map is main Okinawa island.


< A red frame is main Okinawa island. A right frame is the enlargement. A black frame is roughly Okinawa prefecture region. A yellow frame is the place that I introduce this time.

An east-west width of Okinawa Prefecture is about 1000 km, and it consists of islands of 160.
The maximum distance in a straight line of main Okinawa island is 107 km.
It is a subtropical climate since it closes on Taiwan.
In ancient times, Okinawa was a maritime state.
Right now, it is a leisure island of the tropical and a lot of military base.
It is wonderful and mysterious.


沖縄県の広さは東西に約1000kmで、160の島からなります。
本島の最大直線距離は107kmで、台湾に近く亜熱帯気候です。
沖縄は、南国のレジャー島、古くは海洋国家、また基地の県でもあり、不思議な趣があります。


Hedo cape


Hedo cape


< Hedo cape

When I stood on the cape, I felt a little lonely like standing on the farthest edge.
The plants had covered barely the ground generated by coral reef.

岬は寂寥感の漂う最果ての感がありました。
珊瑚礁が隆起した大地をかろうじて植物が覆っていました。


Daisekirin mountain


Daisekirin mountain


banyan tree 


< Karst landscape, The strangely shaped rocks in Daisekirin mountain and banyan tree >

Here remains well a subtropical jungle even in the main Okinawa island, and it is called Yanbaru.
anyan tree and cycad had grew up among sharped limestone, it gave me an impressed of being the tropical zone.

ここは沖縄本島でも亜熱帯の自然がよく残っており、山原(ヤンバル)と呼ばれる。
尖った石灰岩の合間をぬってソテツ類やガジュマルが伸び熱帯を感じさせる。


the view of Hedo cape from the summit


The summit continued into the far distance.


< the view of Hedo cape from the summit.  The summit continued into the far distance. >

In a myth of Ryukyu, this mountain was a sacred spot that God came down first.
There were many Utaki of small shrine throughout the mountain, and it had been made by setting some stones.
Since this area is made of a huge base rock, it is unsuitable to grain cultivation. But the cultivation of pineapple etc. is performed.
The line of coral reef that has foamed up white waves was running in parallel to the seashore.

Truly, it was an island of the tropical, and it gave me the impression of ancient Ryukyu.

Next time, I look at nature of central part in the main Okinawa island.


この山は、琉球の開闢神話で、神が最初に降り立った聖地だとされる。
山のいたる所に石組みした小さな祠である御嶽(うたき)があった。
この地域は巨大な石灰岩や火成岩で出来ており、穀物栽培には不適だが、パイナップル等の栽培が行われている。
海岸に並行して白波が立つ珊瑚礁のリーフが走っていた。

まさに南海の島、いにしえの琉球を感じる一時でした。

次回は、本島中部の自然を紹介します。






















20130426

Birth of primitive art 16: What did precede the primitive art? Part2


The Himba woman in northern Namibia 


< The Himba woman in northern Namibia >

Last time, we looked at the oldest fine arts and the ocher that were used abundantly over the world.
Using the red selectively has concerned with the creation of fine arts.
This time, I will consider this.

The Himba woman has covered their body and hair with red ocher that dissolved with oil.
This is not only sunscreen, but also the female beauty that has symbolized blood color of life.


前回、地球最古の美術とオーカーが多用されたことを見ました。
赤色を選択的に使うことは、「美術の創出」に関わりがあります。
今回、これを考察します。

ヒンバ族の女性は油で溶いた赤色オーカーを体と髪に塗ります。
これは日焼け防止もあるが、血の色が生命を象徴する女性の美しさなのです。



the ancient architecture in China, Japan, and South Korea

  the ancient architecture in China, Japan, and South Korea >

The ancient architecture in East Asia was almost red color.
Fig. A is the oldest Buddhist temple in Luoyang, China (the 1st century).
Fig. B is a gate of Heian Jingu in Kyoto and was reproduce a part of Heiankyo of the 8th century.
Fig. C is a tower of the Buddhist temple in Koyasan, Japan.
Fig. D is a gate of the detached palace of the 15th century in Seoul, South Korean.

At present, although many of temples of the ancient city were fading, they were shining with vermilion at when they were built.
Since ancient times, the appearance of the king's palace, the shrine, and the temple in East Asia was applied red.


東アジアの古代建築は赤一色。
Aは洛陽にある中国最古の仏教寺院(白馬寺)です(1世紀)。
Bは京都の平安神宮の門で、8世紀の平安京を一部再現したものです。
Cは日本、高野山の仏教寺院の塔です。
Dは韓国ソウルにある15世紀の離宮の門です。

現在、古都の寺院の多くは色褪せているが創建当時は朱色に輝いていた。
古来、東アジアの王宮、神殿、寺院の外観は赤く塗られていた。


Left side, a Ryukyu king is standing in front Shuri Castle. Right Side, Buddha Amida was painted in Tibet. 

< Left side, a Ryukyu king is standing in front Shuri Castle. Right Side, Buddha Amida was painted in Tibet. >

In Asia, the red had an important meaning.
Ryukyu Dynasty was the style of China as same as Korean Peninsula.
The dress for courtesy in three nations was the same crimson.
In Buddhism, the body color of the highest Buddha Amida was red.
The red color symbolizes authority and dignityAnd it gives people an idea of great benefit.


アジアにおいて、赤は重要な意味を持っていた。
琉球王朝は朝鮮半島と同様に中国風でした。その儀礼用装束は三カ国同じ真っ赤でした。
大乗仏教の最高仏阿弥陀如来の身色は赤で表された。
赤色は権威と尊厳を象徴し、人々に絶大な恩恵をイメージさせた。


Red color in Europe, Egypt, and South America 


< Red color in Europe, Egypt, and South America >

On other continents, what is the red role?
Fig. A is a room of the Palace of Knossos in Crete (around the BC 19th century).
It was rare to apply red color to building in Europe.
Fig. B is Seth God in ancient Egypt, and its body color is red that means the calamity.
Fig. C is a Mass of martyrdom by the priest with red vestment.
In Christianity, although the red color meant the love, yet it more meant the evil and the sacrifice.
Fig. D is the female doll that was decorated with red for sacrifice in Inca Empire.
Probably, latter three were emphasized the minus images of the scorching sun or blood.

他の大陸において、赤色の役割は・・・
Aはクレタ島のクノッソス宮殿の一室です(BC19世紀頃)。ヨーロッパの建物が赤で塗られることは少ない。
Bは古代エジプトのセト神で、この邪神の身色は災厄を意味した赤でした。
Cは赤い祭服の司祭による殉教のミサです。キリスト教で、赤は愛を示すこともあるが、悪魔や生け贄をより意味した。
Dはインカ帝国の赤で飾られた生け贄用の女性人形です。
後の三つは、灼熱の太陽や血のマイナスイメージが強調されたのだろう。


What do the red color mean?
Since ancient times, the red color was strongly concerned with good luck, disaster, love, and authority (sacredness) around the world.
It changed by the cultural sphere or the religion little by little.
The meaning of red was probably separated to two, because the people that lived in Middle East of dry climate or in Asia of moistness climate had the difference in the consciousness to the sun.
Even so, because it has a meaning that originates a long time ago, the red color has still continued to give strong impact.


赤色の意味するもの
古来、赤色は世界各地で吉兆、厄災、愛、権威(神聖)などと強く結びついていた。
それは文化圏や宗教によって異なっていた。
赤色イメージは、湿潤なアジアと乾燥した中東とで、太陽への意識の違いにより、二つに別れたのだろう。
それでも赤色が強いインパクトを与え続けてきたのは、赤色に遙かに時代を遡る意味があったからだろう。

We look back the evolution a little.
All from insect to primates, when it has been born, it has the smell (sexual pheromone), taste, and vision image (snake) that stir up a feeling of likes and dislikes.
A scholar says, “the reason that human beings have feeling special to red originates in having asked for fruits ripe of red color on tree.” 
The period from birth of the primates is 60 million years.


少し進化を振り返ろう。
昆虫に始まり霊長類は生まれながらにして、好悪の感情を呼び覚ます臭い(性フェロモン)、味、視覚イメージ(蛇)がある。
ある進化学者は、人類が赤色に特別な感情を持つのは、霊長類の誕生から始まる6千万年間の樹上生活において、赤く熟した果実を求めたことに起因すると言う。


What is art?
The primitive man came to use the red color selectively, probably, because it had satisfied their comfortable feelings.
The revolutionary change occurred in that time, because the ability of associating some imagery and expressing the imagery was being born in their brain.

They had associated some imagery with the law of causality that they thought. Then they expressed it. It will give them a pleasant sensation and a sense of relief, and might had induced art.

At that time, if there was dense group society, the art was born at a breath, and the culture grew.

It produced the necklace, the Venus, the statues of lion man, flutes, and many rock arts of game animal.

Next time, I look at other mysteries hidden in primitive fine arts.


芸術とは何か?
原人が赤色を重宝し始めたのは、それが良好な感情を満足させたからでしょう。
画期が生まれたのは、彼らの脳に、イメージの連想と、表現力が誕生しつつあったからでしょう。

彼らは考えた因果律と心象を関連づけ、それを表現することで、快感や安堵感を覚え、芸術を生むことになった。

もし、この時に密な集団社会があれば、その芸術は一気呵成に花が開き、文化が生まれた。

このことが首飾りに始まり、ビーナスやライオンマンの像、フルート、狩猟動物の岩絵を生みだした。


次回は、原初美術に秘められた他の謎を追います。