Fun of Good Old Japanese - 江戸・明治に学ぶ　楽しむ生き方

Sakae Village in central Japan (Nagano prefecture) is famous for heavy snow . Its population is about 1,500 and is decreasing. The museum is in a former elementary school; a community center is also in the same building. Locals including domestic immigrants are engaged in the exhibition . They show us the history of the village and the transition of their life well. I felt as if I had lived in the village. 長野県最北部の栄村 は、有名な豪雪地域。人口は 1500 人ほどで漸減傾向です。歴史文化館は、旧小学校分校を利用した公民館に同居。 移住者を含めて地域の人々が工夫して村の歴史や生活史を展示 していることが伝わります。村で暮らしているような気分になりました。   Rebuilt fire-proof storage 、廣瀬家土蔵の再現エリア The big earthquake hit the village in 2011. The fire-proof storage of Hirose family who were large landowner, was forced to be demolished. However,  villagers and others gathered fatefully and restored items. The storage was rebuilt and the items were exhibited . 村は、 2011 年 3 月 12 日、東日本大震災翌日の地震でかつてない被害を受け、大地主・廣瀬家の土蔵も解体を余儀なくされました。 「奇跡的な縁に導かれた」村内外の関係者によって、保管品が修復され、資料館に再現 されました。 The way of exhibition is g...

Kijimadaira Village in central Japan (Nagano prefecture) is famous for delicious rice production area . Its population is just five thousand in 2020, however, it had mathematics lovers, poets (haiku) and mountain worshippers . Although it is in a mountainous area, villagers have enjoyed life. 長野県北部の木島平村 は、美味しい米の産地として有名です。私も買い求めています。人口五千人足らず（ 2020 年）の村ですが、そこには 和算が大好きな人、俳句が好きな人、妙高山に登拝する人がいました 。生業におわれるだけでなく、さまざまな文化を楽しんでいた人びとがいたのですね。   The section above shows  photos of four seasons ,  old map  made in 1877 and  farmers’ photos  are displayed. 入口の右には、 四季の写真 と 1877 年の土地調査絵図 、その間に 農家の写真 があります。 The  mathematics boards (copies) above were offered to shrine or temple . Some mathematics lovers created a problem and solved it; it’s a hobby. However, they  thanked to a deity because of solving a difficult problem , and showed their achievement at the same time. The population of Kijimadaira village is less than 0.25% of the prefecture, but the number of ...

Iiyama City in central Japan (Nagano prefecture) is beside Chikuma River which is the longest river in Japan. It is in a mountainous and snowy area . Locals have gotten through flood and heavy snow; they even utilize their environment, I just guess. Btw, you can handle old tools and utensils in the folklore exhibition room ; it’s rare. At the entrance hall below, the city map is on the floor and a living room of a farmer’s house was rebuilt. The paper at upper right was attached on the entrance door. 長野県飯山市は千曲川沿い の町。また、 豪雪地帯 でもあります。雪も洪水も乗り越え、あるいは利用して生きてきたのだなと思います。 民具を手に取ることができる稀少な資料館 でもあります。エントランスホールには、飯山の地図があり農家が再現されています。   Although Iiyama is famous for its heavy snow, its summer is very hot. The panel shows the lives in Iiyama.  Each theme like living with snow, has a box below ; there are more information and material in it. 飯山は豪雪で有名ですが、夏は暑い。パネルの下の箱には、そんな 飯山の暮らしを紹介した資料 がテーマごとに収められています。   History section 、歴史展示コーナー Chikuma River flows into the Sea of Japan. Outside...

Nakano in central Japan (Nagano prefecture) was the directly controlled area by a shogun in the Edo period (1603 ～ 1868). There was a field office of a government agency. A government officer was dispatched to the office to collect tax and so on. On the other hand, locals have continued to foster their livelihood and culture . They love their land. We can see Nakano City well from the hilltop museum. 長野県中野市は千曲川沿いの町 。 江戸時代は幕領 で、幕府から派遣された代官たちが支配し、江戸へ年貢を届けました。 その一方で、土地に定着している住民たちの間では、俳諧などの文化や、杞柳細工（きりゅうざいく）などの新しい生業が生まれて いきました。庶民は強いですね。 山の上に立つ博物館からは中野市街を一望できます。   Wildlife & Nature 、自然 The section is just behind the entrance of the exhibition room. 展示室に入ると、まず、自然の展示。   The primitive period 、原始 The research about primitive human bones attracted me. It says, “Their energy resource was nuts (74%), grains including corn (11%), fish and animal meat (15%). It was an  era of plant-eating . I didn’t know it. A question came to me, whether western primitive people were als...