| 31st |
 |
明日はいよいよお正月。うちはクリスマスで燃え尽きて、正月は特別何にもしない。モチを食べて、元朝参りに行くぐらいかな。絵美理はクリスマス・プレゼントのジグソウパズルを、ケイトと一緒に、とうとう完成！これで今年一年の締めくくりかな。私の人生、ジグソーパズルと一緒で、作るのにただただ一生懸命で、作ったものをゆっくり眺める余裕もないし、作ってしまえば、もう興味はない。次から次にひたすら組み立てるだけだ。でも、みなさん、本当にお世話様でした。来年もよろしく！(HK) |
|
| 29th |
 |
ケイトと子供たちは朝から、かまくらづくり。私はひとり新幹線で仙台に。高校時代の友人と飲み会。みんなと会うのは20年ぶりだろうか。そのうちひとりは香港からの里帰りで、彼とは忘れがたい思い出がある。それは、大学時代に参加した諏訪湖シンポジウムの終了後、学校さぼってそのまま、うろうろと日本各地を遊び回っていた。結局、萩まで遊びに行ったその帰り、金がなくなって、京都までヒッチハイク。無一文のまま、彼の下宿に転がり込んだ。汽車賃作ろうと、彼が何とか見つけた和菓子屋でのバイト。年末の大忙しの時期で、朝7時から夜7時まで一週間ほど稼いだころ、突然、父から、その下宿に電話が来た。萩以降、バイトで忙しかったので、私が連絡を怠っていたら、どうも失踪したと勘違いして（心配して）、あちこち私の高校時代の知り合いを聞いて回りやっと見つけたそうだ。さんざん怒られて、素直にすぐ仙台に帰る。置き手紙と酒を一本下宿に残したまま。おまえらしいよなと、つくづく彼に言われる。
仙台では年末、急病で父が入院してしまったので、家にひとりの母を車で連れて買い物やら買い出し、年越しの準備。鮨屋に連れて行って、ごちそうしたら、珍しいとえらく母に喜ばれる。妹たちも来年から仙台に帰ってくる。(HK) |
|
| 28th |
|
|
|
 |
浮島A子供会。14人とクリスマス・パーティをする。子供たちとのケーキ作りにそり滑り。オーブンで作ったローストチキンとポテトのランチのあとは、プレゼント交換、風船ゲームなど楽しむ。子供たちは、時間になってもなかなか帰りたがらなかったので、車で送る！(HK) |
|
|
|
|
|
| 25th |
|
|
| 24th |
 |
 |
Christmas Eve. Children in front of lots of presents! (HK) |
|
| 22nd |
|
|
|
I Introduced a new system "TV ticket", for children to play computer games, video and TV watching. They get 8 hours worth of these tickets on Monday for a week, They put into boxes as much they play and watch.(HK) |
 |
 |
planted tulip bulbs we bought in October.(HK) |
|
| 20th |
 |
 |
Good team work to wash the dishes.(HK) |
|
| 19th |
 |
My stone has arrived from Tokyo for the Kamakura Woman's University monument(HK) |
|
| 18th |
 |
Busy printing the Christmas and New Year card.(HK) |
|
| 16th |
 |
 |
Put the Christmas tree up at last.(HK) |
|
| 15th |
 |
 |
kate went to Shiroishi by shinkansen, to the closing party of Out door exhibition. (HK) |
|
| 12th |
 |
On the way back from the site meeting at Kodomo land, I found a interesting shop called "Inari Department store". It is actually just a little supermarket, but the name sounds like something from Kenji Miyazawa's story. Anyway They had almost everything from fashonable ski wares to soup! I bought a set of winter working suit for Kate there.(HK) |
|
| 9th |
 |
Kate and children made their advent calender by themselves.(HK) |
|
| Sunday 8th December - Sean`s curry |
 |
All by himself Sean cooked us all supper tonight - delicious. His recipe, I was not allowed to help prepare rice, select, measure, peel, chop, flavour, or stir, the curry ingredients (but he generously allowed me to wash up). May be we should encourage more of this. (KT) |
|
| Saturday 7th December - Aomori Contemporary Art Centre - First Annual Outdoor Exhibition |
|
 |
 |
 |
| Noe Aoki`s steel sculpture |
Shim Moon-Seup`s wood, stone and water sculpture |
Artist in residence workshop building |
Headed up to Aomori for the exhibition opening at the new Aomori Contemporary Art Centre designed by Tadao Ando which opened a year ago. Only an architect as established as Ando could afford to make such understated buildings blending beautifully with the forrest parkland setting. The curved exhibition space in the main gallery works surprisingly well, and the elegant complex as a whole allows the exhibited work to dominate within a relaxed welcoming atmosphere. To celebrate the first anniversary 3 Japanese and 2 Korean artists have been working as artists in residence working on pieces for the centre`s outdoor collection and a complimentary indoor exhibition. Noe Aoki and Shim Moon-Seup`s work is particularly interesting. |
| Thursday 5th December - Kata has another site meeting in Kamakura |
 |
All are very happy with Kata`s proposal. So he has been commissioned to make his piece in red granite for the new Kamakura Women`s University. (KT) |
|
| Wednesday 4th December - Studio work |
 |
 |
(left) After making the big cuts at Kanezawa`s factory I brought the marble block back to the studio to continue working by hand on my light sculpture for the entrance to a hospital in Iwate Town.
(right) Kata working on his maquette for Kamakura. (KT)
|
|
| Tuesday 3rd December - Ann chan goes home |
 |
 |
After staying here for a month Ann chan leaves for Tokyo (then Narita and Scotland) from the newly opened Iwate Numakunai Shinkansen station in our local town. We live 10 minutes drive away so the journey to Tokyo is now possible in under 3 hours.
The house seems rather empty after she has gone. (KT)
|
|
| Sunday 1st Dec. - Grand opening of Iwate Numakunai Shinkansen Station - and visit to Koiwai |
 |
|
The grand opening of Iwate Numakunai Shinkansen station this morning. The JR station building is very impressive, but the station front building commissioned by Iwate Town is very disappointing. Festival floats, dancing, and music greet the first passengers to arrive.
Mrs Saito who lives just in front of the new station invites us all to a delicous lunch. Seemed almost like a New Year party. The children were loath to leave the Saito granchildren`s company til they realised the next destination is their favourite place - Koiwai.
Ann chan wanted to say hello to everyone at Koiwai and see Keith Rand`s piece made for the Koiwai Land Art project in the Iwate Art Festival UK98 which we all organised. The 4 sculptures made at Koiwai were only intended to last one year. The other 3 were dismantled after changing through a full 4 season cycle. Keith`s piece survived the elements and actually weathered well to blend in with the surrounding forrest so Koiwai asked if they could retain it.
Just as we were visiting our lovely friends Kakinuma san and Toda san at Koiwai`s office the setting sun bathed Iwate san in a blaze of golden light which all the Koiwai staff said was the most impressive view they have had of the mountain for years. The weather may be cold in Iwate but the natural environment and people glow! (KT)
|
|
|
 |
|
