Being appointed Fire Chief of Tama, Kawasaki City for a day, Doraemon calls for fire prevention/Kawasaki

Translated from the original article at: http://news.kanaloco.jp/localnews/article/1203030023/

March 3rd, 2012

Fire Chief Doraemon greeting people at the parade= Kawasaki City, Tama Ward Administrative Office

Going along with the spring period (March 1-7) of fire prevention exercises, a parade promoting fire prevention was held on the 3rd in the Tama Ward of Kawasaki City. The parade was sponsored by both the Fire Department and Fire Prevention Society of Tama. With the opening of the local Fujiko F Fujio Museum in September of last year, Doraemon was summoned to act as Fire Chief for the day, adding his charm to the event.

400 participated in the parade, including the Tama Firefighting Department, the Tama Youth Fire Fighting Club and various local organizations. From the departure ceremony at Tama's administrative office, Fire Chief Ishii Toshiyuki greeted the crowd: "Fires don't just take people's lives, but can also erase property and our most cherished objects in an instant. If we can decrease such incidents by even one, we'll strive to do it.”

Along with a marching band performance, public and home fire alarms were used to draw attention to the parade. Passing by the Odakyu Mukōgaoka-Yūen Station, it returned course to the administrative building in half an hour.

At the conclusion of the parade, participants had fun taking photographs with Doraemon.

Original text:

ドラえもんが防火訴え、多摩消防署の一日署長/川崎

2012年3月3日

一日消防署長としてパレードを出迎えるドラえもん＝川崎市多摩区役所

春の火災予防運動（３月１～７日）に合わせて、川崎市多摩区で３日、防火を呼び掛けるパレードが行われた。多摩消防署と多摩防火協会の主催。区内には昨年９月にオープンした「川崎市藤子・Ｆ・不二雄ミュージアム」があることから、一日消防署長にドラえもんが招かれ、イベントに花を添えた。

パレードには、多摩消防団や多摩地区少年消防クラブなど、地元の団体から約４００人が参加。多摩区役所で行われた出発式では、同消防署の石井敏幸署長が「火災は人の命だけでなく、財産や思い出も一瞬のうちになくすもの。一件でも減るように、啓発に努めたい」などとあいさつした。

音楽隊の演奏に合わせて、防火や住宅用火災警報器の設置などを呼び掛けながら、小田急線向ケ丘遊園駅前を通り、区役所まで戻るコースを約30分かけて歩いた。

最後にはドラえもんがパレードを「お出迎え」。参加者らが記念写真を撮って楽しんでいた。

Fire and disaster training at the Mikasa Memorial Ship/Yokosuka

Translated from the original article at: http://news.kanaloco.jp/localnews/article/1203010016/

March 1st, 2012

Sweat pours from participants training to rescue the wounded, at the preserved Japanese Battleship Mikasa=March 1st, Inaokacho, Yokosuka

March 1st marked the beginning of the entire countries' Spring fire prevention drills. On the Memorial Battleship Mikasa of Yokosuka City, both fire and disaster training were carried out. 400 participated, including the city of Chuo's Fire Department, the Mikasa Preservation Society, local firefighter unions, neighborhood associations and the Yokosuka Institutional Elementary and Kindergarten Schools.

With a historical boom of visitors continuing to show favourable interest in Battleship Mikasa and the surrounding area, the city aims to involve itself with disaster prevention awareness. The Disaster Self Defense Force of Japan has continually been placed at Battleship Mikasa for periodic training. As of March 1st, they have begun training with the city's fire department.

For the training, a scenario played out where a short circuit cause a fire to erupt on Mikasa's 2nd level deck. After the wounded were assisted in evacuating, the upper ship was sprayed with water. Local residents received training on equipment for extinguishing the early stages of a fire. Within Mikasa Public Park, they were also trained on the use of reservoirs and accessing the city's water supply.

Chuo City's fire chief, Niikura Kazou commented "Over a year has passed since Eastern Japan's great disaster. We've been thinking of whatever we could do during times of emergency, and wished to launch this training exercise.


Original text: 
記念艦「三笠」で合同防火防災訓練/横須賀
2012年3月1日

記念艦「三笠」で負傷者の救助訓練に汗を流す参加者＝１日、横須賀市稲岡町

春の全国火災予防運動が始まった１日、横須賀市の記念艦「三笠」で合同防火防災訓練が実施された。市中央消防署と三笠保存会、地元の消防団や町内会、横須賀学院小学校や幼稚園の子どもたちなど４００人が参加した。

歴史ブームを追い風に好調な集客を続けている三笠と周辺地域で、防災意識の向上につなげてもらう狙い。三笠は自衛消防隊が置かれており、定期的に訓練を続けているが、市の消防隊との合同訓練は今回が初めて。

訓練は、三笠の２階デッキで漏電による火災が起きたと想定。負傷者役が助け出され、船上から水を放った。周辺住民のため、消火器による初期消火訓練や、三笠公園内にある貯水槽を使った給水訓練も併せて行った。

新倉和夫・中央消防署長は「東日本大震災から間もなく１年。災害時に何をすべきかを考え、行動を起こしてほしい」と話していた。

Entering an extremely cold river. The Otou Shinto Ritual of Hinoharamura

Translated from the original article at: http://nishitama.keizai.biz/headline/147/

February 29, 2012

Going in to South Akagawa River

From the midnight of March 1st until early dawn, participants of the "Otou Shinto Event" will enter a freezing cold river, held at the Kasuga Temple of Motoshu Kuhinoharu (Nishitama District, Tokyo, Japan).

This ritual is a continuing tradition of Kasuga Temple. After a number of young men are selected, they enter the extreme cold of South Akigawa River, wearing nothing but a single fundoshi. While chanting for a cleansing of the 6 roots of perception, they go into the Shinto purification ceremony, which includes cooking rice as an offering to God.

Shown in a notebook, the event has seemingly been going on since the end of the middle ages, as recordings date back to 1572. The event has received official specification as an intangible cultural asset.

Fairly often, attempts to use the flint stone designated for the fire ends in failure. If no one is successful, they once again enter the river and perform the cleansing ritual. It's said that the event is rarely completed shortly after its starting time of midnight.

Original text:

極寒の川に入水－檜原村の奇祭「御とう神事」開かれる

（2012年02月29日)

南秋川に入るお当番

春日神社（檜原村本宿）で極寒の川に入水する「御とう神事（おとうしんじ）」が3月1日深夜から2日未明にかけて行われる。

同神事は春日神社に伝わる奇祭。「お当番」として選ばれた数人の若衆が、ふんどし一つで極寒の南秋川に入り、六根清浄を唱（とな）えながらみそぎを行って、神様に献上する米を炊く。

神事を記録した御とう帳には1572年以来の記載があり、中世後期にはすでに行われていたようだ。都無形民俗文化財の指定を受けている。

米を炊く火は火打ち石で起こすが、なかなか火が着かず、全員が空振りとなれば再び川でのみそぎが待っている。まれに終了が夜明け近くになることもあるという。

The topic of shio kōji. Still created just as it was long ago/Yokohama

Translated from the original article at: http://news.kanaloco.jp/localnews/article/1202280046/

February 28, 2012

Blanketed in the rising steam, Kyō Kawaguchi removes the rice and wheat from the huge barrel= The Kawaguchi Kōji Store of Yokohama City's Seya Ward

Lately, many cookbooks being published have covered the topic of shio kōji. At a factory in Yokohama City's Seya Ward, raw ingredients are used to produce kōji according to long-held traditions. The name of the place is Kawaguchi Kōji, established in 1818.

The kōji production season lasts from October until June of the following year. Though it's difficult for bacteria to thrive in the cold season of January through March, producing high quality kōji is still easy (because of climate control).

At once, 700 kilograms (three quarters of a ton) of steaming rice and wheat are inserted into the wooden barrel. As the contents begin to cool, the kōji culture is mixed in. Inside a cellar, the appropriate temperature is maintained while the fermentation process completes itself.

Instead of the popular white kōji, the traditional yellow kōji culture was utilized. It's said that the meticulous temperature control process can mean the difference between producing a sweet flavor or an umami flavor. 

"I've been working with this kōji batch since November of last year. The store already sold out by mid-morning. Production can't catch up. No one knows how to get this flavor without the traditional production methods," said Kyō Kawaguchi (36), 9th generation kōji artisan. It's said that because of the importance of  serving local customers, orders taken from within Kanagawa prefecture are given priority.

Original text:

話題の塩麹、昔ながらの製法で/横浜

2012年2月28日

もうもうとわき上がる湯気の中、米や麦を木おけから出す川口恭さん＝横浜市瀬谷区の川口糀店

最近、レシピ本が多く出版されて話題となっている塩麹（こうじ）。その原料となる麹を昔ながらの製法で生産する工場が横浜市瀬谷区にある。１８１８年創業の川口糀（こうじ）店だ。

麹作りは10月から翌年６月がシーズン。１月から３月までのものを寒仕込みといい、雑菌が発生しにくく、質のよい麹が作りやすい。

一度に約７００キロが入る木おけで米と麦を蒸し、粗熱を冷ましながら、麹菌を混ぜる。ムロに入れ、適温を保たせながら、発酵させると完成。

麹菌は一般的に使われる白麹ではなく、昔ながらの黄麹が使われている。温度管理が難しいが甘みやうま味が違うという。

「塩麹は昨年11月から手掛けている。店に卸しても午前中で品切れに。生産が追いつかないが、昔ながらの製法でないと納得のいく味が出せない」と９代目の川口恭さん（36）。地元の客を大事にするため、神奈川県内の注文を優先するという。

Viewing season finally arrives for the plum trees of Odawara Castle/Kanagawa

Translated from the original article at: http://news.kanaloco.jp/localnews/article/1202260018/

February 27, 2012

 

The plum trees of Odawara Castle’s Joushi Park are ready to be viewed.

The wait is over. At the Joushi Park of Odawara Castle (Inside the castle grounds of Odawara city), 250 plum trees are finally available for viewing. The red blossomed plum trees are in full bloom with white blossomed trees at half bloom. Due to the effects of this year's cold wave and light rainfall, the blooming was over half a month late. The Sogabairin plum orchard and other notable areas of the city celebrating the plum festival have extended their sessions from the 29^th until March 4^th.

Tourists collecting pictures of the plum trees in full bloom could already feel the arrival of spring.

Original text:

小田原城の梅がようやく見ごろ/神奈川

2012年2月27日

見ごろを迎えた小田原城址公園の梅

お待たせしました―。小田原城址公園（小田原市城内）にある約２５０本の梅がようやく見ごろを迎えた。紅梅は満開、白梅は５分咲。ことしは寒波や少雨の影響で半月以上の遅れ。曽我梅林など市内の各名所を会場にした恒例の「梅まつり」も会期を29日から３月４日に延長した。

観光客は満開の梅を見つけてカメラに収め、春の訪れを感じていた。

Kadonyuudou make their first appearance at the lakeside of Tanzawa; reviving the area’s tourist attractions/Yamakita

Translated from the original article at: http://news.kanaloco.jp/localnews/article/1202250010/

February 25, 2012

Members of the Oniyome Herokuri club set up a Kadonyuudou monument=Tanzawa Lakeside, Yamakita

On the 24th, within the Miho district of Yamakita, an evil-warding Kadonyuudou (Monk Gate) monument appeared along the Kamioda’s Tanzawa Coast. As the artists carved human faces into the bark of Sumac trees, they prayed against evil energy collecting and entering the area.

It's a long held tradition for Kadonyuudou to be set up in the area's valleys. Falling out of fashion in recent times, the area’s housewife group, the Oniyome Herokuri Club, have revived the practice. To make the most of the tourist attractions, bag straps and other goods are being produced to increase public awareness.

The two figures are 1.3 and 1.0 meter high. According to the group, it's rare to use a tree to create a Kadonyuudou exceeding 1 meter, as "(that's the size sufficient) for protecting all of the energy they receive." The monument was set-up in the entrance to the land of the prefecture.

One of the housewife club’s central members, Satou Kawase (Age 50) of Nakagawa, is single. She commented "The Kadonyuudou can know of but overlook that fact, since I wish to serve the area and help it prosper."

Original text:

丹沢湖畔に「門入道」お目見え、観光資源へ復活/山北

2012年2月25日

門入道のモニュメントを設置した「鬼嫁へろくり倶楽部」のメンバー＝山北町の丹沢湖畔

山北町の三保地区に伝わる正月の魔よけ「門入道（かどにゅうどう）」のモニュメントが24日、同町神尾田の丹沢湖畔にお目見えした。ヌルデの樹皮を削って人の顔を描いており、関係者は「邪気が集落に入らないように」と願いを込めている。

門入道は、山間に位置する同地区で長く伝えられてきた風習。時代とともに廃れていたが、地元の主婦グループ「鬼嫁へろくり倶楽部」が復活させた。観光資源として生かそうと、ストラップなどのグッズ製作を行い、ＰＲ活動を展開している。

モニュメントは高さ約１・３メートルと約１メートルの２体。同グループによると、１メートルを超す門入道を作れる木は珍しいため、「集落全体を守ってもらおう」と、地区入り口の県有地に設置した。

中心メンバーの一人、佐藤直美さん（50）＝同町中川＝は「門入道を通して“鬼嫁”の活動をもっと知ってもらい、地域を盛り上げていきたい」と話していた。