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太陽が白く見えるほど日差しは強く、突き刺さるようです。空を見上げることもかなわない炎天下、その圧倒的な力は容赦のかけらも無いようです。

炎暑の中、ふと前を見ると垂水の森が夏の日に晒され光っています。柏屋のある千里山から垂水神社の鎮守の森が見えます。都市化が進みほぼ人工物で覆われる中、この一角だけは緑が残っています。こんもりと緑の山が小さいながらも凛としていて、どんな時もその姿に癒されます。

思えば子供の頃、夏休みに虫カゴを首から下げて垂水の森に行ったものでした。炎暑の日照りをよそに森の中は緑蔭に包まれていました。夏の陽を取り合うように茂る緑の葉を見上げると、そよそよと揺れている様子が目に映り、蝉の声の合間に静かな葉音が聞こえていました。ゆるりとそよぐ風の心地よさが思い出されます。

立秋は8月7日に迎えますが、まだまだ暑さの真っ盛りです。古の人はこの暑さの頂点を秋の起点としました。初秋の季語に新涼とありますが、涼というには程遠い感じです。温かい風の中にも暑さの緩みを感じ取り「新涼」といって喜んだのでしょう。この言葉からも、次の季節を待ちわびる思いが伝わってきます。

The sun is so bright that it looks white. Under the blazing sun, it is impossible to look up at the sky. The overwhelming power of the sun seems to be relentless.

In the scorching heat, the Tarumi forest shines under the summer sunlight.  From Senriyama, where Kashiwaya is located, you can see the forest “Chinju-no-mori” of the Tarumi Shrine.  While urbanization has progressed and artificial objects cover most of our city, greenery remains around only this area.  The green mountain is small but dignified, and always soothes me.

In my childhood, I used to go to Tarumi Forest with an insect cage during the summer vacation.  The forest was filled with shadows.  Looking up at the green leaves, I found they are waving in the wind and spreading their branches to get sunshine.  I caught the tiny sound of rustling leaves above the buzz of cicadas.  I remember the comfortable gentle breeze.

Risshu (Start of Autumn) is August 7th, but it is still the height of summer.  The people in old decided that the height of this heat is the starting point of autumn.  In Japan, there is a seasonal word for early autumn: “新涼” (shinryo: literally, new coolness).  They might sense that the heat ease a bit even in the warm breeze, and be pleased that autumn was approaching.  They must have been looking forward to the next season.

*Great Heat/ Start of Autumn: The traditional East Asian calendars divide a year into 24 solar terms. “Great Heat” is the 12th solar term and starts from July 23rd. “Start of Autumn” is the 13th solar term and starts from August 7th.