Zenpukuji River: Transportation Park, Fishing, and Traditions

今回は愛称「みやさん」宮入俊広さんご家族と善福寺川を楽しみます。彼は素晴らしいイラストレーターで私は2011年の「杉並イラスト展」で初めてお会いました。
宮入さんは展示会場でマーカーたった一本でかっこいいTシャツを作る講座を担当しました。その時、手伝いにイギリス出身のカリーナ夫人、二人のお子さんも来てイベントを楽しんでいました。今回の散歩でまた一緒に過ごすことができて良かったです。本当に楽しかったです！

グレッグ：区役所の前で待ち合わせ、善福寺川からの散歩を始めました。区役所から川まで「すぎ丸バス」で行けます（小学生以上100円）。15分ぐらい歩いて行くこともできます。私たちはバスで行きましたが、歩いて戻りました。

カリーナ：グレッグと一緒に善福寺川沿いを散歩しました。ちょっと曇っていて涼し気なので、たくさん歩いてきたので助かったです。善福寺川は都会の喧騒から離れている感じがあるのでリラックスができていいところです。釣り掘、大宮八幡宮、杉並区立郷土博物館の川沿いのところをたくさん訪ねました。かなり歩きましたが、その日は本当にリラックスしたり楽しんだりできたので距離はそんなに遠く感じませんでした。

※宮入さんは2021（令和３）年７月にご逝去されました。故人のご功績を偲び、心からご冥福をお祈り申し上げます。

I first met the Miyairi's in January 2011 at the Suginami Illustrator's Exhibition that Mr. Miyairi, a great illustrator who goes by the name Miya or Miyasan, and I participated in. He taught a seminar on making cool T-shirts with only markers at the Illustrators' Exhibition, which was held at the Suginami Ward Office. His wife from England, Karina, and their two children came by to help and enjoy the exhibition and seminar. It was at this time we all got to know each other, and I am so glad I got to see them again and spend a day with them. We all had great time!!

GREG: We met in front of the Suginami Ward Office but we started our walk at the Zenpukuji river. From the Ward Office you can take the Sugimaru（すぎ丸） bus there (100 yen for ages 6 and up) or walk, which is about 15 minutes. We happened to take the bus there but walked back.

KARINA: Our walk was along the Zenpukujigawa (river). It was a slightly overcast day and slightly cooler than it had been, which turned out to be a good thing, in view of all the walking we did. The river is a great place to relax and get away from the hustle and bustle of city life. We visited a number of places located on or near the river, including a 'Fishing Lake', Omiya Hachimangu (shrine) and Suginami Historical Museum. Although, I suppose we walked quite far, it didn't seem so at the time and we all had a really relaxing and enjoyable time.

Educational Bicycle Park for Parents and Kids

KARINA: After getting off the bus near the Zenpukujigawa (river), not far from Suginami Tax Office, we walked along the river in the direction of Shinjuku. It's a walk I have done often in the past with the children, although not for several months. We are usually heading to the bicycle park located on the right, a few minute's walk down the river after crossing Itsukaichi kaido. The bicycle park is a great place for parents and kids. Parents can unwind a little in the knowledge that it's a safe and fun environment, and kids can let off steam riding the bicycles and running around the park.

GREG: After we began our walk along the river, we started heading toward the transportation park (Suginami Jidoh Kotsu Koen) for kids that has mini roads with traffic lights and such set up so that the kids can learn the rules of the road. It was easy to tell by their facial expression that the Miyairi kids had been here before-- they love it!! It was great fun for us adults also to watch them ride around on bikes or pedal cars with huge smiles on their faces. Also they have pedal go-carts that parents can take their children for rides on, and several other interesting things the whole family can enjoy. I particularly enjoyed the old steam engine they have there, which you can enter and see the inside controls. Seeing their son's excitement aboard the steam engine really reminded me of myself at his age. I loved trains. In fact, I still do so that is one of the many reasons I love Japan. I think a place like this transportation park would be hard to find in the U.S. also.

親子で学べる交通公園
カリーナ：杉並税務署の近くでバスを降りて善福寺川に沿って新宿方面へ歩き始めました。ここ数か月来ていませんが、うちの子たちとよく散歩したことがあります。五日市街道を徒歩で数分のところの右手にある児童交通公園に行きます。親子が楽しめる所です。楽しいし安全なので両親も安心できます。子どもたちも元気一杯に走ったり自転車に乗ったりしてストレスを発散できます。

グレッグ：善福寺川沿いを、子どもが交通規則を学ぶために造られた施設「杉並児童交通公園」に向かいました。そこにはミニ交差点とか信号などがあります。
宮入さんの子どもさんたちが来たことがあることは顔を見てすぐわかりました。本当に好きですね！　満面の笑顔で自転車やペダルカートに乗って走り回る子どもを見て大人も楽しかったです。親子で乗れるペダルカートもあるし、家族で楽しめることもいっぱい。私は特に中に入れる古い汽車が気に入りました。息子さんが興奮するのを見て幼い頃を思い出しました。電車が大好きでした。実は今でも好きなので、それも日本が大好きな理由の一つです。こういう交通公園もアメリカでは見つけにくいでしょうし。

Riverside Fishing and Relaxation

KARINA: After having fun with bicycles we walked on down the river, eventually coming to the 'Fishing Lake'. This is a particularly Japanese pastime, seeming a bit odd at first to foreigners. However, the children, having no such preconceived ideas, took to it at once. In actual fact, we were just observers this time, but the lake we visited here, near the Zenpukujigawa river is designed to allow for viewing as well as fishing. The children were quite enthralled to see the fish swimming and jumping, and now and again, getting caught! Although they are still a bit young to really understand the idea, it's just a game for them, they were able to enjoy the friendly and relaxed atmosphere, and have fun watching the fishermen, and women and children, too, trying their hand. At least there was one compensation for not being able to fish this time; juice and tasty fried chicken!

GREG: The next stop after walking down the river a ways was a "Tsuribori," which is special place set up for fishing. It was very interesting for Karina and I as we do not have such places in our home countries. I think seafood is a bigger part of Japanese culture as opposed to ours, and so even in a big city like Tokyo it is a great idea to have places like this where people can enjoy fishing. Since it is by the river in a place with lots of nature, you'd even easily forget you were in Tokyo!

We had a chance to talk to the 2nd generation owner. He told us this tsuribori was established in the 1960's, and is now its 3rd generation. When they started here, there were many tsuribori in many places around, but most of them have all disappeared by now and there are not many left. It is easy to see why this one is still around, however-- it is a very welcoming place and the staff is very friendly and hard-working. We didn't go fishing, but we had brunch in the restaurant they have there that overlooks the fishing spot. Looking out over the people fishing and enjoying some food was a very relaxing feeling. The menu also includes a wide variety of choices such as ramen and various noodle dishes, curry rice and donburi, side dishes and set meals. We enjoyed cool beverages in glass bottles such as beer, orange juice and lemonade. The Miyairi's enjoyed Japanese style fried chicken (\500) and the kids snacked on cheese (\300). I had tamago-yaki (\500). They were all delicious, and really hit the spot half way through our river walk.

川の横で釣りやリラックスできる場所
カリーナ：自転車を楽しく乗った後、散歩を続けて釣り掘に着きました。外国人にとって珍しい感じで、特に日本の娯楽でしょうか。子どもたちはそういう先入観がないので本当に興味がありそうでした。実は今回は釣りをしないで見るだけでしたが、この釣り掘にはレストランがあるので見るだけでも良いのです。子どもたちは魚が飛んだり、泳いだり、たまに捕まえられたりするのを見て魅了されました。彼らはまだ小さいので本当に釣堀のことを把握できないかもしれませんが、雰囲気を楽しめました。男の釣り人だけじゃなくて、女の人も子供も釣りをしているのを見て楽しかったです。うちの子たちはしませんでしたが、その代わりおいしいジュースや唐揚げが食べられて喜びました。

グレッグ：次は釣り掘でした。釣りができるように建てられた場所です。特に母国にはないカリーナと私にとって面白かったです。
海産物を食べることは私たちの文化と比べて日本の方が多いような気がします。東京でも釣りを楽しめる場所があって素晴らしいと思います。善福寺川緑地にも囲まれているので、東京にいるということをつい忘れてしまいます。

2代目のオーナーの青木さんとお話しました。この「お食事つり掘」は1960年代に創業し、現在は3代目も働いています。創業当初、釣堀がたくさんありましたが今は少ないでしょう。なぜこの釣堀が現在まで営業できているのか、理由は想像できます。
快適な雰囲気ですし、スタッフは皆親切で頑張っています。私たちは釣りをする時間がありませんでしたが、釣り堀が見えるレストランで、ブランチを食べました。食べながら釣人を見るのはとても楽しい経験でした。ラーメンやうどん、カレーライスや丼、つまみ，定食などの多様なメニューがあります。瓶ビール、オレンジジュース、レモネード等の冷たい飲み物を楽しみました。宮入さんは皆で唐揚げ（500円）にし、子供もチーズ（300円）でした。私は玉子焼き（500円）でした。全部おいしくて、散歩の途中にはちょうど良かったです。

お食事つり掘り「むさしの園」
東京都杉並区大宮2-22-3
電話:　03-3312-2723 / FAX: 03-3311-8856

Omiya Hachimangu (Shrine)

GREG: At last we made it to our main destination, Omiya Hachimangu (Shrine). I had never been inside this shrine before, but it was very interesting. The long walk under the large red torii gates was walled-in by trees and thus it was very peaceful and cooler than other areas. Of course this scenery cannot be seen in America or England, but also we saw some students practicing Kyu-do (the art of archery) within the grounds. I think many foreigners believe that in Japan you can see martial arts being practiced anywhere, and although it is not really the case it was very interesting to see them practicing inside this spiritual place in their kyudo uniforms-- some might say seeing that inside a Japanese temple is the true essence of Japan.

The actual shrine itself was very beautiful and again I was grateful to have Miya-san there as he explained a little about the shrine to me. Most shrines in Japan have specific meaning or something that people go there to pray for, and as a matter of fact many people go to this shrine to pray for the well-being of their children. We saw a family inside with their new born child getting a formal blessing. But because of this special meaning it was a perfect stop for us on our walk with their children, so they took a took a moment to pray at the shrine.

大宮八幡宮
グレッグ：行きたかった大宮八幡宮に到着。この神社に入ったことがありませんでしたが、はじめて見てとても興味深かったです。赤い鳥居をくぐって入った長い路は木で囲まれているので他の場所より涼しくて平和な感じでした。神社の風景はアメリカでもイギリスでも見られないし、それに神社内で弓道練習中の弓道家たちも見かけました。大抵の外国人は日本ではどこでも武道が見られると信じていると思います。もちろん事実ではないんですが、精神的な所で袴で弓道を練習している人を見て面白かったです。日本のエッセンスと言われる人もいるでしょうか。

八幡宮がとてもきれいだったし、宮さんにこの神社の特徴を少し説明していただいて感謝しました。ほとんどの日本の神社には特別な意味や決まって祈ることがあり、実は八幡宮では子どものためにお祈りすることもあります。神社の中でお宮参りの家族を見ました。こういう特別な意味もあるから、子どもたちと一緒の散歩で立ち寄って、少しお祈りしました。

Historical Suginami

GREG: The last stop on our walk was the Suginami Historical Museum. We walked back to the river from the shrine and up a ways to the museum. It is a small museum, but it contains many artifacts found in Suginami. This time Miya-san explained what living in Japan was like when he was a kid as we looked at the picture and actual objects in front of it. He explained what the tools were and how they were used. Again I was glad to go on our foreigners' walk with a Japanese person able to give us deeper insight.

Lastly we went behind the back of museum to an old style house that you can enter. There was a floor hearth - "irori" - that is traditionally used for cooking and keeping warm. The kind man there also served us some hoji-cha (roasted tea) and showed us some traditional Japanese origami. Since origami is what got me interested in Japan, I then showed him some origami! I think he was surprised. Everyone enjoyed this final traditional stop on our walk.

GREG: We returned back via the river since it was a nice day. I highly recommend using the rivers in Suginami as routes to explore many new interesting things and places. It's especially nice to go with your family, friends, or loved ones.
I wonder where we will go next?

歴史的な杉並
グレッグ：最後に杉並区立郷土博物館に寄りました。八幡宮を出て博物館までまた川沿いを歩いてました。郷土博物館はあまり広くはありませんが、杉並区で見つかった工芸品がたくさんあります。ここで宮さんに写真と本物の道具を見ながら子どもの時の生活の話を聞かせていただきました。その道具と使い方を説明していただきました。日本人と一緒に行ったので、より深い見識が与えられ、また、良かったなあと思いました。

その後に博物館の後ろの古民家に行きました。料理をしたり温めたりできる囲炉裏もありました。親切な方がほうじ茶を出して、日本の伝統的な折り紙を教えてくれました。私は折り紙から日本に興味を持つようになったので、私も折り紙を教えました！驚かせたと思います。皆がこの最後の伝統的な場所で楽しみました。

グレッグ：良い天気だったので同じ川のルートで帰りました。面白いものや場所を探検するために、特に杉並の川を経路で使うことをお勧めします。家族、友達、大切な人と一緒に行ったら良いでしょう。
次はどこに行こうかな？