Yesterday was the Spring Equinox Day and some people say Chikubu Island is THE must-visit on this specific day with a formal visit to the shrine there.

Actually, as for me, however, this place revives my fond memory of my parents taking me there on a sightseeing boat in my early childhood.

A memory of climbing the steep stairs to the shrine is just missing, though.

Writing down memories/

Beautiful is the (large body of) water in/

Spring/

Calligraphy and translation by Chio

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Requests for Chio’s calligraphy are accepted at chio_art@yushokai.com.

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昨日は春分の日でしたが、春分の日には竹生島を訪れて、神社にお詣りするのがいいと聞きます。

実は私にとっての竹生島は、幼い日に両親が遊覧船で連れて行ってくれたという記憶を呼び起こしてくれるものです。

けれども、その神社に行くのに、こんなに急な階段を登らなければならなかったという記憶は欠落しているのです。

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知櫻の書のご依頼は、<chio_art@yushokai.com>までお願いいたします。

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Tonight’s moon is a New Moon in the Pisces.  In addition, the Venus moves forward today and the Saturn will change its place very soon.  Simply put, it is the beginning; winter ends and spring will start shortly.

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Requests for Chio’s calligraphy are accepted at chio_art@yushokai.com.

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今夜の月は魚座の新月で、同時に金星も移動し、土星も近々星座を移ります。つまり、冬の終わりで、春の始まりに向けての黎明なのです。

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知櫻の書のご依頼は、<chio_art@yushokai.com>までお願いいたします。

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This is the seasonal term allocated to five days from around today.  It means Japanese bush warblers, also known as a spring herald, begin singing in mountain villages.

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Requests for Chio’s calligraphy are accepted at chio_art@yushokai.com.

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今日辺りから5日間の七十二候の名称です。春告鳥とも呼ばれる鶯が山里で鳴き始めるとの意味です。

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知櫻の書のご依頼は、<chio_art@yushokai.com>までお願いいたします。

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Because, obviously, at the moment, the moon is in the Libra, I wrote the myth of its origin.

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In the Nemea dale, lived a cannibalistic lion with skin as hard as steel.  A number of young men went to the dale to eliminate it.  However, none returned.  One day, King Eurystheus of Tiryns heard this and list killing of this lion as one of the twelve Labors to give Heracles to expiate his mortal crimes of his wife and children.

Having brute strength, Heracles head out to kill the lion with a club and a powerful bow and arrow.  However, they were powerless against the lion with a hard skin.  Still, he hadn’t given up and with his extraordinary strength he kept strangling the lion for three days and nights.  Goddess Hera watched this scene and honored the lion for its fighting spirit and made it into a constellation because she hated Heracles.

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Requests for Chio’s calligraphy are accepted at chio_art@yushokai.com.

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今、月は獅子座にあるようですので、獅子座の起源の神話を描きました。

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知櫻の書のご依頼は、<chio_art@yushokai.com>までお願いいたします。

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According to the old calendar, today marks the first day of spring.  Here is the routine phrase of the day, “the first day of spring: excellent luck”.  The expression has been considered very fortunate because it is bilaterally symmetric and looks just the same from the reverse side.  However, being an individualistic calligrapher, I have never succeeded in writing the phrase exactly symmetric, though.

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Requests for Chio’s calligraphy are accepted at chio_art@yushokai.com.

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今日は立春ですので、立春のお決まりのフレーズを書きました。これは左右対称で裏から見ても同じに見えるので、縁起がいいとされるそうです。個性派書家の私は左右対称に書けたことがありませんが。

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知櫻の書のご依頼は、<chio_art@yushokai.com>までお願いいたします。

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