Jul 16, 2010

Tsunnagou and rice porridge

I grew up near the trace of old castle in West Japan.
  As a child, I was not  interested in an old history of that castle.
After wasting long time, I read a book written about my hometown's history and
 It was shocking to me.

About 300 years ago, there was a famine, and The feudal lord had decide to distribute rice porridge in the castle to the people who starved.
Many many many people came on foot to the castle to get food .

Please imagine,
the  famine had come.
it was in Edo era,
of course, there were no cars and no train.
If  you want to survive,
you must walk ...you must walk long way, even though you are starving....

Many many many people had come on foot to the castle to get food.
They helped each other hand in hand while walking to the castle.
 This cooperation became the song and stays until the times of the next.
  "Tsunnagou, tsunnagou, Arato no hamamade tsunnagou…/つんなごう、つんなごう、荒戸の浜までつんなごう"

  This song is singing
"Let's go to the castle for our surviving!
walk together hand in hand.
(survive,Please survive...)"
We can't see the grammatical subject anywhere in this song..

  Though they starved for food, their minds were so warm.
  About a third of the population of the town, died in this famine.
If their minds were weak, I think this town had disappeared at that time.
What do we have to think?
rethink and rethink....

I can not draw such a scenery even if I love drawing very much..

Today....am thinking about terror of the starvation and feeling human warm mind....