Written for the walkers of the 88 temple pilgrimage in Shikoku, Japan. Namu Daishi Henju Kongou..

Recordings

The Henro

For the Buddhist temple of Hagyu-Ji in Niihama, Shikoku, Japan.

Hagyu-Ji

My old tsubaki.

My name is Okomoto Shinji. In this year, Heisei 21 , I become 104 years old. My English is poor, please try for me.
 
In early Spring Meiji 28 I came upon this world a flower alongside late season tsubaki bloom.  Like five pods of tsubaki  fruit I am fifth child.  My father was pride and my mother was weeping drops of morning dew on her cheeks to have given him first son. My father said to me when I am myself a man he no longer had to be beating the wooden block to remove  mosquito, and my mother said she was no longer wood.
 
Meiji 28 is also year famous writer and poet, Soseki Natsume,  came to be living, working and writing in my home town, Matsuyama.

When I am 3 years old my father take me to our garden. He help me to plant  tsubaki. He said you are my most precious plant and this tsubaki will always remind you of this feeling. As I grow up slowly so does tsubaki. When I start elementary school it was very small. After high-school it was strong but my mother said this tsubaki is still young and has many branch to grow and many flowers to be coming.
 
When I am blessed at marriage it is Autumn and momoji is strong on mountain. Tsubaki at this year had most beautiful pink flowers of bigness. My wife gave to our family the four child. 
 
She is very kind mother and soft like tsubaki flower. She said I am like a roots to this plant.
  
My child are having very filial respect. Those child try hard at school when they are being young. Those child also have child. After this come more generations of childs. They all are my most precious plant. Now my old tsubaki has many branch. The persons who walk on this street can now see flowers above a fence.
 
When the year come for my father to die my tsubaki does not have flowers for all year. The winter was cold and 
snow was resting on branch for many months. I cry for tsubaki this year but my mother said it will come flowers again. When my mother die this tsubaki have one pink flower. It is most honour from tsubaki. I did not cry because mother give me knowing that flower will come again next year.
 
Now I am very old. But my old tsubaki is still young like great-grandson. When I go to meet my father and mother 
and wife my tsubaki will not cry because it is very strong now. Tsubaki will remind my family to know next year 
will be more flowers coming.
 
Tsubaki - Camellia japonica
Heisei 21 - Year (2009)
Meiji 28 - Year (1895)
Momoji - Autumnal leaves

Wayne Deans