Google AIによる概略
八百万の神(やおよろずのかみ)八百万の神(やおよろずのかみ)とは日本古来の神道において、自然や現象、あらやううる万物に宿るとされる数えきれないほど無数の神々の総称です。
「八百万」の意味:実際の数字(800万)ではなく、「無限に多い」「数え切れないほどたくさん」という意味を表しています。
Google AIによる概要
特に、キリスト教(カトリック)において聖母マリアや天使、聖人などが刻まれた金属製の小さなメダル(日本では「メダイ」とも呼ばれます)を指すことが多く、お守りや祈りのためのアイテムとして親しまれています。
一般的には原音に近い「マリア」と表記されることが多いですが、「マリヤ」は日本ハリストス正教会などの一部の教派や古い聖書の翻訳で伝統的に用いられる表記です。キリスト教の教派や翻訳によって使い分けられています。
マリア:カトリックやプロテスタント(新共同訳など)、一般書籍で使用されることが多い表記です。マリヤ:日本ハリストス正教会や、一部の古い聖書翻訳(文語訳など)で使用されることが多い表記です。
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| Brown Sugar (Rose) in June |
I don’t currently follow any specific religion. Strictly speaking, I hold animistic beliefs (referring to the eight million gods).
Summary by Google AI
The Eight Million Gods (Yaoyorozu no Kami)For a long time now, I have enshrined a statue of Inari-sama on the household shrine in my room to express my gratitude for my business.
The Eight Million Gods (Yaoyorozu no Kami) is a collective term in ancient Japanese Shintoism referring to the countless gods believed to dwell within nature, phenomena, and all things in the universe.
Meaning of “Yaoyorozu”: This does not refer to the actual number (8 million), but rather signifies ‘infinite’ or “too numerous to count.”
I also have a small ceramic figurine of the messenger HolyFox (Otsukai-gitsune-sama), which is said to protect Inari-sama.
As I believe I’ve mentioned before, Japan has a constitution that guarantees freedom of religion, and I, too, hold respect for other religions and beliefs and believe they should be respected.
I believe this reflects the general sense of piety found in Japan, where I live.
It’s strange, but ever since I was young, I’ve had a peculiar connection with families who practice Catholicism. They shared many details with me, and those memories remain vivid in my mind to this day.
Also, in the town where I live, there is a castle belonging to the Kuroda clan, famous for the military strategist Kanbei. In fact, recent research suggests that Kuroda Kanbei, while serving under Toyotomi Hideyoshi—who began persecuting Christians (Christians), yet within the Kuroda Domain (Kanbei’s territory), he protected Christian daimyo (lords who practiced Christianity and their subordinates).
There are also records suggesting that Kuroda Kanbei himself, while choosing Buddhism for his official funeral in accordance with the customs of daimyo (feudal lords who owned castles) of the time, held an unofficial funeral as a Christian.
At Kuroda Kanbei’s family temple (the temple where his grave is located), a stone lantern featuring a cross-shaped light window—known as a “Christian lantern”—is still in place today.
It is positioned so that it cannot be seen when entering the temple gate and heading toward the main hall.
It has long been believed that lighting a flame serves as a “guidepost to illuminate the darkness of delusion and lead the way to the Pure Land” and to “ward off evil spirits.”
From Google AI
On top of that, the people I’ve been spending time with lately are Catholic, and they’ve taught me the proper etiquette for someone who hasn’t been baptized to observe services. Also, in the town where I live, a Catholic church is famous for providing free meals at a street-style park where young people gather.
A novelist I loved dearly was, as it turns out, baptized as a Catholic at the end of his life, and now he’s writing in heaven, leaving me with memories of gin and tonics and beautiful hats.
I find myself thinking, “I haven’t been baptized and I don’t attend Mass,” but when viewed on a global scale rather than just in Japan, perhaps this isn’t all that unusual.
Among the items I was vaguely familiar with is a type of religious charm known as a “medal” (or “médaillon” in French).
Medallions are highly prized in the antique art market. I’ve heard that in medieval Europe, royalty and wealthy merchants had many medallions engraved with devotional motifs for themselves, their partners, and their families, using them during their daily devotions.
Summary by Google AI
In particular, within Christianity (Catholicism), the term often refers to small metal medals (known as “medai” in Japan) engraved with images of the Virgin Mary, angels, and saints; these are widely cherished as amulets and items for prayer.
I’ve heard that medallions can be collected as works of art with a sense of reverence.
With prices ranging from 200yen to 300 yen each, I thought they were perfect for me, as I find beauty in the Christian faith and am deeply impressed by it.
Some time ago, when I had the opportunity to research the proper etiquette for enshrining the Kannon statue, I learned that it is customary to place the statue on a cloth. (Apparently, you don’t have to go out of your way to do this.)
Similarly, in Catholicism, when placing a statue of God, there is a spirit of laying out the best cloth you can afford.
(Though I personally believe one shouldn’t overdo it.)
While casually tracing the traces of Spinoza’s God—the God of Chance (the name of the God of Chance that brings about traces of beauty created by chance, something no one has ever seen, something invisible)—I came across the Medaille for the first time.
I was breathless at the beauty and elegance of Christian art embodied in the Medaille.
This sacred medal offers a refreshing response: it speaks through its very existence, saying that we wish to pass on good design—from the many hearts that hold reverence, to the many other hearts that share that same reverence—in defiance of the lookism that frowns upon seeing beauty in moments of devotion.
I think it might be a white daisy.
White daisies remind me of Meg, the eldest daughter in *Little Women*.
I remember that her white muslin dress was the formal attire she wore to church services and formal tea parties.
Ever since then, I’ve loved white daisies.
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| Medai Mikokoro (Large) 580 yen |
Surrounding the image of the Virgin Mary are the words GLORIA, REPARATIO, and AMOR.
According to DeepL, they’re all Latin.
GLORIA means “glory,” REPARATIO means “restoration” (or “healing”?), and AMOR means “love.”
I hear that Latin is the original language of Christianity.
If you ever have the opportunity to give a meaningful gift to a Christian, you might make them happy by finding a beautiful phrase in Latin.
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| The reverse side of the “Mikokoro (Large)” medal |
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| Heart-shaped Medal of the Immaculate Conception, Navy Blue, 350 yen |
The heart shape looks just like a droplet that has just fallen from the sky, so I decided to buy it right away.
When I asked those in the know, I learned that the Immaculate Conception is read as “Immaculate Mary.”
As for the spelling of “Mary,” here in Japan where I live, it is sometimes written as “Mariya.”
According to Google AI,
The spelling varies depending on the Christian denomination or translation.
Maria: This spelling is commonly used by Catholics and Protestants (such as the New Common Translation) and in general literature.It says so.
Mariya: This spelling is commonly used by the Japanese Orthodox Church and in some older Bible translations (such as the Classical Japanese Translation).
If I had to choose, I prefer the sound and feel of the spelling “Mariya.”
If it were a classical Japanese translation, perhaps the spelling I first encountered as a child was “Mariya.”
I think of classical Japanese as the language of beautiful young people, and I admire those who use it skillfully in everyday life.
I also feel as though I’m slightly familiar with the old-fashioned language of the artisan world. I wonder why?
I suspect it’s because it’s a language specialized for environments where information is exchanged solely through voice.
To the best of my knowledge, the language of artisans is designed to prevent misunderstandings, and I sense a rationality, sharpness, and precision in the everyday use of classical Japanese that is quite similar to that.
However, even though the name “Garasha-sama”—a Japanese noblewoman who is still revered today—uses this spelling, in modern times both Catholics and Protestants refer to her as “Maria,” so I intend to respect that pronunciation and spelling.
I’ve heard that the Immaculate Virgin Mary is called “Fatima” in Latin.
When people hear “Fatima,” many likely think of the Prophecies of Fatima or the story of the Virgin Mary’s apparition there, but that Our Lady of Fatima is a different “Fatima” from the Immaculate Virgin Mary.
So, while I had always assumed this was the Mary we usually think of as the mother of Jesus Christ in our daily lives, it turns out that the Immaculate Mary named “Fatima” is actually “Mary Magdalene.”
She is the very Mary Magdalene I once wrote passionately about—the one who washed Jesus Christ’s feet with her own hair and fragrant oil.
She wanted to offer the very best she knew.
According to a theory on Wikipedia, the “very best” she knew—her own hair and fragrant oil—was what Mary Magdalene likely vowed to dedicate her entire life to in that moment. It is said that her actual profession was that of a hairdresser.
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| Brown Sugar (rose) soaked in cold water |
This Sunday edition was published much later than originally announced.
Due to an unexpected incident, it took until now to get it out. I apologize.
Well then, have a wonderful Monday.
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Translated with DeepL.com (free version)






















