The recipients of the Autumn Medal, which is given to those who have devoted themselves to the path for many years and those who have made achievements in the fields of art and sports, have been announced, and 684 people and 26 organizations, including novelist Keigo Higashino and poet Manchi Tawara, will receive the award.
table of contents
Who is the novelist Keigo Higashino?
Comment from Keigo Higashino
What is the poet Manchi Tawara?
Interview with Ms. Manchi Tawara
What is ballet dancer Mizuka Ueno?
Interview with Mizuka Ueno
Open Table of Contents
table of contents
table of contents
Who is the novelist Keigo Higashino?
Comment from Keigo Higashino
What is the poet Manchi Tawara?
Interview with Ms. Manchi Tawara
What is ballet dancer Mizuka Ueno?
Interview with Mizuka Ueno
Five people will receive the "Autumn Medal" with
the Red Ribbon, which is given to those who have made meritorious contributions to life-saving activities.
▽ The Green Ribbon Medal, which is awarded to people and organizations that have made achievements in volunteer activities, is awarded to 5 people and 10 organizations.
▽ 26 people received the "Yellow Ribbon Medal" awarded to those who have devoted themselves to the path over the years.
Eleven people will be awarded the Purple Ribbon Medal for their achievements in the fields of art, culture, sports, and academic research.
▽ There are 235 people who have been awarded the "Medal with Blue Ribbon", which is awarded to those who have made outstanding achievements in public work.
Among them, "Purple Ribbon Medal" is written by Keigo Higashino, who has written mainly mystery novels for many years and has published numerous bestsellers such as his representative work "The Secret" and "The Devotion of Suspect X," which won the Naoki Prize, and the tanka boom with his songbook "Salad Anniversary", and his lyrics, plays, columns, etc. The award will be awarded to poet Manchi Tawara, who continues to engage in a variety of creative activities.
The recipients of the Medal of Honor will receive a speech from His Majesty the Emperor at the Imperial Palace on three occasions on the 11th, 423th, and 9th of this month.
Who is the novelist Keigo Higashino?
Keigo Higashino, a novelist who will receive the Medal with Purple Ribbon, is 65 years old and was born in Osaka Prefecture.
After graduating from the Faculty of Engineering at Osaka Prefecture University, he made his debut in 1985 at the age of 27 when he won the Edogawa Rampo Prize for "After School."
The "Galileo" series, the first of which was published in 1998, is a popular work in which genius physicists use their expertise to solve mysteries, and "The Devotion of Suspect X" won the Naoki Prize in 1.
He has a reputation for his abundant tricks and deep depictions of human beings, and has worked on best-selling works such as "White Night," the "Kyoichiro Kaga" series, and the "Masquerade" series, and in April, the cumulative circulation of his books in Japan exceeded 2006 million copies.
In addition, his works have been translated into about 4 countries and regions, and are gaining popularity overseas.
Higashino said of receiving the award, "All I have in my mind is to write something that will entertain readers, and to aim to be a writer who will want to read more. This feeling is similar to climbing a mountain, and I believe that if you keep moving forward steadily, you will eventually reach the top. I take this award as an encouragement that the path you have taken so far is not wrong. I will continue to work hard and aim for the top."
Comment from Keigo Higashino
Regarding the receipt of the Medal with Purple Ribbon, Keigo Higashino made a comment.
Below is the full text.
"I made my debut as a novelist 38 years ago, when I was 27 years old. From then on, all I have on my mind is to write something that will entertain my readers, and to be a writer who will want to read more. This feeling is similar to climbing a mountain, and I believe that if you keep moving forward steadily, you will eventually reach the top. However, it is not known where the top of the mountain is. I don't even know where I am on the mountain right now. Sometimes I wonder if this route is really right for me, or if I'm getting lost in the wrong way. In the midst of all this, I was surprised to learn that I had received this award. It's like you're climbing a steep mountain road with poor visibility and suddenly an unexpected signpost appears in front of you. I didn't pursue literature, but just continued to write for entertainment. I knew that this was the only way for me to survive as a writer. That determination was the only compass I could trust. However, I thought that as long as I followed it, there would be some signposts that I would never encounter in my lifetime. The Medal with Purple Ribbon is just one of them. I've never even fantasized. I take this award as an encouragement that the path you have taken so far is not wrong. I will continue to work hard and aim for the top."
What is the poet Manchi Tawara?
Manchi Tawara, a poet who will receive the Medal with Purple Ribbon, is 60 years old and was born in Osaka Prefecture.
While studying at Waseda University, he met the poet Sasaki Kozuna and began composing tanka.
After graduating from university, he worked as a high school language teacher, and in 1987, at the age of 24, he wrote his first songbook, "Salad Anniversary," which became an unusual bestseller.
Beginning with the phrase "July 40th is Salad Anniversary because you said, 'I like this taste,'" a number of works written with fresh sensibility gained popularity among a wide range of generations and sparked a tanka boom.
Since then, he has released a series of songbooks that express what he felt in his daily life, such as "Chocolate Revolution" and "The Size of the Future," and is still active at the forefront of poets.
In addition to conveying the charm of contemporary tanka to the younger generation through social media, he also writes lyrics, plays, and columns.
At the press conference on receiving the award, Mr. Tawara said, "I started writing tanka when I was <> years old, and I am deeply moved by the passage of <> years. As an artist, I would like to continue to write about things that can only be sung at that age."
Interview with Ms. Manchi Tawara
Here are the main exchanges at the press conference held by Manchi Tawara on the occasion of receiving the Medal with Purple Ribbon.
Looking back on his 40 years as a poet, he talked about the charm of tanka.
Be sensitive to small everyday crushes Thanks to tanka
Q. It's been 36 years since your debut on "Salad Anniversary." What have you valued in your tanka so far?
A.I personally believe that tanka is not something that can be written without a special experience or a great experience.
Small crushes in daily life are something that anyone can have, and I think tanka is the one that makes us realize that.
As for how to compose a song, I have always made it a point to capture the fluctuations of the heart in everyday life and turn it into a song.
Conversely, because I am making tanka, I am able to be sensitive to even the smallest everyday moments, and I am grateful for tanka.
When I was in my 20s, I wrote about my daily life from the perspective of my 20s, and there were many feelings that I could only write about at that age, such as my 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s, so I feel like I have carefully spun them into words one by one.
The goodness of the songs that live in the land and sing
Q.You've moved to many different places, but what was it like to create in each place?
A.Looking back, I've lived in many places, and I was born in Osaka and spent my junior high and high school years in Fukui Prefecture.
After that, I came to Tokyo, then Sendai, Ishigaki Island, Miyazaki, and now Sendai.
Each of them moved here for a natural reason, but there are many things that you can only understand after living in the area that you can't experience it on a trip.
In the case of Ishigaki Island, it's not always all blue sea and blue sky, and I think it was good that I was able to experience the goodness of Sendai in Sendai and the goodness of Miyazaki in Miyazaki, as a place where there is a daily life, something that you can't understand until you live there.
In a new songbook, there is a poem about Sendai that says, "If the sign says DATE, most people will read it as Date."
Recently, when I look at the store thinking it's a "date", I usually read it as "date".
When you live there, you realize that there are things that make you feel like you're enjoying the local dialect and the delicious food.
With the words that were said at the time of debut in my heart
Q.In your 40 years of working on the front lines, what were some of the difficulties and turning points for you?
A.I've been writing songs for a long time, and when I look back on the past 40 years, I remember that when I made my debut on the salad anniversary, I was told, "I want to read the song when you're 40 or 50 years old."
It can be taken in many ways.
It can be taken as an encouragement, "Keep going," or it can be taken as a bit of a pushover, such as "Let's see how far we can go with this writing style."
I remembered that for the first time in a long time, and I felt like saying, "No, I've been making since I was 40 or 50 and I'm still making it when I'm 60."
At that time, it took the form of a boom, and the boom has the nuance of being transient somewhere, and although it was a very fortunate start, it was a start in the form of a sudden attention, so I think the challenge for me was how long I could continue to do so.
読んだ人の心のお守りに
Q.俵さんにとって短歌はどのような存在か。
A.自分にとって短歌というのは生きることと並行してあるという感じです。
短歌を作っていて一番いいなと思うのは、忙しい日常の中で小さなときめきがあったときに、しっかり立ち止まる時間が生まれるんですね。
たぶん短歌を作っていなかったら「あっ」て思っても「あっ」と思いっぱなしで過ぎていくと思うんですが、その「あっ」っていうときめきは何だろうというふうに立ち止まってしっかり味わい直す。
そしてそれがことばになって残っていくことで、自分にとっても残っていきます。
さらに例えばその作品を読んだ方が、その方の心のお守りみたいな形で大事にしてくださっているということを知ると、歌人冥利（みょうり）に尽きるなと思いますね。
「最後とは知らぬ最後が過ぎてゆくその連続と思う子育て」という歌を作って、それは自分自身が子育ての中で実感したものなんですけど、子育てでテンパっているお母さんたちが、この歌を見るとなんか頑張ろうというか、改めて子どもを大事に思う、その時間を大事にしなきゃと思うということを言っていただきました。
さらに子育てとは関係なく例えば介護している人とか、あるいは恋人同士の時間とか、それぞれの方が最後とは知らず最後は過ぎてゆくかもしれないかもと思って過ごすことの大事さみたいな形で受け取っていただいて、すごく幸せな歌だなと思います。
私自身はことばにしてとっておきたいと思ったことを短歌を通して多くの人と共有できるというか、それもすごくすてきなことだなと感じています。
人生そのものがそうなんですね。
最後とは知らず最後は過ぎていって、あとから最後と気付くというかな。
最初はだいたい意識するんですけど、そういったことがすべて自分にとっての短歌のよさっていう感じがあります。
短歌の素材は誰もが持っていることば
Q.これから短歌を実際に詠んでみたいという人に向けてコツやアドバイスは。
A.考えてみてください。
何か楽器を演奏しようとか、絵を描こうとか思ったら、まず道具が必要だし、その道具を扱う技術がいりますよね。
短歌に技術がいらないとは言わないですが、まず道具というか素材はことばですから、誰もが持っているものです。
そして、とりあえず日本語が使えれば楽器の音は鳴る状態なんですね。
だからいろんな表現手段がある中で、短歌って本当に入り口が広いというか、思い立ったらきょうからでも始められるというところがあると思います。
五七五七七だけが決まりなんですけど、これは面倒なものではなくて、形があるから楽という感じかな。
何文字でもいいよと言われたら私も困っちゃうんですよ。
五七五七七という型がとりあえず支えてくれるので、そこにことばを何とかいれていけば短歌であるという姿は形が保証してくれるわけです。
そういう気持ちで取り組んでいくと本当に楽しいですよ。
SNSと短歌の相性よい
Q.今は空前の短歌ブーム。短歌界の変化をどのように見てきたか。
A.短歌界というと1300年以上の歴史があるわけですけれども、私が歌を作り始めた頃は、サラダ記念日という歌集を多くの人に読んでいただいて、あの時は口語、自分たちがふだん日常で使っていることばで表現していいんだということを多くの人が気付いて短歌を身近に感じてもらえた、そういう波が1つあったかなと思います。
今、短歌ブームと言われるほど若い人たちが短歌を作ってくれている。
1つはSNSとの相性がすごくいいということは大きな背景としてあるかなと思うんですね。
短いことばで発信するということを日常的にみんなが行うようになって、短いことばで発信する、まさに短歌がそうなんですね。
あ、短歌ってそんなにハードルの高いものじゃないじゃないと若い人たちが気付いてくれたのかなと感じています。
だから短歌ってすごいんですよね。
1000年以上前からあって、それこそ万葉集の時代もあって、源氏物語にも700首以上の和歌が登場します。
その頃は和歌が恋愛のツールとして活躍していたわけですし、サラダ記念日のときは口語で大丈夫だよというふうに、なんか短歌の側が時々私たちに発信して再発見を促してくれているんじゃないかなとさえ感じます。
そしてSNSという、本当に短歌の世界から一番遠いような、古典とか古くからあるものとは遠いようなところにも、ひょこっと顔を出して短歌が「もしもし私のすばらしさに気付いていませんか」と言っているような。
そしてまんまと若い人たちがそれに気付いて楽しんでくれているというふうに、今はその風景を眺めています。
一方で、SNSの時代ってことばのインフレというんですかね、誰もが簡単にたくさんのことばを発することができるし、受け取る方も大変なくらい洪水のようにことばが流れてきている。
そういう中でことばの重みが軽くなっているような一面もある気がするんですね。
その中にあって、短歌というのは短いことば、表現の中にじっくり腰を据えてひと言ひと言選んで表現する。
ことばでしっかり思いを伝えることの大切さをこの時代にあって教えてくれるツールになっているのかな。
そういう意味でもとても今の時代にとって大切な表現方法の1つになってくれているんじゃないかなと感じます。
AIが作る短歌に思うこと
Q.今、AI＝人工知能によって小説を書いたり、短歌を作ったりすることも行われている。AIは驚異と思うか。
A.自分としてはAIができないことの一番最後が短歌を作ることになってほしいと思いますし、きっとそうじゃないかなと思います。
実際、新聞社で研究している短歌を作るAIをさわらせてもらったんですね。
ちょっと下の句を迷っていて上の句を入れると100首くらい出てくるんですよ。
それを見たときは何かがっかりというか、これに太刀打ちできるのかなと思ったんですけれども、それなりの歌も交ざっていたんですね。
でもその歌がすてきな歌かどうかを判断する力は、まだAIにはないみたいというのを聞いて、ちょっとホッとしました。
私たちにとってAIは無視できない存在ではあるんですけども、AIというのはことばからことばを紡ぐことしかできないんですよね。
でも私たち人間は心からことばを紡いでいる。
そこは譲れないところだし、AIにはまねのできないところかなというふうに感じています。
バレエダンサー 上野水香さんとは
紫綬褒章を受章するバレエダンサーの上野水香さんは神奈川県生まれの45歳。
5歳でバレエを始め、15歳のときに若手ダンサーの登竜門とされるスイスのローザンヌ国際バレエコンクールで「スカラシップ賞」を受賞し、モナコのバレエ学校に2年間留学しました。
卒業後に帰国し、2004年に東京バレエ団に入団すると、20年間にわたって最高位の「プリンシパル」として古典から現代まで数々の作品で主役を務めたほか、世界のトップダンサーとも数多く共演してきました。
また、世界的な振り付け師であるモーリス・ベジャール氏から直接指導を受け、ベジャール氏が振り付けた「ボレロ」を踊ることを許された世界でも数少ないバレエダンサーです。
1メートル70センチの長身に加えて、体の柔軟性を生かした豊かな表現力は高く評価され、去年は芸術の分野で優れた業績をあげた人たちに贈られる文化庁の「芸術選奨文部科学大臣賞」に選ばれました。
上野さんは「受章したことは夢のようです。バレエはすばらしい芸術で、深く美しいものですが、気が付いたらバレエを習いここまで来ていたというのが正直なところです。私の踊りを皆さんが喜んでくれることが私の喜びにつながっていて、バレエを踊ることは私の使命だと感じています」と話していました。
上野水香さんインタビュー
紫綬褒章の受章にあたって、上野さんはNHKのインタビューに応じました。
主なやりとりをご紹介します。
「夢なのかな 覚めるのかな」
Q.Congratulations! How did you feel about being awarded the award?
A.At first, I couldn't believe it, and I wondered if it was a dream, if I would wake up.
I had just received the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award for the Arts last year, so I was honestly surprised that I received such a wonderful and prestigious chapter so quickly.
At the same time, my heart was full, and I was overflowing with gratitude for the people who have supported me and the people I have met, and I cried for a while.
From now on, I may feel that I have received the award little by little, but I would like to become a worthy person.
Maybe I'm lucky
Q.What do you think when you look back on your own journey?
A.I think I was very lucky.
I was blessed to meet many teachers who guided me and supported me in ballet and my talent.
As for my career, I was blessed to be able to give a helping hand just when I thought it might not work, and I am really lucky.
At the Lausanne International Ballet Competition, I thought, "I'm not doing well, so I'll try again next year," but I received the prize right away.
Also, I've had a big role that I never thought I'd have, and I've been lucky and wonderful, and I think I'm probably lucky.
The individuality brought by two mentors
Q.Who would you name if you could name someone who had a particular influence on you?
A.Of course, all the teachers, including those who have been learning from a young age and those who have studied abroad, were wonderful.
Also, after coming to Tokyo Ballet, I was guided by the artistic director.
Thank you all for making such a wonderful impact on me and helping me.
On top of that, I believe that the two choreographers, Laurent Petit and Maurice Béjart, have given me a career that no one else has, and that I have my own personality and dance.
"Being yourself" is really difficult to put into words, and it is difficult to express it in simple words, but these days I think that the softness, suppleness, and atmosphere in dance are my personality.
Ballet is "My Mission"
Q.How have you dealt with ballet?
A.Ballet is a wonderful art, deep and beautiful, but to be honest, I found myself learning ballet, dancing, and being on stage, and before I knew it, I had come this far.
I feel like it's something we've been walking together for a long time.
At the same time, when I dance, the people around me are happy, and when customers applaud and say, "It was good" or "I was energized," I feel that I am allowed to be alive and that it is okay to dance.
In that respect, ballet is what has led me to my raison d'être.
If my dancing is helping and helping you, I feel that dancing ballet is my mission.
And the fact that our customers are happy is directly connected to my joy.
It will also play a role in passing it on to the next generation
Q.What are your goals and aspirations for the future?
A.First of all, do the best you can with what is in front of you.
I believe that I will give 120% to each and every one of the important opportunities that come my way, such as on stage.
The Tokyo Ballet, to which I am currently a member, will celebrate its 60th anniversary next year.
Next year will be my 20th year with the Tokyo Ballet, so it will be a memorial year for the company and for me.
I would like to be a part of making it more exciting.
Also, when it comes to dance, there are important things about my career, what I have learned, what I have researched, and my own repertoire.
There will come a time when I won't be able to dance anymore.
On the other hand, I believe that ballet and its wonderful works will remain and be passed on for many years to come.
I feel that we will eventually be able to pass on such things to the next generation with great care.
I don't know when or what form it will take.
I'm anxious, but I want to turn it into something to look forward to.
Q.How do you feel about the future?
A.Artists don't know tomorrow, and there is no end.
The deeper you go, the more you can see the wall.
"I want to do more of this" or "I should do more of this" appear one after another.
In the midst of "wanting to be better" and "wanting to make customers more happy," if I get injured tomorrow, I won't be able to dance.
It's like I'm facing a lot of darkness, and I don't know what tomorrow will bring.
So, there is a lot of anxiety.
However, I would like to do my best to make my life one that I can look forward to tomorrow.