Used Bookstore Oiwake Colony
現代では江戸時代の建物の必要性はある？このインタネットの時代に本屋さんは要りますか？
江戸時代の建物の中の本屋さんはどうですか？それこそ、時代遅れじゃない？
夕べは家族で軽井沢の追分コロニーという「村の古本屋」に行きました。亀清旅館の庭師、岡田英人さんが本屋さんの裏の部屋に展示会を開催していました。「あけび、秋いろ、浅間山」という展示会で、河村目呂二の描いた追分の秋の俳画とスケッチに合わせて、岡田さんが生きた花苗を使って、会場を装飾しました。目呂二さんの絵で出たあけびなどの植物を使って、立体的に表現した様な。建物の趣に、目呂二さんの絵に、岡田さんの花の飾り、目がたっぷり楽しまれる空間でした。
本屋さんの方も、古本を見始まったら、切りがないぐらいにはまりました。私に日本建築の本を、子供達のクリスマスプレゼントに私が子供頃に読んだ本の日本語に訳した何冊（一つは村上春樹訳！）を、そして我が宿のライブラリィになんと１１４年前の本を買いました。１８９６年にウェストン氏の書いた「日本の山岳」。なかなか手に入れない本です。
目呂二ｘ永楽屋ガーデンの岡田さんのディスプレーは１１月３日で終わりましたが、古本屋の追分コロニーはずっとやっています。次の軽井沢の旅に寄ってみたらいかがですか？周辺に美味しいおそば屋さんもあるし、楽しいお出かけになるでしょう。
Are Edo-era building relevant in this day and age? And with the prevalence of the internet, is there any use for bookstores any more?
And what about a bookstore in an Edo-era building? Totally outdated?
Last night our family went for a drive to a bookstore called Oiwake Colony, located in the feudal-era post town of Oiwake in Karuizawa. Kamesei Ryokan's gardener, Okada-san had a display of his gardening prowess in a colloboration with Kawamura Meroji's paintings and sketches. Mejiro was active in the middle of the 20th century, and much of his artwork was inspired by Asama Mountain and the flora around Karuizawa. One of his favorite plants to draw was akebi (chocolate vine). Okada-san brought Meroji's drawings to life, with displays of plants depicted in the paintings including, of course, akebi. The ambience of the centuries-old architecture of the building along with Meroji's artwork and Okada-san's flower and plant displays was a treat for the eyes!
And then I wandered over to look at the used books side. Everywhere I looked, there was another treasure. I am reading some Beverly Cleary books to our kids now, and they had some translated into Japanese. And a Shel Silverstein book, also in Japanese, translated by one of my favorite Japanese authors, Murakami Haruki. How in the world could he put those poems into Japanese? Needless to say, I picked up several books for our kids' Christmas presents. And I picked up a book for Kamesei Ryokan's library, one written in 1896 -- Weston's seminal "The Japanese Alps".
If you take a trip to Karuizawa, I highly suggest stopping at Oiwake to browse at the bookstore, With a highly-regarded soba restaurant right across the street, it is easy to make an afternoon out of it.
追分コロニーのHPはこちらClick here for the Oiwake Colony bookstore's website.
永楽屋gardenの岡田さんの詳しくはこちらMore on gardener Okada-san here.
Meroji-Okada collaboration
master gardener Okada-san
