Real sky and real Fukushima

(by Miho)

When it comes to Fukushima' s nickname, probably everyone says, "the real sky prefecture." Actually this nickname was partly adopted at 1995 Fukushima National Athletic Meet as "Dear friends, let' s jump up to the real sky. "

Kotaro & Chieko

The words are from a "Chieko-sho" which was written by Chieko' s husband, Takamura Kotaro, a famous poet. Chieko said to Kotaro in the poem, "The blue sky that is every day / Above Mt Adatara / Is my real sky.

" Fukushima is a mountainous beautiful prefecture. I don't suppose that Chieko could realize "the real sky" without mountains.

Kotaro was born and grew up in Tokyo. Tokyo is in the vast plains of Kanto. That is why Kotaro's sky might be more spacious than Chieko's. Chieko longed to see the real sky in Tokyo, but it was impossible.

In this way even one word usually implies some facts. As I was born in Fukushima and live here now, I believed that I have known my hometown well. But I was taken aback by my poor knowledge of Fukushima when I have studied in the class "Reading Fukushima in English." In each lesson I learned another different 'real' Fukushima that I had not known. I found Fukushima is very different from what I had thought. Fukushima is rich and interesting enough to introduce to other people.

l was very glad to learn new aspects of Fukushima. First of all, I would like to thank my teachers for their voluntary work and my classmates for their corporation. I owe my understanding of Fukushima to their full passions. These spirits seem to be a part of "the real Fukushima" under "the real sky."

(10/2002)