By Mitsue Finch Uchida
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(Please scroll below for the English version)
7月の和名は文月（ふみづき）です。書道の上達を祈り歌や願い事などを書く七夕の行事のことを「文被月（ふみひりげづき）」と呼んでいました。それが転じて文月になったと言われています。さて英国では6月は記録的な暑さでしたね。
今月はFIFA World Cupも開催されているのでOverheatしそうですね。残念ながら大奮闘の末に日本チームは姿を消してしまいましたが、今度はイングランドのチームを皆さんで応援いたしましょう！！また、英国は総裁選が17日にあり、予想通りに行くのか、こちらも熱を帯びそうですね。そして選挙後に国民よりも長いお休みをいただく国会議員さん、休みを返上してでも、この物価高をどうにかしてほしいと思うのは私だけではないでしょう。
さて、そこで日本に目を向け夏の「土用」について少しお話します。「夏の土用」は日本は1年で酷暑の時期にあたるため、江戸時代にはこの期間を「土用の丑の日」と重視し、柿の葉などの薬草を入れてお風呂に入り（丑湯）、お灸をすえたり（土用灸）すると夏バテや病気回復などに効果が見られると言われました。今年は7月26日が丑の日で、この日にうなぎを食べると夏バテをしないともいわれています。実はこの風習、江戸時代の万能学者で発明家でもある平賀源内が仕掛けたものだったんです。知り合いのうなぎ屋さんが夏はうなぎが売れないと困っていたのを見て、店の前に「土用丑の日、うなぎの日」という貼り紙をしたのです。最近ではこういうキャッチフレーズはざらですが、江戸時代は目を引いたのでしょうね。現代で言えば『そうだ、京都、行こう』（JR東海）感覚でしょうか。そして、縁起担ぎが好きな江戸っ子にこれが大当たりして、土用の丑の日にうなぎを食べる風習が生れました。元々この日に「う」のつくもの、「うどん」「うめぼし」「うり」他を食べると病気にならないという言い伝えがあったようで「うなぎ」として定着したのでしょう。私達も、栄養たっぷりのうなぎならぬVeganうなぎでも食べて、この暑さを乗り切りましょう。なんちゃって鰻の作り方
追記：私の友人が無事にロンドンへ、初日からウインブルドン見学へと。翌日はKew Garden,、国王の誕生日のパレード、コッツウオルズ散策、勿論その間に精力的な博物館、ミュージアム巡り、そしてお決めつきは「ABBA Voyage」。老若男女に混じり顔にキラキラをつけてダンスフロアー駆け巡るという元気さ、毎日の平均歩数18,000歩でした～。
国王のパレードでは、11時半頃宮殿前に到着し、諦めていたパレードやエアーショーを最前列で見れました。というのも小柄な日本人ということで、皆が後列から最前列へと押しやってくれたのです。パレードが手に取るように見えました。これまでロンドンに住んでいて初めてのパレードしかも最前列で切符も無しで診れるなんて、本当にラッキーでした！友人に感謝です！！また、私のウエイトトレーニングも今も続けてやっています。最近の吊り輪少しブルブルですが頑張ってます！
＜7月のイベント情報＞
＊JA二水会講演：二水会部７月講演ご案内：
- 日時：７月８日(水) 午後8時~9時(UK時間)
- 講師：Dr 野村 俊夫 在英永住型日本人の老後の生活を考える会JCUK相談役
- 演題：「本帰国、期待と不安そして課題」
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Access Appointments Saijiki Blog for July（Fumizuki）2026
By Mitsue Finch Uchida
The Japanese name for July is Fumizuki. The Tanabata festival, where people pray for improvement in calligraphy and write poems and wishes, was called Fumihirigezuki. It’s said that this evolved into Fumizuki. Now, June in the UK was record-breaking hot! With the FIFA World Cup being held this month, it looks like going to be overheated!! Unfortunately, after a valiant effort, the Japanese team was eliminated, but now let’s all cheer for the England team!!
Also, the UK has its presidential election on the 17th, and it’s likely to be heated as we see how things unfold. And while Members of Parliament will have a longer holiday than the general public after the election, I’m sure I’m not the only one who wishes they would give up their holiday to do something about these high prices!?
Now, let’s turn our attention to Japan and talk a little about the summer “Doyo” period. “Summer Doyo” is the hottest period of the year in Japan, and during the Edo period, this time was considered important as “Doyo no Ushi no Hi” (the Day of the Ox during Doyo). It was believed that taking a bath with medicinal herbs such as persimmon leaves (Ushi-yu) and receiving moxibustion (Doyo-kyu) would be effective in combating summer fatigue and recovering from illness. This year, the Day of the Doyo falls on July 26th, and it is said that eating eel on this day will prevent summer fatigue. In fact, this custom was invented by Hiraga Gennai, a versatile scholar and inventor of the Edo period. Seeing that an eel shop owner he knew was having trouble selling eels in the summer, he put up a sign in front of the shop saying “Doyo no Ushi no Hi = Eel Day” While such catchy slogans are commonplace these days, they must have been eye-catching in the Edo period. In modern terms, it’s like the “Let’s go to Kyoto” (JR Tokai) slogan. And this was a huge hit with the superstitious Edo people, giving rise to the custom of eating eel on the Day of the Doyo during the summer. Originally, there was a belief that eating something starting with “u” on this day—such as udon noodles, pickled plums (Ume), or melons (Uri)—would prevent illness, and it seems that eel became the established choice. Let’s also beat this heat by eating some nutritious vegan eel! Here‘s how to make a mock eel.
P.S.: My friends visited in London and went to Wimbledon on their first day. The next day, we visited Kew Garden, the King’s birthday parade (Trooping the Colour), strolled through the Cotswolds, and of course, energetically visited museums and art galleries in between, and of course, saw “ABBA Voyage.” They ware full of energy, running around the dance floor with people of all ages, their faces covered in glitter, averaging 18,000 steps a day! We arrived in front of the palace around 11:30 AM for the Trooping the colour and were able to see the parade and air show from the front row, which we never expected! Because we are small Japanese, everyone pushed us from the back to the front. We could see the parade so clearly! It was my first time seeing a parade in London, and from the front row without a ticket – so lucky thanks to my friends!!I’m still continuing my weight training. I’m a little shaky on the rings these days, but doing my best!
<July Event information>
*JA Nisuikai – July Lecture
- Date and Time: July 8th (Wed), 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM (UK Time)
- Lecturer: Dr. Toshio Nomura, Advisor to JCUK (Japan Community Healthcare Association), an organization considering the retirement lives of Japanese people permanently residing in the UK
- Topic: “Returning to Japan: Expectations, Anxieties, and Challenges”
Please register here.
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