One of the aspects I love about Japan are the unusual monuments, scattered throughout the country, often sending beautiful messages.
While strolling through Sumida Park I discovered a little know monument, built to honor Takeshima Hagoromo, the author of the lyrics of a famous Japanese song, Hana.

The monument of Hana was raised in 1956 by its students from the Tokyo Music School (today’s Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music) and, since the poem expressed the beauty of the Sumida River, it was placed nearby.

Haru-no urara-no Sumidagawa
Nobori kudari-no funabito-ga
Kai-no shizuku-mo hana-to chiru
Nagame-wo nani-ni tatou-beki

Mizu-ya akebono tsuyu abite
Ware-ni mono-iu sakuragi-wo
Mizu-ya yuugure te-wo nobe-te
Ware sashi-maneku aoyagi-wo

Nishiki orinasu choutei-ni
Kurure-ba noboru oboro-zuki
Geni ikkoku-mo senkin-no
Nagame-wo nani-ni tatou-bek

via From Keisho Center ・継承センター便り.

You can find a translation at Pacific Islander.

Takeshima Hagoromo was also a very good calligrapher, the text from the monument being a copy after one of his manuscripts:

The song was composed by Taki Rentaro, one of the best known Japanese composers.
Let’s listen to it, performed by Sakiko Ito and Chieko Baisho:

Monumentele neobişnuite, presărate prin toată ţara, deseori transmiţ?nd mesaje frumoase, sunt parte din aspectele care ?mi plac mult ?n Japonia.
?n timp ce mă plimbam prin parcul Sumida am descoperit un monument mai puţin cunoscut, ?nchinat lui Takeshima Hagoromo, autorul versurilor unui cunoscut c?ntec japonez, Hana.

Monumentul a fost ridicat ?n anul 1956 de către studenţii săi de la Tokyo Music School (astăzi Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music) şi amplasat foarte aproape de r?ul Sumida, despre care este vorba ?n poezie.

Haru-no urara-no Sumidagawa
Nobori kudari-no funabito-ga
Kai-no shizuku-mo hana-to chiru
Nagame-wo nani-ni tatou-beki

Mizu-ya akebono tsuyu abite
Ware-ni mono-iu sakuragi-wo
Mizu-ya yuugure te-wo nobe-te
Ware sashi-maneku aoyagi-wo

Nishiki orinasu choutei-ni
Kurure-ba noboru oboro-zuki
Geni ikkoku-mo senkin-no
Nagame-wo nani-ni tatou-bek

via From Keisho Center ・継承センター便り

O traducere poate fi găsită la Pacific Islander.

Takeshima Hagoromo a fost şi un foarte bun caligraf, textul de pe monument fiind o copie după un manuscris:

Melodia a fost compusă de Taki Rentaro, unul dintre cei mai cunoscuţi compozitori din Japonia. Iată-o ?n interpretarea lui Sakiko Ito şi Chieko Baisho:

In Ueno, at the Kan’ei-ji Temple, I discovered a strange and beautiful monument, especially for the message it sends.

The monument, called Mushizuka, was realized from an unprocessed rock, in 1821, to fulfill a request of Sessai Masuyama, Lord of Ise Nagashima.
The purpose of Mushizuka is to console the spirits of the insects that had died after being used as models for his drawings!

Sessai Masuyama learned the art of realistic drawing from a Chinese master, Shin Nappin, renowned for drawings of flowers and birds. The collection of insects drawings created by Sessai Masuyama, Chuuchi-jou (A drawing block of sketches of insects) is well-known and appreciated.

La templul Kan’ei-ji din Ueno, am descoperit un monument pe c?t de ciudat, pe at?t de frumos prin mesajul pe care-l transmite.

Monumentul, numit Mushizuka, realizat dintr-o piatră neprelucrată, a fost ridicat ?n anul 1821 la cererea lui Sessai Masuyama, lord din Ise Nagashima, pentru a consola spiritele insectelor care au murit, fiind folosite ca model pentru desenele lui!

Sessai Masuyama a ?nvăţat arta desenului realistic de la un maestru chinez, Shin Nappin, renumit pentru desenele cu flori şi păsări. Colecţia de desene cu insecte realizate de Sessai Masuyama, Chuuchi-jou (A drawing block of sketches of insects) este o operă cunoscută şi apreciată.