「シンプル」

先週野沢温泉の火祭に行った。大きな社殿に、たいまつで火をつけようとする人と、その社殿を守ろうとする厄年の男達が、火のついたたいまつでたたき合ったり、取っ組み合ったりの激しいお祭り。その前の年に村内で生まれた長男の名前が、大きい布に書かれていて、他に書初めなども一緒に燃やされる。今回、村で生まれた長男はたった３人だったみたいだ。書初めの半紙には、「〇〇君、〇〇君、〇〇君、元気に育て」とかいう文があったり、とにかくこのお祭りで各家庭の長男達は村中から祝ってもらえる。たくさんの半紙の中に、ちょっと不思議な書初めがあった。カタカナで「シンプル」と書いてあった。思わず写真を撮ったけど、うまく写っていませんね。小学生なのに、なんてシュールなセンス。将来大物になるでしょう。
We went to Nozawa Onsen Fire Festival last week. This is a wild and violent festival because many men fight with the lit torches. They build a big shrine( ? ) and the men at the age of 25, 42 are to protect it from being burned. Other men had torches to light the shrine. It was really a big & dangerous fighting. They also make big banners with the names of the newborn first sons ( why not daughters? ) of each family and burn it at the end of the festival to wish them healthy lives. There seemed only 3 first sons last year, for we saw only 3 banners. With those banners, they also burn Kakizome―a children's calligraphy at the beginning of the year. Usually they write some wish for the new year or something joyful or auspicious―like "spring sunshine", "happy days", "the sunrise", etc. In this festival, there were many calligraphy wishing the new 3 babies good luck or health. But, I found really weird one among them. It said, "SIMPLE" in katakana. "Simple" in English may have various meaning, but in Japanese, it means just "plain." Well, it didn't seem to be any wish, it was unlikely the Kakizome word. Wondered who's idea was that, and wanted to know what that child was like. I thought he/she had a unique sense, and would be an interesting person in the future.