-English version follows Japanese-

ワイフとともに庭で家庭菜園の世話をしていた姑から観賞植物の鉢の中で何やら山菜らしき雑草が芽吹いているとの通報を受け、現場に急行。
見ると日本でおなじみの山菜・屈(コゴミ、正式和名はクサソテツ、草蘇鉄)にそっくりな植物が!
調べてみるとコゴミは北半球に広く分布し、ヨーロッパ中部・北欧にも自生するそうな。
ただしイギリスでは在来種ではないとのこと。
これは本物でしょうか?
だとすれば...
輸入植物に混じってどこか遥かな異国からここ英国まで旅して来たのでしょう。
しかしつい先日ウィンブルドンでわらび採りをしてきた矢先、
同じシダ綱で慣れ親しんだ山菜・コゴミと思しき萌芽をロンドンで、それも家(うち)の庭先で発見することになろうとは!
「羊歯神」の人知及ばぬ御意思の御働きでありましょうか😁🌱

まだこの謎の株が本当にクサソテツか否か特定できていませんが
大切に育てていきたいと思います🌱


On a report filed by the wife's mum, who was working at our garden with her daughter, I immediately rushed my way from our room out to investigate.
They looked to me exactly like one of my favorite and familiar wild edibles: Ostrich Fern or Kogomi in Japanese.

According to my google search, this species is universally found in the northern hemisphere including central and northern Europe, but not indigenous to the British Isles.
Could they be genuine?
If so, I assume that the seeds had got mixied in the pot of the ornamental plant and travelled all the way here to England.

Just a few days after I had gone foraging for Bracken in Wimbledon, now I discovered this familiar-looking foreign species of the same fern family... This could not be a mere coincidence!
Fern God works in a mysterious way, indeed...😁🌱

The finding of the day has yet to be identified.
Nevertheless, we will take good care of these mysterious guests to our garden🌱


IMG-20200420-WA0001
まさかのコゴミ・イン・ロンドン!?
Surprise, surprise...Kogomi in London!?


IMG-20200420-WA0000
それぞれ直径1cmにも満たない極小の芽。日本のコゴミは一般にこれらより遥かに大きい。
貴重な二株、試食は控え養育と増殖に専念します。
All of these shoots were less than one centimetre in diametre. The ones found in Japan are generally much larger. 
We decided to refrain from consuming these two precious units, but rather concentrate on nurturing and multiplying them.


110503_1100_02
昔の写真を発見。
何故か一様に思い出の中の景色のように青味がかっています。
これはいつぞや訪ねた飛島の一枚。
I found some old photos.
For some reason they all have a blue tint, as though they are scenes from a memory.
This is Tobishima Island, Yamagata, Japan, somewhere in time.


110503_1055_01
飛島の裏通り。
A backstreet on the island.


110503_1115_01
A cave on the island.


110503_1110_02
洞窟の中。
Inside of the cave.


110503_0937_01
飛島からの復路、船上より鳥海山を望む。(山形県)
Overlooking Mt. Chokai from the boat on the way back.


TS3R00380001
鳥海山麓鳥海湖。
Chokai Lake at the foot of Mt. Chokai,Yamagata.


TS3R00350001
鳥海湖、別角度から。(山形県)
Chokai Lake, from another angle.



SN3J0252
十和田湖にて湖水浴。(青森県)
Swimming at Towada Lake, Aomori, Japan.


111010_0825_01
何とか星人のような植物。これは花?それとも果実?
An alien looking plant... is it a fruit or flower?


SN3J0176
巨大すぎて...
Waterfall that was too gigantic...


SN3J0188
直下からは一度にカメラに収まらない大滝...
...to capture in one shot...


SN3J0196
その滝壺に浸かる山猿が一匹。(秋田県)
...and the guy that could not help but take a dip. (Akita)



150509_1154_01
復興支援のため福島原発付近に出張中の一こま。
汚染土を運ぶトラックが走行不能に陥った模様...。(福島県)
A scene near Fukushima nuclear plant, where I stayed a few days for the reconstruction of the region after the earthquake.
A broken-down truck fully loaded with bags of radiation polluted soil...


130112_1156_01
一晩の大雪で駐車場の車もこの通り。(秋田県)
This is how a car turned out after a night of heavy snowfall one winter in Akita.