Thank you for waiting.
Today's guest is 夏"Summer"～♪

Ta-da!
We are Four seasons rangers!

I am 夏"Summer".

Hello, 夏"Summer".
Let's just start with, could you introduce yourself?

OK.
I am夏"Summer". I was born as Bronze Script in the West Zhou Era.
I am about 2800 years old.
I am one of the four seasons, 夏"Summer".
I am between Spring and Autumn.
Good to see you.

春"Spring" is also like that, but 夏"Summer" has a very different image from when you were born.

That's what everyone says.
First of all, look at the Bronze Script and Shoten.

金文（Bronze Script）

小篆（Shoten）

What do I look like?

I think your head is big, Bow-Wow!

Leciel, are you going to be a little rude!?
I'm very sorry, 夏"Summer".

No problem. (^^
I am just like Leciel says.
The face you see in the front was originally a character that represents a dance dedicated to God.
When I was born, I just looked like a person dancing with a court cap for 舞楽(a traditional Japanese court dance and music), waving both sleeves and raising my legs.

There is nothing wrong with my judgment!
Then, is 夏"Summer" a hieroglyph, Ruff-Ruff?

That's right.
At first, it represented the figure of a dancer and meant like "big" or "flourishing", but before you know it, people in later generations started to use it as 夏"Summer" to represent the season.

But how did you come to express the season's 夏"summer"?

I don't know, but the word of 夏"summer" also has the meaning of "cover the
ground". In summer, the ground is covered with lush greenery, that's why I have come to represent the summer season.
There is also a theory that I came to be used as a meaning of summer because dances were often dedicated in summer.

Oh, I didn't know you had that meaning.
夏"summer" is a kanji with a large scale.

It's true that there is an image that many people and things grow big in summer, Bow-Wow!

In addition, 夏"Summer" is sometimes used to mean China.
The oldest dynasty in China before the era of Shang(Yin) was called 夏王朝"Ka dynasty" and the word 中華 which means China was also called 中夏"midsummer" before.

What a great kanji you are, 夏"Summer", Ruff-Ruff!

I feel embarrassed when I hear that.
You can see Space-Time Kanji characters of the period after Shoten.

隷書（Reisho）

草書（Sosho）

行書（Gyosho）

六朝楷書（Rikucho-Kaisho）

楷書（Kaisho）

It looks like 夏"Summer" of today.

By the way, what comes to mind first when you think of summer?

It's the sea～.
When I was young, I loved swimming in the wide ocean～.
I prefer watching to swimming now. (* ^ ^) v

There are many more such as 七夕"star festival", お盆"welcoming of spirits of our ancestors", 夏祭り"Summer festival", 浴衣"informal Summer kimono", 花火"fireworks", 向日葵"sunflowers", and 猛暑"scorching heat"!

Leciel doesn't like hot weather, Bow-Wow!!

Leciel is wearing the fluffy fur.

Summer is a tough season for Leciel.
I feel sorry.

I don't like the hot weather, but I like Summer, Ruff-Ruff!
We can go for a walk in the evening, and the ice cream is delicious, Bow-Wow!

I also remembered other summer features.
Speaking of summer, cicadas and frogs!!
When I hear the chorus of cicadas and frogs in the hot summer, I think it's Summer～, and everyone is working hard～.

Leciel thinks "SHUT UP, you guys!", if it's a sleepless night, Bow-Wow!

Leciel!
None of your lip!　

I can't help but be honest, Ruff-Ruff.　
・・・
Speaking of cicadas, Matsuo Basho's 俳句"haiku", 『閑（しずか）さや　岩にしみ入る　蝉の声』 {Shizukasaya Iwanishimiiru Seminokoe (the sound of a cicada seeping into a quiet rock)}, also touches my heart!

Leciel is very sensitive.

Maybe it's because I'm with Toshu-sensei.
{I was scolded a while ago, so I thought I was flattering Toshu-sensei.}
While we were taking a walk, Toshu-sensei felt the wind, listened to the birds, talked to the trees that were swaying by the wind, and snapped out a moment with her smartphone while gazing at the clouds in the sky.

It was strange at first, but Leciell thought that this means living with nature, Bow-Wow!

Leciel, you looked at me like that.
It's kind of a happy and embarrassing (〃 ▽ 〃)
Leciel said we would live with nature, but "I" am a part of "Nature" and an "alternate of nature".
So, to feel nature and live with it is perfectly natural and very pleasant. ♪
Come to think of it, Leciel, what do you think 枕草子"the Pillow Book" say about Summer?

It's "Summer is Night", Bow-Wow!

Leciel, I was so impressed by you!

It's hot in midsummer and Leciel can't go out, so I often go for a walk early in the morning or at night.
Spring is Akebono (dawn), so summer is Yoru(night), Ruff-Ruff!

"Natsu wa yoru. Tsuki no korowa saranari, yami mo nao, hotaru no ooku tobichigai taru. mata, tada hitotsu futatsu nado, honokani
uchi hikari te iku mo, okashi. ame nado furu mo, okashi."
Meaning, "Summer has a charm at night. The night when the moon floats is naturally tasteful.
The night when it's closed in the dark without moonlight is wonderful. And the light of flying fireflies can be seen in the darkness of jet black. The light flying around a lot is also fantastic.
Also, the light of only one or two is attractive. Even when it's raining, it has a nice atmosphere. "

It's so nice, Bow-Wow♪
I want you to imagine, too,Ruff-Ruff!
It is a summer night scene lit only by moonlight.
A firefly that glows in the dark jet-black night.
The sound of rain in silence.
Must be able to feel the nature, Bow-Wow!

In the Heian period when 枕草子"The Pillow Book)" was written, there were no neon signs or streetlights in the town, and only moonlight illuminated the darkness.

The starry sky at night must have been very bright.
As Leciel says, we can feel nature by creating a mental landscape {The scenery you had in mind. An imaginary scene produced by experience or emotion or sensation.}.
If you can feel nature and see yourself as an alternative to nature by training your imagination, I think life will surely be fun.

If you close your eyes and listen, you can hear the voice of nature and the universe.
And live with nature, Bow-Wow!

I would be happy if everyone could feel "Nature" and the coming "Summer".

夏"Summer", everyone of Shiki Ranger, thank you very much for today.
Next time I would like to talk to "".

I'll come again next time, so see you again.

夏"Summer"'s profile is summarized here, so I would like you to look at it, Ruff-Ruff!!

I hope you have a wonderful summer. (^^♪
And thank you for reading today.
Good-bye.