「東京パトロール 番外編・上野公園」 岡部文
「Tokyo -outtakes "Ueno Park"」 Aya Okabe
2012年1月2日（月）はれ
午前中早くに友人と一般参賀に行った。日の丸と正装した家族を見て正月気分を味わったあと、上野へ行くことにした。
御徒町で下車し、上野方面の高架下近くにある「円八」という店に入る。呼び込みだけは威勢良く、座席につくとやる気のなさそうな店員。「一人ひとつは料理は頼んでね！」。なまぬるいビールと妙に赤いまぐろぶつ。ピカピカに油を光らせたやきとりと変な煮込み。友人とは特に話が盛り上がる風でもなく言葉少なげで、どんどんビールの本数だけは増えた。
ボクシングの写真集がなぜか店に置いてあり、友人はそれを眺めていた。
その後上野動物園へ。葛飾区金町に育った私にとって、動物園と言えばこの上野動物園だ。小学校の遠足もここだったし、小さな頃からいろんな人と行った場所である。建物は随分様変わりしたが、見ている動物自体にあまり変化はない。人気者のパンダは遠くからなら写真が撮れた。ライオンをガラス越しに覗くと、自分とは逆方向でライオンを見ている人間が見せ物のようである。いそっぷ橋を渡り、枯れた蓮で全体が茶色い不忍池と青い空を眺める。小獣館を見て外に出ると眩しい逆光。陽が傾いてきたのがわかる。ところどころにあるベンチにはひとりぼっちのおじさんがぽつんぽつんといた。カバは全く動かない。まだ髷が結えない相撲取りが彼女らしき女性と手をつなぎながらニコニコ歩いている。すれにしても、どこを向いても様々なカメラでそれぞれに記念写真を撮っている。いつでも思うことだが、今日、1012年1月2日という一日の記念写真を全部見てみたい。私もそんなヒトコマを撮った。友達との集合写真であり、全然知らない親子の記念写真を
撮る風景。私が生きて死んで行くこの時間で流し見た愛おしい人たちを、全部写真に写したい。私にとって「写真」とは記念写真だと思う。
January 2nd, 2012 (Monday) Sunny
Went to pay a visit to imperial palace fornew years greeting before noon with a friend. After getting a taste of new years fromlooking at Japanese flags and dressed up families,we decided to go to Ueno. We got off at Okachimachi station and wewalked into a shop named "Enpachi" which is located near elevatedrailway tracks heading towards Ueno. Very enthusiastic calling for potentialcustomers outside, but once you were seated, the worker seemed quiteunmotivated. "Please order at least one dish per a person." Luke warm beer and strangely red tunachunk. Grilled chicken with shining oil on surface and some peculiarlooking boiled dish. My friend and I had exchanged only a few wordswithout so much excitement, however, we kept on drinkingbeers one after another. There was a photobook of boxing and myfriend was looking at that. Then we went off to Ueno Zoo.I grew up in Kanamachi in Katsushika-ward, so when I say "zoo" I'm talking about this zoo. I came here on field trips when I was inelementary school. I have been here with so many different peoplesince I was little. Buildings have changed quite a bit, but the animalsthat you see have not changed much. We were able to capture an image of panda,the king of popularity, on my camera, though it wasfrom a distance. When you look at a lion through the glass,it looks as though the people who are looking at the lion from theother side seem like they are locked up in the cage. Across the Isoppu bridge, we look over thepond called Shinobazu no ike dyed in brown from dead lotus and theblue sky. Had a quick look inside the small mammal house and cameoutside into the bright backlight. I can see the sunlight is being tilted now. There are benches here and there. Each one is hosting a lonesome old man. Hippos do not dare to move. A sumo wrestler whose hair is not long enough to tie a topknot is grinning andwalking hand in hand with a woman who seems like his girlfriend. I look here and there and find that everyone around is having their Kodakmoment in their own terms. I often think that I would like to see allthe commemorative photos taken today, on January 2nd, 2012. I participated by capturing a few frames, too. It was a collective photo with friends and itwas a scenery of taking commemorative photos ofparents and their children whom we do not know at all.