Chapter 28 Kanazawa's Banana (1)

We once did a really interesting radio show in Kanazawa.It was Hokuriku Radio's "Here is the Center of the Japanese Archipelago", a very long series.I didn't know until I made this program that Kanazawa is right in the middle of the Japanese archipelago.In fact, it is said that the real center should be near Gifu, but the show uses such a proud name.This is a very unique live program.When I went to Kanazawa to do a program, I didn't record in the studio, but sat in a car loaded with a lot of broadcasting equipment and ran around the urban area and suburbs of Kanazawa.I looked out from the moving car and babbled about what I saw.Sometimes, I would answer questions from the listeners on the car phone, or suddenly visit the homes of strangers, and chat with the old lady while drinking tea.I have visited many homes, and I have also been to the workshop of an old man who made lion heads for the New Year's Lion Dance. Now this kind of lion dance is hard to see.I also took a walk in the temple, and I dipped my feet in the water of the Saigawa River while reciting a poem by Muro Saisei.

The initiator of this program is Japan's first female broadcasting director --- Ms. Jin Mori Qian Rongzi.Ms. Kimson, an audacious radio producer, sat with me in the car and jammed me into one stranger's house after another.There was no one in Kanazawa who didn't know about the show, so no one would have made a fuss when I showed up out of the blue and walked into someone's house from the kitchen saying "Excuse me, Excuse me."The host would say "Come in, come in" and serve us drinks.If it was cold, we would sit on the kotatsu and talk.All the conversations in other people's homes will be broadcast, so after a while, people nearby will come over and say: "Oh! So Ms. Heiliu is here!" Then join our conversation.Sometimes I interview them, and I also freely express my thoughts and listen to everyone's chats.If the house I'm visiting has something unusual, of course I'll get to the bottom of it to find out.While we were having a lively conversation, the phone in the car would ring.Those who are listening to the show told us:

"Ms. Kuroyanagi now thinks that the thimble used by the old lady for sewing is very rare. It is used to sew kimonos dyed by Kaga Yuzen. Thimble. We live on what street..." The female assistant handed over the phone records to me. I found it very interesting, so I left the house I was interviewing and went to visit the house that made thimbles.Everything about the show depends on the professional judgment of Ms. Kanemori, who acts with me, and my curiosity, and the rest is just improvisation.We do programs in various formats.Of course, we also stopped the car on the side of the road and stood and chatted with our pregnant wife for a while.People heard from the show where we were, so a lot of people nearby came out of their homes to watch.Sometimes, a woman with a mask on her face would run out.However, people in Kanazawa may be more elegant. At this time, I have never encountered a situation where someone asked me to sign an autograph, or take a photo with me with a camera.All in all, everything about this show is so incredible. People in Kanazawa City seem to be familiar with it through this show, so there is no interest in voyeurism, but everyone can experience interesting things together, which is really unique.I love this show and have been to Kanazawa many times.

This was last summer.On that day, I didn't know where I was going beforehand, and everything was arranged by Ms. Jinsen.While feeling the scenery outside the car, I described it.Suddenly, I found yellow bananas everywhere in the field, and I yelled: "Oh, it turns out that Kanazawa produces bananas! I didn't know that before. Wow! Bananas! It's bananas!" However, ordinary bananas should grow on very tall trees, but the bananas in Kanazawa are scattered on the ground, which is really strange. I wanted to stop the car and take a good look at the bananas, but we seemed to be in a hurry to get to someone's house that day, so we just went.I went to the house I was visiting and said:

"I didn't know that Kanazawa also grows bananas." The old man said in surprise: "Huh? Bananas? Kanazawa doesn't produce that kind of thing." "But... I did see bananas!" Hearing what I said, everyone said something in a hurry, and it seemed that they agreed. The uncle said: "Oh, you said cucumbers." "cucumber?" "Yes, it's a cucumber. Throw the cucumber on the ground, and when it rots, you can harvest the seeds." "But, that thing is golden yellow, and its shape is exactly like a banana." "But it's a cucumber."

Our conversation was of course also broadcast live. I can't believe that thing is a cucumber. On the way back, we passed that "banana" field again.This time, we stopped the car.I picked up a "banana" in the field and observed it carefully in my hand.It's true, it's a banana! The color is good, the shape is curved, the unique boxy fruit pedicle on the root is good, and the weight is good, they are all exactly the same as bananas. "This isn't a cucumber, should it be a banana?" While I was talking, I tried to peel off the "banana skin".Regrettably, at this time, I clearly discovered that this thing is indeed not a banana.Because I can't peel off its skin, and it doesn't have the unique fragrance of bananas.