Marbles from Tokushima Prefecture, decorating the National Diet Building : Part 2: hearing data of the quarrying and their verification

The hearing data were documented about the quarrying of marbles in Tokushima Prefecture for the construction of the National Diet Building (Nagata-cho, Chiyodaku, Tokyo). The seven marble brands, "Akebono", "Kito-ishi", "Hototogisu", "Kamo-sarasa", "Awayuki", "Kotajima" and "Shin-awayuki", which decorate the inner wall of the building, were quarried in Kisawa and Anan areas from late Taisho to early Showa period (1919-1935). The hearing has been carried out during 2004-2007 (mainly 2004-2005) in Tokushima Prefecture, and at Yabashi Marble Company Ltd. in Akasaka, Gifu Prefecture, as well as related research of quarries and marbles in the Diet Building, for the verification of hearing data

トクシマケンサン コッカイ ギジドウ ダイリセキ ノ ケンキュウ 3 シュウサン リョウイン ニオケル セキザイ シヨウ ノ ヒカク

Marbles from Tokushima Prefecture that decorate the National Diet Building of Japan (Nagata-cho, Tokyo) were compared directly for the first time about the use of the seven brands in the House of Representatives and the House of Councilors. The seven brands, “Akebono”, “Kito-ishi”, “Hototogisu”, “Kamo-sarasa”, “Awayuki”, “Kotajima” and “Shin-awayuki” were verified that they were used symmetrically in both the House of Representatives and the House of Councilors including the central part of the building. The “Akebono”, Silurian limestone of the Kurosegawa Tectonic Zone from Koyamadaira (Sakashu, Naka-cho), is used on the wall of the Diet members’ Second Stairway. The “Kito-ishi”, limestone breccia intercalated in Late Carboniferous chert facies from Misago-Yama (Sakashu, Naka-cho), is used for the fireplaces in the reception rooms of the Vice-presidents. The “Hototogisu”, Late Triassic dolimitic limestone in the earliest Cretaceous accretion mélange from Arida (Asebi-cho, Anan City) of the South Chichibu Belt (Tsunomine Subbelt), is used for the well-ornamented entrance frame of the Emperor’s room “Gokyujo”. The “Kamo-sarasa”, latest Triassic intramicrite from Oji (Kuwano-cho, Anan) of the Tsunomine Subbelt, is used on the wall inside the central entrance of the building, and door frames of rooms in both houses. The “Awayuki”, Late Triassic gray limestone with Megalodon and dark blocks of hexa-corals from Kurogo (Kamo-cho, Anan City) in Tsunomine Subbelt, is used for the base of the wall along the square in front of the Emperor’s room, and the base of pillars around the central hall, as well as the lower part of the wall around the assembly hall of both houses. The “Kotajima”, black cleavaged Norian limestone from Higashibun (Tsunomine-cho, Anan City) in the Early Cretaceous olistostrome of the Tsunomine Subbelt, is used on the lower part of the wall along the passage of the third floor in both houses, and walls of the “Kisha Kaidan” stairways to both galleries. The “Shin-awayuki”, Late Carboniferous limestone from the Izeki (Takarada-cho, Anan City) in Jurassic accretionary mélange of the South Chichibu Belt (Hosono Subbelt), is used for the mosaic on the floor of the Central Hall

Drinking Hydrogen Water Ameliorated Cognitive Impairment in Senescence-Accelerated Mice

Hydrogen has been reported to have neuron protective effects due to its antioxidant properties, but the effects of hydrogen on cognitive impairment due to senescence-related brain alterations and the underlying mechanisms have not been characterized. In this study, we investigated the efficacies of drinking hydrogen water for prevention of spatial memory decline and age-related brain alterations using senescence-accelerated prone mouse 8 (SAMP8), which exhibits early aging syndromes including declining learning ability and memory. However, treatment with hydrogen water for 30 days prevented age-related declines in cognitive ability seen in SAMP8 as assessed by a water maze test and was associated with increased brain serotonin levels and elevated serum antioxidant activity. In addition, drinking hydrogen water for 18 weeks inhibited neurodegeneration in hippocampus, while marked loss of neurons was noted in control, aged brains of mice receiving regular water. On the basis of our results, hydrogen water merits further investigation for possible therapeutic/preventative use for age-related cognitive disorders

Marbles from Anan City decorating the historically important buildings in Japan

筆者らは2000年以降，徳島県産大理石の採掘に関する現地調査と聞き取り調査，ならびに歴史的建造物における使用例の調査を進めてきた。その結果，東京では，国会議事堂，国立博物館本館，文化庁（文部科学省旧館），大阪では，大阪倶楽部，新井ビル（旧報徳銀行大阪支店）の建物に使用されていることを確認した。また，大阪市中央公会堂に関しては，増改築の際に使用された記録はあるが，近年の修復に伴って撤去されていることを確認した。本稿では，口絵に示す阿南市産大理石の使用例を解説した

ニホン ノ レキシテキ ジュウヨウ ケンゾウブツ ニオケル トクシマケン アナンシサン ダイリセキ ノ シヨウ ト ソノ イギ

Since 2000, we have researched the use of marbles from Tokushima Prefecture for the Important Cultural Properties (Architecture) in Japan. Based on the geological field research of quarrying traces, identifications of lithology, hearings and the verifications, several kinds of marbles from Anan City area were used for the interior decorations of the Diet Building of Japan, Tokyo National Museum, Agency for Cultural Affairs (ex-Ministry of Education), Osaka Municipal Central Public Hall and so other architectures in Tokyo and Osaka. In addition to their use in the important buildings in Japan, the significance of research was discussed herein as well as the history of marble quarrying that has started late Edo period at least from 1861 for the basement constructions of the Tairyu-ji, one of the eighty-eight pilgrimage main temples in Anan Kamo-dani area

ヨシノガワタニ ミマチョウ ナカウエ ノ ドチュウソウ カラ ミイダサレタ コウド ヘンセイガンレキ

A condensed bed of the gravels derived from high-grade metamorphic rocks has firstly found in the lower Pleistocene Dochu Formation, from the Nakaue outcrop, Mima-cho in Tokushima Prefecture. The metamorphic gravels are garnet amphibolite, spotted amphibolite, serpentinite and coase grained piedmontite-quartz schist. The content of the metamorphic gravels is nearly 10 percent. Comparison with the modern original gravels, based on the mineral composition and rock texture on the slab, the metamorphic gravels were identified with the Sambagawa Metamorphic Rocks. Among them, garnet amphibolite and spotted amphibolite are high-grade metamorphic rocks that the modern distribution is restricted only in the Higashi Akaishi-yama district, central Shikoku, and the amphibolite gravels are rarely found in recent Yoshino-gawa riverbed around the Mima-cho area. The Nakaue outcrop and gravels of high-grade metamorphic rocks were described, and the provenance of the gravels was discussed with tectonic and geomorphological respects