小泉八雲は日本文化の特徴を「impermanence」=「はかなさ」を尊ぶことだと言いました。そのはかなさの中から、自然災害や人生の困難から立ち直る力が湧いてくるのかもしれません。正月の風物詩、百人一首の中にも、「永らへば またこの頃や しのばれむ 憂しと見し世ぞ 今は恋しき」（つらい昔の日々も今は恋しく思えるのだから、今のつらさもやがては懐かしく思える時がくるのでは）と歌われています。そのような大げさなことではなくとも、年末の掃除で物を処分すると気持ちも新たになるものです。
平成28年の活動は古本市、餅つきが決まっています。本年もJCBの活動へのご協力よろしくお願いいたします。
JCB会長 伊藤圭
[:en]The writer Lafcadio Hearn, also known as Yagumo Koizumi, illustrated the concept of valuing “impermanence” as an important facet of Japanese culture. The inner power to overcome such calamity as natural disasters as well as the difficulties of one’s life may flow out from the void of impermanence.
I refer also to the following poem from the Ogura Hundred Poems (Ogura Hyakunin Isshu), which is indispensable to the New Year:
I wonder if I could look back on these bitter days with nostalgia if I live long, as I miss now the past when I felt much grief.
Perhaps not with such seriousness, but in everyday life we can feel refreshed when we release our obsessions by disposing of old items during the year-end house cleaning.
I hope you all feel refreshed after having joyful holidays.
For the year 2016, we already have activities scheduled which include the Used Book Market and the Rice Pounding events. As always, we look forward to your continued participation in JCB this year.
Kei Ito, President of JCB