藤原正彦
今、「日本における最高の文化人は？ 」と問われれば、私は即、「藤原正彦」と答するだろう。何故と云われれば一寸困るが、ただただ「この人は凄い」と思うから・・・。
小生が藤原正彦の名前を知ったのは多分２００６年だったと思う。氏の著書、「国家の品格」（２００５年のベストセラ＝、２００万部突破）を、東京出張中に友人から紹介され、何故か翌日にその本を購入、帰阪の新幹線の中で一挙に読んでしまった。 久々に清々しい気持ちになった。日本も捨てたものじゃない、こんなに正論を堂々と吐く文化人が居るんだと。以後、氏のエッセイや語録など興味深く読ませて頂き、月刊文芸春秋では、氏が行う、御茶ノ水女子大での講義「名著講義（武士道）」も受講（毎月読んだ）した。
今は、「この国のけじめ」を読んでいるが、一語一句、全てが “そうだ、そうだ” と思わせられるものであり、私自身が日頃思い感じていることを、爽やかに軽くズバリと切り捨てている。巷では、藤原正彦を文部科学大臣に・・、との声もある様であるが、安倍総理がもしそれを英断すれば、内閣支持率7０％回復は間違い無いと思うが・・・。
Now, “Who are the best cultural figures in Japan? If someone asked me, “What do you think?” I would immediately answer, “Masahiko Fujiwara. It’s a little confusing to say why, but it’s just because I think he’s great…
I think it was probably in 2006 when I learned the name of Masahiko Fujiwara. I was introduced to his book, “The Dignity of a Nation” (Best-seller of 2005) by a friend while I was on a business trip to Tokyo, and for some reason I bought the book the next day and read it all at once on the bullet train back to Osaka. I felt refreshed for the first time in a while. Japan is not a bad place to be, there are people of culture who can speak out with such righteousness. Since then, I have read his essays and narratives with great interest, and attended (and read every month) his lectures at Ochanomizu University in the Monthly Bungei Shunju called “Masterpiece Lectures (Bushido)”.
Right now, I’m reading “Kono no Kesugi”, and every word and phrase makes me think, “Yes, yes,” and it’s a refreshingly light slap in the face of what I’m feeling on a daily basis. Some people are saying that Masahiko Fujiwara should be the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, but if Prime Minister Abe decides to do so, there is no doubt that his cabinet’s approval rating will recover by 70%…
