80°05′ Kouta Takahashi
1912 年、人類初の南極点到達を目指したものの途中で勇退した日本人探検 家・白瀬矗。そしてその地点から人類未踏のルートを開拓し、単独徒歩で南 極点到達を目指す男がいる。白瀬矗と同じ秋田出身の冒険家・阿部雅龍であ る。約 100 年の時を越えて受け継がれる意志。 〜 我なくも
必ず捜せ
南極の
地中の宝
世にいだすまで 〜
白瀬矗が詠んだ辞世の句である。「地中の宝」とは何か。彼らは一体何に突 き動かされて冒険に出るのだろうか。
In 1912, Nobu Shirase, a Japanese explorer, attempted to become the first human to reach the South Pole, but gave up halfway. From that point, there is a man who is pioneered a previously unexplored route and dreams of reaching the South Pole on foot alone. He is the explorer Masatatsu Abe, who was born in Akita like Nobu Shirase. A challenge that transcends nearly 100 years. Shirase composed a waka, a short Japanese poem, as his farewell effort, "Study the treasures under the Antarctic and make use of them even after my death” What does he mean by 'treasure'? What motivates them to go on an expedition?
80°05′ A New Hero. A New Legend.
A New Hero. A New Legend.
Kouta Takahashi
私の友人に「夢を追う男」とネット検索すると一番上に出てくる男がいる。冒険家 阿部雅龍
Masatatsu Abe and I were classmates at university and met in 2006 after he returned from a
である。
bicycle expedition across the South American continent. After graduating from university, he continued to experience various expeditions, including a traverse of the Rocky Mountains,
彼とは大学の同級生で出会いは 2006 年。阿部雅龍にとって初の冒険、南米大陸自転車縦断の 帰国後である。その後もロッキー山脈縦走、自作筏でのアマゾン川下り、北極圏単独徒歩など 様々な冒険を経験。2019 年 1 月には日本人初の快挙、単独徒歩でメスナールートを辿り南極 点に到達した。しかし彼にとってそれらの冒険はプロローグに過ぎなかった。
rafting down the Amazon River on a raft he made himself, and walking alone in the Arctic Circle. In January 2019, he became the first Japanese to reach the South Pole by following the Messner route on foot alone. But those expeditions were only the prologue for him. In 1912, Nobu Shirase, a Japanese explorer, attempted to become the first human to reach
1912 年、人類初の南極点到達を目指したものの南緯 80 度 05 分の地点で勇退した探検家・白
the South Pole, but gave up at 80°05′ south latitude. I had heard about Masatatsu Abe desire to pioneer an unexplored route from 80°05′ south latitude and stand at the South
瀬矗。その地点から人類未踏のルートを開拓し、単独徒歩で南極点に立ちたいという話は出会っ
Pole alone on foot from the time we met. This is the most difficult route with a 4000-meter-
た頃から聞いていた。標高 4000m 級の大陸横断山脈が行く手を阻む最難関ルート。そのため
high mountain range blocking the way. To achieve this, he has gained experience during his
に彼は毎年冒険をしながら経験を積んできた。 本来であれば 2019 年 11 月に白瀬ルート挑戦を予定していたが、直前に飛行機会社の都合で 翌年に見送りとなり、2020 年は新型コロナウイルスによる影響で再度見送りとなった。2 度 に渡り冒険の道を阻まれながらも諦めない姿を見て、本作品の制作をスタートした。そこまで して冒険にこだわる理由は一体何なのだろうかと。
annual expeditions. Originally, the Shirase route challenge was scheduled for November 2019, but was postponed to the following year due to last minute circumstances at the airplane company, and in 2020, the plane did not fly due to the coronavirus pandemic. The way the expedition was blocked on two separate occasions, but never gave up, inspired the production of this work. I wondered what the reason was for his insistence on the expedition to such an extent.
彼は子供の頃から冒険家や特撮ヒーローに憧れを抱いていた。身体が弱くいじめを受けた幼少
Ever since he was a child, he has been fascinated by explorers and special effects heroes.
期、そして父の死。理想と現実の狭間、変わりたい見返したいという怒り。時折り彼が見せる
He was bullied as a child because of his physical weakness, and his father died. Between
鋭い目つきから、これまでもがき苦しんできたであろう過去が垣間見えた気がした。 自身と同様、幼少期から極地冒険を夢見ていた白瀬矗は、軍人経験を経て 50 歳にして探検隊 を組織し南極探検を実現させた。しかし政府から資金援助を受けられず、同時期に政府支援を 受け南極探検を行ったアムンセン（ノルウェー）やスコット（イギリス）とは準備の段階で大 きな差があった。周囲の人間や国民に探検計画と想いを訴え、支持を得ていくことで資金を確 保するも差は埋まらず、探検帰国後は莫大な借金をひとりで背負い約 20 年に渡り返済生活を
ideal and reality, the desire to change. The sharp look he sometimes showed me gave me a glimpse into his past, which he must have struggled with. Like himself, Nobu Shirase had dreamed of polar expedition since childhood, and at the age of fifty, despite having served in the military, he organized an expedition team to explore the Antarctic. However, he did not receive any government funding, and was far behind Amundsen (Norway) and Scott (UK), who had both undertaken government-supported expeditions to Antarctica at the same time, in terms of preparation. After returning from the
送った。
expedition, he took on a huge debt by himself and spent about 20 years paying it off.
生涯を探検に捧げながらも夢を果たせなかった白瀬矗の人生に、阿部雅龍は自分事のように悔
Masatatsu Abe must have felt as frustrated as himself at the failure of Nobu Shirase to fulfill
しさを感じたのではないだろうか。理想と現実の狭間でもがいてきた自分の人生と重ね合わせ、 皮肉なことに自身も南極冒険に向けて足踏み状態である。それでもヒーローへの憧れを抱き続 け、それを自ら演じている。あまりの純粋さにどこか嘘っぽさを感じる一方で、刺激を受けて きたことも確か。それは彼の舞台裏も見てきたからではないかと感じる。
his dream, despite having devoted his life to expedition. And ironically, he himself is at a standstill on his Antarctic expedition. Even so, he continues to hold on to his longing to be a hero, and he plays one himself. I feel that he is so pure that it is somewhat fake, but at the same time, I am sure that I have been inspired by him. I feel that this is because I have also seen him work hard.
阿部雅龍は夢を語る男ではなく、夢を追う男である。彼の生き様は多くの人に希望を与え、同
Masatatsu Abe is not a man who talks about his dreams, but a man who chases his dreams.
時に現実の厳しさを伝えることだろう。
His way of life will give hope to many people and at the same time convey the harshness of reality.
髙橋こうた
Kouta Takahashi
SPECIAL THANKS
Masatatsu Abe
Photo / Text / Edit / Binding Kouta Takahashi
Courtesy The Shirase Antarctic Expedition Memorial Museum, Masatatsu Abe
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