末永さん、後閑さん、熊さんと皆、ご苦労様でした。
テレビ東京の三日間の撮影が今朝、終わりました。テレビの世界は楽しく見えるけれど、細かいです。スタッフの皆様に感心しています。これからの編集を宜しく！
The Tokyo TV crew finished their 3-day shoot this morning. The world of TV looks fun from the outside, but seeing how hard the staff worked really made me appreciate what goes into making the show. Now I just hope they do a good job of editing.
亀清旅館のＨＰはこちらClick here for Kamesei Ryokan website
気持ち良さそう！
このごろは温度が段々と高くなってきています。我が若若女将が亀清の玄関でプールを入りだしました！
As my Grandpa used to say, it's hotter than a witch's ***! Perfect weather for a dip in the pool. Our Misaki got to do so at our front entrance.
食事の撮影（上手く編集してね！）
「寅さんが旅した日本」と言う番組で、寅さんが亀清のような昔ながらの宿が好きだったと言うことで、テレビ東京が今日、明日、亀清で撮影することとなっています。今日は宿やお風呂などの分でした。放送日は８月１３日の予定だそうです。残念ながら長野で放送されないのですが、東京の皆様は宜しければ是非ご覧になってください。
The longest running serial movie series in the world, 'Otoko ha tsurai yo' (Tora-san) is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Tokyo TV is making a travel program involving some of the areas the movies took place. Apparently, the main character, Tora-san, liked to stay at classical ryokans and Tokyo TV chose Kamesei for their Nagano shoot. They filmed the inn and bath, etc. today and will do some more tomorrow. The show is scheduled to be broadcasted 13-August. Unfortunately, it won't be shown here in Nagano, so those of you in Tokyo, please check it out!
亀清旅館のＨＰはこちらClick here for Kamesei Ryokan website
This weekend, July 25, 26 and 27, there will be a Buddha Road Peace Walk at Zenkoji sponsored by volunteer group Wind of Tibet. Info as per link below. Zenkoji Temple played a pivotal role during the Peking Olympic Torch stop at Nagano in their support for religious freedom in Tibet.
今週末、７月２５，２６，２７日に「善光寺へ向かうピースウォーク」が行います。Ｗｉｎｄ ｏｆ Ｔｉｂｅｔがスポンサーです。善光寺が北京五輪の聖火リレーで大事な役割しました。詳しくは下記のリンクにて
http://www.geocities.jp/windoftibet/buddharoadtop.htm
Andy君と霧ヶ峰のニッコウキスゲ
長野に来てから霧ヶ峰のニッコウキスゲの写真を良く見ました。真緑の野原で目が見れる限りで黄色花がずっと。。。でも、一度も行った事が無く。
そして、見てきたお客様に「今は満開だ！」と言われて、今日は家族でドライブで思い切って行って来ました。そうすると、写真通り、ニッコウキスゲがうんと綺麗でした。
Ever since I moved to Nagano, I'd seen pictures of the yellow day lilies of Kirigamine. It seemed like some sort of dreamscape: waves of bright yellow flowers against the rolling hills of the Kirigamine highlands. I'd always wanted to go, and then some of our guests who had stopped there on their way to Kamesei mentioned the flowers were in full bloom. So today, we grabbed the kids and hopped in our car for a drive. And I can truly say that seeing the day lilies in person is as magical or more than in pictures.
亀清旅館のＨＰはこちらClick here for Kamesei Ryokan website
お勧めの休憩スポット：ころぼっくるひゅってCute shop to stop for a hot chocolate: Hutte Korobokkuru
車山スカイパークKurumayama Sky Park Chair Lift
Andy ringing Kirigamine's symbol
'Moto Pub Guide II
Note for English-speaking travellers to Nagano: The 2nd 'Foreigner's Guide to Matsumoto Restaurants & Bars' is out. Great suggestions in English for some of the many wonderful restaurants in 'Moto. I've already checked out the Irish Pub 'Old Rock', and want go to 'Hikariya' next. Stop by Kamesei for your copy.
我が息子達と友達を連れて、上山田の秘密の虫スポットに行って来ました。クワガタムシゲット成功！
I took our sons and some of their friends beetle hunting at a secret bug spot here in Kamiyamada. They succeeded in getting a prized Kuwagata Horned Beetle!
上山田温泉の夏祭りがスタートしました。私達旅館若旦那達も「下駄供養」で参加しました。
Kamiyamada Onsen's Summer Festival has begun! The other innkeepers and I took part in the Geta (Wood Clog) Offering.
民踊連磨利、お神楽タイラー
祭り。私の地元のシアトルみたいな都会な所の祭りは専門な人が管理して、我々市民の皆が見るものでした。日本に来てから始めて祭りに参加する楽しみが分かりました。そして、この戸倉上山田温泉に引越ししたら、温泉の夏祭りに参加しない訳に行かないと言うことが分かりました。参加する義務があるというより、温泉の全員、全体の盛り上がりなので毎年の楽しみだ。
今年は亀清旅館の若女将も私も、夫婦で参加しています。妻は民踊連の役員、私は今日：お神楽、明日：お獅子。宿もお陰様でまんぱんで、祭りでも忙しいけれど、年に一度だけなので頑張ります！
Festivals. Back in my home town of Seattle, a festival is something pro organizers put on and the public just watches. It was after coming to Japan that I first experienced the joy of participating in a festival. And after moving to this small town of Togura Kamiyamada Onsen, it wasn't a question of participating or not -- everyone participates. It's not like an obligation; participating in the festival raises the spirit of the whole onsen town -- it's something to look forward to every year.
This year, both myself and my wife Mari and participating. Mari as part of the dance troupe, and I as a member of the Okagura Lion Dance group today, and in the huge Shishi tomorrow. Our inn is full, and participating in the festival takes a lot of energy, but it's only once a year so we're going to try to have fun!
Okagura Performance at Kamesei's lobby
温泉夏祭りで上山田お神楽保存会は亀清旅館のロビーにも披露してくれました。お客様の皆様が喜んでいただきました。（私も獅子笛で頑張りました！）
As part of making their rounds for the Onsen Summer Festival, the Kamiyamda Okagura group stopped to perform at Kamesei for our guests. It was a lively performance here at our lobby. I played the flute as part of it.
亀清旅館のＨＰはこちらClick here for Kamesei Ryokan website
