一昨年はNHKの大河ドラマ｢風林火山｣で亀清旅館では撮影現場になった荒砥城を案内する｢風林火山プラン｣を実施いたしました。好評でした。
今年の４月と５月は善光寺の７年に１度の御開帳です。私はこれで始めて体験することです。何かお客様が喜んでいただける｢御開帳プラン｣を色々と考えていますが、なかなか思いつかないです。善光寺にある宿坊に良い｢コネ｣がいるけれども、｢その時期は宿坊の皆がパンク状態；勘弁してくれ｣と言われました。やはり、御開帳はビッグなイベントですね。それこそ、お客様が寄り深く御開帳と触れ合えるように何かないかな。。。。座禅とか、精進料理とか。。。。とずっと悩んでいます。
そしてまさか思いつかなかった事が出てきました：キグレサーカス長野公演｢善光寺御開帳記念｣＠千曲市。３月２０日から５月２４日に行う予定です。３月にオープンする予定の千曲駅側だそうです。
サーカスは御開帳とどういう関係化私のはまだ分かりませんが、御開帳に行くついでにお子さん達の楽しみに是非、お越しになってください。４月１０日までに申し込めば切符は安くなります：大人2700円-->2200円、子供1500円-->1200円

Two years ago while national TV broadcaster NHK was showing their Fuurinkazan year long historical drama, we here at Kamesei Ryokan put on a special package included guided tours of Arato Castle which NHK used for some of the show's scenes. Our guests enjoyed the added bonus of seeing the castle.
This year, in April and May, Zenkoji Temple in Nagano City will hold their once-every-seven-years "Gokaicho". For this major event, I once again wanted to provide something special for our guests, and I've been striving to think of what would be appropriate. This will be my first time to experience the event, so I'm at a double disadvantage. I have a "connection" at Zenkoji and asked him for help, but he said "no way" -- they're absolutely slammed for the entire two months. This really is a big deal. So I've been thinking, and thinking ... zazen meditation? Buddhist cuisine? ...
Then I spotted a flyer in the newspaper for a special Zenkoji Gokaicho Memorial Circus. Now, why didn't I think of that sooner? It will take place from 20-March through 24-May near the new Chikuma Station scheduled to open in March. What the heck a circus has to do with Zenkoji, I have no clue, but if you contact us by 10-April, we can get reduced rate tickets: Adults 2700yen --> 2200yen, Children 1500yen --> 1200yen. Come and enjoy the circus after your pilgrimmage to Zenkoji!

Getting Wider, and Wider, and Wider, and...

建設会社で働いている親戚から聞きましたが、作る事に当たって一番誇りになるのは橋だそうです。
でも、川を渡る橋を作って、川の位置が変われば大変ですね。その新しい部分まで橋を伸ばすことになる。そして、川の流れがまた変われば橋をもう一度伸ばす。また変わればまた伸ばす。
そして伸ばすたびに、その時に橋作りの規則に従わなければならない。昔はうんと狭い橋でも良かったらしいけど、年数が立てば立つほどその規則幅がどんどん広くなってきた。
という訳です。
(何の訳？）
あっ、言うのが遅れました。戸倉上山田温泉の下流の橋、この冠着橋、は面白い橋です。西側はこの写真の様に車一台分の幅です。渡る内に幅は三回も変わります。段々と広くなります。
でも今の内に体験しなければなりません。長野県はこのあまりにも不便(？)な橋の横に新しい橋を作っている最中です。世の中で面白い橋はまた１つ消えます。
A relative of ours that's in the construction industry once told me that one of the things they have the most pride in building is a bridge.
But one of the things that's difficult about bridge building is the river doesn't always stay put. So what happens when the river you built a bridge over shifts its channel? You extend the bridge to cover the river's new position. And if the river changes again? You extend the bridge again? And another change? Another extension.
Another tricky thing about bridge building is government building code tends to change, especially regarding the required width of the bridge. A long time ago, when there were few cars on the road, you could get away with a one-lane bridge. But as the years go by, the minimum width restrictions get increasingly wider.
So that's why.
(Why what, you ask?)
Oh, I neglected to mention that this picture is of Kamuriki Bridge, just downriver from Togura Kamiyamada Onsen. This is the west end of the bridge, where it is a 1-lane deal. As you cross the bridge, the width changes. 4 times
If you want to experience a bridge that changes width 4 times, you'd better hurry. Nagano Prefecture is building a replacement for this inconvenient (?) bridge next to the existing one.
That means we're losing another funky bridge from the world.

4 different widths on one bridge!

姨捨正宗の本社入口：宮大工の造り

地元の酒屋さん、姨捨正宗、の０９年の酒造りお祝いで先日に亀清旅館で宴会が行われました。その送迎で私が姨捨の酒倉に行ってきました。善光寺街道沿いです。三百うん十年の歴史があるそうです。中に入ってしまえば江戸時代、そのまま。
今年は姨捨の名月の棚田のお米と地元の湧き水１００％というこだわりで造ったそうです。
亀清旅館こそ、姨捨正宗の酒とのこだわりです。熱燗でも生酒でも、うちのChef武井のお料理に合いますので是非、召し上がってください。

Our local sake brewer, Obasute Masamune, celebrated their '09 sake with a banquet here at Kamesei. I went to the brewery to pick up some of the guests. Their brewery is so cool. It is located on the Zenkoji Kaido, the Edo-era road between Nagano and Matsumoto. The buildings and the garden of Obasute Masamune's complex all retain the feel of the Edo period.
This year, they made the special effort to use only rice from the Obasute terraced rice fields, and only water from a local natural spring. Made with pride locally using local ingredients. Kamesei in turn serves only Obasute Masamune sake. It complements well the cooking by our Chef Takei. Come and try it!

詳しくはDetails at:　www.obasute.co.jp

江戸時代の蔵に現代のプラスチックケース

三百うん十年の歴史の松

Ride 'em Kenny

次男のKen君を保育園で向かいに行きましたら、この格好良い藁の馬がおいてありました。上山だのおじさん達の会で藁の色々を作っています。こうやって保育園の子供たちにも貢献していて、素晴らしいですね。日本の伝統も子供たちに伝えれて、きっとお互いに楽しい思い出が出来ています。

I went to go pick up our #2 son, Kenny, from Preschool. Outside the office there were these two horses made of straw. There is a group of elderly gentlemen that get together from time to time to make traditional straw crafts such as this. Not only do they get to pass on Japan's traditions, but the kids enjoy it too.