写真家Ｗｈｉｔｎｅｙさん
昨日はまた朝5時に起きて、お客様と一緒に戸倉上山田温泉から車で約15分の開眼寺に、座禅をしに行きました。今回は特別で、県の英語先生達の代表のＷｈｉｔｎｅｙさんもジョインしてくれました。彼女はセミプロの写真家なので撮影してくれました。この朝5時座禅は特に海外の観光客向きでＰＲしていく計画なのでＷｈｉｔｎｅｙさんの写真を生かして、やっていきたいと思っております。工事中のＨＰ, www.unique-nagano.comで後日に載せる予定です。
Kaigan-ji's resident monk, Shibata-san, and 6am ides
silhouette from inside the main temple building
Avoiding Food Allergy Reactions
亀清旅館は伝統的な日本の温泉旅館でありながら、せっかくこの青い目の若旦那がいるからアメリカなりの「おもてなし」を少し取り入れようてしております。その1つはお茶菓子に手作りのクッキーを出しています。私の母親のレシピーで、シアトルの味です。そして、長野県はせっかく、日本のそばの国だから、クッキーを焼く時に小麦粉の4分の1はそば粉にしています。和洋折中と言うか、両方の良い所を生かすとの目的。
先日に泊まったお客さんはお帰りの時に「夕べのお茶菓子にそば粉が入っていただろう」と。アレルギーの現象(熱、吐きそうになった)が出たらしいです。「そば粉を入れると必ず言わないと駄目。普通、クッキーに入っていると思わない」と怒られました。
そばの国の長野にクッキーにそば粉が入っていてもおかしいかどうかは別として、普段はアレルギーに関してはどちらの責任になるでしょうか？アレルギーを持っている方が言うべき？アレルゲンを入れた方が表示すべき？
ある宿は問題が発生するたびに注意書きを張る。結局、宿が注意書きだらけになっちゃう。お客さんのご健康はもちろん大事にしたい(だからこそ皆様がＲｅｌａｘ出来るこの温泉宿を経営している！）けど、注意書きだらけにしたくない。切りがないし。
クッキーも、手作りだからこそ、包みはしない。お店で買うお菓子でも、アレルゲンが書いてあるに限られていない。
じゃ、お客さん一人一人に入っているアレルゲン1つ1つを言う？少人数のお客様に可能としても団体には無理です。
色々と調査したら、ハワイ大学のこのデザインを見当たりました。日本語を足して、サインを作ってみました。団体の皆様でも必ず通るフロントに置いてみています。これでアレルギーの問題が2度と出ないようにしたいと思います。
While our inn, Kamesei Ryokan is a traditional onsen ryokan, as the proprietor (myself) is an American, we try to incorporate some touches of American-style hospitality. One of those touches is to serve home-made cookies as the tea sweets for the tea we provide in the guest rooms upon arrival. Nagano Prefecture is famous for its soba buckwheat noodles, as it is one of the main growing regions for buckwheat in Japan. In an effort to combine the best of both worlds, I substitute 1/4 buckwheat flour for regular wheat flour when I bake the cookies.
When guests make reservations including meals, we always ask about any food allergies. However, the other night we had some guests who requested accommodation only, and no allergies were mentioned. The next morning at checkout, the gentleman accosted me, "There was soba in those cookies, right?" Apparently he had an allergic reaction (fever and nausea). He was so upset. "Every year, thousands of people die from soba allergy. You have to tell each person there is soba in those cookies!"
On one hand, we obviously don't want to kill our guests. On the other, I was upset that our positive efforts were being villified. If the man's life was at stake due to his soba allergy, wouldn't it behoove him to ask about it first? He claimed the onus was ours, as people normally don't expect soba flour in cookies. I say there is nothing unusual about it here in Nagano, Japan's soba prefecture.
Practically speaking, it is not possible to ask each and every individual guest about their allergies, soba or otherwise, as some guests come in groups and our main contact is with the group's organizer, not the individuals. However, all the guests pass by the front desk on the way to the rooms, hence a "Food Allergies?" sign on the front desk strikes me as being the most effective.
I found this design on the University of Hawaii website, and Professor Saulo there graciously granted us permission to use it. We'll give it a try and see what kind of response the sign receives.
As a side note, another inn that I am familiar with approaches problems like this by putting up warning notices. "Don't do this" or "Avoid doing that", etc. The problem is, the interior of the inn ends up getting plastered in warning signs. With our home-made cookies, the charm is that they are not some pre-wrapped, mass-produced sweet. If they were, there would no doubt be a warning label that soba, nuts, chocolate and other allergens are included. While there is a need for warning the guests, it would go against the home-made charm to plaster them with signs.
This "Food Allergies?" sign seems to strike the right balance between the need to advise the guests and our desire to avoid tacky warning signs all over the place. Time will tell if it works! Will keep you posted.
お神楽の皆様＠波閉科神社
(日本語は下記）
Kamiyamada Onsen is overlooked by the centuries-old Habeshina Shrine. Every year, the shrine holds an Autumn Festival that usually takes place on the autumnal equinox, 23-Sept. However, this year the Fall Festival has been moved to the weekend and will be held on Sunday 26-September.
Habeshina Shrine's Fall Festival is a unique opportunity to see a small local festival here in the Japanese countryside. It is a time for the locals to give thanks for the harvest and enjoy some traditional fun. The day's schedule varies by year, but is generally something like this:
8am: Opening banquet at a nearby community center
10am: Ceremonial Procession departs the center.
12noon: Procession arrives at Habeshina Shrine
1pm: Adults sumo
2pm~: Kids sumo
Evening: Karaoke contest
8pm: Ending ceremony featuring an "okagura" shi-shi lion dance
The kids sumo is very entertaining to watch, and for the adults sumo, often times there are not enough participants. I have twice had the dubious honor of joining their ranks. You drink your way through the 8am banquet, parade around town in your 'fundoshi' g-string, then when your name is called, enter the ring and hope your opponent had more sake than you did.
(If you, too, are interested in being a sumo wrestler for a day, contact me here at Kamesei Ryokan and I can see about getting you an invitation.)
There are a few food and toys booths set up for the festival, and a lot of drinking goes on (sake is an important part of Japanese 'matsuri'). After it gets dark, at some point the sounds of the shi-shi flutes and taiko drums can be heard, as the okagura lion dance troupe finishes up its tour of the town and arrives back at the shrine. The elders gather in front of the shrine's main building holding 'chochin' lanterns, and the lion dance takes place in the center.
The lion dance by lantern-light is a pretty powerful experience. I was really moved by it when I first saw it right after moving here. Later, when the the leader of the troupe invited me to join, I was honored to accept. I'll be there this year trying to keep up with the other flutists.
上山田温泉を守る波閉科神社の秋祭りは通常なら9月23日（秋分の日）ですが、2010年は週末に移って、9月26日(日)と言う変更が決定されました。小さな、地元の祭りです。町の皆様が収穫の感謝を込めたお祝いです。とにかく、観光向けじゃないけれど、当地の伝統と触れ合えるからこそ、観光客は逆に楽しんで頂けるのではないかと思います。当日の予定は大体この感じです：
午前8時 近くの会場で宴会が開きます。
午前10時 宴会場から神社までの行列の出立
午後12時 行列が神社に到着
午後1時 大人の相撲
午後2時～ 子供の相撲
夕方 カラオケ大会
午後8時 お神楽の獅子舞
今年の当日の予定はまだ決まっていないですが、大体こんな感じです。
子供相撲を見るのはかなり楽しいだし、大人相撲は人数が足りない場合が多くて、私は2回ほど参加さして頂いた事がございます。褌のままで行列を歩いて、そして名前が呼ばれたら土俵に入って、やる！運が良ければ、相手が自分より酔っぱらっているので勝てるかもしれない。
屋台も少しあるし、楽しい小さな祭りです。夜、暗くなってから、遠くから獅子笛と太鼓が聞こえてくる：お神楽の登場。最後は役員さん達の皆さんが提灯を持って、神社の本堂の前に並ぶ。その中で獅子舞の開催。
パワーのあるフィナーレです。
(私は上山田に引っ越しした時に波閉科神社の秋祭りを見て、終わりの獅子舞を見て、感動しました。その後、お神楽保存会の会長がメンバーになる様に誘ってくれた。「良いのですか？」と思いながら、入らせて頂きました。今年の祭りも私は獅子笛で参加します。）
Kids Sumo -- highly entertaining
Adults sumo -- not as easy as it looks!
Grown with these hands.
このおじさんが親戚の北山さんです。長野市の川中島地区で農家さんです。川中島と言えば、桃が一番有名です。そして、今はちょうど桃のピークです。今年は北山さんが自分で育った桃をまた亀清旅館に持ってきてくれました。そのジューシーで美味しい事！北山さんと交渉しましたので我が宿の売店様で数カートンを持って来てくれました。この夏休みで、県外からのお客様が多いです。ジューシーで美味しい桃をお土産で買えて、喜んで頂いております。信州の旬のプレゼントになります。
(北山さんの育った桃は種類によりますが、３ｋｇパックで1,000円～1,500円になります。）
This fella is Kitayama-san, a distant relative of ours. He hails from the Kawanakajima district of Nagano City, where he and his wife operate a fruit orchard. Around here, Kawanakajima is known for peaches, and right now is peak peach season. Kitayama-san brought a bunch of his peaches for us to eat. They were so juicy and delicious! We talked him into supplying us with a few boxes of peaches to offer for sale to our guests. With this being summer vacation time, we have a lot of guests visiting from Tokyo and other prefectures. The peaches have been a hit with the guests, many of whom have been looking for just the perfect seasonal "Nagano" gift to take back to their friends and family.
(3kg boxes of fresh Kawanakajima peaches are 1,000 ~ 1,500 yen depending on the variety.)
Mmmm! Juicy!
Chikuma River Fireworks over the food stands
もっと長く続く花火大会が有る。
玉の数がもっと多い花火大会もある。
しかし、戸倉上山田温泉の千曲川の花火大会を見た皆様が口をそろって、言いました：最高でした。
割と小さな町(千曲市の全体は６万人)なのに、こんなに大々的な花火大会は不思議ぐらい。なおかつ、近くで見れて(真上って感じ）、感動的。涼しい川辺、光は川に反射し、音は周辺の山から反射して、さらに感動的。最後の万葉橋のナイヤガラやグランフィナーレが思い出に残る。
最後の最後はかき氷屋さんかな？
県外からのお客様に言われました：「千曲川の花火大会が穴場かもしれない」。
戸倉上山田温泉の千曲川花火大会は毎年８月７日に行います。
There are longer firework displays.
And there are displays with more pyrotechnics.
But all of our guests who watched tonight's Togura Kamiyamada Onsen fireworks display over the Chikuma River came back with the same impression: Impressive!
At the major fireworks displays, it's practically impossible to get close to the action because of the crowds. Here at the Chikuma River display, you can get so close the pyrotechnics are almost going off directly above your head! And the breezy riverside setting is such a pleasant place to enjoy the show. The bright flashes reflecting off the river, and the BOOM!s bouncing off the surrounding mountains as well as the grand finale featuring a Niagara-like stream of fireworks from Manyo Bridge make for an exciting experience.
Judging by the long lines at the food stands, and all of the colorful yukata-clad ladies, it's one huge festival.
The Chikuma River Fireworks Display at Togura Kamiyamada Onsen take place every year on 07-August.
The 'Niagara'
Grand Finale
New Map in the Media
先月に出来た戸倉上山田温泉の英語のグルメーガイド・散歩の地図は８月７日の「観光経済新聞」に掲載されました。レストラン２０件、お土産屋さんなどのお店２１軒の協力が集められた事と、外国人の目線で作られた事が注目されました。私が思いますが、これだけ外国人受け入れの店がそろえた温泉街は戸倉上山田ぐらいじゃないかと。
皆さんのマップつくり努力はその分の価値がありましたよね。
Togura Kamiyamada Onsen's new English Gourmet Guide / Walking Map was featured in the August 7th issue of the weekly Kanko Keizai Newspaper. Apparently the fact that so many businesses supported the making of the map -- 20 restaurants and 21 souvenir and other shops, plus the fact that it incorporated wo many features specifically for foreign travellers, were newsworthy enough to be featured. I think our onsen town is pretty unique in that we have so many shops and businesses interested enough in accepting foreign customers that they would financially support the making of this map.
It looks like all of the work that went into the map is paying off!
観光経済新聞のＨＰはこちらClick here for the article on the Kanko Keizai Newspaper's website.
Andy and Kenny, you have 200 pairs of eyes watching you!
夏休みに入ったら、うちの息子たちは毎朝、６時２０分に亀清旅館の裏の中央公園で集まって、温泉に住んでいる小学生の皆と一緒にラジオ体操をやっています。
(どうして夏休みなのにこんなに早く起きなきゃいけないのか？子供たちは可愛いそう！まあ、それは別として…）
今朝はいつも集まる数十人の上に、中学生は２００人もいました。どこかの宿で部活の皆が泊まっています。いつもより賑やかでした。
私はいつもうちの宿に泊まるお客さんにも誘います。「朝は良かったら、ご一緒にラジオ体操に行きますか？地元の子供たちと交流ができるし」。しかし、朝６時２０分だと言ったら、皆が断る。なかなか売りにくい体験ですね。
Ever since our kids' summer vacation started, they've been getting up at 6:20 in the morning to gather at the park behind Kamesei Ryokan with the other school kids living in the onsen to do the NHK Radio Exercises.
(Why the poor kids have to get up so early during their summer vacation is beyond me! There's no way you'd get kids in America to do this.)
This morning, in addition to the normal 20 or 30 local kids, there were 200 middle school kids, too. Apparently they are members of various athletic teams that are staying at one of the area inns.
I always try to invite our guests to go with us. They like the idea of mingling with the local school kids, but don't like the idea of getting up so early. I haven't managed to get any guests to go with us yet.
Ｃｈｉｋｕｍａ Ｃｉｔｙ Ｓｔａｍｐｓ
上山田温泉の郵便局に顔を出したら、千曲市の切手が売れていて、びっくりしました。オリジナルフレーム切手「信州 千曲市」というので、１０００枚限定だそうです。金額は１２００円で、千曲市周辺の郵便局の１３局でしか販売していないそうです。
よく見たら、切手の一つは何と戸倉上山田温泉の絵だ！嬉しいですね。
When I stopped in at the Kamiyamada Onsen post office, I spotted this poster for a new set of stamps with a Chikuma City theme. Apparently the post office made a limited issue of 1000 sheets of stamps featuring different areas of our city. The price is 1,200 yen, and the sheets can only be purchased at one of the 13 area post offices.
I was especially pleased to see that one of the stamps shows a picture of our onsen town, Togura Kamiyamada. I don't think my home town of Seattle ever got its own stamp!
郵便局のＨＰはこちらClick here for the Post Office website.
Ｔｈｅ Ｔｏｇｕｒａ Ｋａｍｉｙａｍａｄａ Ｏｎｓｅｎ Ｓｔａｍｐ
役に立っている軽トラ
去年の夏は亀清旅館の２つの客室の庭の壁を改造しました。コンクリートブロック塀を壊して、織り込んだ木の塀を作って、取り付けました。光と風が通せるようになったお蔭で、うちの庭師が良い庭を作れました。評判が良かったです。そして、旅館の外の見た目も大分よくなりました。
この夏はそのその延長で、もう一つの部屋の壁も同じ事をやります。今日はその材料を買ってきました。
軽トラが役に立ています！
Last summer, I replaced the fences for a couple of the guest rooms here at Kamesei Ryokan. I (gladly!) demolished the concrete block ones, built new fences out of wood in a horizontal woven pattern, and set them in place of the old concrete ones. Now light and the breeze can pass through the fence, which allowed our gardener to make some nice gardens for those rooms. Our guests have been happy with the results. And the outer appearance of our inn was improved immensely.
This summer will be round two. I'm going to replace a third room's ugly concrete fence with a new wood one. Today I went and bought the supplies. Our little K-Truck pick-up is sure coming in handy!
New Gathering Place at Obasute Station
ＪＲはこの秋に行う予定の「信州デスティネーションキャンペーン」へ向かって、姨捨駅の改造をしています。駅舎の切符売り場を再現して、くつろぎ広場が出来ました。イベントの時に、ここでボランティアーガイドたちが集まるようです。そして、ホームも半月の形の展望台ができるらしいです。今は工事中です。夜は善光寺平の夜景、お昼は「田毎の月」で有名の姨捨棚田はもっとよく見えるようになるでしょう。
姨捨駅の魅力はさらにアップ！
Japan Rail Group is making some improvements at Obasute Station ahead of this fall's Nagano Destination Campaign. The ticket office of the station house has been rebuilt, and will be used as a gathering place for local volunteer guides during events. The platform is also being rebuilt to include a half-moon shaped viewing platform. The lights of the Zenkoji Plain at night, and the moon-reflecting terraced rice fields during the day, should be especially beautiful as seen from the new deck once it's finished.
Obasute is becoming an even more enjoyable tourist spot!
New ticked window
New viewing platform under construction
