Ｆｒｏｚｅｎ　ｉｎ　ｔｉｍｅ？

東信の中山道巡りした時に、佐久市の「茂田井間の宿」に初めて行きました。私の知識不足かもしれませんが、今まで見た長野県の観光資料の中で、茂田井は見た事がない；たまたま佐久市に住んでいるお客さんに教えて頂いて、行ってみただけです。そして、こんなに素晴らしく宿場の雰囲気を残している町でびっくりしました。

中山道の宿場と言えば、海野宿や木曽路の奈良井宿や妻籠が代表的になりますが、どちらかというと観光地になっています。もちろん、住民や職人が住んでいたり、働いたりしているけど、お土産屋さんや喫茶店、レストランなどもある。

茂田井は意外に観光臭くないです。お土産屋さんもないし、駐車場さえなかったです。土蔵造りの街並みそのままです。そして、立派な作り酒屋は２件もあります。この町はただの歴史資料館じゃなくて、一般的な人々が住んではったり、一般的な職人が働いてはって、つまり、息している、生きている町。歴史旅館じゃないのに、皆が土蔵造りの建物を大事に大事に綺麗にしています。特に、酒倉に入ったら、よだれが出そうぐらいに味のある建物でした。

私達が寄ってみた酒屋は武重本家酒造でした。「御園竹」と「牧水」レベルです。建物は格好良いなと思ったのは私達だけじゃなくて、日本の国の政府もそうらしい。というのは、建造物30棟は国の登録有形文化財です。スタッフの態度はものすごく明るくて、積極的で、「3月21日に酒蔵解放があるので、そのイベントの時にも来てね」とか。

悪いけど、長野県の観光部がこういう素晴らしい宿場、酒倉をもっともっと宣伝しないと駄目です。私みたいな、日本歴史・中山道に興味のある皆が大喜びですよ。

During a recent exploration with son Andy, I recently went to Motai, a way-station along the old Nakasendo road. Located in Saku City, it is technically an "in-between" station, catching the overflow from Mochizuki post town on one side, and Ashida post town on the other. I was happily amazed to see such an unmarred Edo-era townscape, with beautifully maintained earthen walled storehouses and not one but two operating historical sake breweries.

Here in Nagano Prefecture, usually when you mention "Nakasendo Post Town", you get images of Unnojuku in Tomi City, and the famous ones in the Kiso Valley, Narai-juku and Tsumago. While those towns have done a fantastic job of preserving their Edo-era townscapes, they tend to be a bit touristy. For example, even though some of their old buildings are actually lived in and worked in, there are plenty of souvenir shops, tea shops, eating / drinking establishments, etc.

Motai on the other hand has none of those. We couldn't even find a parking lot, let alone a t-shirt shop. Motai is not a history display -- it is a living and breathing village. Those classical dwellings aren't polished up to look nice for tourists -- they're lived in and lovingly maintened by the people that own them. And those sake breweries -- simply amazing.

The sake brewery we visited was Takeshige Shuzo, of Misonotake and Bokusui labels. Entering their compound and looking around their facilities had me drooling. And I'm not the only one that thinks their buildings are cool -- the entire collection of 30 structures are listed on Japan's National Historical Registry. And the staff was so helpful and friendly -- "Come back on March 21st for our Open Brewery event!" they said.

All I can say is, Shame on Nagano Prefecture's Tourism Department for not promoting a place like Motai. And who am I to say? Well, for one thing, I was the one who translated the entire English travel website and their was no mention of Motai. That's a true shame, because people like me who are interested in Japan's history and the Nakasendo would go crazy over a place like this.

茂田井間の宿は車で上信越道佐久ＩＣから下仁田浅科線で30分、電車で長野新幹線佐久平駅からバスで茂田井入口まで35分。詳しくはＨＰへ。Click here for details on Motai. Access by car from Saku IC on the Joshin'etsu Expwy via Shimonida Asashina Road, 30 min. Or by train from Nagano Shinkansen Sakudaira Station and bus to Motai Iriguchi stop (35 min.)

武重本家酒造のＨＰはこちら。Click here for Takeshige Honke Sake's website.

In front of Takeshige Brewery

The sake collection

Classic scene

Don't mind the drooling

Young Andy and a Dead Language

10歳の長男、Ａｎｄｙ君を連れて、東信での中山道巡りしてきました。小学生には、まずは「中山道って何？」から始まった。（何でこの変な外国人が日本の学生に日本の歴史を教えないと駄目？小学校で何を教えているか？と思いながら…）

最初に寄ったのは御代田町にある小田井宿でした。宝珠院で車を止めて、そのお寺さんから町をぶらぶらし始めました。宝珠院の入口にこのでかい石がありました。Ａｎｄｙ君に「この文字は何？」と聞いてきました。そこから仏教の１ポイントレッソンが始まりました。（何でこのクリスト教の人が日本人に仏教の事を教えないと駄目…）　

仏教はどの国からでしょうか？
ー日本？

いいえ。韓国から１６００年前ぐらいから渡ってきた。
ーじゃ、この文字は韓国語？

いいえ、韓国の前は中国から。
ーじゃ、中国語？

さあ、ヒントとして、このお寺の本堂をよく見て。
ー象さんがいる。じゃ、インド？

ピンポン！この文字は「梵字」という。

まあ、そう考えれば、何で子の御代田という日本の田舎の町にインドからの死言語の文字があるって、不思議だね。だって、現代のインドさえ分かる人が少ない；日本のお坊さんの中ででもよっぽど勉強した人じゃないとおそらく読めないでしょう。そして、お寺に日本に存在のない動物がある事こそ、不思議だね。手彫りで作った匠は本物の象を見た事ないはず。

そこから中山道巡りが始まりました。宿場の本陣や脇本陣、小田井宿の特徴の問屋とか昔の人々が京都から江戸まで歩く途中でこういうところで泊まった事、少しでも息子に興味を持たせたのかな？

小田井宿の大名行列の様子を復元する「小田井宿まつり」は毎年８月１６日に行われるそうです。

I took our 10-year old son Andy for a drive to explore the remains of the old Nakasendo (the medieval path between Kyoto and Edo / Tokyo). First I had to explain what the Nakasendo was to Andy. (Why does a foreigner have to teach a Japanese kid Japanese history? What do Japanese schools teach the kids?)

Our first stop was Otai-juku, one of the old post towns located in present-day Miyota Town. We parked at Houju-in and started our exploration at that temple. At the entrance was a large rock carved with interesting script.

"What kind of writing is that?" asked Andy. Uh-oh. Time for a 1-point Buddhism lesson. (Here again, why does a Christian have to teach a Japanese kid about Buddhism...)

"Do you know what country Buddhism came from?"
"Japan?"

"Nope. It crossed over to Japan from Korea 1600 years ago."
"So this writing is Korean?"

"Nope. Buddhism came to Korea from China."
"So it's Chinese?"

"Time for a hint. Look at the facade of the temple's main building."
"Hmm, a sculpture of an elephant. So, India?"

"Right! The writing is sanskrit."

When you think about it, it is really quite remarkable to find sanskrit here in a town in the Japanese countryside. I mean, there are few scholars left even in India that speak sanskrit. And only the most educated of Buddhist monks here in Japan today would be able to read this.

And the carvings of elephants -- the animal doesn't even exist in Japan. I bet the artist who carved the elephant had never seen a real one.

Anyways, that's how our explorings of the Nakasendo started. I showed Andy the Honjin (main inn for the VIP's) and the Waki-Honjin (inn for the #2 guys). and Otai-juku's trademark warehouses where goods were transferred from one carrier to another, and tried to convey a sense of what it was like in the old days to walk along the Nakasendo. Perhaps Andy started to get an interest in Japan's history, too.

Otai-juku holds a festival every year on August 16th where they recreate an Edo-era procession. The festival is aptly called the Otai-juku Festival.

御代田町のＨＰはこちらClick here for the website of Miyota Town.

A Japanese Elephant?

Andy and Otai-juku

One of Otai-juku's back streets