My Life's Road Map

我々旅館青年部は義務付けで毎年、その一年間の活動報告を書きます。平成２２年度の分を作ってみました。

定期的にこうやって振り返って、自分なりの目標を満たしているかどうか見るのは大事ですね。結構人生のマップにもなります。方向が正しいかどうか、ちゃんと進んでいるかどうか、の確認にもなります。その意味で私には重要な報告です。どうぞ、目を通してみてください。

All of us Junior Ryokan Association members are required to write an annual activities report. I just finished mine for fiscal year 2010.

Writing the report makes me realize how important it is to stop and look back every once in a while. The report is like a road map for my life. It lets me check my progress and verify the direction I am moving in. Hence for me, writing the report is a valuable exercise. Here it is if you would like to check it out.

上山田の命

先週の新潟・長野県堺であった地震の後、亀清旅館のお風呂のお湯は何となく黒い成分が混ざった様に感じました。上山田温泉株式会社の検査で回っているおじさんに聞いたら、やはりその地震の影響で温泉の成分が流れたし、出ている量も変わったそうです。地震の影響って、凄いですね。地下で全部がつながっているようです。

旅館青年部の仲間によると、東日本のM7.9地震の影響で温泉が出なくなった所もあるそうです。恐ろしいですね。震災で崩れた宿を作りなおそうと思っても、温泉が無いと意味はあるのか？

そう考えれば、亀清旅館にとって温泉が命です。うちの板長がいくら美味しい料理を出しても、私どもがどんなにくつろげる宿を作っても、どんなに喜ばれるおもてなしを提供しても、「温泉」が無いとお客さんは来ないだろう。

いまだに覚えている。木曽路の妻籠宿のおばさんに言われた事：「良いな、上山田は温泉があって」と。「何を言っている？」と思いました。「妻籠宿はあまりにも歴史であふれていて下手したら屁したら歴史が出てくるかもしれないぐらい」と。上山田の歴史は百年ちょっとしかなくて、逆に妻籠宿の事、羨ましかった。「でも温泉さえあれば、どれだけお客さんが増えるか」と言われました。

まあ、どれだけ「温泉」が大事かという事だね。どれだけ上山田の「温泉」に感謝しなっきゃいけないかという事。この地震に敏感な温泉に。

After last weeks earthquake that happened on the border between Niigata and Nagano Prefectures, it seemed to me like the onsen water in our baths here at Kamesei Ryokan had some black sediment in it. So when I spotted Takai-san, the guy who goes around checking the onsen wells, I asked him about it. He confirmed that the earthquake seemed to shake loose lots of minerals in the onsen wells. The volume of onsen water coming up also changed, he said. It's scary how much an earthquake can effect our onsen. I guess everything is connected underground.

I heard through the ryokan association grape vine that at some of the onsen resort areas in the hardest hit areas of the M7.9 earthquake in eastern Japan, the onsen water stopped flowing. Those proprieters there may be able to repair damage to their inns, but if there's no onsen, would it be worth it?

Here at Kamesei Ryokan, we really rely on the onsen waters. Our chef could put out the best meals anywhere, and our inn could be the most relaxing setting possible and our hospitality be the best, but without the onsen water, would anyone come?

It reminds me of a conversation I had with someone from Tsumago-juku, a post town in the Kiso River Valley. Her town is oozing with history. But she said she was jealous of Kamiyamada because we have an onsen. I thought she was crazy. Our onsen town's history is so short -- just a bit over 100 years. In her town, every where you turn, history jumps out at you. But she said that if only they had an onsen, how so many more people would come.

It makes me realize the importance of our onsen and the need to be thankful. And also how fragile and earthquake-prone it is.

Only a week ago, this sign would have seemed redundant...

軽トラにガスを入れようとしたら、近所のスタンドは売り切れでした。地震後、皆がガス不足の心配で念の為ガスを入れた様。しかし、皆が一気にガスを入れたら、不足になるのは決まっている。

国道へ出たら、「ガス有り」の看板を出しているスタンドがあって、満タンにしました。無いスタンドと有るスタンドがあるらしい。長野県・戸倉上山田温泉では、まだ大丈夫なので、「温泉へ行きたい」と考えている皆様はご安心してください。お待ちしておりますので。

The gas tank of our 'K-truck' mini pick-up was empty so I went to go fill it up. But our neighborhood gas station was out of gas. After the earthquake, so many bought gas fearing a shortage that, hello, it created a shortage.

So I drove out to the main highway and there was a gas station with a sign that said they have gas. Apparently supplies are a bit spotty, but there is gas here in Togura Kamiyamada Onsen area of Nagano. So if you want to get away to for a stay at an onsen, you don't have to worry about getting gas here.

昨日の大地震に続いて、今朝の４時頃に長野の北端にも地震がありました。昨日より揺れたけど、比較的に短かったのでまた割れ物や怪我がなかったです。電気やガス、水、温泉のお湯の全部は今のところでずっと大丈夫です。

怪我は全然ないけど、キャンセルが大分発生して、逆にそれが痛いです。今日は土曜日なので５７人求まる予定でした。結局、１２人になってしまっています。

まあ、それより、地震と津波で苦しみに当たっている皆様、お大事に。

Howdy! Thanks for everone's e-mails, thoughts & prayers.

We felt the big, m8.9 earthquake yesterday afternoon. The ground shook and street lights swayed. I was driving some guests from the train station at the time. We're a long ways (about 450 kilometers) from Sendai which is nearby the epicenter, so the shaking wasn't that violent here. No damage, no books or dishes falling from shelves or anything. But the scary part was how long the quake lasted. Officially it was 2 minutes, but it seemed a lot longer than that.

Then this morning around 4am, another earthquake hit on the northern edge of our prefecture, Nagano. It was much more of a shocker, but fortunately no damage. It woke us all up, except our little Misaki (who turns 4 today by the way) who kept snoring through the whole thing. It was over pretty quickly but was followed by several aftershocks that kept us (again, except for Misaki) from going back to sleep.

Through it all, we've had no problems with gas, electricity, water, onsen water, or anything. Phone service has been sketchy, though.

So, no damage, no injuries. However, what hurts the most is all of our cancelations. We had 57 people booked for this Saturday night -- now we're down to 12.

For now, all we can do is say a prayer for those suffering loss from the earthquake and tsunami.