このゴールデンウィークにお客様に「どこを寄ってきたか」中で、善光寺さんや松本城、戸隠、軽井沢、小布施などは相変わらず人気でした。しかし、今年は今までより多かったのは上田城と松代です。

真田幸村や戦国時代のファンが増えてきましたね。

日本人のかわいそうな所は皆さんは働き過ぎじゃないですか。休みが取れる時は全員が同時に休むからどこへ行っても混む。戸隠へ登ろうとしたお客さんは渋滞で途中で諦めて下りてきた。松本城へ行ったお客さんはお城の一番上まで登るのに数時間待ちだと言われた。

この連休の4日に用事があって、子供達と一緒に上田に行きました。上田城の駐車場は満車で車が溢れていた状態。その後、塩田平に行きました。上田が原古戦場の看板があった。長男のアンディー君は学校で戦国時代の事を勉強しているし、探検で行ってみた。矢印を追いかければ石久摩神社に辿り着きました。ここで川中島合戦の前哨戦となった上田原合戦の時に武田信玄の本軍が置かれた。3.5km先の村上義清が本陣を置いたという岩鼻の崖（須々貴城）を見渡せる。
この神社に記念の石碑もあり、
数千人の戦死者が出た合戦の無名討死者の墓もある。

ここに来れば戦国時代の武田信玄の立場を感じれる。

なおかつ、かなり穴場的な所なので、連休の最中でも誰もいない。

日本の連休楽しみ方の1ポイントレッスン：
戸隠や軽井沢は普通な時に行きなさい。奥社に行きたいなら、戸隠のではなくて飯山市の小菅神社のにしなさい。その杉並び木は戸隠の程でかくないけど、その代わりに人がいない。連休中は穴場がお勧め。いくらでも紹介が出来ますので聞いて下さい！

This Golden Week holiday, I asked our guests where they did their sightseeing on the way to Kamesei. Nagano City's Zenkoji Temple and Matsumoto's castle were as popular as always, as was spiritual Togakushi, Obuse the chestnut town, and the resort town of Karuizawa. This year, two places were mentioned more frequently than before: Ueda Castle and the samurai town of Matsushiro.

Apparently Ueda Castle's main samurai Yukimura Sanada and the Warring States era in general are gaining in popularity.

I actually feel sorry for people in Japan during Golden Week. So many people work too hard and can only take vacation during these peak holidays, so everywhere you go, it's crowded. Some of our guests tried driving up to Togakushi but turned around and came back due to the congested roads. Another party visited Matsumoto Castle but were told it would be a 2 hour wait to climb to the top.

On the 4th, I took our children into Ueda City. We visited the castle, and saw the parking lot was overflowing with cars. On a drive through Ueda's Shioda Plain area, we spotted a sign for a Uedahara Battle history marker. Following the signs, we came to Ishikuma Shrine. It was here that Shingen Takeda and his forces set up camp, looking across the Uedahara field to Yoshikiyo Murakami's fortress, Susuki-jo in 1548. A stone monument to the battle is erected here, as well as a Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers, for some of the thousands of samurai who lost their lives here.

Standing there at the shrine, we felt like we were Shingen looking over the battle field.

And, despite it being the middle of the Golden Week holiday, we had the place to ourselves.

That's the key to enjoying one of Japan's peak holidays. Save the Zenkoji's and Matsumoto Castles for another time. If you want to see the Inner Shrine's majestic cedar trees, go to the ones at Iiyama City's Kosuge Shrine. They're not as massive as Togakushi's, but you'll avoid crowds. Visit the lesser-known spots like the Uedahara battle field. Ask us and we'll fill you in on plenty more off-the-beaten-track places to see in Nagano.