文化の日の連休の最初の日で、

信州は秋映えの青空。

戸倉の天狗の周りは桜の木が紅葉してきました。

そろそろ、戸倉上山田温泉の標高（３７０ｍ）で紅葉になりそうです。亀清の庭のモミジやイチョウ等の木はこの秋、どんな綺麗になるか、楽しみしています。

'Tis the first day of the 3-day Culture Day holiday weekend, and Nagano is blessed with blue sky and crisp autumn sunlight.

Above Togura Station is a park with this Tengu statue. A tengu is a sort of Japanese goblin. Togura's looks over the town, both literally and (according to legend), figuratively. He is surrounded by cherry trees which in the spring attract multitudes of merrymakers for viewing the blossoms. But I think the colors of the trees' leaves in the fall are equally beautiful. And no crowds -- just the tengu.

It's probably safe to say that the fall color 'horizon' is starting to come down to our elevation here at Togura-Kamiyamada Onsen (around 370 meters above sea level). I can't wait to see the leaves change in our gardens here at Kamesei Ryokan, with the momiji (Japanese maples), ginkgo and all the other colorful trees.