戸倉上山田温泉の千曲川沿いに万葉公園があります。万葉集及び千曲川に絡んだ詩の手彫りの石は31個があります。その1つは「千曲川」と言う歌なので、ボタンを押せば、五木ひろしの歌が流れます。(「カラオケロック」とも呼ばれる。）
千曲市は最近、公園の案内の立派なパンフを作りました。碑の1つ1つの写真があって、文章が書いてあって、そしてその解説もある。細かくて素敵なパンフです。

例えば、山崎等(d.1968年）の自筆で：
「この川に一つとなりて、流れゆく親しさを見よ、水の心の」
その解説：千曲川は沢山の支流を集めて、1つの大きい川で日本海まで流れ、その川水が親しく豊かだと。
私の印象：亀清旅館の女将社長が長年の経営から、妻がそれを見て育ってきた所から、私が外から来ました。皆それぞれのところから、亀清の将来の流れ、一緒になって、日々の努力をしている・・・

まあ、感心する所がありながら、正直って、今までのお客様の中で、「万葉公園へ行きたい」と言う人は一人しかいなかった。なおかつ、その人は五木ひろしファンだっただけであった。ですから、この新しいパンフはどれだけ必要か疑問ですが、まあ、これからは興味のありそうなお客さんに案内してみます。

Along the embankment besides the Chikuma River here in Togura Kamiyamada Onsen, there is a park called Manyo Koen. It has 31 rocks and bolders engraved with poems from and inspired by the Manyo Collection of classical poems from the 7th and 8th centuries. One of those bolders is engraved with the lyrics to the pop song "Chikuma-gawa". And if you push a button, the music by singer Hiroshi Itsuki plays. We call it 'karaoke rock'.

Chikuma City has just recently published a new brochure about Manyo Park. It includes close-up photographs of each relief, the full text to each poem, as well as a brief explanation of the poems. This certainly helps give an appreciation of the engravings. For example, one of the poems, written by Hitoshi Yamazaki (d.1968) is, in Japanese,
"Kono kawa ni hitotsu to narite, Nagareyuku shitashisa wo miyo, Mizu no kokoro no"
Roughly translated: "This river becomes one, Look at how it flows together in friendship, the water's heart"
Explanation: The Chikuma River is a confluence of many tributaries, all becoming one on the journey to the sea.
My interpretation: Our okami-san who has been running Kmaesei Ryokan for 5 decades, my wife who grew up watching seeing that, and me coming from overseas, are joining as one taking the inn on its journey to the future...

If you take the time, this park offers lots of similar insight. However, to be honest, no one ever takes the time. In all the years I've been here, only one guest has ever asked about Manyo Park. And that person was a Hitoshi Itsuki fan. So I have my doubts about the usefulness of the city's new brochure. I'll try using it to introduce our guests to the park.

万葉集の詳しくはこちらClick here for more on the Manyo Collection

戸倉上山田温泉の上の善光寺別院に寄ってきました。夕方の千曲川の谷が静かで、綺麗でした。お月様も上がってきていました。そろそろ満月だね。そう言えば、次の満月が中秋の名月ですよね。という事で、姨捨の観月祭と波閉科神社の秋祭りもそろそろ行います。戸倉上山田温泉周辺の代表の秋のイベント。

今年の波閉科神社秋祭の役員さん達が挨拶に来ました。地元の神社の祭りの準備は大変でしょうけど、皆さんが礼儀正しく、真剣でした。「タイラーさんは、今年、お相撲は？」とも言ってくれました。身長２ｍで、相手がかわいそうかな？(と言っても、大体は私がぼろ負けになる…）

When I took some guests up to the Zenkoji Branch Temple here above Togura Kamiyamada Onsen, I noticed the moon, as it was rising above the Chikuma River, was almost full. That reminded me that the next full one will be the harvest moon. And that means the Obasute Moon Viewing Festival as well as our local shrine, Habeshina Jinja's Fall Festival, two of Togura Kamiyamada Onsen's main fall events.

In fact, this year's Habeshina festival 'elders' stopped by Kamesei today for their official greeting. Living in a small town like this, everyone is obligated to take turns being the elders. If it were me, I'd probably be grumbling and complaining, but these guys were as serious and good natured as could be. They even asked if I wanted to do sumo again this year. Uh oh!

姨捨の観月際の詳しくはここClick here for info on the Obasute Moon Viewing Festival

波閉科神社秋祭りの詳しくはここClick here for info on Habeshina Shrine's fall festival

戸倉上山田温泉から車で約20分でアグリパークがあります。冬はイチゴ狩りで人気がありますが、一年中は花とガーデンのお店は一年中やっています。亀清の道沿いの１ヶ所の花がさびしくなっていたので、この時期で植えれるのは、何かがあるかなと思って買いに行ってみました。沢山の種類があって、山菜草など、どれが良いかな？レジのお姉さんと相談したら、この黄色花を紹介してくれました。

ホームセンターは決まった植物しかなくて、面白くない。アグリーパークみたいな沢山の種類を揃っている、なおかつアドバイスをくれるガーデンの店が近くにあって、嬉しいです。亀清旅館にお越しになる際、寄ってみたらいかがですか？

About 20 minutes by car from Togura Kamiyamada Onsen is Agri-Park, a place known for strawberry picking in the winter. All year long, however, they operate a flower and garden center. One of Kamesei's street-side gardens had become pretty scragly, so I took the kids shopping for some flowers we could plant.

Unlike the typical home center stores and their bland selection of plants, Agri-Park features a huge selection including lots that are native to this area. And I found out their staff is very knowledgeable and helpful. We got set up with these pretty yellow flowers and took them back and planted them.

If you are interested in seeing a garden nursery in Japan, I highly suggest Agri-Park.

信州杏の里アグリパークのＨＰはこちらClick here for Agri-Park's website.

戸倉上山田温泉の盆踊り大会はお盆中、毎晩行っています。13日と15日は亀清の若女将が踊りのリーダーの一人で活躍しています。皆様、是非、ご一緒に踊りましょう！

Togura Kamiyamada Onsen's Bon Odori dance will take place all 3 evenings during the O-Bon holiday. On the 13th and 15th, Kamesei's proprietress will be one of the dance leaders. Come and enjoy our small town's traditional dance!

(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。）

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.

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.

夜になると、上山田温泉夏祭りの獅子は迫力アップ！本通りに入れば、獅子の中の皆の「どっこいどっこいどっこい」情熱は恐ろしいぐらいにすごい！今年は見られなかったら、ぜひ、来年の祭りへどうぞ。毎年の7月「海の日」連休に行われます。

As night comes on, the huge Kamiyamada Onsen Summer Festival shi-shi lion becomes extra-energetic. The guys inside the shi-shi turn the power up a notch as the lion proceeds down the main street to festival center -- the area in front of the taiko stage. That huge shi-shi coming straight at you is simply fearsome! If you missed seeing the festival this year, you have to come to see next year's action. The festival is held on the 3-day "Marine Day" weekend every July.

上山田温泉夏祭りの代表の獅子です。今までの祭りでは私が獅子の中に入っていて、黒い法被の人たちを倒す役割でした。今年は成長（？）して、倒される方になりました。せっかくですから、この祭り男の写真を自慢させてください。

This is the huge shi-shi lion from our Kamiyamada Onsen Summer Festival. In the past, I was inside the shi-shi, trying to knock over the guys in the black happi coats on the outside. This year I got moved up (?), and was one of the guys getting knocked over. Please indulge me as I share some pictures from my first year as a shi-shi lion handler.

Pictures by son Andy and "senpai" Kodaira-san.

祭り法被

　お神輿

　　太鼓

　　　ひょっとこのお面

　　　　綿あめ

　　　　　金魚つくい

　　　　　　獅子舞

　　　　　　　花火

今日、明日は上山田温泉夏祭りだ！

Matsuri Happi coats

Omikoshi (the shrines carried around on shoulders)

Taiko

"Hyottoko" face masks

Cotton candy

Goldfish catching games

Shi-shi lion dance

Fireworks

Today and tomorrow are the days of the Kamiyamada Onsen Summer Festival!