森「あんずの里」の杏の木が咲き始まりましたので、大勢の人達がきっと見に行くでしょう。行く途中で、県道３９２号沿いに長野県立歴史館があります。歴史館隣の科野の里歴史公園にこいのぼり１０３匹が風に踊っていて、公園の「ムラ」に花桃の木が綺麗に咲いていて、「あんずの里へ行くついでにこっちにも寄ってよ！」と目立っています。

こいのぼりを揚げる期間は平成23年4月3日（土）～ 平成23年5月17日（火）までだそうです。

花桃はちょうど今満開です。

あんずの花見で見事となっている歴史館もお勧めです。

With the apricot trees in Mori's Apricot Village starting to bloom, there will likely be a crowd of people driving over to see the blossoms. Along the way, visitors will pass the Nagano Prefectural History Museum. Next to the museum is the Shinano no sato historical village, a replicated ancient village. Besides the village's 'hana-momo' (flowering peach trees) being in full bloom, volunteers have hung 103 'koi nobori' carp streamers. All that color is sure to catch people's attention.

The carp streamers will be streaming until May 15th (with May 5th being Boys Day, the main day for the koi nobori), and the flowering peach trees are at their peak now.

We highly suggest a stop at the History Museum on the way to seeing the apricot blossoms!

長野県立歴史館のＨＰはこちらClick here for the Prefectural History Museum's website.

昨日は若女将とデート（？）で森「あんずの里」の花状況をチェックしてきました。まだ2，3部でしたが、昨日から温かくなって、今日、明日も２０℃続いて、これで週末まで綺麗に咲くでしょう。

またデート(？)して、お知らせします。

Yesterday, Kamesei's young proprietress and I went for a date (?) to Mori's Apricot Village to check on how the blossoms are coming. They're still only at 20-30%. But from yesterday, the temperature has risen and the afternoons will be in the 20's (Celsius) through tomorrow, so we expect the apricot trees to be in full bloom by the weekend.

Will check back soon (another date?) and advise!

森「あんずの里」のあんずまつりは４月２日から始まったけど、今年のあんずの花が遅れています。どんな状況か、昨日、又行ってみました。咲いている木も多少ありましたが、大体つぼみ状態でした。今週末ぐらいから咲き始まるかな？

Our local Mori 'Apricot Village' district's Apricot Blossom Festival started on April 2nd, but the trees are late in blooming this year. Yesterday I went to see how they were developing. While there were a few trees starting to flower, most were still just in the budding stage. Hopefully they will start to blossom by this weekend.

プロのカメラマン、島田さんのあんずの写真はこちらClick here for pro camerman, Shimada-san's apricot blossom pic's

今年は低い温度が続いているせいで、千曲市の名物の花、森地区のあんずの花が遅れています。でも、千曲市の隠れ名物の花、戸倉キティパークの節分草も遅れて、逆にちょうど今満開です。

友人のＰｅｔｅｒさんからの写真です。５ｃｍぐらいな小さな白い花びらの中心に真黄色の雄しべと紫の雌しべが特徴。

節分草は珍しい花なので、今に見るのはチャンス！

With this year seeing cold temperatures continuing for longer than normal, our town's trademark flowers, the apricot blossoms in Mori, haven't started blooming yet. On the other hand, one of our lesser known flowers, the setubunsou in Togura's Kitty Park have also been delayed and are actually in full bloom right now.

My buddy Peter Ninnes sent these pictures today of the setsubunsou in peak form. They are a petite plant, with tiny 5-cm small white flowers featuring bright yellow stamen and purple stigma. A very photographic flower -- if you can find them. And they are very rare. We are fortunate to have a grouping of them here locally. Now is a great chance to come and see them.

2011年の森「あんずの里」のあんず祭りは公式的に4月2日から始まる予定です。花の方は間に合うのでしょうか？今日、森の方へチェックしに出かけました。

あんずの里は細長い農村っぽい谷です。奥の木と入口の木の花咲が違うわけ。上と下の全部を回ったけど、唯一咲いていたのはあんずの里観光会館の前に立っている一本でした。やはり、今年の冬の寒さが長く続いているせいか、今年のあんずの花が遅れています。地元のおばさん情報では、4月8日ぐらいからは見事だろうと。

しかし、日本の諺で、「花より団子」の様に、花が咲いていなくても、農村の雰囲気を味わえて、農村の空気を吸って、農村のおばさんと親しみやすいお話をしたり、とにかく行ってみる価値はありと思います。(あんずのソフトアイスもあるよ！）

ついでに戸倉上山田温泉へお風呂をどうぞ！

So, the 2011 Mori 'Apricot Village' Apricot Festival is scheduled to start tomorrow, 02-April. But will the apricot trees blossom on time? Today I drove over to check it out.

Mori's Apricot Village is a relatively long valley and the trees bloom differently depending on if you're down at the bottom or up at the top. Well, I scoured the valley from top to bottom, and the only tree I saw blooming was the one in front of the Apricot Village Tourism Hall. Go figure!

One local little old lady told me the blooms won't be ready for 'hanami' (flower viewing) until April 8th this year. I guess the low temperatures that have been continuing even into the start of spring are making the trees bloom late this year.

But as the saying in Japan goes, "It's the sweets more than the flowers!" Mori makes for a nice daytrip even if the blossoms aren't in full bloom. And don't forget the apricot flavored soft ice cream, too!

Make sure to come to Togura Kamiyamada Onsen for a bath, too!

東日本震災の被災者の顔をテレビで見れば、「祭りに行きたい」と言う気分が当然なくなります。あちらこちらの祭りが中止になっています。じゃ、戸倉上山田温泉・千曲市の代表の祭り、森「あんずの里」のあんずの祭りはどうなる？

市の観光協会と聞いたら、あんずの花は震災が知らないので、自然に咲き、咲いたら人が見に来る、案内看板や駐車場の整備をしないと混乱になるのでそれを防ぐために案内看板や駐車場の整備はするそうです。祭りの広告や夜の花のライトアップなどは止めるそうです。

つまり、祭りじゃないまつり。

言わせて頂けたら、震災の心配の中だからこそ、気分転換の為にもあんずの可愛いらしい薄いピンク色の花を楽しんだ方が良いと思います。森地区の農村風情と谷中のあんずの花を見れば、その自然の力で皆さんが元気になるでしょう。

森「あんずの里」の花見は２０１１年４月２日から４月１６日までの予定です。そのついで、戸倉上山田温泉へお風呂にどうぞ。

With all the images of earthquake / tsunami victims on the TV, it is understandable that everyone loses a desire to enjoy a festival. As a result, festivals throughout Japan are being canceled. So what is going to happen to Togura Kamiyamada Onsen / Chikuma City's banner festival, the Mori 'Apricot Village' Apricot Festival?

According to the city's tourism association, the apricot trees will bloom despite the natural disaster, and people will come and see the blossoms. So if the festival organizers don't set up a minimum of road signs and parking facilities, there will be chaos. Hence there will be road signs and parking set up, but all festival advertising and things like the evening light-up event will be canceled.

In other words, a non-festive festival.

If you ask me, though, coming to see the ephemeral light pink apricot blossoms will raise people's spirits. There is something about the scene of the quaint valley of Mori filled with the light pink blossoms of thousands of apricot trees. It will give everyone a desperately needed dose of happiness.

The apricot blossoms are predicted to be in bloom from April 2nd thru April 16th, 2011. And after enjoying the beauty of the apricot blossoms, be sure to stop at Togura Kamiyamada Onsen for a bath!

あんずの花情報はこちらClick here for apricot blossom updates.

庭の所々で春がそろそろ来る印が見えてきた：推薦が土から顔を出しはじまったり、春の木「椿」の花が咲いてきたり…

と思ったら、今日、雪が降りました。椿の花に雪がかぶっているのは、どうもミスマッチやな。

東日本の地震と津波で家が無くなった皆様にはこの冷えた天気はなおつらいでしょう。頑張って下さい。今、長野県旅館組合が県知事と皆様の受け入りを準備しています。一日でも早く出来る様に、皆が動いていますので宜しくお願いします。

Looking around the garden, everywhere you look there are signs of spring starting to show up. The daffodils are starting to poke their heads out of the ground. The camelia trees are starting to bloom. In fact, the Chinese character for camelia, 'tsubaki', is written as 'spring tree', or the tree of spring.

Just when we were getting in the mood for spring, snow fell again. There's just something odd about seeing snow on the 'spring tree' blossoms.

The people around Sendai that lost their homes from the earthquake and tsunami now have to deal with this cold weather. I feel so sorry for them. The ryokan association here in Nagano is working with the prefectural governor to accept the displaced people. I hope we can provide shelter as soon as possible.

戸倉上山田温泉の周辺のビッグイベント：森「あんずの里」のあんずまつり。２０１１年は第５６回となります。今年の祭りのマップは発行されましてので、行く前に亀清に寄ってお持ちになってください。

まつりの花見の分は４月２日から４月１６日までの予定です。そして、信濃毎日新聞の開花予想では、今年が平年並みの４月７日だそうです。

このブログにも最新情報を提供する予定ですが、あんずまつりの公式情報は千曲市観光協会のＨＰへ。

Togura Kamiyamada Onsen's signature Springtime event is the Apricot Festival in Mori district's Anzu no Sato (Apricot Village). This year marks the 56th running.

Dates for the 2011 flower viewing are from April 2nd to April 16th. Peak blooms are expected to by around April 7th according the Shinmai, our local newspaper.

ちなみに、信毎の桜の主の開花予想は下記のようです。
By the way, Shinmai's predictions for Cherry Blossom dates are as follows:
高遠　4/08 Takato
松本　4/09 Matsumoto
上田　4/08 Ueda
長野　4/12 Nagano City
小諸　4/14 Komoro

戸倉駅の裏の戸倉宿キティーパークaka天狗公園は節分草と言う小さな可愛いらしい花で有名です。と言うか、節分草のファンの中で有名。大体春に雪が解けてきたら咲いてくるのでどうなっているか、見に行ってきました。

２０１１年の戸倉の節分草の現状は？写真通り、落ち葉からちょっとだけ頭が出は暇っている。今週末の天気は温かくなる予想だが、来週からまた寒くなって雪が降るそうです。従って、今年の節分草の咲きは恐らく１，２週間後かな？

また見て、報告します。

節分草の周辺に「天狗の松」と言うでかい松があります。４００年前からだそうです。この３０メータの高さの木は千曲市の指定文化財になっています。伝説によると、地元の山で修験していた三人兄弟が川の洪水で分かれて、それぞれ別なの山で籠った。三人共が天狗になり、地元の人間を守るようになったと言う。

こんな神秘的な天狗の松を見れば、なんとなく信じるようになる。

戸倉の節分草と天狗の松を是非、ご覧になってください。

Above Togura Station, there is a park called Togurajuku Kitty Park. It is better known as Tengu Park, and one thing it is famous for is a nearby grouping of cute little setsubunsou flowers (Eranthis pinnatifida). Well, at least it's famous amongst fans of setsubunsou. Such fans come from far and wide in mid March to photograph the delicate little blossoms.

Today, I went to see if they were in bloom yet, as the snow in the nearby mountains is starting to melt. I found a few just starting to poke their heads out from under the fallen leaves. But after warm weather this weekend, we're supposed to have another chilly front come through. So the setsubunsou are probably still a week or so from being in their full photogenic form.

Nearby the setsubunsou area is a massive pine tree called the Tengu no Matsu (pine). The 30 meter tall tree is supposedly over 400 years old. According to legend, three brothers that were hermits in a nearby mountain became separated in a flood. One took up residence above Togura and was so honored by the locals that upon death became a Tengu.

After seeing the imposing size of the pine tree, one is almost led to believe in the spiritual origins of the tree!

So, come and check out the elusive Setsubunsou flowers as well as our mystical Tengu no Matsu pine tree.

上山田のリンゴ農家、飛田さんの今年のりんごジュースが出来上がりました。購入しに行ってきましたが、りんご畑の空気は長野の中でもやっぱり違うね！と思いました。こういう美味しい空気の中で、美味しいリンゴが出来る訳。そして、科学的なものを一切入れないで作ったこのりんごジュースがまた美味しいのです。

亀清旅館の売店で扱っております。１リットルのグラス瓶は６００円です。信州の自然の味をお持ち帰ったら如何ですか？

This season's apple juice is now available. I went to Crown Farm to pick up some cases of Tobita-san's just-bottled apple juice.

I have to say, there is something different about the air in the apple orchards. You can just feel the freshness and cleanliness as you breathe it in. This must be one of the reasons apples taste so delicious. And hence, why the apple juice is so great, too.

We have Tobita-san's apple juice in 1 liter bottles on sale at our front desk here at Kamesei Ryokan for 600 yen each. How about taking home with you a bit of Nagano's natural goodness?

クラウン農園のＨＰはこちらClick here for Crown Farm's website.