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.
