Posing with Kyoko-chan
戸倉上山田旅館青年部は毎年のＧＷ連休の最後の日に「牛に引かれて善光寺詣り」という３０ｋｍワーキングイベントを開催しています。今年が何と30回目だ。私は去年、実行委員長だったので、今年は副でした。参加者の322人の面倒を見る作業は朝5時半から、一日かけて、やりました。
通常は「牛に引かれて善光寺」の看板動物(牛)が我がイベントの出立式、途中の休憩と善光寺の参道に登場します。
去年は宮崎県で発生した口蹄疫の事件で牛の参加を自粛になった。今年は牛がちゃんと出てくれました。杏子ちゃんでした。
杏子ちゃんのお蔭(?)で322人の参加者が無事に戸倉上山田温泉から善光寺までお詣りすることが出来ました。
スタッフとして長い一日でしたが、天気にも恵まれて成功に終わって良かった!
Every year on the last day of the Golden Week holiday, our Togura Kamiyamada Ryokan Junior Association holds a 30km walking event from our onsen town to Zenkoji Temple in Nagano City. The event is in honor of the 'Ushi ni hikarete Zenkoji' (Pulled by an Ox to Zenkoji) legend.
This year was the 30th annual edition. 322 people participated in the walk, a sort of pilgrimage to Nagano's most esteemed temple. The other ryokan guys and I, along with a staff of people from the Tourism Association and the JayCees, etc. started at 5:30 this morning, making for a long, long day.
Usually we have a real ox come and make an appearance at the walk's start, midpoint, and again at the end by Zenkoji Temple. Last year, however, there was an outbreak of foot and mouth disease, so the Prefecture requested we rethink the ox idea. This year, however, we were allowed to have Kyoko-chan the ox join us for the event.
The weather (and the ox) cooperated so all 322 people made the pilgrimage without any major problems. It was a long day, but definitely worth it!
