去年の夏は亀清旅館の２つの客室の庭の壁を改造しました。コンクリートブロック塀を壊して、織り込んだ木の塀を作って、取り付けました。光と風が通せるようになったお蔭で、うちの庭師が良い庭を作れました。評判が良かったです。そして、旅館の外の見た目も大分よくなりました。

この夏はそのその延長で、もう一つの部屋の壁も同じ事をやります。今日はその材料を買ってきました。

軽トラが役に立ています！

Last summer, I replaced the fences for a couple of the guest rooms here at Kamesei Ryokan. I (gladly!) demolished the concrete block ones, built new fences out of wood in a horizontal woven pattern, and set them in place of the old concrete ones. Now light and the breeze can pass through the fence, which allowed our gardener to make some nice gardens for those rooms. Our guests have been happy with the results. And the outer appearance of our inn was improved immensely.

This summer will be round two. I'm going to replace a third room's ugly concrete fence with a new wood one. Today I went and bought the supplies. Our little K-Truck pick-up is sure coming in handy!

私は亀清旅館のただの布団引き屋じゃなくて、経営者に切り替える中で、色々と広く考えなければなりません。若女将と今、盛り上がっている経営の話題はどんな客層をターゲットするかと。コンパニオンを呼ぶ酔っ払いのおじさん団体？カップルさん？大人の親子？同級会？合宿？ペット連れ？子供連れ？富裕層？外国人？
そして、亀清旅館にどんな客層が合うか整理したら、各客層のニーズを把握しなければならない。どういうプランが喜ばれるか？どういう得点は魅力があるか？
これからは良い良いプランを準備しますので宜しくお願いします。

As I evolve from Kamesei Ryokan's futon flipper to it's owner, I'm learning to look at a lot of things from a wider angle. Mari, my wife, and I are currently putting a lot of discussion into what kind of guests are the best match for our inn. Banquets with heavy drinking guys that call in the "companion" ladies? Young couples? Older people travelling with their parents? Class reunions? School sports teams? Guests with pets? Guests with children? The wealthy? Travellers from overseas?
And once we get a feel for what type of clientele is best, then wew have to figure out what each individual type of clientele would value the most. What plan(s) would be most attractive to them?
We are formulating some new plans now to hopefully better meet the needs of the type of guests who would most appreciate our inn. Stay tuned!

神戸で留学したころからの友人が来てくれて、夜は焼き鳥の裕味に連れて行きました。お客さんに良く紹介しますが、自分が飲みに行くのは久しぶりでした。そうすると、既に入っていたお客さんに「あっ、有名なタイラーさんだ！」と言ってくれました。「私はギターを作っている・・・」と言い始まったら、「あっ、もしかしたら、姨捨の方でギターを作っているNHKに出た有名な方ですか？」と私が言い返しました。誰が有名かのバットルの様に、話が盛り上がりました。やはり、偶に外で飲みに行く価値がありますと分かりました。クラシックギターの製作者の上水清さんみたいな方と出会えできる。近所の焼き鳥屋はただのお疲れのビールと美味しい焼き鳥だけではなく、人との出会えの場面という役割もある。なるほど！

A buddy of mine from my exchange student days in Kobe came to Kamiyamada. I took him over to Yumi's for some yakitori (chicken shishkebabs). I often take our guests over for the food and beer and Yumi-san's entertainment. So it was a rare event for me to belly up to the counter and order a tall, frothy one. One of our counter-mates looked at me and said, "Hey, it's that famous Tyler fellow!" He explained that he makes classic guitars. "Oh, over in Obasute? You're the guy that was featured on NHK. I've heard all about you!" So Kiyoshi Agemizu and I had a discussion on who was more famous. Needless to say, we hit it off right away.
It made me realize that neighborhood yakitori joints are more than just frothy beers and good grub -- it's encounters like this that make them special.

上水清さんのHPはこちらClick here for Agemizu-san's website.

長野県商工会呼ばれまして、先週の水曜日＠松本そして今日＠長野市で講師で頼まれました。指導員研修会に指導する皆様に「欧米人が求めるおもてなし」という講演を致しました。
私はこういう講演するのは二つな理由で大好きです。
一つ目はそのインバウンドの認識度アップ、
二つ目は講演先の現地が見え、色んな人と出会えるし、つまり良い勉強になります。
今回の研修会のもう一人の講師が上田市の服部　年明様でした。長野市のルネサンスの建築家と呼ばれているそうです。本人が長野市のタウンマネージャーだった間、大手デパートの跡を市が回収し、市民の中心的な場所を作った；またもう一つのでかいデパートの跡はToigoってテレビ局の本社や人が集まる施設ができた；善光寺の手前にいくつかな空き店舗があって、「パティオ大門」って蔵のテーマの商業施設ができた。とにかく、ものすごく効果を出している人。会ってみたいと思いました。そしたら、今日の公演は昼食の為に少し早く来る様に言われて、隣に座っていたのは、なんと服部さん本人でした！ちょうど良い機会で私が興味津々でしたから色々と聞きました。服部さんはすごい人です。会社のマネージャーなら、商品の組み合わせを管理して、どれが効果を出しているか、何が抜けているか、全部を管理する。町もそうしないと進まないと説明してくれた。亀清旅館は独自で動いてもダメ。温泉街があるから亀清がある。川と山があるから温泉街がある。つまり、全体を合わせて動かないと駄目。
実は、私が最近に「民衆」や「行政」の事に色々と不安を持つようになりました。アメリカで国レベルにも私の生まれ育ちのワシントン州も、私が応援している民衆党が与党になった。色々と期待していたが、あまり改善なし。「民衆」が世界一進んでいる（はず）米国がリーマンショックを起こしたという事は、民衆が最適じゃないんだと最近に思ってきた。もう一つな例はこの千曲市です。２００３年に２町１市が合併し、千曲市となりました。合併によって、行政の効率が良くなり、ダブっている部分を削れて、人数が少なくなるはず。実際は合併後、行政の人数が増えた。会社のM&Aの場合はそういう現象は許されない。
服部さんのお話を聞き、シンガポールのようなタウン・国のマネージャーのやり方の方がいいのか？今の「民衆」・「行政」がいい効果を出せばいいけど…
Nagano Prefecture's Chamber of Commerce invited me to give talks in Matsumoto last week and Nagano City today at their annual Instructors' Seminar. The idea was for me to give the instructors some new concepts to use when advising various companies in the prefecture.
I really like giving these types of talks, for two reasons. One is it gives me a chance to raise awareness for the "Inbound" cause. The other is I get to see and meet new places / people. Today's talk was no exception. One of the other speakers was Toshiaki Hattori. During his time as Nagano City's "Town Manager", one defunct department store's building was bought by the city and several essential city functions were centralized there making it a major people draw. Another defunct store was replaced by a TV station's HQ, another people draw. And several empty stores near Zenkoji were remade into "Patio Daimon", a snazzy warehouse-themed shopping plaza. This Hattori-san managed to produce some fantastic results for Nagano City. It was fascinating to talk with him. He explained that, for example, our inn, Kamesei Ryokan, doesn't exist by itself. It's because of the Togura Kamiyamada Onsen town that it exists. The town itself exists because of its proximity to Zenkoji. The entirety has to be taken into account and managed as one.
Talking with Hattori-san raised some anxieties that I have with government and democracy. Back in my home state as well as at the national level in America, the Democratic Party took control, but all of the promised improvements have become bogged down in politics. America was supposed to be the pinnacle of democracy, but that same 'pinnacle' caused this world-wide recession with the sub-prime crash. Perhaps democracy isn't "progress" after all. Another example is here in Chikuma City, which was made by the merger of 2 towns and 1 city in 2003. Usually these mergers result in efficiencies allowing for a reduced total number of city workers. However, the number has actually grown! No corporate M&A would allow that to happen. There isn't enough accountability!
Listening to Hattori-san makes me wonder if a Singapore-like city / country manager system wouldn't be more effective...

旅館の経営者は本当に休みが少ない。２４時間働いちゃう。これは確かに健康に良くない。しかし、長野県の旅館青年部が新潟、群馬、栃木と茨城の県青年部をホストして、キックベース大会をやるって聞いた時に、旅館の方で直す所が沢山あるし、仕事がたまっていて、誰が遊ぶ暇があるか？！とブブ文句を言いながら、今日は青木村へ行って、大会に参加しました。
そしたら、良く分かりました。時々は布団引き以外な運動も必要だと。今のこの北関東ブロック長（akaブロック王、さらにaka「オッ」）がカリスマの人で、彼の強い意志で私みたいな頭の固い若旦那の皆を引っ張って、こうやって大会を行います。有難い事で。

Running a ryokan can become a 24-7 job. It's easy to become lost in the work -- which can't be good for one's health. But when the Nagano Junior Ryokan Association announced they would be hosting a kickball tournament, I thought, "Who has the time to goof off like that? There are so many things that need fixing here at the inn, and so much work that has piled up!" So, grudgingly I went to Aoki Village to play in the tournament.
It was a good thing I went. I realized that it's important to occasionally get some exercise other than futon flipping! The Northern Kanto Block leader (or "king" as he likes to be called) is the very charismatic guy that willed this event to take place. I am very thankful!

Today was quite a day. Not all of my days here at Kamesei Ryokan are this busy, but on the other hand, it wasn't all that unusual either.
The day started at 5am, with taking Pauline and her classmate from Keio U. to zazen meditation. Then we came back to the inn, and I cooked pancakes for the kids' breakfast. After that I flipped futons and sent off our guests from the previous night, including a family from Singapore. We stopped at a cherry orchard on the way to the station -- more on that in a later post. Then the director of the city's Economic Development office came to discuss the English walking map / restaurant guide I am making. Next I drove up to Obasute Station, parked the K-Truck and hopped on a train to Matsumoto. There I gave a talk to the Prefectural Chamber of Commerce's annual meeting. (That was a bit daunting to be lecturing to the lectors...) I had a bit of time to kill before the next train back, so I hooked up with my buddy Tom working at a think-tank in 'Moto for a late lunch bowl of ramen. Then it was back to Obasute Station and to Kamesei, where one of our new regular guests was waiting. Itogawa-sensei had been intrigued by one of the statues on display in our inn, and had researched all about it for me. After flipping futons for tonight's guests, it was off to Okagura practice at the town's main park. Somewhere in there was a phone call from NHK, the national broadcaster requesting to do feature TV show on Kamesei.
5am zazen, okagura practice, speeches ... nothing new. But all in one day -- that was a first. Also, at the zazen room, the monk was away so I had to lead the meditation. That was also a first. And at the okagura practice, I put my flute down for one dance and tried my hand at being the rear person in the lion -- another new experience.
All in all, a very full day!
今日は長い一日でした。朝五時から始まった。フランスからの留学生のポリーンさんとの友達を連れて、座禅に行きました。戻ったら、我が子供たちにパンケーキを焼いて、お客さんの布団を上げて見送りして（内、シンガポールのご家族を駅までの送迎の途中で、サクランボ農園にも寄って）、市役所の商工労政係長が作成中の英語マップの打ち合わせで来てくれて、それから電車乗って松本へ行きました。県商工会指導員研修会で講演を頼まれました。指導者の前で立つのは非常につらかったけど、なんとかできました。帰りの電車まで時間があったので松本のシンクタンクで働いているTomさんのラーメンを食った。亀清の戻ったら、常連のお客さんが気になっていた床の間の飾り物を調べてくれて、その結果を説明してくれた。お客さんの布団を引いてから、今度はお神楽の練習。その間のどこかでNHK教育から取材の問い合わせの電話もありました。
とにかく、特ににぎやかな一日でした！

アメリカの都会から日本の田舎へ引越ししてきた中で、慣れる事がもちろん、多いです。昨日はその１つ：町のソフトボール大会。亀清旅館は上山田温泉１１区になります。今年から２年間は私が公民館担当になりました。頼まれた時に、これだけイースターやハロウィーンなどのイベントもやっているし、温泉や地域、県レベルで町おこし・インバウンド関係で動いているのに、どこまで貢献しないと駄目かと思いました。｢今はいやだと言っても、この役はいつか回ってきますよね｣と聞いてみたら、｢そうです｣とはっきり言われました。貢献じゃなくて、強制だと分かりました。
という訳で、上山田公民館の体育部員になりました。そして、色々な準備や練習が終わって、昨日は私の担当しているやっとソフトバレーボールの大会が行われました。最初の開会式がまたかたい事！でも、試合が始まったら、選手達の個人・個人の努力を見て感動しました。我が温泉チームは良く頑張って、３位になりました。男性の方はソフトボールの大会で優勝もしました。皆様、ご苦労様でした！

Since moving from a city in the States to a town here in the countryside of Japan, I've had quite a lot to adapt to. Yesterday was the latest: our town's "soft" volleyball tournament.

(Note: soft volleyball is like beach volleyball except there's no beach and no volleyball. You use a beachball-like soft ball and play 4-a-side volleyball on a court. Only in Japan...)

Kamesei Ryokan is in Kamiyamada Onsen's 11th "ku" district. When I was asked to be our ku's representative to the Community Center, I thought to myself, with all the volunteering I do for Easter and Halloween, and all the help I do for civic improvement for the town, region and prefecture, how much more do I have to contribute to society? I asked if I turned this down, would the role eventually come to me anyways? The crisp answer: "Yes!" So for that reason, I ended up becoming the Kamiyamada Community Center Physical Education representative.
Our first big event was yesterday's soft volleyball tournament. After what seemed like endless preparations and practices, the tournament was finally held, starting off with a shockingly serious "opening ceremony". Fortunately, it led to a really enjoyable tournament, with great efforts by the individual participants. Our onsen team ended up coming in 3rd. The guys' softball team finished their tournament in 1st. Great job, everyone!

信州は本当に自然で恵まれている。その自然を楽しまないと損です。今日は子供たちを連れて、テントと寝袋をしょって、戸倉上山田温泉の裏の冠着山(別名：姨捨山）を登って、キャンプしました。夜は長野市から上田市までの夜景のパノラマ、朝は菅平から上がる日の出と、それに光れていた反対側の日本アルプス。
親子でキャンプが大好きで、亀清の近くにこんなに感動的な場所でできるのはうれしいことです。その時からの写真を提供します。

Nagano is blessed with such beautiful natural scenery. It would be a shame not to take advantage of it. Last night, the kids and I packed up our tent and sleeping bags, climbed up to the top of Kamuriki Mountain (aka "Obasute Yama"), and camped out. In the evening, we had a panorama view of Nagano and Ueda cities, and in the morning we awoke to the sun rising over Sugadaira Heights, and on the opposite side, that same sun lighting up the Japanese Alps.
Our kids and I love camping. We are so fortunate to have such a spectacular place to camp so close to Kamesei Ryokan.

アメリカから来た時に、この新しい生活の中で色々と慣れなければならない事がありまして、その一つは庭です。シアトルの家の庭は何年間やっていたらやっとどの花が気候に合うか、木はどうやって剪定するか、それぞれの植物はどの形が良いか等、ある程度分かってきました。
この亀清旅館に引越ししてきて、庭に関してまたゼロから始まりました。信州の気候や日本の庭の「ルール」は改めて勉強、慣れしなきゃと。そしてどの雰囲気が良いか？日本「庭園」の硬いスタイル火、信州や「旅館」の本来の目的：リラックスに合わせてもっと自然なスタイルか。中庭のある木は今までプードルスタイルでした。プードルは、所々に毛を丸いふわふわに残して丸と丸の間は骨々の剃った部分と言うスタイルは良くあるじゃないですか？この木は先っぽに葉っぱを丸い固まりで残していて、間は骨のような太い枝。もっと自然な見た目が良いのではないかと思って、わざと伸ばしました。今日は久しぶりに剪定してみたけど、どの枝を切って、どれを残すかと言う判断は難しいね。
ガーデニングはうんと好きですが、「慣れ」と言うのもあるし、旅館の若旦那として他の所に力を入れるべきかと言う悩みになりました。
Since moving from the States to Nagano, there has been a lot to get used to and to learn. One of the biggest for me has been gardening. Back at our house in Seattle, over the years I gradually got to know what flowers did best in that climate, how to trim the trees, and what shapes the plants should be. Moving to Kamesei Ryokan meant starting all over again from scratch, with the different climate and Japan's gardening "rules". Plus, I've had to get a feel for what style of gardening would match Kamesei -- a strict, traditional "Japanese Garden", or a more natural one that would reflect the relaxing tone of our inn as well as all the beautiful nature that surrounds us.
One tree in the naka-niwa garden is a point in case. I had called it the poodle tree. You know how people cut poodle dogs' hair so that it's poofy in spots and shaved down to the bony skin in others? This tree had round poofs of leaves bare, "bony" branches in between. I wanted a more natural look for it, so I let the branches grow a year. Today I got out the clippers and tried my hand at trimming it. I tried to figure out which branches to leave and which to trim. There sure is an art to trimming.
While I enjoy gardening like this, I also have to determine, as the owner of the inn, if this is the best use of my time. Just one more thing to worry about...

信州戸倉上山田温泉の亀清旅館のＨＰはこちらClick here for the website of Kamesei Ryokan in Nagano.

この前に、「京都では京都らしさが消えている」との件について書きました。その時に、ジャパニーズイングループの集まりで京都の方に怒られました。京都は最近に「日本の中の京都である」との事を気付いて、保存は一生懸命だと。
私は別に京都バッシングしていたじゃなくて、一例としてしか言っていません。日本全国で日本のらしさが消えているわけ。この千曲市で、一番目立っているのは土壁の蔵が多い稲荷山地区です。一方では市の観光印刷物に紹介されているけど、実際は年々に蔵が減っています。壊れていてきている蔵は民間だけじゃ直せないのは現実です。今日は稲荷山の町並み保存の仲間と市長にアポを取って挨拶しました。行政の協力をお願いしました。「タイラーも来たか？」と言われました。そうだよ。私は稲荷山みたいな地区の為に日本に来ましたよ。千曲市は京都と同じく、日本にある。その「日本」のらしさを守る責任があると、意見として言わせていただきました。
まあ、去年は千曲市が「花いっぱい運動」を中止したぐらい町並み関心の（及び予算）がないから言い訳で終わっちゃいそう・・・　　悲しい。
Last week I wrote about how Kyoto was losing its Kyoto-ness. Then at the Japanese Inn Group annual meeting, one of the Kyoto innkeepers got upset, saying that Kyoto has come to realize that it doesn't exist in a vaccuum, that it is in Japan, and as such has a responsiblity to honor and respect its traditions as such.
I wasn't trying to be critical of Kyoto per se. I was just mentioning it as one example. All over Japan, areas of Japan-ness are disappearing. Here in Chikuma City, the most noticeable is the Inariyama district with a large concentration of earthen-walled storehouses. At one point, the city was using pictures of Inariyama in its tourism literature. But so many of the classic storehouses have been demolished, or covered in aluminum siding, that it's become an embarrassment as a tourist site. Today, some of the members of the Inariyama Preservation Society and I got an appointment with the mayor and passed on our desire for the city's help in preserving these irreplaceable buildings. Private owners can't pay for the upkeep themselves -- public support is necessary. The mayor was surprised to see me attend. I told him it was for districts like Inariyama that I came to Japan!
However, Chikuma City's cancelation of its city-supported flower program last year I think is an indication of how little importance the city pays to its appearance (as well as how tight the budget is). I am afraid Inariyama's storehouses will dissappear in a sea of excuses... How unfortunate.