信州の温泉巡りはまだまだ続いています。
今回はお洒落の軽井沢の一番お洒落の立ち寄り温泉：トンボの湯。
若女将と二人で立ち寄りしてみました。
設備はお洒落で快適で良かったし、内風呂の大きい窓からも、広い露天風呂からも浦の丘を眺める事が出来、お湯と共に落ち着かせる。
私達が行った日は偶々りんご風呂になっていまして、りんごと一緒にお風呂に浴びれて、楽しかった。（そのりんごを食べる人がいるのかなと思いました。）

ただ、お湯は成分が薄いせいか、あまり「温泉だ！」と言う雰囲気ではなかった。
そして、入浴代は結構高い。一人１２００円でした。ＧＷと８月は更に高いそうです。恐らく、長野県の一番高い温泉だろう。白樺湖の池の平ホテルの立ち寄り入浴代もそれぐらいな金額ですが、洞窟風呂を始め、県下最大露天風呂など、種類は豊富です。トンボの湯の温泉は内風呂と露天風呂の２つだけ。まあ、軽井沢として、妥当でしょうね。

In my continuing 'research' on Nagano's Top 100 Onsens, the latest one I went to was Tombo-no-Yu, upscale Karuizawa's most upscale bathhouse.

Tombo-no-Yu is definitely spacious and stylish, and the both the indoor bath through an enormous picture window and the expansive outdoor bath provide an exhilarating view of the hill behind the bathhouse.

We happened to time it for apple-bath day. It was fun soaking in the bath as apples came bobbing by.

However, the onsen water's mineral content must be pretty minimal, as it didn't give a strong sense of being an "onsen". And, the price is pretty steep -- 1200 yen per person (with higher prices during the Golden Week holiday and August). This is comparable to Ikenotaira Hotel's day-use bath, but their's features, among others, an enormous 'cave bath' and Nagano's largest outdoor bath. With Tombo-no-Yu having only 2 onsen baths (1 indoor and 1 outdoor), I suspect that makes them the most expensive bath in all of Nagano. Perhaps that is suitable, though, being that it is Karuizawa.

トンボの湯Tombo-no-Yu

戸倉上山田の近くの上田市では、日本三大紬の「上田紬」があります。私達亀清旅館はその小岩井紬工房をは色んな付き合いがあります。お客さんを体験の為に連れて行ったり、紬を宿で飾ったり、色々と取引しております。

去年、大手ショッピングモール「アリオ」が上田で出来た時に、紬工房みたいな小さな商店はどうなるかと、心配でした。しかし、久しぶりにアリオに行ってみたら、小岩井紬工房のコーナーがありました。

この戸倉上山田温泉は合併で千曲市になったが、合併相手の更埴の中心街が屋代です。この間は用事があって、行ってみたので道を迷いながら屋代小学校に辿り着いた。旧本館が立派な２階建て木造建物でびっくりした！

説明文章によると、１８８８年に建てられて、擬洋風建築スタイルだそうです。１９７８年まで使われたって、凄いね！９０年間も。

何で千曲市はこの建物をもっと人に見せる（＝観光扱い）にしないのか、不思議。私がこの千曲市に６年半住んでいて、市の観光協会の理事だし、協会の印刷物を作る委員会に４年ぐらい務めているから市の観光資源の全て知っているはずなのに、屋代小学校旧本館は初めて見たもの。

Around 10 years ago, our Togura-Kamiyamada merged with neighboring Koshoku to become Chikuma City. Old Koshoku's central district is called Yashiro. Recently I had an appointment there, and while wandering the back roads I stumbled upon Yashiro Elementary School and its original main building.

I was surprised to find such a beautiful 2-story classic wooden building! According to its sign, the schoolhouse was built in 1888 in Gi-You style, with traditional elements (such as the Japanese roof tiles) intertwined with designs borrowed from the West (like the columns and the round arch). The schoolhouse was apparently used until 1978 -- an amazing 90 years -- before being replaced by the concete eye-sore behind it.

I've been living in Chikuma City for 6-1/2 years. I'm on the board of directors for the city's Tourism Association, and have been on the committee in charge of producing the Association's pamphlets for 4+ years. Why am I just now finding out about this hidden gem of a schoolhouse? Why doesn't the city try to make better use of it?

屋代小学校旧本館Yashiro Elementary School's Original Schoolhouse

また温泉巡りの続き。今回は東信の東御市の御牧の湯。千曲川の周辺で沢山の立ち寄り湯がある：　あぐりの湯、布引温泉、アートビレッジ明神館、等など。川の反対側にゆらり館、ゆぅふるｔａｎａｋａ、等など。競争が激しい中で、御牧の湯の役割は何でしょうか？

設備は割と新しいけど、例えばあぐりの湯ほど綺麗じゃない、
浅間山の眺めは良いですが、露天風呂に入ってしまえば塀でブロックされる。（明神館とかの方が勝ち）
場所は県道40号沿いで便利ですが、ゆぅふるtanakaが駅の側で、百倍ぐらい便利。
じゃ、御牧の湯の売りは何でしょうか？私が思いますが、湯質です。「透明、油臭、塩味を有する」って成分分析書に書いてある。その通り。その他の立ち寄り湯の皆は温泉が薄いせいか、銭湯とあまり変わりがない。
従って、小諸・東御市当たりの達湯に入ってみたいので、湯質にこだわりがあれば、御牧の湯がお勧め。

Another hop to an onsen, this time Mimaki no Yu in Tomi City. There are so many day-use onsen in this stretch along the Chikuma River, how does Mimaki no Yu compare?

Well, it's facilities are relaticely new, but they aren't as grand as Agri no Yu in neighboring Komoro City.
The view of Mt. Asama in the distance is nice from the indoor bath, but is blocked by a fence from the outdoor one. Art Village Myojinkan's panaroma view of rice fields in the foreground and Mt. Asama in the background is much more spectacular.
Mimaki no Yu's location is convenient, located as it is right along Prefectural Route 40. But if convenience is your thing, you can't beat Yuufuru Tanaka, just steps away from Tanaka Station.

So what sets Mimaki no Yu apart? As they used to say back home at the Olympia Brewery, 'It's the water'. All of the other bathhouses in the area seem to have a lot lower mineral content in their water. Mimaki no Yu's onsen analysis sheet says their water is clear with a slight oily smell and a salty taste. Not sure about the source of the smell, but the water is high in natrium (sodium) content.

If quality of the onsen water is high on your list of criteria, then Mimaki no Yu would be a good onsen to try.

御牧の湯Mimaki no Yu

我が息子達の夏休みの最後の日だったので、軽井沢に連れて行って、軽井沢ガラス工房で吹きガラスを体験した。

自分は一度体験したので、工房のＨＰを見たら小学生も出来るって書いてあったから、子供達の夏休みで最後でもう一つな良い思い出を作りたかったから、行ってみました。

私の自家、シアトルはガラスアートの世界の中で、ベネチアに次ぎぐらいに重要な街です。子供のころから芸術家のＣｈｉｈｕｌｙさんの作品を見て、いつも憧れていました。しかし、吹きガラスの体験はなかなかできない。

という事で、この同じ長野県の軽井沢で吹きガラスの体験が出来る場所がって、嬉しいです。尚且つ、親子で楽しめて、とっても良い思い出になりました。

For our sons' last day of summer vacation, I wanted to do something special with them. So I took them to Karuizawa to try glass blowing.

At the Karuizawa Glass Studio, you can blow your own glass. Their website said kids from 6+ can do it. So I made a reservation, and we all piled in the car and went for a drive to Karuizawa. It took approx. 1 hour to get there from Kamesei Ryokan.

My home town of Seattle is probably second behind Venice in glass art. I grew up drooling over the creative works of glass artist Dale Chihuly, and had always dreamt about trying glass blowing. But there just aren't a lot of studios in Seattle where amateurs can try it.

Which is why I am so excited that here in Nagano Prefecture, in Karuizawa Town, there is a studio where beginners can try their hand at blowing glass. It was great to experience with together with the boys. Working around the white-hot kiln, under the steady guidance of the studio staff, making your own glass was a confidence-building and rewarding experience.

軽井沢ガラス工房 Karuizawa Glass Studio

長野県のトップ100温泉巡りの続きで、もう一度東信の鹿教湯温泉に行きました。公衆浴場「文殊の湯」に初めて入ってみた。

鹿教湯温泉の事は日本語の情報が沢山あるから、今記事は主に英語にします。（なおかつ、少しきつい事も書きますので…）

In my research of Nagano's Top 100 Onsens, the latest one I went to is Kakeyu Onsen. I've been to Kakeyu many times, but this time I wanted to check out the main public bath, Monju no Yu.

First, a bit of background on Kakeyu Onsen. The name means 'The onsen that a deer revealed'. According to legend, a particularly religious local hunter went to the mountains to try to find some game. He wasn't having luck finding any animals, and ended up walking deeper and deeper into the mountains. As he was about to give up and return, he spotted a deer grazing. He took up his bow and shot an arrow that hit the deer in its back. The deer ran off with the arrow still attached. As fast as the hunter chased, he couldn't keep up with the deer. Since it was getting dark, he decided to return home. The next day, he searched the area where he encountered the deer but to no avail. As he was about to go back home, he saw the deer bathing in a pool of water, apparently fully healed. Just then, Monju Bosatsu (the bodishattva of wisdom) appeared. "In recognition of your fervent belief, I am revealing the location of this onsen to you. Share it with everybody."

In Kakeyu Onsen, there is a temple dedicated to Monju Bosatsu (said to be one of the top three of such temples in Japan), and the main public bath is named Monju no Yu, in honor of the diety.

Monju no Yu is the current configuration of Kakeyu's O-Yu main bath. Historically, none of the inns had their own baths. Residents and visitors alike would come to the O-Yu to bathe. Nowadays, the 22 current inns and hotels have their own onsen baths, and many residences have soaking baths and/or showers. Yet even today, it is common to get a change of scenery and try another onsen bath, hence the popularity of Monju no Yu.

Located next to the original spot where onsen water first came to the surface (some 1200 years ago), the current Monju no Yu bathing facilities were built relatively recently (1990's?). The location overlooks the Uchimura River and is adjacent to Godaikyo, Kakeyu's symbolic wooden covered bridge that leads to the Monju Bosatsu temple. It's a picture-perfect location, and so tranquil. Walking down the lane from Kakeyu's main street to the river, it's like a different world, one that time left behind and that belongs to nature with the shady wooded valley and gurgling stream below. It was easily 5 degrees cooler down by the bridge and bathhouse than up on the main street.

Also, a little more bit of background on Kakeyu Onsen. It is the home to Kakeyu Hospital which specializes in rehabilitation, taking advantage of the rejunivate power of the onsen water. In fact, a majority of the guests to Kakeyu come for extended stays (called 'Touji' in Japanese) -- to recuperate after an operation, to rest up in the farming off-season, to take time to write a book, etc. The relatively cool (38-40 deg C) temperature of the onsen water lends itself to long, leisurely soaks. And the town is fairly compact with just the degree of hills to make going for a stroll a bit of good exercise. Several of the inns offer "Ji-sui" where guests cook for themselves during their long stay.

Along with nearby Reisen-ji Onsen and Oshio Onsen, Kakeyu is a designated National Recuperative Onsen District. The mineral content of the onsen water is considered to be so good for your body when taken internally (i.e. for drinking) that Kakeyu was selected as the Ozeki (top in sumo ranks) of Eastern Japan.

With its legendary origins, history and rejuvinative waters, I wanted to give Kakeyu Onsen's Monju no Yu a try. And, so, does it make Tyler's Top 100 Onsens of Nagano list?

If one (any one at all) of the showers had more than just a trickle,
if the baths had even just a small water spout (I don't care if the baths have to be recirculated -- have some of the water enter the bath from a spout; that is one of the essential things that make an onsen an onsen!)
if the outdoor bath had more than just a peek-a-boo view of the Uchimura River and the iconic Godaikyo bridge,

then it would make my Top 100 list.

So, Kakeyu Onsen is definitely one of Nagano's more important onsen districts -- I just suggest not limiting yourself to the official public bath Monju no Yu; Try a bath in one of the hotels, too. And you can't go wrong with Saito Hotel. Their outdoor bath features an exquisite garden.

文殊の湯Monju no Yu

ちょっと恥ずかしいですが、私はチン・カレーのファンです。昼ごはんに、時間があまりない時に袋を開けて、パッとチンして、パッと食べれるのが嬉しい。栄養はあるかどうか不安だけど、味は良いし、お腹がいっぱいになるし、楽だし、安いし…日本に来てからの気に入りの1つ。

そして、基本的に私はＳＢ派です。近くの上田市にＳＢのカレー工場があって、通る度に「アッ、良い香り！」。

この間、久しぶりにスーパーでチンカレーを買いに行ったら、新しいのは2つがあった:
りんご和牛・信州牛カレー
と
信州ハーブ鶏カレー

値段はＳＢの3倍ぐらいけど、長野県の名物グルメ牛肉と鶏肉を生かして、これは応援しなければならないと思って、買ってみました。長野県の皆さんは「Ｍａｄｅ　ｉｎ　Ｎａｇａｎｏ」をどうやって広がれるか、必死です。チンカレーは良いアイディアだ！

じゃ、味は？実は、まだ食べていない。美味しくなければ、どうするかと悩んでいます。取り敢えず、長野県の食材のユニークな取り組みとしてここで紹介したいと思っています。

I am a bit embarassed to admit, but I am a fan of Japanese microwavable curry. You just open the pack, microwave it for a couple of minutes, and voila! Yummy curry for lunch. It's inexpensive, fast, fills you up, tastes good, and it's so easy. Just don't ask how healthy it is...

Anyways, my personal favorite is curry by SB. Their factory is in nearby Ueda City. Everytime I drive by it, the tantalizing scent comes wafting my way.

The other day, I went shopping at a local supermarket and saw 2 types of microwave curry that I'd never seen before: Shinshu Wagyu Curry and Shinshu Herb Chicken Curry. 'Shinshu' is the classic name for Nagano, and the Wagyu and Herb Chicken are 2 made-in-Nagano products that the prefecture is hoping to promote. Nagano's Wagyu is from cows that are fed Nagano's apples, so has a hint of fruity sweetness. The Herb Chicken is free-range and has a highly regarded taste.

Increasing the presence of Nagano's gourmet products via incorporating them into these curries is certainly a novel idea. And does the taste hold up to the hype? That is yet to be seen!

この間の東信温泉巡りの続き:　小諸市の中棚荘。

1892年から始まった中棚荘の社長は五代目の藤岡さん。旅館業界の中で尊敬されている方です。温泉ファンの中で、人気度の高い宿。冬場はりんご風呂で有名。
そして、作家の藤村さんにも愛された宿。

歴史、風情、自然、誇り、中棚荘は東信の代表的な宿。一つだけの注意点:　バリアーフリーな、完璧に清浄されているお風呂が好きな方に合わないかもしれない。
玄関からお風呂までは階段と長い廊下（私にとっては風情がある）、お風呂の周りに気が沢山あって、その葉っぱや虫がお風呂によく遊びに来るそうです。（緑があるからこそ、落ち着くと私が思いますが…）

中棚荘:忘れられない温泉。長野県は本当に恵まれている。

Started in 1892, Komoro City's Nakadanasou is run by the capable hands of its 5th generation innkeeper, Tomioka-san. Well respected in the ryokan community, the inn Tomioka-san runs is also popular amongst onsen-lovers. In the winter months, Nakadanaso features a flotilla of apples floating in the onsen baths. The sweet fragrant of the apples mingles with the mineral water to create a most relaxing environment for the bathers. The woodsy setting and the historical building also contribute to the overall subdued mood of Nakadanaso.

One of Nakadanaso's claims to fame is it was one of the favorite inns of Japan's literary great Shimazaki Toson (d.1943). The inn is just down the hill from Kaikoen, Komoro's 'castle in a hole'. And it's just up from the banks of the Chikuma River, with the mysterious Nunobiki Kannon Temple a 10 minute drive down river. So there is lots to see and do in between your soaks in the apple baths.

Please note that the approach to Nakadanaso's onsen baths is a lyberinthian course of stairs and passageways so perhaps not the best for people that have difficulty walking. And while the bathhouses are tastefully constructed wood buildings, the onsen water itself is a bit on the mild side. Actually, the apple bath idea is representative of that. If one were to place apples in an onsen with fuller mineral content like the water here at Togura-Kamiyamada, the minerals would interact with the apples and create a mess.

中棚荘Nakadanaso

信州温泉巡りの続き:

まずは信州では「明神館」と言えば、
普通はルレ・エ・シャトーに指名された、デンマークのグリーンキー登録の世界レベルで活躍なされているで扉温泉の明神館の事です。
それかもしかしたら、上高地の明神池にある明神館。

しかし、実はもう一つがある:

東御市にあるArt Village明神館。

この明神館は宿泊施設にも一応なっているけど、日帰り温泉として東御市の皆さんで人気がある。

近くに他には沢山の温泉施設があるから、競争はきっと激しい。小諸アグリーの湯や御牧乃湯、布引温泉、布引漢音温泉など。その中で、Art Village明神館は比較的にこじんまりした、馴染みやすい大きさ。そして、偶々行った日の天気は良かったせいか、Art Village明神館のお風呂からの浅間山連峰の景色が一番良いと思った。

設備は建物がまだ比較的に新しいので、キッチンとなっている様に感じました。浴場とシャワーの周りに使った石やタイルはこだわりがあって、市営施設なのに新鮮に感じた。

温泉宿の経営者として羨ましいと思ったのはシャワーの配管。元の配管が壁の中で被されて、止めてあった。新しい配管は壁の表面を通してあって、裸のままだった。亀清旅館の場合、上山田温泉の御湯の成分が強くて、金造の配管を外に出したらすぐ真っ黒になってしまう。Art Village明神館のお湯は成分が薄いせいか、配管は綺麗なままで残っている。

と言う訳で、温泉の湯質にうるさい私みたいな方にはArt Village明神館はがっかりするかもしれません。一応、ナトリウム・カルシウム塩化物温泉だそうですが、薄いし循環しているし、あまり温泉らしくないお湯だったのは残念でした。

場所もカーナビがないと分かりづらい。バスは特にないそうで、しなの鉄道田中駅からタクシーで15分となってしまいます。

小さ目の市営温泉で田んぼと浅間山の景色を眺めて、湯質は気にしない方にArt Village明神館にお勧め。

Further Nagano Onsen-hopping adventures. This time, Art Village Myojinkan in Tomi City, in Eastern Nagano.

Usually when you mention "Myojinkan", most people will assume you mean exclusive, internationally recognized ryokan in Tobira Onsen in the foothills east of Matsumoto.

Or perhaps the Myojinkan on the banks of Myojin Pond in Kamikochi in the Japanese Alps west of Matsumoto.

But there is actually a 3rd Myojinkan, this Art Village one. It started out as the main village onsen bathhouse for Kitamimaki Village which merged with the neighboring Tobu Town to become Tomi City in 2004. Art Village Myojinkan's bath is still much beloved by the inhabitants of the Kitamimaki side of Tomi.

Despite being a municipally-run onsen, Art Village Myojinkan has a bit of a designer feel to it. There are several onsens in the vicinity, many with similar views of the Asama Mountain range, such as Mimaki no Yu, Nunobiki Onsen, Nunobiki Kannon Onsen, and Komoro's Agri no Yu. But Art Village Myojinkan stands out from the crowd thanks to its artistic touches.

First there's the decorative fence along the 'village' pond you pass as you drive to the bathhouse. Then there's the cozy size of the building and the baths, especially compared to the imposing structures of Agri no Yu and other nearby behomoth baths. And there's also the use of designer materials in the baths. I especially liked the 'stressed' feel of the concrete tilework in the bathing area.

But the big draw for Art Village Myojinkan's bath is the view from the outdoor bath. It overlooks lush green rice paddies with Mount Asama commanding attention in the distance. The other baths in the area also feature views of Asama. Perhaps it was because we had the fortune of good weather when we visited, but I felt Myojinkan's view was the best.

One thing as an onsen inn operator myself was the way the pipes for the showers were run. It was clear that the original pipes that were covered by the wall had been capped off, and the current pipes for the showers run along the surface of the wall. The steel pipes give a modernistic industrial feel that matched the other designer details of the baths.

It made me a bit jealous, though. If we tried running metal pipes on the surface here at Kamiyamada Onsen, the strong mineral content of the hot spring water would turn the pipes completely black in a matter of months.

Which is an indication of how mild Art Village Myojinkan's onsen is. While the onsen data says it the water contains sodium calcium chloride, the baths left me with a desire for a heftier onsen feel to the water.

So that's my take on Art Village Myojinkan's onsen: appealing modernistic designer touches, outsanding view of Mt. Asama from the baths, but a little weak in the onsen water department. And forget taking public transportation -- closest is Tanaka Station on the Shinano Railway line which is a 15 minute taxi ride away. Even by car, you better hope your GPS navigator is up for the task, as the location is a bit difficult to find.

Art Village Myojinkan

先日は八方尾根開発のお蔭で、八方尾根温泉そして八方尾根トレッキングの体験が出来ました。
私が白馬に行った日の天気が良かったので、ゴンドラとリフトに乗って1830mの八方池山荘まで行って、そこから約1時間トレッキングして八方池まで登りました。

伝説の八方池は2050mの標高で、雄大な3000m近くの白馬連邦が池の表面に移って、東は白馬村から遠くは浅間山までのパノラマ景色、足元に高山植物があって、本当にアルプスの大自然パラダイス。

私が行った日は八方池がまだ雪で被されていて、白馬連邦は雲の中で隠れていた。しかし、真夏の天気の良い日でその白馬連邦が池の写って、きっと夢の様な景色だろう。

亀清旅館から車で約1時間15分、そしてゴンドラ・リフトで約20分：　いきなりアルプスの高山メッカにいられる。

この夏は天気の良い日で長野の山の大自然の楽しんでみては？

The Happoone Development Company treated me to a trekking tour of Mt. Happoone the other day. I met Sejima-san and Nalini-san at one of the Happoone Onsen bathhouses in Hakuba Village's Happoone district. One gondola and two ski lift rides later, we were at 1830-meter Happo-Ike Sanso (Happo Pond Mountain Hut). And after a strenuous 1-hour hike we reached the legendary Happo Pond.

At 2060 meters, Happo Pond literally feels like it is in the heavens. Surrounded by 3,000-meter peaks on one side, and panoramic views of the Hakuba basin and beyond on the other, with alpine wildflowers scattered around at your feet, Happo Pond makes for a blissful experience. Here you can really feel the power and breadth of nature.

The day we went, the pond was still covered with snow, and the Hakuba Mountain Range was playing hide-and-go-seek behind some clouds. But we got peak-a-boo views of the massive Hakuba mountains on the way, and could certainly get a sense of the grandeur Happo Pond must offer when its snow covering is gone and the mountains are reflected in its surface.

Hakuba is a convenient 1 hour 15 minute drive from Kamesei Ryokan / Togura-Kamiyamada Onsen. With the guilt-enducingly easy 20 minute ride on the gondola and ski lifts, you too can be in alpine heaven.

八方尾根開発 Happoone Development

トレッキング後、山を下りて八方尾根の中心街に戻って、昼ごはん八方田舎料理「おひょっくり」さんにお世話になりました。温泉のお湯でゆでたおうどんとぶっこみシチューのようなおひょっくりを頂きました。トレッキングの疲れを無事に取り返った。
After trekking Happoone Ridge, we came back down to the Happo district of central Hakuba for lunch. I was treated to a hearty meal at "Ohyokkuri". Udon noodles cooked in onsen water and a thick stew known here as ohyokkuri (the namesake of the restaurant) filled me up after that strenuous trekking.
おひょっくり Ohyokkuri