今日から長野ワインウィーク Nagano Wine Week Starts Today

June 15, 2013: 長野に来る理由 Reasons to Come to Nagano

長野県の美しい自然と綺麗な水と空気で育った葡萄、
作り手の情熱な思い、
長野産の高質のワインを記念する
NAGANO WINE WEEKは今日から始まります。

2013年6月15~23日に
長野市内のレストラン28件が特別サービスし、
22日と23日に無料試飲、
そして15日の開会イベントとして長野県ワイン作り手代表の玉村豊男さんの講演と「ワイントレールin長野」という試飲ウォーク。

亀清旅館も「長野ワインを飲める宿」プランを始まりました。戸倉上山田温泉は千曲川ワインバレーの中心地となるからワイナリー巡りの宿泊にはぴったし。この宿泊プランでBYO長野産ワインが大歓迎。
長野産ワインに特化したワインリストも準備しております。拘りの楠ワイナリーの高質ワインなど提供しておりますので、飲んでみてはいかがでしょうか?

この長野ワインウィークで長野産のワインと是非にふれあって欲しいですね。

With grapes grown in the beautiful river valleys and hillsides using the crystal clean water from Nagano's majestic mountains,
Made by the tender and steady hands of the caring winemakers,
Nagano Prefecture features a wide variety of outstanding wines.

To celebrate, the prefecture is holding NAGANO WINE WEEK from June 15th to the 23rd, 2013.

During the week, 28 restaurants in downtown Nagano City will offer special service featuring Nagano wines.
On the 22nd and 23rd, free wine tasting events will be held.
And on the 15th for the Opening Event, Nagano's wine maker darling, Toyoo Tamamura-san will give a talk about the prefecture's wines. In conjunction with the lecture, a wine tasting bar-hopping "Wine Trail in Nagano" will take place.

Here at Kamesei Ryokan, we have started a "Nagano Wine Special Feature" stay plan for our guests to enjoy the great wines being made in our area. Our onsen town, Togura-Kamiyamada, is located in the center of the Chikuma Wine Valley. So Kamesei is the perfect place to spend the night during a winery tour trip.
And with this stay plan, guests are welcome to BYO Nagano Wine for free. Enjoy a bottle of local wine that you pick up from a winery tour as you partake in our chef's kaiseki-style dinner.
We at Kamesei are also expanding our wine menu to include more Nagano wines, including selections from the exclusive Kusunoki Winery.

So come and celebrate Nagano Wines with us during Nagano Wine Week!

www.nagano-wine.jp





ユニーク長野: 山菜狩り@野沢温泉 Unique Nagano: 'Sansai' Gathering at Nozawa Onsen

June 10, 2013: 長野に来る理由 Reasons to Come to Nagano

tara no me

長野県旅館青年部の今年度の「ユニーク長野」企画で長野らしい体験を世界に発信する。その一つの体験:山菜狩り。

野沢温泉観光協会で山菜狩りツアーを提供しています。先日は私が参加してみました。ガイドの河野さんが親切に山菜狩りのテクニークを教えてくれた。どういう所でどういう山菜が目付けれるか、似ている植物の中でどれを食べられるかどれがお腹の中までかゆくするか、それぞれの山菜の調理仕方など、細かく説明してくれた。

人工的に育った山菜が最近に主流となったが、実際に山に入って、自分の手で自然の山菜を採って見たら、どれだけ貴重な物か分かります。

山菜の世界は奥深い。山菜の種類や調理(袴剥き、あく抜き等)、ガイドの河野さんのお話しを聞いて、感心しました。

山菜狩りは恐らく日本全国であるだろうけど、信州の雄大の山々は山菜狩りのメッカです。こういう長野らしい体験を「ユニーク長野」企画で全世界お伝えしたい。

野沢温泉観光協会
山菜狩りツアー
5月13日ー6月16日(天候・気象状況によって変更有り)
予約: 必要 (〆切3日前まで)
時間: 3時間
料金: 2300円
集合場所: 野沢温泉ビジターセンター
集合時間: 09:00又は13:00
持ち物: 丈夫なズボン、長袖、歩きやすい靴、飲み物
参加人数: 2名~30名
備考: こごみ、千枚、根曲がり竹の筍等等の春の恵み・山菜を狩りながら高原を散策する。ガイド付き。

他の山の幸ツアー:
☆筍狩り&トレッキング (北信の代表の根曲がり竹) 6月17日~7月8日 09:30~ 3時間半 3300円
☆イワナのつかみ捕り 7月下旬~8月31日 20匹12000円~
☆野沢菜収穫体験 11月3日%�
☆旬きのこ狩り体験 10月上旬~11月下旬
☆秋の恵み探し体験 半日トレッキング 10月31日ごろ 木の実や茸
The Nagano Junior Ryokan Association's big project that I am working on is "Unique Nagano". We are hoping to share Nagano's many unique activities and experiences to the world. One example that I recently took part in: Sansai gathering.

The Nozawa Onsen Tourism Association offers guided sansai gathering tours. Literally 'mountain vegetables', "sansai" are edible plants that grow wild in the mountains. Traditionally, they are considered a spring delicacy. Lately, though, cultivated sansai that are available year-round are flooding the market. They can't beat the raw, wild bitter taste of real sansai picked in the wilderness.

Our guide on my recent trip to participate in the tour was Kawano-san, one of the employees of the tourism association. He graciously taught us the techniques to find sansai as well as how to tell the difference between edible plants and ones that would turn your insides tickly. Kawano-san also explained how each different type of sansai is prepared for cooking as well as common culinary uses.

The more we learned about sansai, the more we realized how vast the sansai world is: the breadth of variety, how some have to be blanched or soaked in wood ash to remove the bitterness, the delictable ways they can be cooked, and so on.

Sansai gathering takes place throughout Japan, but Nagano with its majestic mountains and deep affinity with sansai cuisine is like a mecca for sansai. Through the Unique Nagano project, we hope to make experiencing sansai gathering available to the world!

Nozawa Onsen Tourism Assoc.
Sansai Gathering Tour
From May 13th through May 16th (depending on weather)
Reservations: Must be made 3 or more days in advance
Time Required: 3 hours
Price: 2300 yen per person
Meeting Place: Nozawa Onsen Visitors Center
Meeting Time: 9am and 1pm
Things to Bring: Durable pants (jeans), long-sleeved shirt, durable shoes, drink
Minimum # of Participants: 2
Maximum # of Participants: 30
Description: Enjoy picking sansai such as Kogomi, Senmai, Nemagari Bamboo Shoots, etc. while walking through the forest in the mountains above Nozawa Onsen. Guide provided.

Other Tours:
Bamboo Shoots Gathering & Trekking (June 17th to July 8th from 9:30am. 3-1/2 hour tour. 3300 yen.)
Iwana (charr) Catching (from mid July to end of August, 20 fish for 12,000 yen)
Wild Mushroom Gathering Tour (from early October to late November)
Fall Wild Mushroom, Berry and Nut Gathering -- 1/2 Day Trekking (around October 31st)
Nozawana (rapeseed) picking (around November 3rd)

野沢温泉観光協会 Nozawa Onsen Tourism Assoc. Tel(0269)85-3155 masaki@nozawakanko.jp



Meeting for the tour at the Nozawa Onsen Visitors Center


Nozawa Nature Tours


View back down towards the village



Our Guide -- and what to wear!


'fukinoto'


'tara no me' ...


... delicious fragrance ..


... but don't confuse with poisonous plants!


'yama-budo' (wild grape bud) ...


... not to be confused with this poisonous guy


'warabi'


空き家再生: 忍者道場?! Re-Using Empty Houses -- as a Ninja Dojo?!

May 27, 2013: 長野に来る理由 Reasons to Come to Nagano

善光寺の周辺の空き家の再生活動NPOとNPO法人こども忍者スクールながの忍法武術会のコラボで、門前忍者道場ができました。先日は寄ってみましたので、宮下忍者がこの新しい道場を案内してくれました。忍者道場だからその案内は壁や床の穴を通したり、2階の屋上から飛び降りたり、手裏剣針投げとか、普段は出来ない体験たっぷり。今度は親子で遊びたいというか修行したい!

An NPO trying to find uses for empty houses and buildings around Zenkoji Temple in Nagano City hooked up with another NPO teaching ninjutsu to kids. The result is the Monzen Ninja Dojo.

Officially open for business, the other day Miyashita-ninja gave me a tour of the dojo. The tour included crawling through holes in the walls and floor, jumping off the 2nd floor roof, and throwing shuriken darts -- not your typical everyday experiences!
I am looking forward to taking our kids there for some father-son bonding through ninja training!

門前忍者道場 Monzen Ninja Dojo
For information and/or reservations, call or e-mail Miyashita-san at 090-3558-0179, 200111hayaki@ezweb.ne.jp.



Miyashita-ninja climbing onto the roof of the dojo


And jumping back down





北信州温泉巡りスタンプラリー2013年 Northern Nagano Day-Use Onsen Stamp Rally 2013

May 19, 2013: 長野に来る理由 Reasons to Come to Nagano

今年はまた北信州のスタンプラリーが行われています。
「千曲川旅情…欲張り温泉巡り
いい湯だなスタンプラリー」

2013年4月27日~11月30日で、
中野市、飯山市、山ノ内町、野沢温泉村、栄村、木島平村の2市1町3村で、全部で14か所の立ち寄り湯が参加しています。
その内の6つに入れば名前入りタオルなどのプレゼントをもらえる。
事務局は野天風呂で有名の馬曲温泉の望郷の湯 ℡(0269)82-4028

2013年の参加日帰り湯はなかなか良い所がそろわれました。私が行った事があるのは

*いいやま湯滝温泉 千曲川沿いの良い風情の場所に内山和紙などエレガント内装のインテリア
*トマトの国 2011年3月12日の地震でやられて復活したお湯
*馬曲温泉 永遠(?)まで見える野天風呂

あとの11か所は行った事がない。このスタンプラリーの気掛けで温泉巡りしたいと思います♪

Northern Nagano's Day-Use Onsen Stamp Rally is back for 2013.

The rally takes place from 27-April through 30-November, 2013. A total of 14 day-use onsens in 6 towns and cities in northern Nagano are participating. Take a bath and collect stamps in 6 locations and you can receive a monogrammed towel or other prizes.





万治の石仏の謎が解けました Manji Mystery Revealed

May 16, 2013: 長野に来る理由 Reasons to Come to Nagano

諏訪大社下社の春宮の脇に万治の石仏がある。剽軽な不思議な道祖神です。春宮の陰での穴場的な存在だったけど数年前にJRに発見(?)されて、長野の代表のイメージとして宣伝で使われて、最近は有名になった。

先日はお岡谷市に用事があって、そのついでに初めて春宮と万治の石仏に行ってみた。

春宮はその歴史、その信仰、その建物(彫刻は見事!)、4宇角に伝説の御柱が立っていて、
感動でした。

そしてその脇道でかわいいらしい赤い橋で静かな浮島を通って、やっと万治の石仏に辿り着く。そして、

ええっ?!

今まで見た写真では町から離れた自然な所というイメージだったけど、実際は下諏訪市の市街地で、万治の石仏の真裏に住宅があって、洗濯物が思い切って干してあって、

このもんか?って感じ。

信州の観光スポットの一つな謎が解けました。

Next to Suwa Grand Shrine's Harumiya (Spring Shrine) is a stone Buddhist statue called Manji no Sekibutsu. A bit mischievous, a bit mystical, and a bit mysterious, Mr. Manji has an oversized body and an undersized head. But he has his own website and song even, and thanks to a recent JR ad campaign, he's risen out of obscurity out from under the shadow of the nearby Spring Shrine. The Manji is now one of Nagano Prefecture's most representative images.

On a recent trip to Lake Suwa, I visited the Spring Shrine and the Manji. The shrine itself is an amazing work of Japanese Shinto architecture -- the intricacy of the wood carvings will blow you away. You really get a sense of the history and solemnity of the site, especially with the massive Onbashira columns standing at the 4 corners.

From the shrine, you take a side road, cross serene Ukejima Island by a pair of photogenic red bridges, and finally reach the Manji.

And go, "Eh?"

All the pictures I'd seen before made it seem like the Manji was in a remote location surrounded by nature. So I was surprised that it's actually in such an urban proximity, with several houses directly behind the statue -- with their laundry very visibly hanging out to dry.

Well, one of Nagano's sightseeing mysteries dispelled.

万治の石仏 Manji no Sekibutsu






長野トップ100温泉 白馬連峰の麓の五龍館 Nagano Top 100 Onsens: Goryukan at the foot of the Hakuba Mountains

May 15, 2013: 長野に来る理由 Reasons to Come to Nagano

Goryukan's outdoor bath at sunrise. Can you imagine this covered in snow in the winter?

先日の旅館青年部の集まりで白馬八方温泉の「五龍館」にお世話になりました。当然、お風呂に入りました。旅館青年部って、贅沢やな。

白馬八方温泉は、pH値-11.28が全国トップレベルの強アルカリ温泉です。戸倉上山田温泉のお湯はpH8.6で肌がある程度ですべすべになりますが、この八方温泉によるはだの感覚は初めてやな。美人の湯って、こんな感じだね。

長野県は本当に良い温泉で恵まれている!

On our recent gathering at Hakuba, the Nagano Prefecture Junior Innkeepers stayed at Goryukan. Of course, we got to enjoy Goryukan's onsen bath -- 'tis a rough life, eh?

Hakuba Happo Onsen's most distinct feature is it's highly alkalid pH -- 11.28. By comparison, Togura Kamiyamada Onsen is slightly alkalid, pH 8.6. Even with that level, the water gives your skin a silky smooth feel. Goryukan's was even more so.

Nagano is fortunate to have so many great onsens!

白馬八方温泉「五龍館」 Hakuba Happo Onsen Goryukan



Goryukan with the Hakuba peaks in the distance





夏のリゾートの野尻湖にクルーズ Cruising Nojiri Lake, famed summer resort

May 13, 2013: 長野に来る理由 Reasons to Come to Nagano

Nozawa Lake Cruise Ship "Miyabi"

野尻湖の遊覧船は乗った事がありますか?先日は母の日のファミリードライブで野尻湖に寄ってみたら遊覧船がちょうど出発する所だったから家族で乗ってみました。

春の青空で湖の周りの山々が美しい新緑で、遠くは雄大な北信五山、
クルーズの案内で野尻湖の特徴や歴史(ノウマンゾウ発掘等)、サマーキャンプ文化(国際村、YWCA,YMCA)、キリスト教文化等などの説明、
パワースポットの弁天島、

何で湖の野尻湖として「日本三大避暑地」と言われているか、分かってきた様な気がする。野尻湖の楽しみ方が沢山ある。夏はもちろんそうだけど、冬はワカサギ釣り、その景色は通年、最高だと思う。

また遊びに行くよ、野尻湖♪

For Mothers Day, our family went for a drive and stopped at Nojiri Lake. There we had one of those quintessential Nagano experiences -- a cruise around the lake.

It was such an amazing experience.
The crystal clear waters of the lake glistening in the sun under the bright blue spring sky,
the verdant green of the new spring growth covering the surrounding hillsides,
The magnificent Northern Nagano 5 Peaks in the distance,
Mystical Benten Island,

And the guidance explained the lake's history, both natural including the discovery of the Nauman Mammoth bones, and about people, as a summer resort for Westerners to escape Tokyo's heat (the Nojiri Lake Association international village still exists today).

Nojiri Lake, we will be back to play again!

野尻湖遊覧船 Nojiri Lake Cruise

野尻湖国際村 Nojiri Lake Association



Nojiri Lake's cruise dock with Mt. Myoko in the backgound


Torii on mystical Benten Island


Kenny on the cruise ship's deck looking out at Mt. Kurohime





北信ドライブ: 戸隠森林植物園 Northern Nagano Drive: Togakushi Forest Preserve

May 12, 2013: 長野に来る理由 Reasons to Come to Nagano

Mari and her children on a walk in Togakushi's Forest Preserve for Mothers Day

母の日という事で、世界中のお母さん達にエールを送りたいと思っております。皆様は母の日をどうやって過ごしましたか?私達は久しぶりのファミリードライブしました。こういうコースもあるよ!と参考にして頂けるように:

亀清旅館→戸隠高原 (信越道信濃町IC経由で約1時間)
昼食(戸隠そば)
戸隠奥社の杉並び木及びそのそばの森林植物園散策
戸隠高原→野尻湖 (県道36号で約20分)
遊覧船「雅」
野尻湖→飯山 (斑尾高原経由、ローカルの道でゆっくりと)
立ち寄り湯 (湯滝温泉)
夕暮れの菜の花公園
飯山→松代 (高速で約25分)
夕食 (イタリアンレストラン「公園のベンチ」)
松代→亀清旅館 (約25分、千曲川沿い)

素晴らしいドライブコースで、一番は若女将が喜んでくれた。

戸隠森林植物園及び飯山菜の花公園の写真をここで提供します。野尻湖の遊覧船は別な記事で♪

Happy Mothers Day to all of the mothers in the world. What did you do to celebrate this important day? Our family went for a drive together to explore northern Nagano. Our course may give you ideas for a similar outing, so here it is:

Kamesei Ryokan -> Togakushi Mountain (approx. 1hr by expressway using the Shinanomachi IC)
Lunch: Togakushi soba
Walk: Togakushi Inner Shrine's massive cedar trees and the adjacent Forest Preserve
Togakushi -> Nojiri Lake (approx. 25 min. via Rt. 36)
Cruise: 'Nojiri Line Cruising' on the Miyabi.
Nojiri -> Iiyama (via Madarao Mtn. using the backroads)
Onsen bath: Yutaki Onsen
Walk: The yellow Nanohana flowers at sunset
Iiyama -> Matsushiro (approx. 25 min. via expressway)
Dinner: Italian restaurant 'Koen no Bench'
Matsushiro -> Kamesei (approx. 25 min. following the Chikuma River)

It made for a pleasant drive exploring some of northern Nagano's highlights. And most importantly, Mari had an enjoyable day with her children.

Here are some pictures from Togakushi and Iiyama's Nanohana park. Will post info on Nojiriko Line Cruising in a separate entry.



Mari and Misaki at Togakushi Inner Shrine's cedars


一面の水芭蕉


水芭蕉アップ


Iiyama's Nanohana Park



GWに武田信玄の攻め道探し Searching for Takeda Shingen's Attack Route

May 4, 2013: 長野に来る理由 Reasons to Come to Nagano

Uedahara Battle Marker

このゴールデンウィークにお客様に「どこを寄ってきたか」中で、善光寺さんや松本城、戸隠、軽井沢、小布施などは相変わらず人気でした。しかし、今年は今までより多かったのは上田城と松代です。

真田幸村や戦国時代のファンが増えてきましたね。

日本人のかわいそうな所は皆さんは働き過ぎじゃないですか。休みが取れる時は全員が同時に休むからどこへ行っても混む。戸隠へ登ろうとしたお客さんは渋滞で途中で諦めて下りてきた。松本城へ行ったお客さんはお城の一番上まで登るのに数時間待ちだと言われた。

この連休の4日に用事があって、子供達と一緒に上田に行きました。上田城の駐車場は満車で車が溢れていた状態。その後、塩田平に行きました。上田が原古戦場の看板があった。長男のアンディー君は学校で戦国時代の事を勉強しているし、探検で行ってみた。矢印を追いかければ石久摩神社に辿り着きました。ここで川中島合戦の前哨戦となった上田原合戦の時に武田信玄の本軍が置かれた。3.5km先の村上義清が本陣を置いたという岩鼻の崖(須々貴城)を見渡せる。
この神社に記念の石碑もあり、
数千人の戦死者が出た合戦の無名討死者の墓もある。

ここに来れば戦国時代の武田信玄の立場を感じれる。

なおかつ、かなり穴場的な所なので、連休の最中でも誰もいない。

日本の連休楽しみ方の1ポイントレッスン:
戸隠や軽井沢は普通な時に行きなさい。奥社に行きたいなら、戸隠のではなくて飯山市の小菅神社のにしなさい。その杉並び木は戸隠の程でかくないけど、その代わりに人がいない。連休中は穴場がお勧め。いくらでも紹介が出来ますので聞いて下さい!

This Golden Week holiday, I asked our guests where they did their sightseeing on the way to Kamesei. Nagano City's Zenkoji Temple and Matsumoto's castle were as popular as always, as was spiritual Togakushi, Obuse the chestnut town, and the resort town of Karuizawa. This year, two places were mentioned more frequently than before: Ueda Castle and the samurai town of Matsushiro.

Apparently Ueda Castle's main samurai Yukimura Sanada and the Warring States era in general are gaining in popularity.

I actually feel sorry for people in Japan during Golden Week. So many people work too hard and can only take vacation during these peak holidays, so everywhere you go, it's crowded. Some of our guests tried driving up to Togakushi but turned around and came back due to the congested roads. Another party visited Matsumoto Castle but were told it would be a 2 hour wait to climb to the top.

On the 4th, I took our children into Ueda City. We visited the castle, and saw the parking lot was overflowing with cars. On a drive through Ueda's Shioda Plain area, we spotted a sign for a Uedahara Battle history marker. Following the signs, we came to Ishikuma Shrine. It was here that Shingen Takeda and his forces set up camp, looking across the Uedahara field to Yoshikiyo Murakami's fortress, Susuki-jo in 1548. A stone monument to the battle is erected here, as well as a Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers, for some of the thousands of samurai who lost their lives here.

Standing there at the shrine, we felt like we were Shingen looking over the battle field.

And, despite it being the middle of the Golden Week holiday, we had the place to ourselves.

That's the key to enjoying one of Japan's peak holidays. Save the Zenkoji's and Matsumoto Castles for another time. If you want to see the Inner Shrine's majestic cedar trees, go to the ones at Iiyama City's Kosuge Shrine. They're not as massive as Togakushi's, but you'll avoid crowds. Visit the lesser-known spots like the Uedahara battle field. Ask us and we'll fill you in on plenty more off-the-beaten-track places to see in Nagano.



Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers at Uedahara





「蔵の町」須坂で蔵泊り体験:ゲストハウスKURA Experience Staying in a Historic 'Kura' at Suzaka's Guesthouse KURA

April 28, 2013: 長野に来る理由 Reasons to Come to Nagano

With Yamakami-san in front of Guesthouse Kura in Suzaka

「蔵の町」須坂市が長野市の東北側にある。先日に久しぶりに通ったら、あちらこちらに誇りの蔵の整備工事がされていた。須坂市はその遺産となる蔵を積極的に大事にしている様に感じた。欧米に無い、日本の江戸時代からの蔵はこの欧米人が大好きなので、嬉しい限り。

その歴史的な蔵の活性化は色んな悩みがきっとあるだろう。一つの古民家と蔵は去年に「ゲストハウスKURA」として生まれ変わった。オーナーの山上さんに顔を出して、ゲストハウスを案内してくれた。去年は成田空港の近くのゲストハウスに泊まった。その時はどれだけな人数をどれだけな狭い所で安く泊まらせるかという雰囲気だった。寝る所は2段バンクベッドだったし。須坂のゲストハウスKURAは広々した畳の部屋でお客さんが日本風で布団で眠れる。

ゲストハウスKURA: お安くで泊まりながら古民家生活の体験も出来、なかなか魅力的な宿泊施設。

Suzaka City, situated to north and east of Nagano City, is known as 'Kura no Machi', or a town of 'Kura', meaning the old earthen-walled storehouses that were prevalent in the Edo era. On a recent trip to Suzaka, I was pleased to see so much construction activity going on to restore several of these historic Kura. For someone like me coming from a Western country, these Kura have a lot of mystique of the old Japan.

Of course, the reality is finding practical uses for these Kura is very difficult in today's world. One entrepreneur has come up with a unique application: Ms. Yamakami-san has started Guesthouse KURA in an old merchant's house with a Kura in its backyard.

Last year, I stayed at a guesthouse near Narita Airport. It was an exercise in squeezing as many people in to as small a space as possible for as cheap as possible. Sleeping quarters were tiny little bunk beds.

Guesthouse KURA maintains the inexpensive pricing, but guests sleep on futons sharing spacious tatami-mat rooms, while experiencing staying in a 100+ year old house. This is a great addition to the selection of accommodations here in Nagano Prefecture!

ゲストハウス蔵 Guesthouse Kura



Kura's entryway shoebox


The men's shared sleeping quarters


One of the gardens


The shared kitchen


Antique fire extinguisher