沖縄全国大会:真面目なお遊び Fun Side to the Okinawa Convention

September 30, 2012: 青い目のおもてなし This American’s Omotenashi

Heiwa Market lunch

私の父親に良く言われました: 仕事は一生懸命。遊びも一生懸命。

旅館青年部の全国大会@沖縄。大会の部分は真剣に参加しましたが、せっかく初沖縄だったので、遊びもしっかりしました。
海で泳いだり(長野は海がないから、前夜祭ビーチパーティー@宜野湾トロピカルで海に飛び込んだ!)、
首里城見学(沖縄の独特の位置との歴史・文化の奥深さをより知りました)、
平和市で買い物(下の売り場で魚を買って、2階の食堂で調理してくれるのは最高!)
壺屋やちむん通り散策(清正陶器店で陶芸家の娘と出会って、その情熱で感心しました)

短い間だったが、亀清でのお仕事が待っていたし台風が向かっていたし、2泊だけで帰りました。沖縄を体験できて、嬉しかった!一番は観光ではなく、やはり、人とのふれあい。市場の方や陶芸屋さん等とのお話。我が亀清旅館もそうやって「顔のあるおもてなし」をお客様にこれからも提供したいと思っております。

My father always told me, "Work hard and Play hard."

On this trip to Okinawa for the ryokan association's national convention, I managed to do both.

I got in a swim in Okinawa's ocean at Ginowan's Tropical Beach before the pre-convention beach-side bbq,
I toured Naha's trademark Shuri Castle, which gave a lot of insight into Okinawa's unique position as a trading crossroads,
I shopped at the Heiwa-doori market (what a treat to be able to buy fish from a monger downstairs, and have a restaurant upstairs prepare it for lunch),
and strolled Tsuboya pottery street, stopping in at Kiyomasa Pottery and getting a heartfelt conversation with the daughter of the artisan.

It was a short trip, but with work waiting for me back at Kamesei and a typhoon headed to the islands, I went back to Nagano after only two nights in Okinawa. But I managed to make lots of long-lasting memories while there. The best memories weren't from the touristy spots, they were from getting to know the people -- the owner of the restaurant at the market, the pottery lady, etc. That's what I hope to provide for our guests here at Kamesei Ryokan -- personable service.





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