満開の杏、
今日も来ました。家族連れで。
週末は寒くなり雨の予報ですから、
森「日本一あんずの里」は6日までがお勧めします。
Our famous Mori “Apricot Village” apricot blossoms are so pretty, I came today, too, this time with the family.
Cold, rainy weather is forecast for this weekend so come by the 6th if you can.
3/31は高村商店の信州みそ祭り。
伝説の味噌すくい取りも！
我が亀清旅館から車で約8分。
亀清旅館の味噌は全部、高村商店からです。信州は味噌のメッカ、私達は近くにこんな高質な味噌蔵があって、恵まれています。この機会で是非に行ってみて下さい。
Local miso festival 31-March at nearby Takamura Shoten (8 min. by car from Kamesei Ryokan).
Nagano Prefecture is Japan's largest producer of miso, and we are fortunate to have such a high quality maker so close by. The most popular event at the festival is the "Fill the bag with as much miso paste as you can" deal. If you've never been to a miso making factory, now is your chance!
唯一の「杏の花見」旅館客室、
我が亀清旅館の「千歳」の間。
森「日本一あんずの里」の杏ま咲いてきました。杏まつりは4月15日まで。
戸倉上山田温泉の花の時期に是非にお越しください！
The only ryokan guest room where you can do apricot blossom ‘Hanami’ (flower viewing): Kamesei Ryokan’s ‘Chitose’ room.
Nearby Mori ‘Apricot Village’ has also started to bloom.
This is one of the best times of the year to visit our onsen town Togura Kamiyamada!
あんず祭りの詳しく： http://chikuma-kanko.com/event-calendar/?mc_id=214
戸倉上山田温泉のインバウンド用の散歩地図・飲食店ガイド3.0及びPR動画4本シリーズが出来ました!
一年間をかけた事業はやっと形になりまさした。これで海外からの旅行者が更にウエルカム！
Our Onsen Town Togura Kamiyamada now has its 3rd generation Walking Map & Restaurant Guide as well as 4 PR videos.
The project I’ve been working on for a whole year has just taken shape.
協力なされた皆さんに感謝！
Big thanks to all who assisted!
我が温泉タウン戸倉上山田のハウツー動画シリーズOur Onsen Town Togura-Kamiyamada "How To" video series,
Video 1: How to Enjoy an Onsen Town 温泉街の楽しみ方
Showcasing several of Togura-Kamiymada's unique shops as well as a feature on Zukudashi Eco Tours.
Come wear a yukata robe, slip on the wooden geta slippers, and explore our onsen town!
戸倉上山田の足湯や面白い専門店、そしてずくだしエコツアーの特集。
Video 2: How to Enjoy Local Food ローカルフード
Shows how to order (and eat) at some quintessential types of Japanese restaurants, like soba noodles, yakitori, izakaya and even 'horumon' (not for the faint of heart). Plus a local Nagano favorite, oyaki dumplings and the video has a feature on Togura-Kamiyamada's legendary Kohaku including an interview with Susa-san about our area's signature 'oshibori udon' noodles.
どうやって注文するか（そして食べるか）の説明。蕎麦や焼き鳥、居酒屋そして…ホルモン（勇気が必要!）。長野の代表のおやきそして戸倉上山田の伝説のおしぼりうどんで有名な古波久さんとのインタビュー。
Video 3: How to Stay at a Ryokan 旅館の過ごし方
Curious about staying at a traditional ryokan while visiting Japan, but not sure what to do during your stay? From the kaiseki-style dinner, soaking in the onsen bath, and your futon spread out on the straw tatami mat, this video explains how to make the most of your ryokan experience. It also shows many of the great inns here in Togura-Kamiyamada. Don't miss the seeing one of our town's geisha, Takeshi, showing the proper way to wear a yukata robe.
日本の伝統文化を守る旅館だけど、泊まったらどうなるの? 懐石料理やお風呂、畳と布団など、旅館体験をたっぷり楽しみましょう。戸倉上山田の代表的な宿のも紹介。そして、芸者の武さんが浴衣の正しい着方の説明も。
Video 4: How to Bathe in an Onsen 温泉の入り方
When in Japan, one of the can't miss experiences is taking an onsen bath. But the process can be a bit intimidating. (Yes -- as local onsen expert Tonegawa-san explains in the video, you have to be naked.) Learn these simple tips of onsen etiquette and bath like a native. The video also explains the unique characteristics of Togura-Kamiymada's hot spring mineral water (beware bathing with silver jewelry!), featuring a special interview with Goro-san, president of the Kamiyamada Onsen Company.
温泉のマナーは温泉入浴指導員の利根川さんが説明してくれます。（Yes、ネイキッド！）戸倉上山田の湯の特徴も（銀の指輪はどうなる?）。上山田温泉株式会社の小平社長と貴重なインタビューも。
庭師、お疲れ様です。We appreciate your hard work, Mr. gardener!
（しばらくブログ更新してなくて、すみません。）
久しぶりです。青い目のおもてなし・亀清旅館のタイラーです。
ビッグニュースがあります: 戸倉上山田温泉発の姨捨夜景ツアーこの青い目のガイドで参加したい皆さん、今週末（H30年3月10日・土曜日）がツアー料金の値上げ前のラストチャンスです。現在はツアー参加費が2000円/人ですが、H30年4月からは千曲市観光局がその料金を値上げする予定です。
この姨捨夜景ツアーは戸倉上山田温泉を夜8時ごろバスで出発して、姨捨駅のホームから善光寺平の夜景を見下ろして、さらに上の長野道姨捨SAから違った角度からまた夜景をまた見て、帰りは味噌蔵「高村商店」に寄って、また温泉に戻るというコースです。途中で駅の記念入場券や、SAの売店から絵葉書、高村商店からお味噌をお土産でもらえます。私たち地元の者がボランティアでガイドしてまして、10日が私の当番の火です。10名揃えば、バス運行になりまして、私が戸倉上山田や姨捨の周辺の伝説の話（60％ウソ!）や魅力を説明したりします。
亀清旅館は3月10日でまだ空きがございますので、是非にお泊りになって、夜はご一緒に姨捨夜景ツアーに参加して頂きたいと思っております。
(Apologies for the lack of updates recently.)
He's back! This is Tyler, American-born owner of the traditional onsen inn, Kamesei Ryokan.
I have big news: This Saturday, 10-March, 2018 will be the last time you can take the Obasute Night View Tour with me as the guide before the price goes up. Currently, the tour costs 2000 yen per person but the Chikuma City Tourism Bureau is set to raise the price in April.
The Obasute Night View Tour departs our onsen town Togura-Kamiyamada around 8pm, stops at Obasute Station to look down upon the picturesque lights of the Zenkoji Plain, continues up to the Obasute SA for another angle of the view, and stops at our local miso factory Takamura Shoten on the way back to the Onsen. Along the way, participants are given a commemorative entrance ticket to Obasute Station, a post card from the SA gift shop, and a sample of Takamura's miso. Plus, you get one of us local volunteers to tell some of the area legends and explain about the places to see around Togura-Kamiyamada and Obasute. If 10+ people sign up for the tour, it will be done by bus and I am scheduled to be the guide this Saturday, so the explanation can be in English.
We still have rooms available at Kamesei Ryokan for 10-March, so I invite you to come and spend the weekend, and join us for the Obasute Night View Tour.
姨捨の「田毎の月」で有名な棚田は伝説によると、田んぼ毎にお月様が反射するそうです。
見るタイミングとしては田植えの時期の満月。2017年では、6月9日（金）となります。
そして、戸倉上山田温泉発の姨捨夜景ツアーの6月9日のガイドは何と、亀清旅館の主人、タイラーです。
申し込みは亀清旅館で受けています。6月9日（金）も10日（土）もまだ空室がございますので、姨捨「田毎の月」でお出かけください。
The famous moon-reflecting Obasute terraced rice fields are said to be positioned in such a way as to reflect the moon in the individual rice fields. The best time to see this is the full moon around the spring planting season. For 2017, that means the June 9th full moon. Togura-Kamiyamada Onsen runs a convenient Obasute Night View tour. You can make reservations through at Kamesei Ryokan. The guide for June 9th will actually be Kamesei Ryokan's owner, Tyler. We still have rooms available for Friday the 9th and Saturday the 10th, so how about come for an onsen stay for the spring full moon?
How to get to or from Kamesei Ryokan here in our onsen town Togura-Kamiyamada and Jigokudani Wild Monkey Park (world-famous Snow Monkeys) as well as Togakushi (massive cedar trees, superb soba noodles and ... ninja!) for 2017 spring/summer/fall. (Will be updated for 2017/18 winter once the new train / bus schedules are announced.) 亀清旅館（戸倉上山田温泉）と地獄谷野猿公苑及び戸隠との間の交通機関の時刻表を作ってみました。2017年のグリーンシーズンの分です。
Kamesei Ryokan to/from the Snow Monkeys 亀清旅館⇔地獄谷野猿公苑
Jigokudani Wild Monkey Park is located at the end of a 30-minute walk along a scenic forest trail. The trailhead is at Kanbayashi, just up the road from the Shibu-Yudanaka onsen resort area. Access from Nagano Station to Kanbayashi is one of two ways: 1) Express Bus bound for the Shiga Kogen mountains to the "Snow Monkey Park" stop (NOTE: the bus stop is 30 minutes on foot from the actual park on the aforementioned trail) or 2) Nagaden Train to Yudanaka Station, change to local bus to either Kanbayashi Onsen stop (bus bound for Kanbayashi) or Snow Monkey Park stop (bus bound for Shiga Kogen). The Express Bus and Nagaden Train depart opposite sides of Nagano Station -- Express Bus from the East Exit side, platform #23; the Nagaden Train starts out as a subway on the Zenkoji Exit side. The Snow Monkey 1-Day Pass covers trains/buses from Nagano Station to Kanbayashi as well as the park entrance fee. It saves a bit of money, but more importantly, saves the hassle of figuring out how/when/where to pay. It is only sold at the Nagaden Train ticket office, so if you take the Express Bus, make sure you allow time to buy the pass on the Zenkoji Exit side before crossing the station to the bus platform on the East Exit side. The schedule below covers the more convenient options in conjunction with connecting Shinano Railway trains to/from Togura, and is not a complete schedule.
Kamesei Ryokan to/from Togakushi 亀清旅館⇔戸隠
Buses run from Nagano Station to Togakushi approximately once per hour. They depart from Bus Stop #7 which is located in front of the Alpico Bus office across the street from Nagano Station's Zenkoji Exit. Below schedule matches up those buses with connecting Shinano Railway trains to/from Togura Station.
Due to popular request, we are once again posting the train & bus schedule to get to Jigokudani Wild Monkey Park (home of the world-famous "Snow Monkeys") from our onsen town, Togura-Kamiyamada, for the 2015 Green Season.
Access to the trail head at Kanbayashi is via Nagaden's express bus or train/bus combo from Nagano Station. This year there is only 1 express bus in the morning instead of 2. Apparently with the extension of the Nagano Shinkansen to Kanazawa and the opening of the new station in Iiyama, the 2nd a.m. express bus now originates in Iiyama instead of Nagano Station. However, there is still relatively frequent service by Nagaden's train line to Yudanaka. Just keep in mind that from Yudanaka, you'll need to change to a local bus to Kanbayashi.
Nagaden's express bus leaves from bus stop #3 outside Nagano Station's East Exit, while the train to Yudanaka starts out as a subway from Nagano Station. Look for the elevator outside Nagano Station's Zenkoji Exit.
戸倉上山田温泉発の姨捨夜景ツアー、
6月12日(金)のガイドか千曲市観光の顔(?)、私です。善光寺平の夜景はもちろん、この辺の伝説のお話しも。ご一緒に行きませんか？
亀清旅館は12日にまだ空きがございますし。
どうぞ、お起こし下さい。
Guess who's going to guide the June 12th Obasute Night ViewTour? Yours Truly, the new face of Chikuma City tourism.
