戸倉上山田温泉の金曜日夕市が大きくなってきたOur Onsen's Friday Evening Market Getting Bigger

August 29, 2008: Uncategorized

Friday Evening Farmers Market

戸倉上山田温泉のかめ乃湯通りで毎週金曜日の夕方に市場が行います。今は夏の野菜と果実のピークなのでれたすや玉葱に、桃と初ぶどうが沢山出ています。農家さんたちとの会話も楽しめます。
亀清旅館から歩いて5分です。

Every Friday evening, Togura Kamiyamada Onsen's "Evening Market" takes place. Now that we are at the peak of the summer fruit and vegetable season, there is an abundance of lettuce and early onions, and peaches and the first of the grapes. Shopping at a market like this lets you talk directly with the farmers, so you get a sense of how Mother Nature is shaping our world (or vice versa?).
The 'Kame-no-Yu Dori Evening Market' is 5 minutes on foot from Kamesei Ryokan







インバウンドサミットの記者会見 Inbound Summit Press Conference

August 28, 2008: Uncategorized

サミットの記者会見

私が1月から計画を始めた長野インバウンドサミットが9が28日に松本大学で予定しています。準備が段々と進んでいます。(段々面白くなってきた!)実行委員会が立ち上がりましたので私が会長として動いています。昨日は松も市役所で記者会見を開きました。お蔭さまで、今日の日経新聞や地元の市民タイムズなどに記事がでました。サミットの認識度がアップになりました。成功する様に準備は後1ヶ月だ。頑張っていきます!
個人の事ですが、亀清や私が何回もテレビや新聞などで取材されましたが、取材した側になるのは初めてでした。これだけな努力をしている中で、こういう結果を出せるのが嬉しいことです。インバウンドサミットで一緒に動いている国際的な皆様に感謝です。
Starting this past January, I have been working on plans for a Nagano "Inbound Summit" to work on issues dealing with foreign tourists coming to Nagano. Our plans are progessing, and things are definitely getting interesting. We set up an organizing committee (Yours Truly is the chair), and yesterday we held a press conference at Matsumoto City Hall. Several papers, including the Nikkei and our local 'Shimin Times' had articles, raising awareness of the Summit. We only have a month left to finish the preparations. Here's hoping we can pull off a successful Summit!
On a personal note, Kamesei Ryokan and myself have been the subject of several newspaper articles and tv, radio programs. But this is the first time for me to go from being a news subject to a news maker. I find it very rewarding, considering all of the effort I have put into this project, and want to take this time to thank all of the internationally-minded people working with me on it.

長野インバウンドサミットはこちらClick here for info on the Nagano Inbound Summit





珍しい虹 A rare rainbow

August 28, 2008: Uncategorized

Rainbow over Kamesei

日本は今日、全国的に雨だそうです。この戸倉上山田温泉で、夕日のお蔭で虹が見えてきました。大雨のところの皆様が無事にいられるようにお祈りしております。

All of Japan is getting rainy weather today. Here in Togura Kamiyamda Onsen, the sun came out this evening and made this pretty rainbow.
Our prayers go out to those experiencing heavy rain and flooding.

亀清旅館のHPはこちらClick here for Kamesei Ryokan website





亀清旅館のおニュー:三万円の軽トラOur New 300-Buck Truck

August 27, 2008: Uncategorized

薪や工事材料やゴミを運ぶのに、私達がいつも困っていました。長野はやはり軽トラが必要な。。。でも、車はもう一台増やせば色々な手間がかかる。。。と思っていました。
そして、業者から何と三万円の軽トラが出てきた。これはNoと言えなかった。今日は松本で会議があったので軽トラで走ってみました。片道でい時間半でしたが、どうにか往復が出来ました。丈夫だね!錆びている場所もあるけど、何と三万円!
Carrying firewood or delivering garbage had always been a hassle. Here in Nagano, a "Kei-truck" (aka "K-Tora") really comes in handy. But I have been hesitant to get one because of the hassle of owning an extra vehicle. Our local dealer came by the other day with a used for the sweet price of $300. We couldn't say 'no' to that, so we're the proud owners of a slightly rusty K-Tora. And I just christened it with a 90-minute drive (each way) to Matsumoto!

亀清旅館のHPはこちらClick here for Kamesei Ryokan website



'Moto Castle in the background


お米はそろそろ収穫?The rice is getting closer to harvest

August 26, 2008: Uncategorized

Rice Paddy with Kamuriki Mtn. in the background

戸倉上山田温泉の周辺の田んぼの稲は段々と伸びてきた。収穫が近付いているかな?さわやか信州はこの青々の色で更に気持ち良いです。
The rice in the paddies around Togura Kamiyamada Onsen is growing and growing. Harvest time must be just around the corner. Nagano is normally alive with nature, but with the rice paddies as lush as they are, Nagano seems even more so now.





千曲市自慢:上山田お神楽保存会Pride of Chikuma: Kamiyamada's Okagura Lion Dance Preservation Society

August 26, 2008: Uncategorized

NBSというテレビ局の千曲市代表ブログとして文章を提供しております。9月分は送信しましたのでその内、NBSのHPに載せられる予定です。9月に地元の波閉科神社の秋祭りが23日に行う予定なので、その記念として上山田お神楽保存会のことについて書きました。全部を読むのに、NBSのHPで出るまで待っていただかなければなりませんが、一部だけは下記です:
「私が上山田お神楽保存会に入る直前に、戸倉から一人が入りました。「あっ、川の向こう側からだ!」と皆がびっくりしたようです。私が入ったら、「あっ、海の向こう側からだ!」そして、最近は歴史的に初めての女性は一人が入りました。上山田お神楽保存会、モダン的で伝統を守っている。千曲市の自慢です。」
TV Station NBS (Nagano Broadcasting) is having me contribute blog entries from Chikuma City for their website. I just sent in the entry for September. It's about the Kamiyamada Okagura (Lion Dance) Preservation Society, in tribute for their upcoming main yearly event: the Habeshina Shrine Autumn Festival (scheduled for 23-Sept.). You'll have to wait for the entry to come out on NBS's website to read the whole thing, but one part is as below:
Right before I joined the group, they had a new member from Togura. Apparently they were pleasantly surprised by having a member come from the other side of the (Chikuma) River. When I joined, they were even more surprised, as I came from the other side of the (Pacific) ocean. Now, as previously mentioned here in this blog, we have our first female member. Kamiyamada's Okagura group is protecting the past using very modern ways -- and is thus the pride of Chikuma City.

詳しくはNBSのHPへ

http://www.i-nagano.com





亀清の裏駐車場に桃屋さん?A peach vendor in our back parking lot?

August 25, 2008: Uncategorized

Peaches for Sale!

遠い親戚の北山さんが川中島から桃を売りに来ました。裏の駐車場に臨時的な屋台を開きました。私の地元のワシントン州も桃の産地ですが、川中島の桃が負けない!今はちょうどピークです。Juicyで美味しいです。
Our distant relative Kitayama-san came by today with several crates of peaches from the Kawanakajima growing district. He set up a mini-shop in our back parking lot. My home state of Washington is also a major peach producer, but the peaches from Kawanakajima sure can't be beat for taste -- they're so nice and juicy! And right now they're in their peak!
亀清旅館のHPはこちらClick here for Kamesei Ryokan website





Tsuyoshiさんと満腹ランチ'Full Gut' Lunch w/ Tsuyoshi

August 24, 2008: Uncategorized

友達のTsuyoshiさんとお昼を食べました。亀清から車で10分ぐらいの「ラフィーネ」でした。「満腹ランチ」をトライしました。次回は「大盛」をチャレンジしたいと思いました(笑)。
I went out for lunch today with my buddy Tsuyoshi. We had the 'Full Gut' Lunch at Italian restaurant Lafine (sp?). Next time I want to try the 'super-size' version. (Just kidding!)



戸倉にて、国道18号沿い


若若女将:将来は太鼓?Will Misaki Play Taiko in the Future?

August 23, 2008: Uncategorized

Little Drummer Misaki

若若女将の美咲ちゃんの最近の好きな遊びが亀清のロビーに太鼓をたたく事。意外に上手です。将来は地元の冠着太鼓に入るかな?

Our daughter Misaki's favorite things to play with now are the taiko drums in our lobby. She's got surprisingly good rhythm. Maybe someday whe will join our town's Kamuriki Taiko group.

亀清旅館のHPはこちらClick here for Kamesei Ryokan website





田毎の月はお昼にも綺麗!The Obasute Rice Paddies are Beautiful in the daytime, too!

August 22, 2008: Uncategorized

姨捨駅までお客さんにお迎えに行きました。そのまま、姨捨の棚田(田毎の月で有名な棚田)を通りました。いつも、夜の姨捨夜景・伝説ツアーとして行っていますが、久しぶりのお昼の棚田でした。お米がだんだんと伸びていますのでその真緑の色がうんと綺麗でした。
I had to pick up some guests at Obasute Station today, and on the way back to Kamesei I took them for a drive through the Obasute 'Tagoto-no-tsuki' terraced rice paddies. I usually pass through them as part of our Obasute Night View tour, so it was nice to see them during the day for a change. And how beautiful they were, with their rich green color.