亀清旅館のそれぞれの庭につつじが沢山咲いています。梅雨のグレーな日につつじの色が明るくて良いけれど、今日みたいな晴れている日につつじの色が特に明るいです。中庭にも、渡り廊下の横の庭にも、あちらこちらにつつじ！
All throughout Kamesei's gardens, azaleas are in bloom. Their flowers' colors are nice and bright during the grey days this time of year (monsoon season). But on a sunny day like this, the azalea flowers are particularly brilliant.
中庭のつつじ
渡り廊下のつつじ
亀清旅館の露天風呂の庭が深緑で青々・生き々してきました。やぐらとの合わせで上から取った写真です。
Kamesei's outdoor bath's garden has entered its deep green stage, and is fully leafed and and full of natural energy. Here is a picture of the bath with the garden and the 'yagura' hot spring well derrick, taken from above.
亀清旅館のＨＰはこちらClick here for Kamesei Ryokan website
Guests joining in the dancing
ミシュランの編集の方に戸倉上山田温泉の芸者の件、もう１つ聞かれたのは宴会の時に何が行うのかと。下記のように返事しました。
The Michelin editor asked a 2nd question: What takes place at a banquet with Geisha. Following is the response I prepared:
*What kind of entertainment do Geisha provide at banquets?
Traditional Song and Dance: Usually the Geisha begin their entertainment with songs performed on the banquet room’s stage. There will typically be three ladies: one playing the shamisen and singing, one playing the taiko drums, and one dancing. They generally play two or three songs, such as ‘Chikuma Ko-Uta’, a collection of short songs about the Chikuma River which runs through the middle of our onsen. The flow of the river is poetically linked to love and romance in the lyrics of the songs. Another song is ‘Kapore’, which is an energetic song that raises the spirits of the audience.
Entertaining Conversation: After performing a few songs, the Geisha will then move around the room making conversation with and pouring beer for the guests. At these banquets, the guests are seated on the tatami mat floor and have individual tables called ‘o-zen’. The o-zen are often arranged in a u-shape with everyone facing the center. The Geisha would be in the center and greet each guest one-by-one, top off his glass of beer and make fun, facetious conversation.
Parlor Games: Depending on how the banquet progresses, sometimes the Geisha will engage in parlor games with the guests. The games are often set to shamisen and song. One typical game is a version of rock-paper-scissors with an Oba (grandmother), Tora (tiger) and rifleman. The Rifleman beats the tiger but is subservient to the Oba. The tiger in turn can eat the Oba. In this game, the loser has to drink a glass of beer. Another game is ‘Hide the Flower’ with the Geisha hiding a flower decoration under one of three tea cups and the guest has to guess which cup. Whoever loses has to drink more beer.
In short, if you arrange for a Geisha to come to a banquet, you can expect to be enjoy their traditional song and dance and to be entertained with their charming conversation and fun drinking games, creating a relaxing, pleasurable atmosphere for you and your fellow guests.
Fun conversation with a Geisha
Enjoying Geisha parlor games
蓮で関心
戸倉上山田温泉の上の善光寺別院のお寺さんの池のスイレンが綺麗に咲いています。お坊さんに「なぜお寺にスイレンが多いか」と聞いたら、綺麗な蓮が汚れている水から出る様に、私達の心も日々の世の中の問題から綺麗にすることを表せているそうです。なるほど！
The Buddhist Temple above our town, Togura Kamiyamada Onsen, has a small pond with water lilies that are in bloom now. I asked a monk why so many temples have water lillies. He said that a pure water lily blooming out of the murky pond water is a symbol of how our hearts should be pure despite the doom and gloom of the world around us. That makes me appreciate the beauty of the water lily even more!
亀清旅館のＨＰはこちらClick here for Kamesei Ryokan website
2007年度のインバウンドの人数が発表されました。長野の数字は下記です。
長野県 266,260人（人泊） 全国シェア1.22% (15位）
内台湾116,020人(1位),韓国29,840人(2位),中国19,530人(3)
スキー関係でオーストラリア人がもっと多かったと思いましたが、黒部アルペンルートと上高地のトレッキングの影響が大きいそうです。亀清旅館の人数は５月日のブログにて。
The numbers of foreign travellers to Japan in 2007 have been released. Nagano's figures are:
266,260 bed nights, 1.22% of Japan's total (15th place)
Of which, 266,260 were Taiwanese, 29,840 were Korean, and 19,530 were Chinese.
I had assumed there were more Australians due to all the skiers at Hakuba, et al, but apparently the Kurobe Alpen Route and trekking in Kamikochi were big draws.
(Figures courtesy of The Travel News 10-June Issue, page 12. Thanks to staff writer Abe-san. Check out his side biz, bicycle tours in Tokyo, here.)
講師：me
山ノ内町に呼ばれて、観光連盟の総会で講演をいたしました。お猿の温泉のお陰で外国の観光客、特に欧米人、はどういうおもてなしを求めているかとの話でした。この町は観光に対してどれだけ進んでいるか、驚きました。逆に色々と勉強になりました。有難うございました。
Yamanouchi Town invited me to give a speech at their Tourism Bureau Annual Meeting. This town is home to the Snow Monkeys of Jigokudani, which attracts many foreign travelers. My talk was on what these foreigners are expecting when they come to Japan. I was surprised to find out how advanced their Tourism Bureau was, and ended up learning more than I was able to provide them!
弓道＠魚敏旅館
講演をする為に山の内町に呼んで頂きましたが、実は裏の目的もあった：渋湯田中温泉を亀清旅館のお客さんに案内できるように勉強したかったというのもありました。
最初は北信州のバウンドのＰｉｏｎｅｅｒの宮坂様の魚敏旅館でした。その弓道の道場を見せて頂いた。入り方は床の間などを認識しながら入る事を聞いて、欧米では自分の事ばかり考えて、周りを認識しないくせがあると思い付いた。宮坂先生に３０歳を超えてからじゃないとその事の関心が出来ないと言われました。すごい！やはり日本の文化・物の見方が深い！
そして、湯田中の温泉街を始めて歩いて、朝市の家やギャラリー等があって、驚きました。戸倉上山田温泉のまねすべきなことばかり！次の日は平和公園に行って、遠くまで響く鐘を鳴らした。
渋湯田中が信州の宝物だとすごく思いました。
I managed to get myself invited to Yamanouchi Town to give a talk, but actually I had somewhat of an ulterior motive: to learn more about Shibu-Yudanaka to be able to give travel advice to our guests at Kamesei Ryokan.
I first stopped at the inn of Miyasaka-san, the pioneer of 'inbound' tourism in this corner of Nagano. He showed me his archery 'dojo' at Uotoshi Ryokan, and explained how even the way to enter it is dictated by the position of the toko-no-ma, etc. It made me realize how us Westerners tend to be so self-centered and out of touch with our surroundings. Japanese traditional culture is so attuned with nature and what's going on around us -- very impressive!
I also got to walk around Yudanaka Onsen for the first time, and was encouraged to see a permanent stand for their morning farmers markets and an open gallery. These are things that Togura Kamiyamada Onsen should try to accomplish, too! The next day I got to go to the World Peace Memorial and rang the bell -- it reverbrated up and down the entire valley!
Shibu-Yudanaka is a true gem of Nagano.
Uotoshi Ryokan: www.avis.ne.jp/~miyasaka/index-e.html
Seifuso Gallery: www1.ocn.ne.jp/~seifuso
Kamesei Ryokan: www.kamesei.jp
New old Panorama Train to Yudanaka
Morning Farmers Market
Yudanaka Gallery
週間エコノミストの６月１０日のＩｓｓｕｅの９５ページに亀清旅館の紹介の記事があります。近くの本屋さんでどうぞ！全国的な取材で初めてです。（鎌田さん、取材を有難うございました。）
The issue of 'Shukan Ekonomisuto' (Economist Weekly) that came out today features an article on Kamesei Ryokan on page 95. Pick up a copy at newstand today!
This is our first publicity article by nation-wide media, so we are excited.
亀清旅館のＨＰはこちらClick here for Kamesei Ryokan's website
千曲川のつけば・川の家に寄ってみました。鮠の時期が終わりかけですが、お釣りの皆さんは鮎の解禁を楽しみにしています。６月２０日の予定です。亀清旅館ではうちの板長がそれに合わせて鮎塩焼きもそのごろにスタート！お楽しみに！
Yesterday we went down to one of the fishing shacks on the Chikuma River. The Haya season is apparently finishing up, and the fishermen are looking forward to the start of the Ayu season, which is scheduled for June 20th this year. Our chef will start a special Ayu dish then, too.
ラベンダーと戸倉上山田温泉
戸倉上山田温泉から歩いて２０分で千曲川の側にこんなに綺麗なラベンダー畑があります。今日は子供達と自転車で行きました。ラベンダー狩りがじゆに出来るところです。ラベンダーはなんとなく信州の自然、この戸倉上山だの山と川の景色に合います。
In a spot along the Chikuma River about 20 minutes on foot from Togura Kamiyamada Onsen are these beautiful lavender fields. The kids and I rode our bicycles down to see them. The city lets people pick the lavender to decorate at their homes. The soft purple waves of lavender blooms somehow match the natural beauty of Nagano and the river and mountain setting of our onsen town.
ラベンダーと美咲ちゃん
