ピンクの時期 Pink Season

April 12, 2008: 温泉タウン戸倉上山田 Onsen Town Togura-Kamiyamada

亀清旅館の裏の中央公園の桜がほぼ満開

信州って、主には2シーズン:グリーンとホワイトです。しかし、雪が解けてから新緑が入るまでの間がどちらかというと、ブラウンになってしまいます。そのしかし、グリーンが始まる直前に、一時的にピンクになります。梅に杏に桜に桃に。戸倉上山田温泉のあちらこちらがピンクの花びらできれいになりました。
Nagano has 2 main seasons: Green and White. But after the snow melts, and before the spring leaves start to grow, it ends up being pretty Brown. However, just before the Green season starts, we have a brief Pink season thanks to the flowering trees blooming -- plum, apricot, cherry, peach, etc. Around our onsen town, there are spots of pink all over the place.



桜のようこそ


新戸倉のサッカー場もさくら


Olympics, Dalai Lama, and Hooligans北京五輪とダライ・ラマとフーリガン

April 11, 2008: 温泉タウン戸倉上山田 Onsen Town Togura-Kamiyamada

Free Speech for Tibet

The Olympic Torch Relay is scheduled to come to Nagano on Saturday April 26th. If I can wiggle out of a ryokan assoc. meeting that morning, I want to take my sons and go cheer on the torch. Of course, I will also take a Tibet flag in honor of the Dalai Lama and his peace movement. He touched down in Narita on his way to my hometown of Seattle, and commented that he supports the Beijing Olympics, but also supports Freedom of Speech for Tibet. Meanwhile, today's Yomiuri newspaper headline talks about the Japanese Government using anti-Hooligan laws to keep out torch protestors. Should we be worried about Freedom of Speech in Japan as well?
4月26市に五輪聖火が長野に来る予定。息子達を連れて、応援しに行く計画を立ている。チベットの旗を持って。ダライラマが成田経由で私の地元のシアトルに行きまして、「北京五輪を支持するが、チベットの為に言論の自由も」と仰ったそうです。賛成です。差し当たっては、今日の読売新聞の大見出しによると、聖火抗議者の入国を断る為にフーリガン法を使うそうです。日本での言論の自由が心配!
注:北京五輪聖火リレー/長野のHPのリンクの為にタイトルをクリック





Challenging Cameron

April 10, 2008: 季節 Seasons

Dropping Cameron off at Togura Station

We had the pleasure of having Cameron from Australia as our guest for 3 nights. I usually don't blog about guests, but Cameron stands out. He certainly kept us on our toes with his numerous tricky requests, but fascinated us with talk of his work on the UN Draft on Torture. Keep up the good work!

Cameronさんはオーストラリアから来まして、3泊もしてくれました。普段はブログに宿泊客の事あまり載せないけれども、Cameronさんは特別です。国連の拷問に対する文書を書いた人です。





戸倉上山田温泉の周辺にも杏!Apricot Blossoms near Togura Kamiyamada Onsen, too!

April 9, 2008: その他 Miscellaneous

Anzu now blooming in Togura Kamiyamada

千曲市の杏の里が杏で有名ですが、実は戸倉上山田温泉から歩いて5分のところにも杏の山地があります。千曲川沿いという綺麗な場所で、その独特な可愛い色だ咲いてきています。ここの杏も今週の土曜日12日辺りが満開ではないかと思います。この時期は花見の楽しみが沢山あります!
The apricot blossoms at Anzu no Sato across town are famous, but here at Togura Kamesei Ryokan we have lots of trees, too. And the setting along the Chikuma River with the mountains in the background is spectacular.





千葉から杏の里に From Chiba for the Apricot Blossoms

April 8, 2008: 温泉タウン戸倉上山田 Onsen Town Togura-Kamiyamada

Yoga & Anzu

千葉間からこのヨガのグループがあんずの里を見に来ました。今朝は天気は雨だったけれども、遠くから態々来ましたので私が連れて行きました。一昨日に見た時より多少咲いていました。週末(12日当り)が満開ではないか。
This group of yoga practioners came all the way from Chiba Prefecture to see the apricot blossoms. So even though it was raining, I drove them to Anzu no Sato (Apricot Homeland) to see them. The blossoms were coming out a bit more than when I saw them 2 days ago. I think the peak will be this weekend, around Saturday the 12th.
亀清旅館のHPはこちらClick here for Kamesei Ryokan webiste.



雨のあんず


Kamesei Ryokan Turned into a Ninjutsu Dojo亀清旅館が忍術道場に?

April 8, 2008: 季節 Seasons

Learning Ninjutsu

Thanks to the inspiration of a Ms. Wain and her beau from Denmark, Kamesei Ryokan's lobby turned into a ninja dojo this afternoon. They had mentioned wanting to go to see Togakushi's ninjas, and were disppointed when I told them they were still closed for the winter. But then I remembered that I had met a real-life Togakushi-School ninja last month. I gave him a call, and Miyashita-sensei came and taught an authentic ninja lesson for us. You, too, can train with him -- just contact us and we'll set it up!
デンマークから来た二人は忍者に興味があった。私が最近に知り合った戸隠流忍者の宮下先生を呼んでみました。亀清のロビーでお出かけ忍者体験コースをやってくれました。本格的で感動しました!興味のある方はどうぞ、ご連絡を下さい。



Spritually centering ourselves


Learning the characteristics of the ninja katana


the real deal


Bettina was ready with her ninja socks (?)


杏の里、咲き始めた 'Anzu-no-sato' Apricot Blossoms starting to bloom

April 6, 2008: 温泉タウン戸倉上山田 Onsen Town Togura-Kamiyamada

亀清旅館の若女将とあんず

今日は春らしい日で家族を連れて、杏の里にお出かけしました。(亀清旅館から車で約25分)莟が咲き始めたばかりの状態。信州の春の暖かい風とあんず味のアイスで幸せ!
Today was a warm spring day, so we took the family to 'Anzu-no-sato' (Apricot Homeland), approx. 25 minutes by car from Kamesei Ryokan. We enjoyed the gentle spring Nagano breeze and the apricot-flavored soft ice cream, but the apricot blossoms themselves were still mostly just buds.



杏の里にこのでかいケヤキも


Piggy Bank Museum Grand Opening貯金箱博物館オーペン

April 5, 2008: 亀清旅館 Kamesei Ryokan

にしざわ貯金箱かん 4月1日にオーペン

A guy in our town, Nishizawa-san, collects piggy banks. Lots of them. In fact, his collection is the 2nd largest in all Japan, private or public. So what do you with all of those piggies? Well, build a museum, of course. Introducing the Nishizawa Chokinbako Kan (Piggy Bank Hall). Even if you you don't share an interest in the banks, the variety of the collection makes it an insight into Japanese culture. Located 5 minutes on foot from Kamesei.
近状の方、西沢さん、が貯金箱を集めている。沢山。日本2の数だそうです。全部を展示する為に、博物館を態々作った。貯金箱はどうかと思っても、このバラエティーが日本の文化を代表して、面白い!亀清旅館から歩いて5分です。
電話番号:026-213-4612



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