人参の鼻もアメリカ風
亀清旅館の玄関に我が息子がこのかわいいらしい雪だるまを作りました。旅館らしい雪だるまで宿の挨拶のカードを持っている。そして、良く見てください：雪の珠は３つある。これはアメリカ風です。足と体と頭です。何で日本の雪だるまは足が無いかといつも思っていました。:)
At the entrance to Kamesei Ryokan, our son built this cute little snowman, complete with a sign welcoming guests to our inn. Please note the bucket hat -- snowmen in Japan wear plastic buckets on their heads (presumably to keep the snow off?).
亀清旅館のHPはこちらClick here for Kamesei Ryokan website
雪景色の中庭
今回の雪がこの冬で一番積もりました。行きかけは何度もやっていますが、直ぐにまた白くなってしまいます。が、その代わり、亀清の中庭が雪景色でとっても綺麗！
This snowfall is the biggest one we've had so far this winter. I've shoveled snow so many times, but it just turns white right away again. The good news is the fresh snow has made our naka-niwa garden a beauty!
ぽかぽか北山さん
遠い親戚の北山さんがどう九回で亀清をご利用していただきました。この青い目の若旦那の手作りの露天風呂に早速チャレンジしました。周りは大雪でしたが、北山さんがぽかぽか！
A distant relative, Kitayama-san, held his class reunion here at Kamesei. Right away, he took a soak in the outdoor bath I made last summer. It was snow all around, but Kitayama-san was nice and warm in the bath.
亀清旅館のHPはこちらClick here for Kamesei Ryokan website
千曲国際交流教会（この青い目の若旦那もメンバー）が３月２２日（土）に１つじゃなくて、２つな注目イベントを予定しています。
１．イースターエッグフェスティバルIII
２．アルドウデビトさんの講演
詳しくは下記のチラシです。
On Saturday March 22nd, the Chikuma Int'l Exchange Assoc. will hold not one, but two 'Hot' events. (I am proud to be the p.i.c. for both!)
1. Easter Egg Festival in Togura Kamiyamada Onsen III, starting at 1:30pm at the fountain park along Chikuma River in front of the onsen town.
2. A talk on prejudice in Japan by Arudou Debito, starting at 10:30am here at Kamesei. See the brochures below.
イースターのちらし
デビトさんのお話
ホットアップルサイダーを召し上がれ
お客様のご来館のために、亀清のロビーの薪ストーブでアップルサイダーを暖めました。ロビー中がりんごとシナモンの香しました。外は雪、中は暖かいサイダー！
The lovely scent of apples and cinnamon greeted our guests this evening, as we warmed up some hot apple cider on the wood burning stove in Kamesei's lobby. As it snowed outside, we had a warm fire going and a warm cider to drink.
亀清旅館のHPはこちらClick here for Kamesei Ryokan website
縄文アクセソリー Jomon Accessories
我が息子と友達を連れて、さらしな古代体験公園に行ってきました。縄文時代のこの飾りを皆で作りました。亀清旅館から車で約１０分のところで、縄文の生活や文化を体験できる施設です。子供さん達が喜ばれます！
Just 10 minutes by car from our inn is this Sarashina Ancient Experience Park, where you can experience the culture and lifestyle of the Jomon Era, approx. 1600 years ago. Our son and his friends made these stone decorations. Kids love this park!
白藤のでかい鍋 Huge 'Nabe' at Shirafuji
戸倉上山田温泉の白藤と言う食堂に昼食しました。うどん鍋を注文したら、こんなに大きい鍋で着ました。驚きました！温泉で亀清から歩いて行ける範囲で沢山の面白いレストランがあります！
Today for lunch, we went to 'Shirafuji', a little shop in our onsen town. I ordered the 'Nabe Udon', and was surprised by how huge the pot was! We are fortunate to have lots of interesting restaurants here in Togura Kamiyamada, all within easy walking distance of Kamesei Ryokan.
亀清旅館のHPはこちらClick here for Kamesei Ryokan website.
亀清旅館の大女将と若若女将とお客様の清水様と近状のおばさんとのワンちゃんが宿の前で集まっています。亀清の朝の一時。
Kamesei's Okami (proprietress) and Waka-Waka (young-young) Okami, with our guest Shimizu-san, and a neighbor lady and her dog gathering in front of our inn. A Kamesei morning moment.
Fresh snow on our outdoor bath
夕べは雪が降っていていましたので、私が作った露天風呂に入りました。暖かくて気持ち良い上山田温泉のお湯に入りながら、雪が顔にちらちらと降りました。是が日本の温泉文化だなと思いました。
今朝に起きたら、雪の降った後の露天風呂の写真を撮りました。
It snowed last night, and I took a bath in our 'rotenburo' outdoor bath that I hand-made. While soaking in the warm and relaxing Kamiyamada Onsen mineral water, the snow flakes gently fell on my face. This is Japan's onsen culture!
This morning when I woke up, I took this picture of the bath with the freshly fallen snow.
亀清旅館のHPはこちらClick here for Kamesei Ryokan website.
デビトさんの講演
On Friday evening, March 21st, Kamesei Ryokan will be pleased to host 'An Evening with Arudou Debito'. This is the man who gained notoriety for taking a bathhouse in Otaru to court for its racially discriminating 'Japanese Only' policy. He is the author of several books, and a regular contributor to the Japan Times (from where I got to be familiar with him). Debito-san will tour around Japan promoting his new book, 'Handbook for Immigrants to Japan', and has kindly agreed to come here to Nagano. Details as per the brochure to the left.
