Blog - Kamesei Ryokan (inn) in Togura-Kamiyamada Onsen, Nagano, Japan | Hosted by an American Innkeeper

亀清旅館の紫陽花オンパレード Hydrangeas on parade at Kamesei Ryokan

July 5, 2012: 青い目のおもてなし This American’s Omotenashi

春先の代表の花は櫻の様に、
梅雨の代表の花は紫陽花だと、
日本に来てうんと感じていますが、如何ですか？

亀清旅館のそれぞれの庭にいろんな種類のアジサイが咲いています。昔からのと、庭師の岡田さんが選んで植えたの、両方が今、見頃です。

一部を紹介します。

As cherry blossoms represent the start of spring,
Hydrangeas are the representative flower for Japan's rainy season,
or so I have felt ever since moving to Japan.

Here in Kamesei Ryokan's many gardens, we have a plethora of varieties of hydrangeas in bloom right now. Some have been here since the gardens were originally installed, and some are recent additions by are gardener, Okada-san.

I would like to introduce a few.

客室「末広」の前の坪庭にこの芸術的な赤とピンクのアジサイ。
In the pocket garden in front of guestroom "Suehiro", this artistic red and pink hydrangea.

「千歳」の前の坪庭に真っ白の「アンアベル」。廊下を超えて反対側の坪庭にも続いている。

In the pocket garden in front of "Chitose", these creamy white "Annabelle" hydrangeas. They are repeated in the garden on the other side of the walkway, too.

渡り廊下の横に青い系と赤い系の紫のアジサイ。

Reddish and Blueish-purple hydrangeas next to the watari-roka passageway.

中庭の池の隣に深い青い色の紫陽花。

Deep blue hydrangeas next to the koi pond in our naka-niwa (central garden)

中庭にこんな芸術的な紫のアジサイ。

Also in the naka-niwa central garden, these artistic purple hydrangeas.

客室の前に切り取ったアジサイの生け花。

Hydrangea cut-flowers displayed ikebana-style in front of one of the guestrooms.

非日常的な作業:　忍者道場作り A bit unusual of a job: Building a Ninja Dojo

July 4, 2012: 青い目のおもてなし This American’s Omotenashi

Ninja carpenters

先日はスイスからのお客様とオーストリアから遊びに来ているシリアを連れて、長野市へお出かけしました。

善光寺参りの為？
お洒落の大門でお買い物？

いいえ、忍者の道場作り。

ちょっと非日常的な作業だった。戸隠れ道忍術を教えている仲間がお稽古の為に今までいつも公民館を借りていたけど、善光寺の周辺の空き部屋活性化の方と連携を取って、江戸時代の土蔵とその隣の住宅を使うようになった。道場として使える前にリフォームが必要なので私も手伝っています。今回は数人を引っ張って大勢で作業しました。将来的に忍者屋敷や稽古体験とかも出来る様になる予定。

（多分、こういう忍者「遊び」を馬鹿にする方が多いだろうけど、一度は稽古を体験してみてください。骨が折れたら知らないよ！）

戸隠忍者・善光寺道場の新点をまたお知らせします。

The other day I took a guest from Switzerland and a buddy in visiting from Australia, and we headed up to Nagano City.

Not to go sightseeing at Zenkoji Temple.
And not to go shopping at the fashionable Daimon complex.

We went to work on a ninja dojo.

Not exactly an everyday activity, eh? One of my buddies carries on the Togakure-do school of ninjitsu and in fact teaches it on a regular basis. He had been renting a community center for the lessons, but teamed up with a group working on finding uses for the empty stores and buildings around Zenkoji, and he ended up getting to rent an Edo-era earthen-walled storehouse and the house next door. Before it can be used as a dojo, some serious remodelling has to take place, and that's where we came in!

There will eventually be enough room for a ninja-maze and ninja training sessions for tourists. I am helping out any and every way I can.

I am sure many of you are laughing at Tyler here playing 'ninja'. But before you laugh, try your hand at one of the ninja lessons. And don't come crying if you break a bone. It's the real deal.

Will keep you posted on the Togakushi Ninja Zenkoji Dojo progress.

亀清旅館の新しい貸切露天風呂「しなの風呂」の初夏 Kamesei's New Family Bath's 1st Summer

July 3, 2012: 青い目のおもてなし This American’s Omotenashi

幸せになる　亀清旅館の貸切露天風呂「しなの風呂」の初夏

去年の12月に亀清旅館の貸し切り露天風呂「しなの風呂」が完成した。庭師の岡田さんがその時に芸術的に庭を作ってくれたので、夏になると植物の皆が伸びて、木が緑になって、庭らしい庭になってきた。

しなの風呂の縁がヒノキで出来、周りのデッキも木造で、自然な材料が庭とちょうどいい合わせになっている。

上山田の温泉らしいお湯
ヒノキの香り、
爽やかな緑のお庭
好きな人と

貸切露天風呂「しなの風呂」の初夏

幸せになれ～

Kamesei Ryokan's private outdoor bath "Shinano-furo" was completed last December. At that time, our gardener Okada-san designed and built a lovely garden for the bath. Now, as the garden is experiencing its first summer, the tree leaves are filling out and the plants are growing; the garden is coming into full, vibrant form.

Shinano-buro's rim is made of 'hinoki' Japanese cypress, the most prized wood for onsen baths. Along with the wood deck, the natural materials complement the garden so well.

Kamiyamada's onsen water with the hearty sulfur fragrance and soft feel to the skin,
The heady aroma of the hinoki wood of the bath,
The lush garden full of natural energy,
and a private bath with that special person.

Come and enjoy Kamesei's 'Shinano-buro' private outdoor bath as it celebrates its first summer.

亀清旅館 Kamesei Ryokan

庭の花マップも Flower Map for the Garden

八方尾根トレッキングと高山植物 Happoone Hiking and Alpine Wildflowers

July 2, 2012: 上山田お神楽 Kamiyamada Lion Dance

Happoone Trekking Path

先日は八方尾根開発のお蔭で、八方尾根温泉そして八方尾根トレッキングの体験が出来ました。
私が白馬に行った日の天気が良かったので、ゴンドラとリフトに乗って1830mの八方池山荘まで行って、そこから約1時間トレッキングして八方池まで登りました。

伝説の八方池は2050mの標高で、雄大な3000m近くの白馬連邦が池の表面に移って、東は白馬村から遠くは浅間山までのパノラマ景色、足元に高山植物があって、本当にアルプスの大自然パラダイス。

私が行った日は八方池がまだ雪で被されていて、白馬連邦は雲の中で隠れていた。しかし、真夏の天気の良い日でその白馬連邦が池の写って、きっと夢の様な景色だろう。

亀清旅館から車で約1時間15分、そしてゴンドラ・リフトで約20分：　いきなりアルプスの高山メッカにいられる。

この夏は天気の良い日で長野の山の大自然の楽しんでみては？

The Happoone Development Company treated me to a trekking tour of Mt. Happoone the other day. I met Sejima-san and Nalini-san at one of the Happoone Onsen bathhouses in Hakuba Village's Happoone district. One gondola and two ski lift rides later, we were at 1830-meter Happo-Ike Sanso (Happo Pond Mountain Hut). And after a strenuous 1-hour hike we reached the legendary Happo Pond.

At 2060 meters, Happo Pond literally feels like it is in the heavens. Surrounded by 3,000-meter peaks on one side, and panoramic views of the Hakuba basin and beyond on the other, with alpine wildflowers scattered around at your feet, Happo Pond makes for a blissful experience. Here you can really feel the power and breadth of nature.

The day we went, the pond was still covered with snow, and the Hakuba Mountain Range was playing hide-and-go-seek behind some clouds. But we got peak-a-boo views of the massive Hakuba mountains on the way, and could certainly get a sense of the grandeur Happo Pond must offer when its snow covering is gone and the mountains are reflected in its surface.

Hakuba is a convenient 1 hour 15 minute drive from Kamesei Ryokan / Togura-Kamiyamada Onsen. With the guilt-enducingly easy 20 minute ride on the gondola and ski lifts, you too can be in alpine heaven.

八方尾根開発 Happoone Development

Alpine wildflowers with the Hakuba Range in the background

The Hakuba Mountains Playing Peek-a-boo

Happo Ike (Pond) Cairn

Alpine pines in flower

Snow Patch Shapes in the Hakuba Mountains

Happoone Soul Food -- Ohyakkuri

トレッキング後、山を下りて八方尾根の中心街に戻って、昼ごはん八方田舎料理「おひょっくり」さんにお世話になりました。温泉のお湯でゆでたおうどんとぶっこみシチューのようなおひょっくりを頂きました。トレッキングの疲れを無事に取り返った。
After trekking Happoone Ridge, we came back down to the Happo district of central Hakuba for lunch. I was treated to a hearty meal at "Ohyokkuri". Udon noodles cooked in onsen water and a thick stew known here as ohyokkuri (the namesake of the restaurant) filled me up after that strenuous trekking.
おひょっくり Ohyokkuri

長野温泉トップ100：　大町温泉資料館 Nagano Onsen Top 100: Omachi Onsen Museum

July 1, 2012: 温泉タウン戸倉上山田 Onsen Town Togura-Kamiyamada

Onsen pipes on display at the Omachi Onsen Museum

先ほど紹介しました大町温泉郷の薬師の湯の中に温泉資料館があります。温泉の詳しい事に興味ある方にお勧め。温泉の配管、地質学、歴史などの展示があります。

上山田温泉の資料館の方が細かいし、場合によっては滝沢先生がいらっしゃって、案内して下さる。しかし、大町の温泉資料館は日本アルプスの温泉や大町温泉郷の特化した説明もある。

温泉ファンにたまらない。
（ただ、英語の説明文書があれば、嬉しかったのに…）

In the previous entry, I mentioned Yakushi-no-Yu in Omachi Onsen. One section of the bathhouse is an onsen museum. There are displays on onsen machinery, history, geology, etc.

I would say the onsen museum here in Togura-Kamiyamada Onsen has a more thorough display, but the one in Omachi has good details specific to Omachi Onsen and hot springs in the Japanese Alps.

It's a must-see for onsen geeks. (This geek just wishes there was more explanation in English...)

大町温泉資料館Omachi Onsen Museum

Onsens in the Japanese Alps

Onsen geology

Onsen History -- Samurai Warlord Shingen's 'secret' Onsens

Wooden onsen pipes

長野温泉トップ100：大町温泉郷 Nagano Onsen Top 100: Omachi Onsen

June 30, 2012: 亀清旅館 Kamesei Ryokan

私の長野県温泉巡りが続いています。今回は大町・白馬・小谷の温泉協会に呼ばれました。「欧米人が求めるおもてなし」と言うテーマの講演をさせて頂きました。

大町温泉郷は黒部ダム・アルペンルートに合わせて出来た割と新しい温泉郷です。最初の宿は1963年に出来、1971年のアルペンルートの全面開業に合わせて増えて、現在は宿が14件です。「自然発生」の普通な温泉地と違って、企画開発だった為1軒1軒の敷地面積が広くて良い（平均的に7000m2だそうです）。道も広いし、緑が多いし、お散歩や自転車則に最適。隣の鹿鳥川で遊べるし、雄大のアルプスを眺めれるし、自然と触れ合える場所。アルペンルートの長野玄関となっているけど、青木湖や安曇野、周辺に観光地が沢山ある。

大町のホテル・旅館14軒は様々の宿があります。11室のあずみ野河昌から170室の立山プリンスまで、高級の星野リゾート松延、カリスマ若女将が有名な旅館かしわ荘、ドイツアルプスの雰囲気の黒部観光ホテル、等など。日帰り施設の「薬師の湯」もある。

大町温泉郷のお湯は１０ｋｍ先の葛温泉からひぱっています。単純温泉（弱アルカリ性低張性高温泉）で源泉が66.3℃。

ここで紹介したいのはその薬師の湯と、私が今回にお世話になったホテル山田屋。

My 'research' of Nagano's top onsens recently took me to Omachi Onsen. The Omachi-Hakuba-Otari Onsen Association invited me to go and give a talk about what westerners expect when they come to Japan. I was happy to oblige but had an ulterior motive -- I wanted to find out more about Omachi Onsen.

Omachi Onsen is relatively new, having come into existence around the construction of the Kurobe Dam and the Tateyama Alpine Route in 1971. It's a planned onsen resort with spacious, wooded lots (average hotel lot size is 7000m2) and nice, wide lanes. Perfect for walking or cycling, with a tributary to the Takase River to play in and views of the grand Japanese Alps. Besides being the Nagano gateway to the Alpine Route, Omachi is also convenient to Aoki Lake and Azumino (famous for art museums and wasabi fields).

Omachi Onsen's 14 hotels offer a wide variety of accommodation. From 11-room boutique-like Azumino Kawasho to massive 170-room Tateyama Prince Hotel. In between is the posh Shoen (part of the Hoshino Resort chain), Ryokan Kashiwa-sou with the charismatic Sachie-san charming the guests, the German Alps-themed Kurobe Kanko Hotel, and more. There is also an onsen bathhouse for daytrippers, Yakushi-no-Yu.

The onsen water originates in Kuzu Onsen, 10km upstream where it comes out of the ground at 66.3C. The water is simple mineral water with low alkalidity and low osmotic pressure.

I'd like to introduce two of the onsen facilities, the daytrippers bathhouse Yakushi no Yu, and the ryokan where I stayed, Yamada-ya.

大町温泉郷Omachi Onsen

Yakushi no Yu entrance

湯けむり屋敷「薬師の湯」は大町温泉郷のメインの日帰り施設。浅野忠太半端の時間で行ったのに、かなり混んでいて、人気があるお風呂のようです。内風呂の一つは源泉かけ流しだが、低めな温度（水風呂？）だったせいか、皆が循環されていた方に入っていました。露天風呂は広くて良いけど、アルプスが見れたらなお良いと思いました。尚且つ、岩風呂もあったが、夏じゃないとお湯はいってないそうです。入れなくて残念だった。
Yakushi-no-Yu is Omachi Onsen's main bathhouse. I went during an off-peak time on a weekday morning, but there were still plenty of bathers. It's a popular bathhouse. One of the indoor baths is pure onsen water but the temperature was so low, nobody was bathing in it. Instead, everyone was in the larger indoor bath which is heated and recirculated. The outdoor bath was spacious but would have been more enjoyable if it had a view of the Alps. The outdoor bath made of river rocks is apparently only operating in the summer, so unfortunately I wasn't able to enjoy it.

薬師の湯Yakushi no Yu

Hotel Yamada-ya's Outdoor Bath

ホテル山田屋は大町温泉郷に入って最初の宿。大きい（51室）宿の割りに家庭的なサービス。お風呂は内風呂が快適で良いけど、私はやはり露天風呂が好き。
Hotel Yamada-ya's owners provide surprisingly friendly service considering its size (51 rooms). The indoor bath was nice and spacious but I always like outdoor baths more.

ホテル山田屋 Hotel Yamada-ya

ちなみに、講演の時に大町の市長とお会いしました。牛越さんご自身が弓道をやっているようで、大町の「流鏑馬」祭りがお勧めだそうです。役場と確認したら今年の流鏑馬イベントは7月22日で10時から大町駅から行列が出発して、若一王子神社での子供流鏑馬が15時ごろだそうです。
During my talk, I had the privelege of meeting the mayor of Omachi. It turns out Ushikoshi-san is an avid archery fan. I promised to put the word out about Omachi's upcoming horse-back archery event, Yabusame. Officially called the Omachi Nyakuichi-Oji Festival, the main event will take place on Sunday 22-July this year (2012) with a procession to start at Omachi Station around 10am, winding up at Nyakuichi Oji Shrine around 3pm for the childrens' archery demonstration.

大町流鏑馬サミット（日本語）
Omachi Yabusame (English -- translation by Yours Truly)

亀清旅館のおもてなし:　採りたての杏 Fresh Picked Apricots for our Guests

June 29, 2012: 季節 Seasons

戸倉上山田の採りたて杏：　ご自由にどうぞ。

亀清旅館のお客様の為のおもてなし。ここでしか食べれない味、この時期でしか体験できない尼酸っぱさ。

亀清旅館から、ご自由にどうぞ。

Fresh picked Togura Kamiyamada apricots, "Help Yourself".

We at Kamesei Ryokan are offering our local apricots free for our guests. Come taste these tart tangy apricots and enjoy the flavor of the season.

Free, here at Kamesei Ryokan.

亀清旅館がＪＡＬに乗り（載り？） Kamesei Ryokan on Japan Airline

June 28, 2012: グルメFoodie

ＪＡＬの機内雑誌「Ｓｋｙｗａｒｄ」の７月号は「ごはんのおかず：長野のまぁーず」と言う記事で長野県旅館組合青年部の発展しているまぁーずが紹介されています。

長野県は日本の中でも長寿県と言われている。その秘密は恐らく発酵食品からである：信州味噌、野沢菜が代表漬物、地酒など。まぁーずはその３つの組み合わせ：お味噌と漬物と酒粕。トリプル長寿！

戸倉上山田温泉の中でまぁーずを積極的に取り組んでいる宿は今回のＪＡＬの記事で紹介されています。その１つは我がけ目清旅館のＣｈｅｆ武井のまぁーず信州サーモンの一品。

今回は長野のまぁーずがＪＡＬの機内雑誌に載りました。今度は機内食になったらもっとすごいよね。

それまでに、どうぞ、まぁーずを亀清旅館に食べにお越しください。

Japan Airlines' in-flight magazine "Skyward" has an article on Mahz, the new seasoning that the Nagano Ryokan Junior Association is developing.

Japan as a whole has a long average life expectancy. Within Japan, Nagano Prefecture's life expectancy average is especially long. Research into the reason points to a high presence of fermented foods in the diet of people living in Nagano. For example, miso, pickled vegetables and sake.

The Ryokan Junior Assoc. has taken those 3 -- miso, 'tsukemono' pickled vegetables, and sake lees -- and combined them into a unique seasoning dubbed 'Mahz'. JAL's magazine featured this Mahz in their series highlighting different regional cuisine in Japan. 3 inns here in our onsen town were mentioned in the article. Kamesei Ryokan's Chef Takei and his Shinshu (Nagano) Salmon Mahz was one of the dishes to be featured.

Maybe someday Mahz will not only be in JAL's inflight magazine, but in their inflight menu, too!

Until then, come to Kamesei Ryokan to try Mahz!

JAL Skyward

県旅館組合のインバウンド商談会　成功に All-Nagano Ryokan Assoc. Inbound Conference a Success

June 27, 2012: 亀清旅館 Kamesei Ryokan

Inbound Conference in Matsumoto

亀清旅館の布団引き屋でいながら、この２年間で長野県旅館組合青年部インバウンド委員会の委員長も務めております。

その運動として、
去年は渋湯田中温泉で「インバウンドアレルギーを解きましょう！」パネルディスカッションを開いて、外国人観光客を積極的に受けている現場にいる４人の事例でまだ「インバウンド」に足して不安のある宿の経営者がちょっとでもその不安を取り消すとの目的。
そして、松本で「インバウンドで売り上げアップ！」インバウンド商談会を開催しました。６月２５日に松本で行われた。私がインバウンド送客業者１２社を呼んで、旅館ホテル約６０社が集まって、実際に海外からの予約とつなぐ道具を提供した。

長野県の旅館・ホテルの皆さんはインバウンドのアレルギーをちゃんと溶けて、そして実際に受ける様の取り組むまでになって、皆が積極的です。有難い限り。

既に「次も期待しているよ」と言われています。これからも頑張ります！

Besides just being the official futon-flipper here at Kamesei Ryokan, I am also the chairperson of the Nagano Prefecture Ryokan-Hotel Association's Junior Association Inbound Committee. During my 2 year term,

The first year I held a panel discussion in Shibu-Yudanaka Onsen. The panelists were 4 innkeepers actively pursuing customers from overseas. Many innkeepers have concerns about accepting foreigners into their inns, so through this conference we successfully allayed those worries.

For the 2nd year, I organized gathered representatives from 12 companies dealing with bookings from overseas travellers, like Expedia.com, booking.com, the Japanese Inn Group, etc. Over 60 hotels and inn owners gathered for the conference held in Matsumoto on 25-June.

These two events were a great success. Many participants are already asking me what's next!

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