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

杏狩りは？コネがいれば… Apricot Picking with the right connections

July 8, 2012: 季節 Seasons

長男Andy君が採りたての杏を

戸倉上山田温泉の近くの森「あんずの里」の杏生産が日本一である。杏狩りと杏ジャム作りは人気ある。人気があり過ぎて、杏狩りを提供している農家が早く終わってしまったそうです。（市の観光協会によると、7月5日が最後だった。）しかし、7月8日は私がアメリカから来たお客さんとうちの子供も連れて、杏狩りはちゃんとできた。ハーコットや日本の伝統的な種類、その農家の新しく作った種類、様々な杏を味わえた。

公式な杏狩りが終わったのに、どうして亀清旅館だけがお客さんに提供が出来ている？もっと近場の戸倉の若宮地区の農家、杏宝園と深い付き合いがあるから。杏宝園は千曲市の杏の認識度を高まりたいので、できる限りで杏狩りの楽しみをお客さんに提供している。

千曲川のソ側にある杏宝園の畑の杏狩りがまだまだ続いていますので、体験してみたい方は亀清旅館へのご連絡をどうぞ。採りたての杏の味は忘れられない。

Mori "Apricot Village", a 20 minute drive from our onsen town Togura-Kamiyamada, is Japan's largest producer of apricots. Picking apricots is a popular activity here this time of year. Actually, it's become a bit too popular -- our city's Tourism Association announced that the two orchards officially offering u-pick finished for the season on July 5th. Yet on Sunday July 8th, we here at Kamesei Ryokan took an American family that was staying with us to go pick apricots.

How can Kamesei provide apricot picking when the city cannot? We have a strong relationship with Kyohoen, an orchardist in Togura's Wakamiya district which is even closer, and Kyohoen is working hard to raise awareness of our areas apricots. So they provide u-picking to as many people as possible.

Our son Andy tagged along as we visited Kyohoen's orchard and tasted so many different varieties: Harcot, heritage varieties, even some new experimental varieties that Kyohoen is developing. Tasting an apricot picked right off the tree is an unforgettable experience.

If you want to try yourself, give us a call. Kyohoen's season is continuing for a little while longer.

杏宝園 Kyohoen

戸倉上山田通販カタログ試食会 Tasting Party for Togura-Kamiyamada's New Catalog

July 7, 2012: 温泉タウン戸倉上山田 Onsen Town Togura-Kamiyamada

Taste-testing Togura-Kamiyamada

戸倉上山田の新しい産直ギフト通販カタログの試食会は昨日、千曲市観光会館で行われた。当温泉の旅館の皆さんが集まって、カタログに載っている品物の味見が出来た。お客様にお勧めする中で、自分達でまず知らなければならないという事で、農家さんや職人の皆さんがそれぞれの品物を持って来てくれた。

地元の新聞やテレビ、ラジオの取材もあって、これからのお中元の時期に向かって地元の皆様にもこの新しいカタログの活躍が出来たら嬉しいと思っています。

戸倉上山田で沢山の良い品物が作られているのでこのカタログで紹介が出来て、良かったと思います。問い合わせがあれば、亀清旅館へどうぞ。

Togura-Kamiyamada's new Gift Catalog has been out for two weeks. The group behind the catalog, our Kara-koro civic improvement organization, held a tasting party yesterday so that staff members of our area's ryokans and hotels can be familiar with the products showcased in the catalog. Hopefully the hotel staff will now be able to better introduce the products to guests that come stay at our onsen.

Several local TV, radio and newspapers came and reported on the event. So hopefully local people will know about the new catalog and use it for the upcoming O-Chugen summer gift-giving season.

The members of the Kara-koro group and I worked hard to put the catalog together. I am excited that we are able to promote so many of the great products made here in Togura-Kamiyamada.

Togura-Kamiyamada's Fine Products

Featured in the Shinano Mainichi local daily newspaper

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)