Blog

Charity Evenｔ　Poster

今年のゴールデンウィークは戸倉上山田温泉でお越しになるお客様の為にチャリティーイベントが開催されます。旧上山田町の姉妹都市、津波被害された岩手県の山田町の支援の為のチャリティー。イベントは戸倉上山田温泉のカラコロ足湯の公園の舞台で行います。（雨の場合は観光会館）　夜の8時から。

5月2日（水）は冠着太鼓とかっぽれ
5月3日（木）は湯上がれ美女連と、私が入っている上山田神楽保存会の獅子舞　（私が横笛を吹きます。）
5月4，5日（金・土）は地元のフォルク音楽の「棚田バンド」

今年のゴールデンウィークの戸倉上山田温泉で楽しい思い出ができそう！

This year, once again our onsen town Togura-Kamiyamada will present a series of charity concerts and performances during the Golden Week Holiday. Visitors for the holiday will be able to help support Kamiyamada's sister town, tsunami-stricken Yamada Town in Iwate Prefecture. The events will take place at the stage by the Kara-Koro footbath. (If rain, then at the Tourism Hall instead.) Starting time is 8pm.

May 2nd (Wed) Kamuriki Taiko drums and Kappore dancing
May 3rd (Thurs) 'Yu-agari Bijoren' Ladies Dance Troupe and the Kamiyamada Lion Dance troupe of which I'm a member (I'll be playing the flute.)
May 4th and 5th (Fri & Sat) local folk musicians the "Tanada Band"

This Golden Week, visitors to Togura-Kamiyamada Onsen will get to enjoy some great entertainment!

Aoyagi Sweets Shop

この戸倉上山田温泉の戸倉徳間地区に２つな専門店があります：千曲農産加工と御菓子司青柳。両方に初めて寄ってみましたので、その写真を提供します。

＊手造り和菓子専門店「青柳」。
地元の杏や胡桃を使ったスィーツを一つ一つ手で造っています。代表的なのは「さんちょ」だそうです。当社のHPによると、高級和三盆糖と山中（さんちょ）で採れる千曲市産胡桃や山芋を原料とした、口溶けの良い創作和菓子だそうです。
第二十五回全国菓子大博覧会で茶道家元賞を受賞も。
最近はもう一品が話題となってきた：杏の柏餅。

亀清旅館での海外からのお客様の中で、なぜか特にシンガポールのお客様は和菓子に興味を持つ方が多い。これからは青柳さんを紹介します。

＊千曲農産加工
元々は地元の農家さん達の育ったそば実をそば粉にする加工屋さんだったそうです。現在はお土産用の信州そば、生蕎麦、生うどん、味噌、醤油等の生産がメインです。地元のお土産屋さんや売店で販売されていますし、通販などで直接買う事も可能です。

Near our onsen town Togura-Kamiyamada in Togura's Tokuma district are 2 specialty shops that I just recently first visited:

Japanese Sweets Aoyagi
Tea sweets featuring locally grown apricots, walnuts, etc., each and every piece made by hand by a professional patisserie. Their most famous item is called "Sancho" -- little drops of walnut and 'yamaimo' yam that melt in your mouth. Their new Anzu Kashiwa Mochi (real apricot fruit in mochi rice, wrapped in kashiwa leaves) are gaining media attention lately.

Of our guests here at Kamesei Ryokan that come from overseas, for some reason quite a few ladies from Singapore have expressed interest in Japanese sweets. Now I know a new shop I can introduce.

*Chikuma Nousan
In the past, many local people grew their own soba (buckwheat). They would take it to Chikuma Nousan to be processed into flour to be used in soba noodles. Nowadays, the focus is on producing their own line of both dried and fresh soba and udon noodles as well soy sauce and miso. Their products can be found in most local souvenir shops as well as through catalog ordering.

千曲農産Chikuma Nousan

和菓子青柳　Japanese Sweets Aoyagi

Aoyagi's Sweets Line-up (Note the patisserie chef in the background)

Chikuma Nousan's Line-up

Kodaira-san and Hideo-san

今年はまた戸倉上山田温泉から善光寺までの３０ｋｍのウォーキングイベントが開催されます。5月6日（日）に行い、約300人が参加する予定です。

私達戸倉上山田旅館青年部の主催です。先日は笠作り作業、今日はのぼりば他の設置。

ご一緒に歩きませんか？

This year's 'Pulled by an Ox to Zenkoji' walk will take place on Sunday 06-May. Approx. 300 people will walk the 30km from our onsen town, Togura-Kamiyamada to Zenkoji Temple in Nagano City in honor of the 'Pulled by an Ox' legend.

The event is put on by us, the Togura Kamiyamada Ryokan Junior Association members. Last week we worked on assembling the 'kasa' straw hats and today we put up the flags for the event.

Won't you come and walk with us?