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長野県旅館青年部の今年度の「ユニーク長野」企画で長野らしい体験を世界に発信する。その一つの体験：山菜狩り。

野沢温泉観光協会で山菜狩りツアーを提供しています。先日は私が参加してみました。ガイドの河野さんが親切に山菜狩りのテクニークを教えてくれた。どういう所でどういう山菜が目付けれるか、似ている植物の中でどれを食べられるかどれがお腹の中までかゆくするか、それぞれの山菜の調理仕方など、細かく説明してくれた。

人工的に育った山菜が最近に主流となったが、実際に山に入って、自分の手で自然の山菜を採って見たら、どれだけ貴重な物か分かります。

山菜の世界は奥深い。山菜の種類や調理（袴剥き、あく抜き等）、ガイドの河野さんのお話しを聞いて、感心しました。

山菜狩りは恐らく日本全国であるだろうけど、信州の雄大の山々は山菜狩りのメッカです。こういう長野らしい体験を「ユニーク長野」企画で全世界お伝えしたい。

野沢温泉観光協会
山菜狩りツアー
5月13日ー6月16日（天候・気象状況によって変更有り）
予約：　必要　（〆切3日前まで）
時間：　3時間
料金：　2300円
集合場所：　野沢温泉ビジターセンター
集合時間：　09:00又は13:00
持ち物：　丈夫なズボン、長袖、歩きやすい靴、飲み物
参加人数：　2名～30名
備考：　こごみ、千枚、根曲がり竹の筍等等の春の恵み・山菜を狩りながら高原を散策する。ガイド付き。

他の山の幸ツアー：
☆筍狩り＆トレッキング　（北信の代表の根曲がり竹）　6月17日～7月8日　09:30～　3時間半　3300円
☆イワナのつかみ捕り　7月下旬～8月31日　20匹12000円～
☆野沢菜収穫体験　11月3日％�
☆旬きのこ狩り体験　10月上旬～11月下旬
☆秋の恵み探し体験　半日トレッキング　10月31日ごろ　木の実や茸
The Nagano Junior Ryokan Association's big project that I am working on is "Unique Nagano". We are hoping to share Nagano's many unique activities and experiences to the world. One example that I recently took part in: Sansai gathering.

The Nozawa Onsen Tourism Association offers guided sansai gathering tours. Literally 'mountain vegetables', "sansai" are edible plants that grow wild in the mountains. Traditionally, they are considered a spring delicacy. Lately, though, cultivated sansai that are available year-round are flooding the market. They can't beat the raw, wild bitter taste of real sansai picked in the wilderness.

Our guide on my recent trip to participate in the tour was Kawano-san, one of the employees of the tourism association. He graciously taught us the techniques to find sansai as well as how to tell the difference between edible plants and ones that would turn your insides tickly. Kawano-san also explained how each different type of sansai is prepared for cooking as well as common culinary uses.

The more we learned about sansai, the more we realized how vast the sansai world is: the breadth of variety, how some have to be blanched or soaked in wood ash to remove the bitterness, the delictable ways they can be cooked, and so on.

Sansai gathering takes place throughout Japan, but Nagano with its majestic mountains and deep affinity with sansai cuisine is like a mecca for sansai. Through the Unique Nagano project, we hope to make experiencing sansai gathering available to the world!

Nozawa Onsen Tourism Assoc.
Sansai Gathering Tour
From May 13th through May 16th (depending on weather)
Reservations: Must be made 3 or more days in advance
Time Required: 3 hours
Price: 2300 yen per person
Meeting Place: Nozawa Onsen Visitors Center
Meeting Time: 9am and 1pm
Things to Bring: Durable pants (jeans), long-sleeved shirt, durable shoes, drink
Minimum # of Participants: 2
Maximum # of Participants: 30
Description: Enjoy picking sansai such as Kogomi, Senmai, Nemagari Bamboo Shoots, etc. while walking through the forest in the mountains above Nozawa Onsen. Guide provided.

Other Tours:
Bamboo Shoots Gathering & Trekking (June 17th to July 8th from 9:30am. 3-1/2 hour tour. 3300 yen.)
Iwana (charr) Catching (from mid July to end of August, 20 fish for 12,000 yen)
Wild Mushroom Gathering Tour (from early October to late November)
Fall Wild Mushroom, Berry and Nut Gathering -- 1/2 Day Trekking (around October 31st)
Nozawana (rapeseed) picking (around November 3rd)

野沢温泉観光協会 Nozawa Onsen Tourism Assoc.　Tel(0269)85-3155 masaki@nozawakanko.jp