隠れ三味線 Shamisen Behind The Screen

January 28, 2010: 長野に来る理由 Reasons to Come to Nagano

長野県旅館組合青年部
新年会
若旦那40人。
つまり、「和」のプロ40人。
40人ともは松本のHikariyaの和に感心しました。
和のプロを和で驚かせる秘密は?

写真を良く見て下さい。

ただの屏風。屏風の奥から三味線の音楽が流れてくる。「あっ、CDでBGMを流している」と思った。しかし、よく見たら、右側の影が動いている。着物と三味線の棒の動き。「生演奏だ!」と気付きました。

多分、私達だったら、態々人を呼んで、態々三味線を弾いてもらったら、せっかくだから舞台か何かの上で、皆が見れるようなところでやってもらう。

屏風の奥で隠すなんって、私達が感心しました。渋い!

長野県で業界で最も憧れている明神館の斉藤さん達が松本城の近くに去年にオープンしたHikariya。東館が日本食、西館がフレンチ。古き名門商家が生まれ変わって、こんなにお洒落なお店になりました。

長野県の宝物の1つ。

我々旅館若旦那の皆が納得しました。

What does it take to impress 40 ryokan proprietors? Myself and the other members of Nagano's ryokan junior association found out during our annual New Year dinner today. We are arguably professionals when it comes to "traditional Japan". However, every one of us was mesmerized by the restaurant where we gathered, Matsumoto's Hikariya.

When we walked in to the banquet room, we noticed a traditional folding screen in one corner, with the melodious sounds of shamisen coming from behind it. We initially assumed there was a CD player behind it playing background music. But upon closer inspection, on the right side we could make out a shadow moving on the wall, the shadow from a kimono sleeve and the end of a shamisen. It was a live performance, hidden behind the screen!

Man, if I were to go to the trouble of arranging for a musician to come and play shamisen live, you could bet your bottom dollar I'd have her on a stage for everyone to see. So we were so impressed by Hikariya's subtle style.

The restaurant is in a renovated merchant's house, with the east wing being Japanese cuisine, and the west French.

Hikariya is one of Nagano's treasures! Us ryokan proprietors can certainly attest!

Click here for the website of HikariyaのHPはこちら



Hikariya's tokonoma decoration


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