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Young Andy and a Dead Language

10歳の長男、Ａｎｄｙ君を連れて、東信での中山道巡りしてきました。小学生には、まずは「中山道って何？」から始まった。（何でこの変な外国人が日本の学生に日本の歴史を教えないと駄目？小学校で何を教えているか？と思いながら…）

最初に寄ったのは御代田町にある小田井宿でした。宝珠院で車を止めて、そのお寺さんから町をぶらぶらし始めました。宝珠院の入口にこのでかい石がありました。Ａｎｄｙ君に「この文字は何？」と聞いてきました。そこから仏教の１ポイントレッソンが始まりました。（何でこのクリスト教の人が日本人に仏教の事を教えないと駄目…）　

仏教はどの国からでしょうか？
ー日本？

いいえ。韓国から１６００年前ぐらいから渡ってきた。
ーじゃ、この文字は韓国語？

いいえ、韓国の前は中国から。
ーじゃ、中国語？

さあ、ヒントとして、このお寺の本堂をよく見て。
ー象さんがいる。じゃ、インド？

ピンポン！この文字は「梵字」という。

まあ、そう考えれば、何で子の御代田という日本の田舎の町にインドからの死言語の文字があるって、不思議だね。だって、現代のインドさえ分かる人が少ない；日本のお坊さんの中ででもよっぽど勉強した人じゃないとおそらく読めないでしょう。そして、お寺に日本に存在のない動物がある事こそ、不思議だね。手彫りで作った匠は本物の象を見た事ないはず。

そこから中山道巡りが始まりました。宿場の本陣や脇本陣、小田井宿の特徴の問屋とか昔の人々が京都から江戸まで歩く途中でこういうところで泊まった事、少しでも息子に興味を持たせたのかな？

小田井宿の大名行列の様子を復元する「小田井宿まつり」は毎年８月１６日に行われるそうです。

I took our 10-year old son Andy for a drive to explore the remains of the old Nakasendo (the medieval path between Kyoto and Edo / Tokyo). First I had to explain what the Nakasendo was to Andy. (Why does a foreigner have to teach a Japanese kid Japanese history? What do Japanese schools teach the kids?)

Our first stop was Otai-juku, one of the old post towns located in present-day Miyota Town. We parked at Houju-in and started our exploration at that temple. At the entrance was a large rock carved with interesting script.

"What kind of writing is that?" asked Andy. Uh-oh. Time for a 1-point Buddhism lesson. (Here again, why does a Christian have to teach a Japanese kid about Buddhism...)

"Do you know what country Buddhism came from?"
"Japan?"

"Nope. It crossed over to Japan from Korea 1600 years ago."
"So this writing is Korean?"

"Nope. Buddhism came to Korea from China."
"So it's Chinese?"

"Time for a hint. Look at the facade of the temple's main building."
"Hmm, a sculpture of an elephant. So, India?"

"Right! The writing is sanskrit."

When you think about it, it is really quite remarkable to find sanskrit here in a town in the Japanese countryside. I mean, there are few scholars left even in India that speak sanskrit. And only the most educated of Buddhist monks here in Japan today would be able to read this.

And the carvings of elephants -- the animal doesn't even exist in Japan. I bet the artist who carved the elephant had never seen a real one.

Anyways, that's how our explorings of the Nakasendo started. I showed Andy the Honjin (main inn for the VIP's) and the Waki-Honjin (inn for the #2 guys). and Otai-juku's trademark warehouses where goods were transferred from one carrier to another, and tried to convey a sense of what it was like in the old days to walk along the Nakasendo. Perhaps Andy started to get an interest in Japan's history, too.

Otai-juku holds a festival every year on August 16th where they recreate an Edo-era procession. The festival is aptly called the Otai-juku Festival.

御代田町のＨＰはこちらClick here for the website of Miyota Town.

A Japanese Elephant?

Andy and Otai-juku

One of Otai-juku's back streets

Ｖｅｒｍｉｌｌｉｏｎ　ａｎｄ　Ｗｈｉｔｅ

上田市の生島足島神社の独特な朱色は冬の雪と綺麗なコントラストになります。先日は上田市へ行く用事があって、帰りは久しぶりにこの「日本のおへそ」と言われている神社に寄りました。生島と足島の二つの神の神社にもなっているようだし、日本中の全ての霊魂が入っているようだし、日本全国を守っている神もなっているようです。つまり、重要な神社です。

と言いながら、正直って、神道に詳しくない私にはその朱色はとにかく印象的です。なおかつ、雪景色との合わせで更に見事な絵になります。

生島足島神社は戸倉上山田温泉・亀清旅館から車で約３０分です。もしくは、上田駅経由でしなの鉄道（戸倉駅）・上田電鉄（下之郷駅；レンタサイクル有り）コンビで行けます。
詳しくは神社のＨＰへ。

２月３日に生島足島神社の節分祭が行います。式は１４時から；１５時半から豆が飛びます。

With a fresh covering of snow, Ueda City's Ikushima Tarushima Shrine's brilliant vermillion color stands out beautifully with the contrasting white of the snow. The other day, I had an errand to run in Ueda, and on the way back I stopped to see this shrine which is noted for supposedly being the geographic center of Japan (hence its nickname: Japan's belly button).

This shrine is also noted for being the home of Ikushima, the fertility god, and Tarushima, the god of fulfillment. Furthermore, it also supposedly houses all of the souls from throughout Japan. And as if that weren't enough, its god is supposedly the guardian diety of the entire country. That makes it one noteworthy shrine.

For me, someone not very initiated in Shintoism, the thing that most stands out about this shrine is the destinctive vermillion color accenting the achitecture throughout the complex. And with a touch of contrasting white from the snow, it makes for even more of a photogenic setting.

Ikushima Tarushima Shrine is about 30 minutes from Kamesei Ryokan and our onsen town, Togura Kamiyamada, via car. It is also accessible by train, using a combination of Shinano Railway (Togura Station) changing at Ueda Station to Ueda Dentetsu. 'Shimonogo' is the closest station and has rental cycles available.

This shrine is so cool it has its own website. For info in English, you can check here.

February 3rd, Ikushima Tarushima Shrine, as well at shrines and temples throughout the country, the annual Setsubun bean throwing ceremony will take place. Ceremony starts at 2pm, been throwing at 3:30pm.

The Start of the Kaiseki Dinner

山ノ内町へ出張中で湯田中温泉のよろづやさんにお世話になりました。日本文化財登録された松籟荘という長野県の旅館を代表できる宿に。あまりにも豪華に贅沢で、我が亀清旅館には参考にならなかったけど、今回は勉強の為よりハードな出張のリラックスの為でした。宴会の時の小野社長のしっかりした挨拶からそれこそ長野を代表できる露天風呂と立派な内湯「桃山風呂」の雪景色、とにかく忘れらない夜でした。
そして、お料理。一品一品出してくれた会席料理で次から次へ、これは美術ですか？食べ物ですか？と。早取りの旬の味を出して、そして地元の美味しい食材をたっぷり生かして、日本の旅館は素晴らしいなと改めて思いました。

まあ、その中で亀清旅館で少しまねできるヒントも頂きましたので、我が宿こそ信州を代表できる作りでこれからも努力します。

During a business trip to Yamanouchi Town in northern Nagano, I spent the night in Yorozuya Ryokan in Yudanaka Onsen. Specifically in Yorozuya's Shoraiso, a building listed on Japan's National Historical Register. The facilities were so luxurious and extravagant that I had a hard time finding ideas I could possibly use at our humble Kamesei Ryokan. But this stay wasn't for research, it was for relaxing from a very ambitious outing.

From the way Ono-san, the owner, gracefully greeted us during our dinner to the winter scene Momoyama Bath, a building also nationally recognized, and its outdoor bath that is bigger than Kamesei's inner garden koi pond, we were thoroughly happy. And then the kaiseki dinner. What a treasure. Each individual dish, brought out one at a time, each one almost more of an artistic creation than just food. And such great use of 'haya-dori' -- ingredients anticipating the upcoming season, as well as showcasing the area's bountiful food culture. We were amazed.

Hopefully our efforts to improve Kamesei Ryokan will someday result in our inn being able to represent Nagano to some extent, too.

松籟荘のＨＰはこちらClick here for Shoraiso's website.