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上山田の波閉科（はべしな）神社の秋祭りはお相撲を大々的に開催している。千曲市の全ての神社の中で大人の相撲も子供の相撲もやっているのここだけだそうです。私も以前にお相撲に参加させて事があります。うちの子供達は毎年にすごく楽しみにしています。

今年の子供相撲のLynch家の結果はどうだったでしょうか？少し練習したお蔭か、三人とも勝ちました。二男は特にいい勝負でした。買ったら、「ケン君、良く出来た！練習して良かった！」と言ったら、周りが「練習したの？」と不思議な顔していました。「あたりまえ。だって、去年はあいつが女の子に負けちゃった」と説明しました。

子供達にきっといい思い出になったでしょう。子育てには上山田はやはりいいよね。

Besides the okagura lion dance which I wrote about yesterday, Habeshina Shrine's fall festival also features a fairly elaborate sumo wrestling tournament. It's the only shrine in the whole city that has both adult and kids sumo. I myself have done the full fundoshi and participated in years past. Our kids look forward to the tournament every year.

So, how did Andy, Kenny and Misaki do? All three of them won individual bouts! Perhaps it was because we practiced a bit ahead of time. We were especially proud of Kenny, who put up a very good fight. After he won, I yelled, "Good job Kenny! The practicing came in handy!" Several of the people around were surprised -- "You guys practiced?!" "Well, of course. Last year he got beat by a girl!"

Anyways, this is one of the benefits of raising our kids out here in Japan's countryside -- they get to experience sumo.

2年前に吉野明子さんと言う陶芸家が戸倉駅前の元酒倉「酒造コレクション」にて独立したお店を開きました。工房「陶（すえ）」です。正直って、今までは私が吉野さんとあまり交流がなかったけれど、この間に戸倉上山田温泉の英語の散歩地図・グルメガイドを作った時に「ぜひ、参加させてください」と言う強い要望がありました。

載せて良かった！

プチ滞在しているスイス人がマップに「陶芸体験」を見つけて、直ぐ予約を入れました。焼くのに一か月間がかかるからその後の郵送はどうなるかとか、言葉の問題とか、色々と心配していましたから念のために私が彼女を載せて行きました。そしたら、吉野さんが前もって郵送方法や金額を調べてくれていたし、吉野さんは意外に英語がかとこと喋れた。（専門語は私より詳しかった！）

そして、スイス人のお姉さんが宿に戻ってきた時、その笑顔！大喜びだったらしい。「陶芸をやってみたいという夢はずっとあって、ここでやっと実現できて、嬉しい！」と騒いでいました。

彼女の喜びを持て、今度は私も行きたくなりました！

工房「陶」
駅前の戸倉宿
酒造コレクションの明治蔵内
Tel: 090-9843-0714 　吉野さん
（要予約）

2 years ago, pottery artist Akiko Yoshino opened up her own shop in Togura. "Sueh" is located in a Meiji-era warehouse in the Shuzo Collection former sake brewery across from Togura Station.

To be honest, I haven't had the opportunity to familiarize myself with Yoshino-san's work or her shop. She has been offering pottery lessons and in the past I've dropped off a few of our Japanese guests have gone at her studio to do the lessons. But I wasn't sure how to approach the situation for guests from overseas. There's the issue of how to send the pottery after the month-long baking process, and of course the language barrier. So it was with some misgiving that I accepted her ad in the Togura Kamiyamada Onsen walking map that I made this year.

It turns out I needn't have worried.

Yesterday a guest from Switzerland saw her ad in the map and we made an appointment for her to go to the studio. Yoshino-san had looked up the costs for shipping, and it turns out she speaks enough English to convey how to work the potter's wheel. And judging by our guest's wide grin on her face when she came back to our inn, I'd say the lesson was a huge success.

If you, too, want to take a pottery lesson by Yoshino-san, feel free to contact us to make a reservation for you.

Pottery Studio "Sueh"
Located inside Shuzo Collection by Togura Station
Tel: 090-9843-0714 Yoshino-san
(Reservations Required)

高速バス会社「ハーヴェスト」が１０月１日から新宿から戸倉上山田温泉まで片道１９００円の高速バスを始まる予定です。東京・上山田間は往復で３８００円となる！一日一本です。「温泉へ行きたいけど、交通費は高くて」と思った東京の皆さん、この機会で是非、戸倉上山田へおいでになってください。

不景気の中で、または海外からのお客様に円高の中で、交通の為の予算が厳しくなってきています。ハーヴェスト社のこの手頃の値段で温泉への旅が日曜的な生活に少し近付いたのではないかと思います。

★下り★
新宿駅西口センタービル前：　　　１０：００発
戸倉上山田温泉　カラコロ足湯前　１３：２５頃着

★上り★
戸倉上山田温泉　カラコロ足湯前　１３：３５頃発
新宿西口センタービル前：　　　　１８：５０頃着

平日料金：　片道１９００円
週末料金：　片道２４００円

期間:　１０月１日から１１月３０日まで　　注:１２月は出発所が東京駅に変更の予定。

問い合わせ：　Ｔｅｌ03-3266-5959
ハーヴェスト社のＨＰはこちら

Highway bus company "Harvest" will start a new Shinjuku to Togura Kamiyamada service commencing on Friday 01-October. The round-trip price is as low as 3,800 yen.

If you've been wanting to take a relaxing trip to an onsen but the cost of getting there has been too much, now is your chance! The poor economy and worsening exchange rates has put a crunch on peoples' travel budgets. With a round trip price of only 3,800 yen, making a trip to Kamiyamada Onsen has just become a lot more affordable. Take advantage of this opportunity to leave Tokyo's hustle and bustle (not to mention concrete) and come out to Japan's countryside for a rejuvinating stay at an onsen ryokan.

Harvest Tour highway bus, Shinjuku - Kamiyamada run

Outbound
Departs Shinjuku West Exit 10:00am
Arrives Kamiyamada in front of the footbath 1:25pm

Inbound
Departs Kamiyamada in front of the footbath 1:35pm
Arrives Shinjuku West Exit 6:50pm

One-Way Price: 1,900 yen weekdays, 2,400 yen weekends

Term: October 1st to November 30th, 2010. Scheduled to change from Shinjuku to Tokyo Station for December.

Reservations: Tel 03-3266-5959
Or try Harvest's website, here.