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Local Specialties of Togura Kamiyamada Onsen

(また千曲市自慢のシリーズです。）

千曲市は認定した８０品の「千曲ブランド」を最近に宣伝していますが、千曲市の中のこの戸倉上山田温泉で以前から個々の独特な生産者はここに特化した商品をずっと作り続いています。良いお土産にもなりますのでここで紹介します：

笹鈴の六文銭まんじゅ
どの温泉地でも饅頭があるけど、地元の真田家の六文銭のマークのまんじゅは戸倉上山田温泉の笹鈴さんだけ。毎日焼いていて美味しいです。自分で六文銭を焼き付ける体験も可能です。銀座通り。Tel(026)275-1228。

島屋の鮎の甘露煮
長野県は海がないので、川魚が重要です。島屋さんは千曲川の代表の鮎およびワカサギとハヤの甘露煮を作っています。随時に作っていますので運が良ければ、出来立てのを試食ができます。実際に作っているところが見れます。真空パックで売っていますのでここだけのお土産になります。銀座通り。Tel(026)275-1175。

中島の「誉」ブランドの信州味噌
信州は日本の主の大豆の生産のお蔭、信州味噌が昔から注目されています。戸倉上山田温泉の味噌屋さんは中島です。お店に昔の道具が展示してあるし、味噌や地元の特徴の醤油豆の味見もできます。銀座通。Tel(026)275-1069。

佐良志奈焼きのたからや
地元のリンゴの木の灰で特徴な色が出された：佐良志奈焼きのたからやの陶芸です。お洒落な店内で美しい青い色の陶芸。上田獅子の木彫りや地元の森獏郎さんの版画など、他の民芸品も展示してあります。銀座通りの西入口。Tel(026)275-0778。午前８時から午後７時まで。

旅行の時にお土産を買うと、やはり思い出になるその当地の商品がいいですよね。戸倉上山田はこれだけ地元の商品がそろっているのは自慢だと思います。

Chikuma City recently announced a list of 80 local products designated as "Chikuma Brand". Here in Togura Kamiyamada Onsen, we are fortunate to have 4 shops that have been making made-in-Togura-Kamiyamada products for decades. So guests that come and stay at our onsen can enjoy shopping for locally-made items. Here are the 4:

Sasasuzu Manju with the Rokumonsen Mark
You can find manju pastries with the purple adzuki bean paste inside at pretty much any onsen, but you can only find manju with the Rokumonsen mark of the local Sanada samurai family here at Sasasuzu. You can also try your hand at branding the manju yourself with a hot branding iron. Baked freshly every day, so they are extra delicious. On Ginza Dori. Tel(026)275-1228.

Shimaya Kanroni Marinated River Fish
Nagano Prefecture doesn't have an ocean, so river fish are an important part of the local cuisine. Shimaya takes ayu, the main fish from the Chikuma River, as well as wakasagi and haya, to other local types of river fish, and marinates them in a sweet sauce "kanroni" style. You can see how the kanroni process works in their shop, as well as try a sample of some of their creations. They are constantly making new batches, so if you're lucky you can try some just made kanroni, too. The kanroni is available for sale in take-home vacuum packs. On Ginza Dori. Tel(026)275-1175.

Nakajima Miso's "Homare" Label Shinshu Miso.
Shinshu, the classic name for Nagano, is one of Japan's major producers of soybeans. So the prefecture has naturally become known for the quality of its miso paste, Shinshu Miso. Here in Togura Kamiyamada, we have our own maker of Shinshu Miso, Nakajima Miso. In their showroom and shop at the front of their factory, you can sample the different types of miso they make, as well as see some of the antique tools they have on display. Be sure to try the shoyu mame, a local variety of processed soybeans. On Ginza Dori. Tel(026)275-1069.

Sarashina-Yaki Pottery at Takaraya
Our local pottery style, sarashina-yaki, has a distinct blue color resulting from the ash of applewood from the local orchards. Takaraya is a small, chic store displaying lots of the beautiful sarashina-yaki pottery as well as Ueda Shishi lion wood carvings and wood block prints by local artist Mori Bakuro. At the western entrance of Ginza Dori. Tel(026)275-0778. Hours from 8am to 7pm.

When on a trip to a new place, its always nice to buy a souvenir made there in where you are travelling to. We are fortunate to have four shops making local specialties here in Togura Kamiyamada Onsen.

Togura Kamiyamada's Noh Stage

注：テレビ局NBSの「千曲市自慢」の連携記事です。
Note: This entry is in conjunction with local TV Station NBS's Pride of Chikuma City blog.
（http://www.i-nagano.com/ipc/ch02/17/single.php）

戸倉上山田温泉の中心の公園「水と緑と潤いのある公園」はこのにぎやかな温泉街の中の静かなスポットです。鯉が池に泳いでいて、池の真ん中の島に水天宮があり、でかい木の間を歩きながら池を一周したり、東間で休憩したり、湯飲み処で上山田温泉のお湯を飲んでみたり、そして新しくできた足湯も楽しめる。この公園の一番目立つところは芝生の前に立っている能舞台です。立派な木造の建物です。ハロウィーンとかのイベントの時によく使われています。そして、この夏は新しく毎週日曜日（夜７時半ごろ）は美女連の日本舞踊の練習、毎週水曜日（夜８時から）は私が入っている上山田神楽保存会の練習が開催されます。１０月ごろまでは週二回に日本の文化が水と緑と潤いのある公園の能舞台で戸倉上山田の温泉街を盛り上がります。今までは美女連の踊りの練習と我々お神楽の獅子舞の練習がどこかの公民館とかで行っていましたが、町をさらににぎやかにするために能舞台でやる事にしました。ぜひ、見に来てください。練習ですから気楽で見て頂いて、皆と触れ合っていただけます。

In the center of Togura Kamiyamada Onsen is a small little park with a really long name: "Mizu to Midori to Uruoi Koen" which roughly means "Water and Nature and Moisture Park". In the middle is a cute koi pond with a stone bridge to the island with its shrine to the water god. You can weave in and out of the tall trees as you walk around the pond, then take a rest at the wooden gazebo. And since this park isn't in any old town, it's in Onsen Town Togura-Kamiyamada, there is a spot to drink the onsen water (the minerals are good for your health!) as well as the new Kara-Koro Footbath, to soak your feet in the soothing onsen. The biggest feature of the park is across from the grassy lawn -- the impressively huge, wooden Noh theater. It gets used for events throughout the year, such as the Halloween Party. And now, this summer it will see some action twice a week. The Bijoren group will practice their traditional Japanese dancing every Sunday night around 7:30pm, and the Kamiyamada Kagura Preservation Group will do their lion dance practice every Wednesday at 8pm. These are both low-key practices, not full performances, so you can interact up close and personally with the members. Both groups typically held their practices in area community centers, but this summer and through October, they will be helping to liven up the onsen town by bringing their traditional arts to the Noh Stage. Come and check it out!

The Bijoren Dancers

Wednesday Night Lion Dance Practice