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
