ブログ - 信州戸倉上山田温泉旅館亀清 | 青い目の若旦那がおもてなし（長野県千曲市）

上山田のりんご園との連携：亀清の焼きりんごデザート Connecting with the local apple growers: Baked Apple Dessert at Kamesei

2010.04.10: 亀清旅館 Kamesei Ryokan

Chef Takei's Baked Apple creation

先日はこの戸倉上山田温泉の旅館の数件と、上山田のりんご農園の数人が集まりました。温泉と農園はどういう取り組みが出来るか、色々と話し合いました。宿によって、収穫の時期にお茶菓子のついでにりんごを出す宿もあるし、亀清旅館みたいに玄関に「ご自由にどうぞ」って事で、丘ｙクさんにりんごを提供している宿もある。りんごで甘みを取ってすき焼きを出している宿も。そして、清風園という大手の宿から「デザートで焼きりんごを出したら？」と言う案が出ました。夕べは亀清の板長が早速、オリジナルの焼きりんごデザートを作ってみました。りんごの中身を掘り出して、シナモンで味を付けて、中に戻して、オーブンで焼く。おいしそうに出来ました。この秋は定期的に出すように計画しています。せっかく近場にりんご農園があるから、もっと生かせば良いと思います。そして、お客さんがりんごを食べてみたら、りんご農園に行きたくなる可能性もある。お客さんとりんご農園のふれあいになると良いですね。

Last week, a few of us ryokan owners met up with a few of the local apple growers, and we discussed ways in which to colloborate with each other better. Normally, farmers are farmers, and tourist industry is tourist industry, and never the twain shall meet. Well, we're hoping to bridge that gap. Kamesei already puts out apples at the front desk for our guests to help themselves to during the harvest season. Other inns add apples to the tea sweets they provide in the guest rooms. Another inn purees apples and uses them to sweeten the sukiyaki hotpot. But one inn suggested serving baked apples for dessert, with the explanation that these apples came from nearby orchards. Last night, our chef tried out a new, original recipe. He sliced the top off of the apple, scooped out the interior, seasoned it with cinammon, put it back and baked it in the oven. You can see in the picture how yummy it turned out! We hope do something like this for desserts for our guests in the apple harvest season this Fall. And hopefully it will better introduce our guests to our local apple orchardists!

森「杏の里」あんずまつりへ若女将とデート Going on a Date to Mori's Apricot Blossom Festival

2010.04.09: 季節 Seasons

綺麗でしょう！（花も！）

千曲市の代表のイベント：森「杏の里」のあんずまつりに、若女将と二人でデートで行って来ました。花が綺麗に咲いていました。この週末、４月１０日・１１日は花のピークだと思います。今週末にどっかに花のドライブに行こうと思っていたら、森の杏がお勧めです。そして、ついでに亀清にも寄ってください。戸倉上山田温泉は森から車で約２０分です。

Chikuma City's signature event, the apricot blossoms in Mori "Apricot Village", is going strong. Today I took Mari for a drive to see the flowers, and they were in full bloom. This weekend, April 10th and 11th, should be perfect timing to see the blossoms in full glory. So if you were looking for somewhere to go and see spring flowers this weekend, I highly suggest Mori and the apricot blossoms. And if you go to Mori, be sure to stop by Togura Kamiyamada Onsen, too. We are only 20 minutes away by car.

With the Northern Alps in the background

稲荷山の古民家オーナー募集 Anyone interested in buying a 120-year old house in Inariyama?

2010.04.08: 長野に来る理由 Reasons to Come to Nagano

For Sale

私は日本の古い町並みが好きです。妻籠宿や上田市の柳町とか、一昔の日本の街の雰囲気、その木造建物の木のぬくもりや、瓦の屋根、細かい作り、とにかく、格好良いです。
この千曲市の中で、稲荷山と言う土壁の蔵がまだ沢山残っている町があります。悲しいのは、その昔の建物はちょっとず津、消えています。どんどん壊せれている。写真の建物は売り出されているので、買う方がいなかったら、この１２０年前に作られていた家も、危ないです。誰か、買う人がいませんか？問合せは私へどうぞ。オーナーを紹介しますので。

I love Japan's old, historic street scenes. There's something about the earthen walls, clay roof tiles, hefty wooden beams, detailed construction and so on that is so cool. Places like Tsumago-juku post town in southern Nagano, and Ueda City's Yanagi-machi.
Here in Chikuma City, we have a district with lots of earthen walled storehouses, Inariyama. One by one, though, the old buildings are being torn down. This one in the picture has been put up for sale, and if no one comes forward to buy it, it is in danger of being torn down, too. How about? Is anyone interested in saving a 120-year old earthen walled house? Let me know -- I can put you in touch with the owner!

牛に引かれて善光寺・・・挨拶参り Making the Rounds for the Zenkoji Walk event

2010.04.07: 温泉タウン戸倉上山田 Onsen Town Togura-Kamiyamada

Stopping at Nagano City Hall for an official greeting

毎年、「牛に引かれて善光寺」の伝説の記念で、この戸倉上山田温泉から善光寺までの３０ｋｍウォーキングのイベントが行います。参加者３００人の大イベントです。今年で２９回目です。５月５日（水）に行う予定。
そして、今年の実行委員長はなんと、私になりました。
ハロウィーンやイースター、そして一昨年に開いた長野インバウンドサミット、スタッフを入れて１５０人のイベントは何回も実行委員長としてやった事があるけど、正直って、こういう公式的なイベント管理は苦手です。準備が細かくて、もうフラフラです。まあ、何とか成功させないと・・・
昨日は挨拶参りデ、前項ジサンや三箇所の警察所、千曲市や長野市の市役所などなど。

Every year, our town puts on a 30km walking event from Togura Kamiyamada Onsen to Zenkoji Temple in Nagano City, in honor of the "Pulled by an Ox to Zenkoji" legend. This year marks the 29th time, and will take place on Wednesday May 5th, the last day of the Golden Week holiday.
This year, the organizing chairperson is none other than --- Me! Up until now, I have managed 4 Halloweens, 5 Easters, and 1 Nagano Inbound Summit, all of which were 150+ people events including staff. But this Zenkoji Walk preparation is getting to me. All of the official paperwork is so insanely detailed! Somehow I have to get through it, though!
Yesterday, my fellow organizers and I made the rounds to Zenkoji, several police stations, the city halls of both Nagano and Chikuma, and several other places. What a job!

「牛に引かれて善光寺」の参加者募集が始まっています。詳しくはこちら。Click here on info for signing up for the Zenkoji Walk

森「杏の里」花情報 Flower Info for Mori "Apricot Village"

2010.04.06: 季節 Seasons

One of the

千曲市の代表イベント、森「杏の里」のあんずまつりは4月2日から始まったけれど、花の方はどうですか？咲くのは間に合っていますでしょうか？３日に行ったお客さんは「まだまだ」とがっかりしました。5日の観光協会の情報で「2部」と言う報告になっていました。夕べは自分の目で見てきました。そして、結果は？

ばらばらですけど、綺麗！

まだまだつぼみだけの木が多い（特に、谷の上の方）けど、日当たりの良い所は満開に近い。つまり、見に行く価値がずいぶんあります。今日は天気が良いし（２０℃になる予想！）、花は段々と咲いてくるでしょう。森の農村の雰囲気はまた落ち着かせるし。そして、杏のアイスも忘れないでね。

今年から戸倉上山田温泉から朝8：50発の連結バスが走っていますので亀清旅館から交通便がとってもいいです。

是非、この機会で日本一杏の里を見においでやす。

あんずまつりは4月16日まで。詳しくは千曲市観光協会のＨＰへ。

Chikuma City's signature event, the Apricot Festival in Mori's "Apricot Village" officially started on April 2nd. But how about the apricot blossoms? Have they showed up on time for their own party? Some of our guests that went on the 2nd came back disappointed, saying that the trees weren't in bloom yet. However, our town's Tourism Association website said as of the 5th that the blossoms were at 20% (whatever that means!).

Last evening, I went to see with my own eyes how Mori's famous apricot trees were doing. And the result?

Mixed, but worth seeing!

The majority of the trees, especially in the upper reaches of the valley, were still just in bud stage. However, several of the trees, especially ones in sunnier spots, were already in full bloom. So I would say it is definitely worth seeing now. And with today's nice weather (the high temperature is predicted to be 63F), more and more of the trees will start to bloom.

For me, the real draw for Mori's apricot festival is the quiet, pastoral setting of the valley. It has a quaint, rural feel to it that is especially enhanced this time of year with the soft pink, delicate apricot blossoms. And, of course, don't miss the apricot ice cream!

New this year is a connector bus from Togura Kamiyamada Onsen, leaving every morning at 8:50am. So if you stay the night at Kamesei, you'll have easy access to the apricot blossoms the next day.

So don't pass up this chance to see Japan's largest number of apricot trees in bloom at Mori's "Apricot Village".

Mori's Apricot Festival will run through April 16th. Updated information on the Chikuma City Tourism Assoc. website (in Japanese only).

Apricot Trees in Mori already in full bloom

The shuttle bus from Togura-Kamiyamada to Mori

2009年活動報告 2009 Activities Report

2010.04.05: 青い目のおもてなし This American’s Omotenashi

今度は私の全体の２００９年度活動報告。また、興味があれば、どうぞ、お読みになって下さい。

全旅連委員会活動報告　Activities Reports

2010.04.04: 青い目のおもてなし This American’s Omotenashi

My Activities Report for the Yado Recipe Research Group

里帰りから帰ってきて、イースターのイベントや色んな会議があって、宿題がたまっています！（このブログの更新もそうだし！）その中で、平成21・22年度は私が旅館組合の全国組織に出向しているので、21年度の活動報告が一番ピンチ。海外に行っていた時に、上司から連絡があって、「早くしろ」と。まあ、やっと書きましたのでせっかく書いたからこのブログにも載せさせていただきます。興味のある方、どうぞ、お読みになって下さい。

After getting back from our trip back to Seattle, I've been slammed with one meeting after another, as well as with putting on our town's Easter Egg Hunt. I've got so much homework stacking up, it's starting to come out my ears! The most urgent was to write a report on my activities for fiscal year 2009 with the ryokan association at the national level. I am part of a research group focusing on ways to get ryokans more involved with the local communities. For example, normally tourism people focus only on tourism, and agriculture people only on agriculture. And for us hotels, even though there are farms nearby, if we can save 1 yen and buy from the produce market instead, we will. As for the farmers, if they can sell to the market for 1 yen more than we will buy, they will. In other words, there is a huge gap between the hotels and the farms. My group's project is to find ways to bridge that gap -- to make both sides realize they are members of the same community. One example of a mutually beneficial relationship was from our group's leader, a ryokan owner in Niigata Prefecture. In his project, the inn proprietresses actually got into the fields with farmers and helped with planting, and then later with harvest. They bought the 2nd grade material that normally would have been thrown away and made caramel confectionary sweets with them. Not only did the inns get the produce at discount prices, but the growers got an outlet for their unusable product. And on top of that, the innkeepers and farmers got to know each other, and the whole project got much favorable press.
Using inspiration from that story, this past fall, our inn started a relationship with a local grape grower for the first time, with me personally going to the orchard and buying hail-damaged but delicious-tasting grapes to provide as dessert for our guests. It's a small step towards closing the gap between farmers and inns here in Kamiyamada, but one that I hope to build on in fiscal 2010!

イースターで100人の笑顔 100 Smiling Faces for Easter

2010.04.03: 温泉タウン戸倉上山田 Onsen Town Togura-Kamiyamada

Coloring Easter Eggs

今日はイースターエッグフェスティバルin戸倉上山田温泉が行いました。今年が5年目なので地域の子供たちが段々となじんできました様です。千曲国際交流の皆様、ご苦労様でした！そして、お風呂を提供してくれた戸倉上山田温泉旅館組合のメンバー、玉子を提供してくれた岡田商店、その玉子を調理してくれた調理師会青年部、馬車（！）を提供してくれた上山田ホテルの俊樹さん、ケバブ屋台を出してくれたニコライさん、協力してくれた戸倉上山田商工会と戸倉クリスト協会、皆様のお陰で100人のお子さんの笑顔で大成功でした！実行委員長として、嬉しかった！

The 5th annual Easter Egg Festival in Togura Kamiyamada Onsen took place today in the park along the shores of the Chikuma River. Thanks to the volunteer efforts of the Chikuma Int'l Exchange Assoc., the onsen baths provided by several of the ryokans, the eggs from Okada Shoten, the cooking of same eggs by the Junior Chefs, the horse buggy rides by Toshiki-san from Kamiyamada Hotel, the kebab van provided by my buddy Nicholai, and cooperation from the Togura Kamiyamada Business Association and Togura Christ Church, we had 100 smiling kids. As organizing chairperson, I was thrilled!

Misaki found 8 eggs!

Horse buggy rides, too!

Our chef helping cook the eggs

That irritating ring around the collar

2010.04.02: 日米関係Culture Shock

I won't miss removing these guys any more

As a Westerner, life in Japan can seem really anal with all the cumbersome details. Sometimes you adapt and become a better person in the process. Sometimes you just suck it in and deal with it. And sometimes you pull a "Wild Gaijin Card" and blow it off.

Now, for the first time in my experience, one of the anal little details has simply gone away.

See the PET plastic bottle in the picture? Japan, as with most industrialized countries, encourages the recycling of PET bottles. And although I am not aware of any, I suppose some countries have you seperate the cap from the bottle for recycling. But only in Japan (as far as I know -- correct me if I'm wrong) is it required to also remove the cap ring.

Do you know how hard it is to remove a cap ring from a PET bottle? There is actually a specialized tool designed especially to cut the ring. Back in the States, recycling a PET bottle means throwing it in the recycle bin instead of the garbage. Here in Japan it means first removing the label (most are perforated specifically to be easily torn off), taking off the cap, using the special tool to remove the ring, then putting the now naked PET bottle in the PET bottle recycling, and putting the plastic label, cap and ring in the plastics recycling. What a hassle -- especially cutting that dang ring off.

Well, apparently the anal bureaucracy has come to realize themselves what a hassle it is and the lack of practicallity. As of April 1st, removing the ring has officially become "optional". So here for the past 4 and a half years, I have been putting up with the frustrating of cutting of each and every PET bottle ring, thinking how much better for the environment it was. And now all of the sudden, all the effort has been made meaningless.

I guess one of the bureaucrats finally threw his or her own "Wild Card".

Back in Japan 日本に帰国

2010.04.01: 青い目のおもてなし This American’s Omotenashi

Exhausted stop off to see the cherry blossoms at Ueno Park

シアトルへの里帰りから日本に無事に帰国。成田への飛行機は10時間も乗って、そして時差ボケの疲れ・・・しんどい！上野で電車を乗り返った時に、上野公園でちょっと休憩しました。桜が満開でした。花見の皆さんでにぎやかでしたが、私達はとにかく、早目に亀清に戻って、温泉に入りたがっていた。花よりお風呂！

We arrived back in Japan tonight after our trip home to Seattle. The plane ride to Narita took 10 hours. That plus the jetlag meant we were pretty exhausted. When changing trains in Ueno, we popped up to Ueno Park to see the famous cherry blossoms, which were in full bloom. The park was lively with the hanami revelers. There's a saying in Japanese about such cherry blossom viewing parties being more for the dango (sticky rice sweets, i.e., the partying) than the blossoms. For us, all we could think about was getting back to Kamesei and soaking in the onsen.

Sleepless in the plane from Seattle

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