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戸倉上山田温泉の町興しグループ、からころ行事、が今日、温泉街の現状をは把握する為にウォーキングしました。その後の会議でこれからの半年の動きが大分決まりました。足風呂設置、看板作り、アドバイザー講座、芸子さんの活動など、本業の亀清旅館と2番目の本業になりそう！
Today, our town's Kara-Koro group walked the town to get a feel for priorities for development. Then in the meeting afterwards, we decided our work for the next 6 months. Putting in a foot-bath, making guide signs, working with an adviser, coordinating recruiting efforts with the geisha, etc. This is going to be like a 2nd job!

A couple of months ago, Togura Kamiyamada Onsen's last strip joint threw in the towel (?) and quit business. In its place, Taisho-Kan opened up, bringing bringing performance groups from Tokyo's Asakusa district to do geisha-inspired drag shows. I have to be honest here, I'm not sure if watching guys dressed as girls appeals to me more than girls undressing so I've been hesitant to go. However, I have been put in charge of making a pamphlet on our town's geisha tradition, including Taisho-Kan, so today I went for, err, research purposes.
The show consists of 3 acts, the 1st was solo and group dancing, the 2nd was a yakuza-geisha play, the 3rd was like the 1st but with more emphasis on individual talents. The dancing was an impressive display of traditional Japanese dance, and by the looks on the faces of the real geisha in the audience, the guys were very talented. There's just something disconcerting about seeing the beautiful flowing movement of the silk kimonos, but underneath seeing hairy legs. I will say this, though: I'd like to go see the performance a second time. And that's more than I could say for the building's previous incarnation.
数ヶ月前に戸倉上山田温泉の最後のヌード劇場が止めて、代わりに大勝館の女装した男性の日本舞踊・芸者踊りショーが始まりました。正直って、私は女の服を着る男の踊りを、服を脱ぐ女の踊りより見たいかと聞かれたら困りますが、私がこの温泉の芸者遺産のパンフを書く担当になりましたので研究の為に観賞してきました。
ショーは3ステージで第一が個人とグループ踊り、第二がやくざ・芸者劇、第三が第一と同じけどもう少しそれぞれの人の才能に集中したよう。すごく綺麗な動きに、着物の下に見えた足のけばけばさは不思議な気分ちでしたが、一緒に観賞していた本物の芸者の表情から言えば踊りが上手でした。まあ、これだけは言えます：また見たいと思いました。それは以前のショーには言えませんでした。

青い空と涼しい風に恵まれて、今日は戸倉上山田旅館青年部の行事で温泉から善光寺までの30ｋｍを歩きました。その一部は私が先頭でした。参加した皆様、ご苦労様でした！又来年、そして特に再来年にも宜しくお願いします。（再来年は私が委員長になります！）
Blessed with blue skies and a cool wind, the other innkeepers and I from the Togura Kamiyamada Onsen Ryokan Assoc. put on our annual 30km walk to Zenkoji Temple in Nagano City today. I got to set the pace for the middle distance. To everyone who participated, Good Job! And we look forward to seeing you next year, and especially in 2010 -- that's when I'm scheduled to be the event chairperson.

亀清旅館のＨＰはこちらClick here for Kamesei Ryokan website

戸倉上山田温泉の朝市は今日から始まり！毎週日曜日午前６時半からで早いもの価値！　１０月まで続きます。毎週金曜日の夕方は夕市も！

The Togura Kamiyamada Onsen Sunday Morning Market started today and runs through October.

戸倉上山田温泉のこの時期の楽しみが今年リニューアル！亀清旅館から歩いて１０分に正村つけばがあり、今年はニューのルークにニューのオーナーです。鮨平の平林さんがお昼と夕方に美味しい川魚料理を提供する。千曲川沿いという最高の雰囲気で川魚をご馳走！
A Chikuma River tradition at this time of year is eating a multi-course river fish meal at a 'tsukeba' river shack. This year, the tsukeba at Togura Kamiyamada Onsen has a new look and a new owner. Hirabayashi-san of sushi restaurant Sushi-Hei fame will be serving up delicious river fish cuisine along the banks of the Chikuma River.