連休中で家族でプッチドライブしてきました。長男の中学校陸上チームの応援で長野県駅伝大会に出かけてきた。松本や途中の山道の紅葉は綺麗だった。
やはり、秋は信州での紅葉ドライブですね。
During the 3-day weekend, our family snuck out for a quick drive over to Matsumoto to cheer on our oldest son's track team at the Nagano Prefecture Cross Country Championship. The colors of the fall leaves in Matsumoto and along the mountain roads on the way were stunningly beautiful.
Fall is a great time to go for a drive in Nagano!
文化の日の連休の最初の日で、
信州は秋映えの青空。
戸倉の天狗の周りは桜の木が紅葉してきました。
そろそろ、戸倉上山田温泉の標高（３７０ｍ）で紅葉になりそうです。亀清の庭のモミジやイチョウ等の木はこの秋、どんな綺麗になるか、楽しみしています。
'Tis the first day of the 3-day Culture Day holiday weekend, and Nagano is blessed with blue sky and crisp autumn sunlight.
Above Togura Station is a park with this Tengu statue. A tengu is a sort of Japanese goblin. Togura's looks over the town, both literally and (according to legend), figuratively. He is surrounded by cherry trees which in the spring attract multitudes of merrymakers for viewing the blossoms. But I think the colors of the trees' leaves in the fall are equally beautiful. And no crowds -- just the tengu.
It's probably safe to say that the fall color 'horizon' is starting to come down to our elevation here at Togura-Kamiyamada Onsen (around 370 meters above sea level). I can't wait to see the leaves change in our gardens here at Kamesei Ryokan, with the momiji (Japanese maples), ginkgo and all the other colorful trees.
戸倉上山田温泉の近くの上田市で「キモノマルシェ」という着物のイベントは１１月１７日(日)に開催される。
知り合いの小岩井上田紬工房の小岩井さんに誘って頂きましたが、上田市の紬の文化(上田紬は日本三大紬の一つ)を生かしながら、着物の販売や着付け、着物パレードなど、面白そうな内容。なるべく行きたいと思っていますので、着物が好きな皆様はご一緒にどうぞ！
Nearby Ueda City (approx. 15 minutes by train from Togura-Kamiyamada Onsen) will hold a special kimono-related event called "Kimono Marche" on Sunday November 17th.
My buddy Koiwai-san at Koiwai Ueda Tsumugi Workshop invited me to this event that will include talks on Ueda's silkweaving roots (the local style, called 'Ueda Tsumugi', is recognized as one of the 3 most important tsumugi styles in the country) as well as the latest styles of kimonos for sale, kimono wearing, even a kimono parade.
I hope to attend, so all of you kimono fans out there, won't you join me?
http://kimononet.naganoblog.jp/e1359862.html
今年のハロウィンは亀清旅館の玄関の周りにかぼちゃをまた飾りました。先日は我が家族がお客様と一緒にかぼちゃを彫って、ランタンを作りました。
(あるお客さんは去年に泊まった時に一緒に作りました。あまりにもよい思い出になった様で、今年も作りたかったらしいです。しかし、亀清は偶々満室だったので、違う宿にお泊りになりました。それでも、かぼちゃタンタンを作りに来て頂きました。）
かぼちゃランタン作りは私たちアメリカ人のＤＮＡに付いております。来年のハロウィンはまた作りますので、ご一緒にどうぞ！
Once again for Halloween our entrance here at Kamesei Ryokan has been taken over by pumpkins. The other day our family, along with some guests, carved jack o' lanterns.
In fact, one family happened to stay at our inn last year when we carved the pumpkins and enjoyed it so much that they wanted to come again this year. Unfortunately we happened to be fully booked, so they stayed at a nearby inn, and still came over at night to make the jack o' lanterns with us!
For people like me who grew up in the States, carving pumpkins at Halloween is in our DNA. Next year won't you come and make them with me?
戸倉在住のPeter Ninnesさんはまたやってしまいました：新しい「長野県ウォーキング・ハイキング・サイクリングガイド」を出版しました。今回は軽井沢と周辺です。千曲市番と上田市番に続いて、これで３つ目の本です。
外国人は日本で町歩きや山登りをしたくても、情報が少ない。Peterさんは長野の町の歴史や山の自然が大好きで、回りながらそのうんちくを調べて、そして自分で本を作って、出版しています。
これで長野に来る外国人がより深く信州を楽しめると思います。
Aussie expat and fellow Go-Nagano ambassador has been at it again. He just published his 3rd book in his Hiking, Walking & Biking Nagano Guide -- the Karuizawa edition. Joining the Chikuma City and Ueda City editions, Peter's guide gives detailed information on lots of well-researched courses from walks around town to vigourous hikes in the nearby mountains.
Karuizawa is perhaps best known nowadays for its outlet shopping mall. But what drew people here originally is the beautiful natural scenery, such as graceful Shiraito-taki waterfall and awe-inspiring Mt. Asama volcano. Western missionaries from Tokyo started coming here to escape the heat of summer and Karuizawa gradually developed into a resort town here among the mountains of Nagano.
Peter's 16 courses for Karuizawa and surrounds will help you explore the area's natural wonders as well as take you through the history of the town's origins. Many of the courses are well-suited for bicycling, and you'll find many rental cycle shops in Karuizawa.
Get a copy of Peter's Karuizawa Guide (now available in electronic form for downloading to your smartphone or tablet) and use it to gain a deeper understanding of this popular corner of Nagano Prefecture. And be sure to check out the Chikuma City and Ueda City guides as well!
Peter Ninnes' Walking, Hiking & Biking Guide to Karuizawa
Chikuma City version
戸倉上山田温泉の太守演劇の劇場「大勝館」に１１月に面白そうな劇団が来ます：
しらさぎさん兄妹
今までの劇団の中で子供連れのもいらっしゃいましたが、大体暮れでした。表面に出るのは珍しいのではないかと思います。
１１月こそ、戸倉上山田温泉で大衆演劇を見よ！大勝館は毎日１３：００と１９：００で行われています。亀清旅館で割引券がございますのでお問い合わせをどうぞ。
Togura Kamiyamada Onsen's Taishokan Theater offers 'taishu-engeki' performances -- sort of Kabuki theater for the masses (or, in other words, a geisha drag show). Every month a new troupe comes, and the one for November is called the "Shirasagi Siblings". While some troupes have children amongst their members, the kids are usually in the background. This is the first one I've seen with the children take top billing. Should be interesting!
Taishokan holds 2 performances daily, at 1pm and 7pm. We have discount tickets here at Kamesei, so feel free to ask!
長野県と京都府のそれぞれの旅館組合青年部の交流事業で、２８日に京都に行ってきました。
Ｔｈｅ Ｓｃｒｅｅｎと言う最新デザイン宿の見学に社長の講演、
京都の組合の外国人観光客の取り組み、
そして長野県のインバウンド事業の発表。
発表者は何と、私！
その夜は皆で祇園のお茶屋桝梅に行きました。
伝説の舞妓さんと座敷遊び。
とにかく、感動！一生忘れられない。
この外国人の私だけだと思ったら、京都の連中さえ写真ぱしぱし。
現代の日本はクールが沢山あるけど、芸子さんはその最も！
On October 28th, the Kyoto Ryokan Junior Assoc. invited the Nagano team to join them for a seminar. We got to take a tour of The Screen, one of the most fashionable 'design hotels' in the world, as well as a talk by the owner. Then the Kyoto guys made a presentation on their projects for guests from overseas. Finally, our Nagano team made our presentation, with Yours Truly doing the presenting.
That night, we went to the Gion district and the Kyoto team treated us to the ochaya Masu-ume, where we were entertained by maiko.
It was an unforgettable experience -- totally mesmerizing. And I thought it was just me, the foreigner who felt so, but even the Kyoto guys couldn't stop taking pictures!
戸倉上山田温泉から車で約７分の「さらしなの里」縄文古代体験パーク・歴史資料館の縄文祭は１０月２７日に開催された。子供達を連れて、何年ぶりに参加してみました。相変わらず賑やかなイベントで楽しかった。
マッチやライターを使わないで火をおこす…
チェインソーを使わないで木を切る…
IHではなく土鍋と墨でトン汁を作る…
現在の生活はどれだけ楽化、うんと感じました。
一番なのは魚塩焼きの所。釣りから串焼き迄、全部は子供達が自分でやっていた。釣りと焼きは良いとして、その間が問題：釣った魚を石で殺して、その内臓を取る事。
貴重な経験や。
歴史資料館で通年は一部の体験ができるので、さらしなの里古代体験パークへお出かけ下さい。
Nearby to our onsen town Togura-Kamiyamada is the Sarashina no Sato Jomon-era History Museum. (Is a history museum of a prehistoric era an oxymoron?) On October 27th, they held their annual Jomon Festival.
Starting a fire without matches or a lighter...
Chopping down a tree without a chainsaw...
Making a stew not with an IH cooktop but with a clay pot over coals...
The various activities offered during the festival served as an important reminder as to how easy our lives are today.
The activity that arguably had the most impact was the fishing pond, where kids got to experience the entire process from angling for the fish to skewering it and cooking it over coals. The fishing and cooking part were okay -- it was the process in between that was gruesome. The kids had to figure out how to kill the fish they caught, and how to clean out the guts.
I can see where vegetarians come from!
Sarashina no Sato offers various Jomon-related activities throughout the year, so come and check it out!
今年は戸倉上山田温泉のハロウィーンパティ―に子供達は２００人も来ました。台風は直撃したが、結局
ハロウィーンは台風より怖い！
って事で、
仮装コンテスト
トリックorトリートで温泉街を巡ったり、（お店や旅館は約６０件がお菓子を提供してくれた）
ゲームをやったり、
かぼちゃのランタン作りしたり、
そして…
お化け屋敷！
私は実行委員長でいながら、主にはお化け屋敷の面倒を見た。急遽で友人３人に準備や当日の手伝いして頂いて、我が子供達との友達がお化けになってもらって、最高に楽しいお化け屋敷が出来た。
（Ｇｉｌｂｅｒｔさん、Ｋｅｅｎｅｒさん、Ｋｅｎさん、お手伝いは助かりました！有難うございました。）
Over 200 kids participated in the 2013 Halloween Party in Togura Kamiyamada Onsen, making this year's one of the biggest ever. Which was surprising, since we had an unexptected guest: Typhoon Francisco. That just goes to show you --
Halloween is scarier than a typhoon!
Thanks to my buddies Gilbert-san, Keener-san and Ken-san, as well as my kids and their friends, we also put on one heck of a haunted house.
戸倉上山田温泉のハロウィーンパーティーは土曜日、１０月２６日に行われます。台風は直撃（？）だが、ハロウィーンってご存知の様に、
台風より怖い！
なので準備はてくてく進んでおります。今日は松代の農家、花見さんのかぼちゃ畑へ行って千曲国際交流協会の皆さんとかぼちゃを採りに行きました。
これからはお化け屋敷の作って、温泉街のお店や旅館約６０件がトリックｏｒトリートの為にお菓子を用意して頂いてあるし、地元の子供達は２００人が申し込んできたので、
今年はまた戸倉上山田温泉でハロウィーンで盛り上がります！
台風にも負けずに！
This year's Halloween Party in Togura-Kamiyamada Onsen will be held on Saturday 26-October. We are expecting an unwanted guest, though: Typhoon Francisco. But as you know,
Our Halloween Party is scarier than a typhoon!!!!
Together with the Chikuma Int'l Exchange Assoc. members, I went to Farmer Kenmi's pumpkin patch today to pick up the pumpkins for carving. And this evening I will work on making the Haunted House. Meanwhile, 60 local businesses are standing by with candy for the trick-or-treating. And over 200 kids have RSVP'd.
This year's Halloween Party promises to be bigger, if not windier, than ever!
