子供達が真っ直ぐに成長するように。 Children’s Day is officially May 5th but here in the countryside many such holidays are celebrated 1 month later. Part of the tradition is to put a type of iris called ‘Shobu’ (Acorus calamus, “sweet flag”) in the bath.
Shobu grows straight and strong so it is placed in the bath in the hopes that children also grow up that way. The phrase for ‘fight to the finish’ is also called ‘Shobu’ so another reason for the tradition is hoping children grow up stronger.
Nagano Prefecture and Chikuma City are offering 2 discount campaigns you can use to stay here at Kamesei Ryokan.
Nagano Prefecture's "SPECIAL-WARI" for residents of Nagano Prefecture or select neighboring prefectures (Gunma, Saitama, Niigata, Toyama, Ishikawa, Fukui and Yamanashi): 5000 yen discount for accommodation fees of 10,000 yen or more, 2500 yen discount for 5,000-9,999 yen. In addition, each person receives 2000 yen in coupons that can be used at area businesses. The discount applies to stays through 31-May (Tues) 2022 (except 29-April to 08-May). All guests must be triple-vaccinated for COVID or have tested negative (present proof at check-in).
Chikuma City's "Tsuki no Miyako Chikuma-Wari": 3000 yen discount for accommodation fees of 5,000 yen or more for stays through 31-July 2022.
Restrictions apply so please inquire (Tel 026-275-1032, e-mail omotenashi@kamesei.jp) and we will gladly make your reservation.
Photo of the path to Togakushi Oku-sha Shrine by T-san from Kanagawa Pref.
In Japan there is a concept called "omotenashi". Usually translated as "hospitality" or "service", it is integral to the overall concept of a ryokan. The secret behind omotenashi is to simply provide a guest with what they want. However, the problem is in 'reading' a guest to ascertain what it is they want. And for some, the guests themselves don't realize what they truly want. Sometimes, it requires a bit of serendipity, as with this recent example.
A husband and wife arrived by car and didn't seem to be in a good mood. After checking them in and showing them their room, as I poured their tea they told me that all the places they had driven to and planned on seeing that day were still closed for the winter. There has been an unusually large snowfall this year so many places are late in opening for spring. As it had been a disappointing trip for them so far, accordingly the staff and I decided to do a more hands-off approach to serving them.
At check-out, the wife mentioned wanting to eat soba (buckwheat noodles -- Nagano's specialty). Our favorite place for soba is Togakushi, the area above central Nagano City that is famous for growing some of the best buckwheat in the country. There is something special about eating soba noodles at Togaushi made from the clear mountain water and in the fresh mountain air. Our most beloved restaurant is Yamaguchi-ya. The dining area features a picture window with a stunning view of Togakushi Mountain. We had run out of brochures for Yamaguchi-ya so I had recently requested them to mail us some more. Just then a package arrived and, low-and-behold, it was the brochures from Yamaguchi-ya. Our proprietress handed one to the guests, and off they went.
Yesterday we received a thank you e-mail and pictures from the guests. Apparently they had enjoyed a relaxing stay at our inn with the onsen baths and our chef's cuisine, but the highlight of their trip was Togakushi, especially the soba at Yamaguchi-ya and the spiritual nature. The picture shared here is the one they took of the cedar trees lining the path to Togakushi Oku-sha, the Inner Shrine.
If we had asked the guests at the start what they wanted, they probably wouldn't have said "Togakushi". But through a bit of serendipitous omotenashi, the guests were able to overcome the disappointing start and make a memorable trip.
Mt. Taro is along with Ueda Castle one of Ueda City’s two most endearing symbols. The trail to the peak is so popular some people climb it over 400 times a year. A prestigious Vertical Race takes place every May. In fact, we met one runner who said he made it to the top in 26 minutes. (For the record it took us an hour and 20 minutes!). The entertaining trail is dotted by stone markers every 109 meters, it passes near the the remains of an ancient samurai fort, halfway up the mountain it ducks under a massive stone Torii gate, and conversely at the shrine near the peak is an ankle-high Torii. But the biggest reward for climbing Mt. Taro is the spectacular view from the summit. We sat and absorbed the vista for over half an hour. Not only can you look down on central Ueda and the entirety of the Shioda Plain but you can gaze out and see the both the Northern and Southern Alps as well as the Yatsugatake Range and even Mt. Fuji.
Setsubun-so (Eranthis pinnatifida “winter aconite”) is a cute harbinger of winter. The wildflower’s tiny (2-3cm) snowy white petals contrast with the purple and yellow stamens to form an elegant color combination. In warmer climates it blooms around Setsubun, the change in seasons around February 3rd, hence the flower’s name. Here at our elevation the snow doesn’t melt until early March so Setsubun-so blooms a month later. (Note: for 2022 there’s been an unusually large snowfall so prime viewing won’t start until around the weekend of March 12th.)
Kobo-Yama is the smallish mountain behind national treasure Zenzan-ji Temple on Ueda City’s Shioda Plain. Despite its short stature the view from the summit is stunning but what makes Kobo-Yama distinct are the remains of the Warring State era Shioda Castle and the adventure of finding the 33 stone Buddhas tucked into crevices around the peak.
弘法山 Mt. Kobo (842m)
距離 Length 1.3km. 標高差 Elevation Gain 280m. 登り Ascent 90 min. 下り Descent 90 min. (探検しながら、前山寺見学含め)難度 Level of Difficulty: 初心者 Easy (冬は雪でアイゼン必須・中級 In winter Moderate due to needing crampons when snow). 2022.03.01
ACCESS: By car, Zenzan-ji Temple is a National Treasure so well-signed. Use the large parking lot by the public toilet. By train, from Ueda Station take the Bessho Line to Shiodamachi and transfer to Bus #8 to the Zenzan-ji stop (frequency and operation limited). From Kamesei Ryokan, 20km (40 min.) by car. From Togura Station via Ueda 45 min. to Shiodamachi +20 min. bus or 5 min. taxi.
コース: 正面の登山口と塩田城経由の二つのコースがあるからループ可能。33石仏探しも含めて中嶋豊さんの「信州山歩き地図・里山編III北信東信」がマスト。COURSE: Two trailheads (official one above Zenzan-ji Temple and via Shioda Castle) so can be done as a loop. For both the course and for finding the 33 stone Buddhas, get Yutaka Nakajima’s 3rd hiking book.
For residents of Nagano Prefecture, there is a valuable discount campaign you can use to stay here at Kamesei Ryokan.
Nagano Prefecture's "SPECIAL-WARI" for residents of Nagano Prefecture: 5000 yen discount for accommodation fees of 10,000 yen or more, 2500 yen discount for 5,000-9,999 yen. In addition, each person receives 2000 yen in coupons that can be used at area businesses. The discount applies to stays through 28-April 2022. All guests must be vaccinated for COVID or have tested negative (present proof at check-in).
Restrictions apply so please inquire (Tel 026-275-1032, e-mail omotenashi@kamesei.jp) and we will gladly make your reservation.
信州の冬の人気な楽しみ方は温泉にのんびり入ってハウスでいちご狩りをする事です。外は寒いからこそ温泉は気持ち良いし、いちご狩りのハウスの中がぽかぽかです。何しろ、苺が甘くて美味しいです! Here in Nagano one way that’s popular for enjoying winter is to soak in a hot spring bath and to go all-you-can-eat strawberry picking in a toasty warm greenhouse.
アグリパークAgri-Park
この亀清旅館・戸倉上山田温泉の同じ千曲市にアグリパークと言う有名ないちご狩り場所があります。約19kmで車で18分です。いちご狩りは時間制限無しで楽しめて、複数な種類があります。二段に分けてあるので小さいお子さん達は下の段がちょうど採りやすい高さです。隣接にパン屋さん、食堂、サボテンガーデン、みかん狩りハウス、植木や花の販売もあり、長く遊べます。 In the same Chikuma City that our Kamesei Ryokan and Onsen Town Togura Kamiyamada are located is Agri-Park, a famous strawberry picking spot. Located only 19km away, it is 18 minutes by car (or around 45 minutes by bicycle). There is no time limit For picking and eating the strawberries and several different varieties to try. Agri-Park also has a cactus garden, mikan orange picking, a bakery and cafeteria, and a flower and plant nursery so it is easy to spend half a day there.
東京方面からのお客様にいちご狩りのお勧め: 小諸市「布引いちご園」。ここの苺はまた甘〜い!ハウスも広くて中に食べれるテーブルと椅子もあります。隣接に立ち寄り湯もあります。For guests coming from the Tokyo area, another recommended strawberry picking place is Nunobiki Ichigo-en in Komoro City. The berries there are the sweetest, and the greenhouses are spacious and even have a designated eating area with tables and chairs.
The giant cedar trees of Togakushi’s Okusha (Inner Shrine) in the mountains above central Nagano City are popular as a sort of Power Vortex. The cedars are especially impressive during the winter and the area is our favorite place for snowshoeing.
Winter in Nagano is synonymous with skiing and snowboarding and rightly so. But steadily snowshoeing is gaining in popularity. We’ve gone snowshoeing throughout the prefecture but keep returning to our favorite: Togakushi. It has areas that are only accessible when covered in snow and would be impossible with just regular shoes.
When we went in early February there was about 5 feet of snow. We parked at the Okusha entrance, put on the snowshoes, passed the Torii gate and headed towards the Zuijinmon Gate which marks the beginning of the cedars.
冬で鏡池に雪が積もるから上に歩ける。戸隠連峰が迫力ある背景になります。ピクニックには最適な場所。 In winter Kagami Ike (“Mirror Pond”) is covered by a layer of snow so thick that you can walk out on to the middle of the pond, meaning you can literally walk on water. With the towering Togakushi Range as a dramatic backdrop the pond makes a perfect place for a picnic.
Nagano Prefecture has declared a Quasi State of Emergency from 27-Jan through 20-Feb. There are no restrictions on ryokans so our inn will be operating as normal albeit with reduced number of guest rooms for the well-being of our guests.
The Prefecture's Special Discount promotion is also being continued as normal through 10-March. Our chef's bento (2160 yen) and our Seattle Cookies (1000 yen for baker's dozen) are also available.