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100+ Nagano Yuru-kyara

お正月の新聞で「長野県のトップ１００ゆるきゃら」の紹介を見つけました。千曲市は屋代商店街のヤシロウが載っていた。この戸倉上山田温泉の「温泉まんじゅサン」はこれからデビュー？

とにかく、ゆるきゃらは最近、広まり過ぎない？どこまでが良いＰＲ化、どこまでが自己満足か、疑問がございます。もっと効果のあるＰＲ活動・町興し運動があるのではないかと思いますが。長野県だけで１００＋？全国で何万個があるでしょう。
この間、県観光課の主催の公園で、講師が県は一生懸命「アルクマ」と言うＰＲキャラクターを宣伝しているけど、
県内では結構馴染んできて、愛されてきたようだが、
県外の皆は知らないと
言う結果となっていると仰った。
ＰＲキャラクターの目的は長野県に訪ねる人数を増やすのであれば、意味がないと、はっきり言われました。
私の経験でも、亀清のフロントにアルクマくんの人形を置いてありまして、唯一「可愛い」と言ってくれるのは県内のお客様。
多過ぎるって、どれぐらい？

Japan is undergoing a "Yuru-Kyara" boom lately. A hybrid of 'cute' and weird, these "Loose-characters" seem to be popping up everywhere. Over the New Years holiday, our local newspaper had an article featuring over 100 such characters from Nagano Prefecture alone.

Shich begs the question, How many is too many?

Chikuma City's unofficial character, Yashirou of the Yashiro Business District made the list, but Onsen Manju-san from our onsen town Togura-Kamiyamada has yet to make its debut apparently.

But I am starting to wonder, how important are these Yuru-kyara? At one seminar I attended sponsored by the Prefecture's Tourism Association, the speaker mentioned how much money the Association spends on promoting its PR character, Arukuma-kun, yet no one from outside the prefecture recognizes it. Arukuma-kun has become popular with people here in the prefecture, but if his purpose is to attract visitors to Nagano then he is a failure. That matches my experience here at Kamesei. We have a Arukuma-kun doll at our front desk. The only people who comment on it are locals.

Rather than spending money and energy on something that makes one feel good, perhaps it would be better to put effort into something that has more practical effect.

アルクマ君（マイＨＰもある？！）Arukuma (with his very own dedicated website?!)
ヤシロウ Yashirou

Murakoshi-san and Kurihara-san helping steam the Mochi rice.

日本のお正月習慣、餅つき。
私の出会いは大学を卒業してから上田市で生活した冬。お正月で大手スーパーで買い物をしたら、入口で人が集まって盛り上がっていた。あっ、噂の餅つきだと分かった。勿論、私も参加してみた。まあ、単純な習慣だなと思った。

このお正月亀清旅館の玄関にある昔からの臼を使って、何十年ぶりに餅つきを挑戦する様になった。従って、私は餅つきの準備の段階から始めて経験した。杵(ハンマーじゃなかったんだ)の手配、臼の準備(水を前持ってかけといて、吸い込ませる)、蒔きを炊く釜の購入、餅のトッピングの準備、そして打つ前の餅米を蒸す。意外に奥深い。今回は色んな先輩に助けて頂いて、準備は無事に出来た。

もう、餅つきのは単純じゃないって事、よく分かりました。

Mochi (sticky rice) -Tsuki (pounding) is an age-old New Years tradition here in Japan. My first experience was back when I lived in Ueda City after graduating college. During my first winter here, I went to a shopping center around New Years. At the entrance, a bunch of people were gathered and were making an exciting commotion. As I went to check it out, I saw the Mochi-pounding in action, and realized that was the legendary Mochi-Tsuki.

Of course, I tried my hand with the hammer and helped pound. My first impression was the whole thing seemed a bit simple.

For this New Years, we at Kamesei decided to make use of the antique mochi-pounding mortar, and do a Mochi-Tsuki event for our guests. Hence, for the first time, I experienced the process from the beginning stages. Procuring the 'kine' hammers, prepping the 'usu' mortar by soaking its bowl with water, buying the wood-burning pot set, using it to pre-steam the Mochi rice. Fortunately a couple of guardian angels from our neighborhood came and coached me through the process. Our Mochi prep was a success!

I no longer consider Mochi-making to be 'simple'!