Weekly Topics/Archive
August 2020 |
Sweltering days of real summer heat continue soon after rainy season was over.
Now, we have stayed indoors because of this summer heat rather than coronavirus[Covid-19]
catastrophe.
My wife may have reached the limit of her patience toward staying indoors.
She asked me, "Why don't we go on a trip to a nearby hot spring somewhere?"
It looks like she had a consultation with her younger sister living in
Ishiyama.
Her sister said that there's Nango-onsen Hot spring nearby.
[Note] Nango-onsen Hot spring ; 南鄕温泉
Kano Shojuan Sunai-no-sato ; 叶 匠壽庵 寿長生の郷、sweltering ; うだるように暑い
day of real summer heat ; 真夏日、 stay indoors ; 家にひきこもっている
coronavirus[Covid-19] catastrophe ; コロナ禍、
reach the limit of one's patience toward ～ ; ～に対して(関して)我慢も限界にきている
Why don't we ～ ; ～しませんか? ～しようよ。(誘う)、have a consultation with ～ ; ～と相談する
As soon as she hears that, she called a hot spring inn to make a reservation
but couldn't
get through to the inn.
When she was considering an alternative hot spring, she got a phone call.
She said it was the phone call from the inn that se called earlier.
It looks like they called looking at a list of received calls.
According to her, they gave a friendly and positive response to her and
received all of her
request for reservation.
This ended the matter.
I strongly felt that they are in great difficulties in tourist spots due
to drastic drop in tourists
with Covid-19.
[Note] a hot spring inn ; 温泉旅館、 get throuhh to ～ ; ～に連絡がつく、～と電話が繋がる
alternative ; 代替の、a list of received calls ; 電話の着信履歴
end the matter ; 一件落着させる、決着をつける、be in difficulties ; (財政的に)苦境にある、大変である
So、today without staying indoors after a long time, I came to go on a
day trip to hot spring
with them.
The hot spring inn “Futabaya” is located near Nangouaraizeki(Nango Weir)
on the
Setagawa River flowing from Lake Biwa.
[Note] Nangouaraizeki(Nangou Weir) ; 南鄕洗堰 (weir ; ダム、堰)
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| Route map from home to Nango-onsen Hot spring and Kano Shojuan Sunai-no-sato |
We left home by sister-in-law's car at 11a.m.
The car turned left just after crossing the Omi-ohashi bridge on the Shiga Prefectural Road
No.18 Otsu Kusatsu line.
After that, she drove on Prefectual Road No.3 Otsu Nango Uji line.
It was a 50- minutes drive.
[Note] Omi-ohashi Bridge ; 近江大橋、 Shiga Prefectual Road No.18; 滋賀県道18号
We got to the Nango-onsen Hot spring inn “Futabaya”.
It may be due to Covid-19 catastrophe that this inn is quiet without tourists.
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Nango-onsen Hot spring inn
“Futabaya” (2020.08.11_13:29) |
After check-in, we were shown into an eating facility but decided to take
a bath in the hot spring.
I went to the big common bath “Iwama-no-yu” facing Setagawa River.
According to the analysis table of hot spring components,
this is natural radium spring (mineral spring) gushing from
the mountain nearby Iwama-ji Temple.
No one takes a bath as if the bath were chartered.
I enjoyed a leisurely soak in the big tub while looking at waterfowls playing
in the Seta River
flowing out of the weir.
[Note] show someone into ～ ; (人)を～に案内する、 eating facility ; 食事処
big common bath ; 大浴場、analysis table of hot spring components ; 温泉成分分析表
natural radium spring ; 天然ラジウム温泉、 mineral spring ; 鉱泉
analysis table of hot spring components ; 温泉成分分析表
gush from ～ ; ～から湧き出る、soak in the tub ; 湯浴み、 waterfowl ; 水鳥
After that, we enjoy a “kaiseki ryori” dishes.
At the eating facility, one-person dining tables are put on the tatami
mat at a regular interval
in consideration of social distance.
An old couple except us was just eating keeping a social distance each
other.
Here is really Kansai, isn't here?
Hamo-no-yubiki (parboiled Common Japanese conger) was included in assortment
of 3
kinds of seasonal sashimi, and grilled cutlass fish was served as yakimono
(grilled food).
It's been a long time since I ate these fishes.
They were very good!
[Note] “kaiseki ryori” dishes ; 会席料理 (Kaiseki ryori means a set of Japanese dishes
served on an individual tray for entertaining guests.), tatami mat ;
畳
at a regular interval ; 一定の間隔で、 in consideration of ～ ; ～を意識して、を考慮して
Hamo-no-yubiki (parboiled Common Japanese conger) ; 鱧(ハモ)の湯引き
parboiled ; 湯通しした、半ゆでの、 Common Japanese conger ; 鱧(ハモ)
cutlass fish ; 太刀魚(タチウオ)、 yakimono (grilled food) ; 焼き物
After that, my sister-in-law says that she guides us around Kano Shojuan
Sunai-no-sato(叶
匠壽庵 寿長生の郷).
Do you know “Kano Shojuan”?
Yes. It's a well-established Japanese confectionary (soft adzuki-bean jelly
etc.) manufacturer.
She drove on Prefectural road No.3 toward Uji along the Seta River and
then turned left at
the intersection of Shishitobibashi-nishizume(鹿跳橋西詰) to enter the Prefectural Road
No.783 Ujitawara Oishi-higashi line.
It was about a 10-minutes drive from the inn to Sunai-no-sato.
[Note] guide someone around ～ ; (人)を～ に案内する、 well-established ; 老舗の
Japanese confectionary ; 和菓子、soft adzuki-bean jelly ; 水羊羹
Prefectural Road No.783 Ujitawara Oishi-higashi line ; 県道783号宇治田原大石東線
Sunai-no-sato was in the mountain here in Oishiryumoncho, Otsu City.
According to my sister-in-law, there are Kano Shojuan's headoffice,confectionery
factories,
cafes, restaurant, event halls, plum orchard, etc. in its extensive grounds
in Sunai-no-sato surrounded by nature with about the size of one mountain.
And so it's suitable as walking course because of being like natural park.
[Note] plum orchard ; 梅園、 in extensive grounds ; 広大な敷地に
We walk ahead on a gravel path.
[Note] gravel path ; 砂利道(gravel ; 砂利、小石)
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| We enter Kano Shojuan Sunai-no-sato. (2020.08.11_13:41) |
When we move further inside after having our temperature check, we can
see a bulletin board.
Accoding to a poster on the board, it looks like Corn Festival is taking place.
[Note] move further inside ; 更に奥に進む、 bulletin board ; 掲示板
Corn Festival ; トウモロコシ祭り、 with an umbrella up ; 傘を差して
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| A bulletin board (2020.08.11_13:41) |
Two eldely women walking with their parasol up |
Walking is suited for loosening our dull body due to staying home for
a long time.
But it's hard work under the burning sun in the daytime, isn't it?
Since there are gimmicks to make us forget hotness at intervals, it make
us feel a litle
cool.
[Note] be suited for ～ ; ～に適している、に向いている、 loosen one's body ; (人)の体をほぐす
dull ; 鈍った、 under the burning sun ; 炎天下で、 gimmick ; 小道具、仕掛け、からくり
at intervals ; 所々に
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| Mist shower making us feel coolness (2020.08.11_13:43) |
When we moved further inside, we got to the event venue of Corn Festival.
The venue wasn't so crowded.
Only a few families with their children were nibbling a ear of roasted
corn.
[Note] event venue ; イベント会場、Corn Festival ; トウモロコシ祭り
nibble an ear of corn ; トウモロコシをかじる (nibble ; かじる、かじって食べる
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| The event venue of Corn Festival (2020.08.11_13:54) |
The cornfield (2020.08.11_14:59) |
The following is a guide map of Kano Shojuan Sunai-no-sato.
It's like this.
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| The guide map of Sunai-no-sato |
We enter this area from the Nagaya-mon Gate.
A set of blue split curtains on which the word “hana(花)-un(雲)-sui(水)”was dyed out looks
cool because of swaying in the wind.
[Note] Nagaya-mon Gate ; 長屋門、split curtain ; 暖簾 (split ; 二つに分割した、二つに裂かれた)
dye out ; 染め抜く、 sway in the wind ; 風に揺れる、風にそよぐ
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| The view of Nagaya-mon Gate and its blue split curtain on which the word
“hana_un_sui”was dyed out |
We looked around Santoku-en.
The ornaments, paintings and so on incomprehensible to me were displayed.
[Note] ornament; 装飾品 incomprehensible to someone ; 人には理解しがたい、理解に苦しむ
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| The ornaments、paintings, etc.displayed at Santoku-en (2020.08.11_14:07) |
We walked in the plum orchard.
According to the guide map, this has around 1,000 white plum trees.
We enjoyed a stroll on the path in the orchid with low plum trees.
They didn't have any plums because their harvest season was over.
[Note] plum orchard ; 梅園, stroll ; そぞろ歩き、散策
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| We walk on the path in the plum orchard (2020.08.11_14:12) |
We stopped at Irori tea room to take a short break.
Some visitors were eating a cup of shaved ice with sweentened Uji green
powdered tea
syrup and assorted sweet red beans.
We also did that becaus it looked delicious.
We shared a cup of anmitsu, too.
Anmitsu means a classic Japanese dessert including the agar jelly, fruits,
boiled peas, and
red bean paste.
[Note] shaved ice ; かき氷、green powdered tea syrup ; 抹茶のシロップ
assorted sweet red beans ; 盛られた甘い小豆、 anmitsu ; あんみつ、agar jelly ; 寒天
pea ; エンドウ豆、red bean paste ; 小豆あん
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↑Himuromori, that is, shaved ice with sweetened
Uji green tea syrup and assorted sweet red beans
called Azuki
←Irori tea room with Western style tables
(2020.08.11_14:25) |
As this shaved ice is named “Himuromori(氷室守), shaved ice with Uji green powdered tea
and assorted red bean paste”, the ice is natural one produced in Nikko.
When its superfine shaved ice is in my mouth., I feel as if it evaporates
gently.
I took a short break while enjoying such a feeling on the tongue and a
melting feel in the
mouth.
[Note] superfine ; 極細の、 evaporate ; 蒸発する、消えて無くなる、gently ; そっと、なだらかに
feeling on the tongue ; 舌触り、 melting feel in the mouth ; 口溶け感
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| A display like this(2018.08.11_14:48) |
We turned back to Nagaya-mon Gate through the
exhibition room.
We took a stroll again along the path inthe forest.
There are no people in the event venue of Corn Festival.
They were getting ready to close their stands.
[Note] turn back to ～; ～へ後戻りする
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| The event venue without any figure (2020.08.11_14:58) |
We drove back to home after about an hour's walk in midsummer.
Since the number of coronavirus cases have been rapidlly increasing with
the 2-nd wave
of Covid-19 cases, there are mounting criticism for being premature and
idea of
discontinuation about the Go to Travel Campaign by Japanese government.
Nevertheless, the government has been forcing through the project to stimulate
domestic
travel demand.
I can't help but think that it can't read the air of public opinion and
the exsisting campain is
a stupid stunt to spread the infection.
[Note] coronavirus cases ; コロナウイルス感染者
the 2-nd wave of Covid-19 cases ; コロナウイルス感染の第2波
mounting criticism for ～ ; ～との(に対する)高まる批判 (mounting ; 高まる、増大する)、
be premature ; 時期尚早である、 idea of discontinuation ; 中止という考え方
nevertheless ; それにもかかわらず、 force through ～ ; ～を強行する
stimulate travel demand ; 旅行需要を喚起する、can't help but ～ ; ～せずにはいられない
can't help but think that ～ ; (that 以下)に思えてならない
stupid stunt ; 愚策 (stupid ; 愚かな、 stunt ; (人目を引くための)ばかげた行為)
public opinion ; 世論
At this terrible time of year, microtourism of “An(安)・kin(近)・tan(短)” advocated by Hosino Resort Representative is best, I think.
He advocates such a short trip that can get to the destinaton in an hour or two from home
and do sightseeing in the local and its surrounding area.
This can decrease the opportunity contacting with many people and also
activate them.
Today I experienced such microtourism.
I want you to try it.
[Note] at this time of year ; この時期にこそ、microtourism ; マイクロツーリズム
advocated by ～ ; ～が提唱(主張)する、
Japanese Diary archive / No.989-2020.08.11 /
「南鄕温泉で入浴後、叶 匠壽庵 寿長生の郷を散策する日帰り旅行」
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