南房総で35周年記念演武会/35th Memorial performance contest at Minami Bouso, Chiba

(The English text continue to the latter half of the page)

6月の週末は毎年南房総で合気道合宿を行っています。こうして毎年続けてきた千葉合宿も今年でついに35周年！これまでずっと合宿の幹事を務めてくれたＳ先生に心から感謝。今回の合宿は初日午後に35周年記念演武会を行うことになりました。
また今回の合宿にはフィリピンから2家族が参加。そのうちダバオで産婦人科のお医者さんをしているDr.O一家5人を車で送っていくことになりました。お父さん以外は全員日本初体験。前夜遅くに来日したばかり。

彼らのホテルから平和島まで出てきてもらって、そこから東京湾アクアラインに合流。折しも天候に恵まれ、彼らも初めての日本で東京湾の上をドライブして興奮気味。千葉に入ってからは木更津から館山自動車道を南下して、まずは合宿所のすぐ近くの道の駅「富楽里　とみやま」で腹ごしらえ。

この道の駅は千葉の生鮮食品を使った屋台料理が豊富。お好みで買いそろえた食事を外のイートインスペースでいただきます。最年少のDちゃん（11歳）は初っ端からラーメンをリクエスト。魚で出汁をとった醤油ラーメンを平らげていました。

本日の宿「北原館」に到着。自分にとってはほぼ10年ぶりになります。道場と体育館を備えた大型の民宿で、子供の臨海学校のほか、多くの武道系の団体が合宿に使っています。

演武会は土曜14：00にスタート。残念ながら自分は翌日が居合の昇段審査で、間に合えば夕方の巻き藁作りも手伝う必要もあったため、演武の順番を一番最初に回してもらい早めに帰りました。上の動画は帰り際に道場入り口から撮らせてもらったH先生の演武。2日間の合宿が楽しく終わったことを願います。

Our Aikido workshop takes place on weekends of June and November at the seaside of Chiba. And this year is the 35th Anniversary! I express very special and sincere thanks to S Sensei who has arranged this workshop from its beginning. We decided to hold the memorial performance contest of 35th Anniversary.
And 2 families from Philippines join this workshop. For the family of Dr. O who works as an obstetrician and gynecologist in the hospital at Davao, I drove my car to take them to the workshop. Among 5 family members 4 of them have visited Japan for the first time except the father. They have just arrived on previous night.

I asked them to come to Heiwajima station and I took them on Tokyo bay Aqualine, the highway above Tokyo bay, which excited them so much. After entering Chiba, we went south along Tateyama highway and took a short lunch break at “Road station Furari Tomiyama”.

 
You can enjoy various food stand with a full of Chiba local fresh foods. The youngest girl D requested Ramen and enjoyed soy sauce Ramen with seafood soup.

 
This is Kitahara-kan where workshop takes place. I came back here almost in 10 years. The house equips martial arts Dojo and gymnasium. It is very popular place for kids’ seaside summer school and workshop of various martial arts.

The performance contest started at 14:00. Unfortunately I had the promotion contest in next day and I had to go back as soon as possible to help Makiwara (a bundle of straw tubes, sword cutting object) making. I finished my performance at the first turn. The movie above is the performance of H Sensei from the Dojo entrance. I wish all workshop programs finish in success.