四季を通して楽しむ湯沢＜再びGW＞/Enjoying Echigo Yuzawa through a year
日本初のGW10連休、でも愛猫の調子が悪い・・・
2019年のゴールデンウィークは曜日の並びと御台替りもあって、4/27（土）～5/7（月）まで史上最長の10連休！自分の会社人生の中でも最長の休暇期間です。とは言っても、猫の世話もありそんなに長い間家を留守にはできない。とりあえず今年の春で20歳になった長女猫（！）を連れて前半の数日間を湯沢のマンションと、少し信州まで足を延ばして野沢温泉に1泊しようと4/28（日）午後に車で出かけました。
ところが湯沢から信州へ出かける前日になって、この長女猫が便秘で偉く調子が悪い。一晩とは言え留守番させるのは心配なので、現地の獣医さんを訪ねて摘便をしてもらいようやく元気を取り戻しましたが、時間がぎりぎりになってしまって野沢温泉の近辺を回るのが精いっぱいになってしまいました。もったいないけど20年も一緒にいてくれる愛猫のためなら仕方がない。
The first 10 consecutive holidays in the nation, but my cat became sick…
The Golden Week 2019 has become 10 consecutive holidays for the first time in Japan thanks to the line of weekdays and special holiday of Imperial Succession! This is also the longest holidays in my employee’s life, too. However I can’t be absent home for such a long time due to cats. I decided to go to Echigo Yuzawa and Nozawaonsen only with my oldest cat (20 years old!) in the first half. I left home in the afternoon on 28. April.
However my cat became sick from constipation (her chronic decease). I looked for local veterinarian for dissection and after taking everything out she became well. But time schedule has become far behind. We could drive only shortly around Nozawaonsen. It was shame but it was for my cat who lived 20 years along me.
(English text cintinues to the latter half of the page)
今年20歳になった長女猫。かつての美少女もすっかり痩せて目つきが鋭くなりましたが、素直で甘えん坊なところは変わりません。
今回は東京でお留守番。今年で4歳の長男（右）と次女猫（左）。
まずは越後湯沢で花祭りへ
まずは越後湯沢で丸一日フリー。天気も良かったので湯沢中央公園で開催されていた湯沢花祭りへ。
中央公園の駐車場から写した湯沢高原。山頂付近にまだ雪が残っておりゲレンデもGWの間オープンしています。
湯沢中央公園の入り口から撮った2枚の写真をご覧ください。2つの写真は同じところからシャッターを向けていますが、たったの2か月でここまで変わるとは！雪国の季節感は実にダイナミックだということを再認識します。
池の畔りでは枝垂れ桜がまさに満開。
桃の花でしょうか。ピンクが美しい。
公園のソメイヨシノはすでに盛りを過ぎていましたが、ほんの少し標高の高いところに行くと、下の写真のようにまだ満開のところも残っていました。
これは中央公園近くの『首無し地蔵』。2体とも首が斬り落とされています。すぐ傍らの碑文によると、かつて飢饉がこの土地を襲い多くの人間が死んだ時代があり、ある朝になると民を救えなかった責任を感じた地蔵の首が二つとも落ちていたという話。ただいかにも後から作ったような話でちょっと本気にできないし、町のお年寄りに聞いても確たるところはわからないようです。恐らくは明治の廃仏毀釈運動の際に破壊されたのではないかと推測します。
飯山市（長野）は黄色一色！
並べた写真は野沢温泉村の隣り、長野県飯山市の菜の花祭り。想像を超えるスケールの菜の花畑！面白いのは菜の花畑の中に通路が作ってあり、「花の迷路」が楽しめること。間違ったルートを行くと行き止まりに。
グリーンシーズンの野沢温泉に初訪問：客の主体が完全にスイッチ
野沢温泉にはスキーで数えきれないくらいに訪問していますが、実はグリーンシーズンに訪れたのは初めて。真っ先に驚いたのは、冬場にあれほど村中に溢れていたオーストラリア人観光客の姿がほとんど見えず、村を歩いている人のほぼ99％は日本人ばかり。これほど鮮明に観光客の主体が入れ替わってしまうことに驚きました。逆に言えばグリーンシーズンの野沢温泉はかなりの穴場。このGWの2か月前に信州の主だった温泉地に予約を入れようとしたのですが、どこも条件の悪いところだけしか空いていなかったのに、野沢温泉だけはいとも簡単に予約ができました。雪が無くても野沢温泉はいいところですよ！
村内13か所に点在する温泉小屋のうち最も大きな「大湯」。観光客は誰でも源泉の異なるこれらの温泉小屋を無料で利用できます。とは言え、毎日掃除をしてボランティアで管理している住民の方々のために入り口の賽銭箱に心づけを残しておきましょう。
野沢温泉村の高台にある薬王山県健命寺前にある野沢菜発祥の碑。野沢菜はもともとこのお寺で18世紀に栽培されたものです。
お寺の脇から豊かな湧き水が湧いています。
健命寺の本堂。冬には完全に雪に埋もれてしまいます。本堂脇には見事な龍の透し彫りが。
健命寺のすぐ隣りにあるは湯沢神社。100段余りの石段を登ります。右は本殿。こちらも透し彫りが見事。
神社脇に美しい水仙が咲いていました。
雪のない麻釜（おがま）は初めてかも（下は冬の麻釜）。源泉地の一つで数百年前から村人から食材の調理、野菜洗い、工芸品の加工などに利用され、現在でも住民以外は入れません。
冬の訪問だけでは発見できなかったものも今回見ることができました。野沢温泉小学校のすぐ下にある縄文時代の「岡ノ峯遺跡」。ここは縄文時代中期から晩期の集落遺跡で、写真は約4,000年前の竪穴式住居の再現。冬の間は雪に埋もれておりアクセスできないので、グリーンシーズンにしか見学することができません。
The first 10 consecutive holidays in the nation, but my cat became sick…
The Golden Week 2019 has become 10 consecutive holidays for the first time in Japan thanks to the line of weekdays and special holiday of Imperial Succession! This is also the longest holidays in my employee’s life, too. However I can’t be absent home for such a long time due to cats. I decided to go to Echigo Yuzawa and Nozawaonsen only with my oldest cat (20 years old!) in the first half. I left home in the afternoon on 28. April.
However my cat became sick from constipation (her chronic decease). I looked for local veterinarian for dissection and after taking everything out she became well. But time schedule has become far behind. We could drive only shortly around Nozawaonsen. It was shame but it was for my cat who lived 20 years along me.
My 20 years old cat. Although former pretty girl has become extremely skinny and searching eyes, she is still honest and spoiled girl.
They are keeping absent in Tokyo. They are 4 years old boy (right) and girl (left).
Heading for Flower Festival at Echigo Yuzawa
On the first day we went to the Flower Festival at Yuzawa Central Park.
Yuzawa heights from the Park. Ski site is still open at the top during Golden Week.
2 pictures above are shot from the same point. What a difference only for 2 months! I recognized that the sense of season in snow country is so dynamic.
On the park pond was full bloom of weeping cherries.
Is this peach flower? Very beautiful pink.
Somei Yoshino (the most representative Japanese cherry blossom) was behind the peak in the park. But when you go a little bit high place, you can still find the full blooming like below.
The picture above is “Headless Jizo” (Jizo: stone made guardian deity of kids) along Route 17, just off Yuzawa Central Park. The epitaph besides Jizo says that 2 heads dropped off in themselves when the village was attacked by terrible famine and many people starved to die. But it doesn’t sound real. I guess those 2 Jozos were damaged during Abolition of Buddha movement at the beginning of Meiji era.
Iiyama (Nagano) was full of brilliant yellow!
Those pictures were taken at Iiyama Rape blossom Festival. Flower field was much greater than expected! Interesting was corridors were made in flower fields as “Flower maze”. You will see the dead end when you choose wrong.
The first visit to Nozawaonsen in springtime: switching of tourists
Although I have visited Nozawaonsen in ski season for countless times, this was my first time to visit there in springtime. I was quite surprised that there were so few foreign tourists, especially Aussies, who had filled up in whole village during winter. 99% of tourists in the village were Japanese. That means Nozawaonsen except winter is a great find for tourists. I had tried to book hotel in other Nagano areas during Golden Week, but I hardly found good conditions while I could easily book good hotel in Nozawaonsen. Guys, Nozawaonsen is a great place even without snow!!
This is Oyu, the largest Onsen cabin among 13 cabins. Tourists can try any of them free. But please mind that all cabins are maintained by local volunteers every day. It should be good idea to leave some money in small box at entrance.
The picture is the monument of the origin place of Nozawana, unique vegetable in Nozawaonsen, in front of Yakuouzan Kenmeiji temple. Nozawana was planted for the first time at this temple in 18th century.
Fresh pure water is fountained besides the temple.
The main house of the temple, which is buried under deep snow.
The side house has great dragon relief.
Yuzawa shrine next to Kenmeiji temple. You arrive in the main shrine after climbing more than 100 steps. The main shrine has beautiful dragon relief, too.
A pretty narcissus flower by the shrine.
Ogama spring, very traditional hot spa spring used exclusively by villagers only for many hundred years. Ogama without snow is the first scene for me (right side is Ogama in snow).
I found something which I couldn’t find during winter. Pictures are rebuilt ancient house of 4,000 years ago at “Okanomine Ruin” just off Nozawaonsen elementary school. The ruin is middle to late Jomon time. This house is buried under deep snow during winter, so you can see this only during green season.