I got up to Yonezawa City in Yamagata Prefecture in mid-February to see the Snow Lantern Festival. It’s been several years since I last went. I’ve been meaning to go, but somehow, I always seem to be busy on the weekend it is held. Anyway, it was a spur-of-the-moment trip. I conned my sister-in-law into letting me stay overnight at their place. (Didn’t even call her until the day I planned to stay. Sorry about that, sis.) It was well worth it though. It’s a nice Festival. Sort of like Christmas in February. I made a “movie-trailer” type video of it. Check it out.

I went up to the northern Town of Iide in Yamagata Prefecture recently to participate in their annual Mid-Winter Fan Club (also known as the “Fun Club”) Event. I go up every year to ride snow mobiles, enjoy the scenery and unique winter decorations, but this year was great. They snow was PERFECT. We also got to eat some of the local produce (asparagus, rice, Iide Beef, etc.) but the topper was the DOBUROKU — a sort of “pre-refined” sake. It’s thicker and creamier than regular sake you buy in the stores, and, CAUTION, it is DEFINITELY habit-forming. I threw together a little video of the event. Check it out.

山形湯野浜温泉の「いさごや」のおかみさんと

２月末に「おはよう朝日」のロケで山形の庄内・最上地方に行ってきました。美人レポーター熊谷奈美ちゃんと最初に取材したのは、かの有名な宿、「いさごや」でした。日本海に沈む夕日を眺めながら、ゆっくりとかけ流しの露天風呂でくつろげる湯野浜温泉のスポットの一つ。サイト見れば「いさごや」のことが分かる。

www.isagoya.com

Reporter Nami Kumagai and I went up to the Shonai Region of Yamagata for a report for “Ohayo Asahi”. It will air on ABC in the Kansai region on March 17th. First off, we visited the famous hot spring inn “Isago-ya” in the Yunohama Hot Spring resort area. You can watch the sun set over the Sea of Japan from the open air bath before tucking into the “kaiseki ryori” dinner featuring fabulous seafood caught locally.

渡会酒造の新酒を試しのみーー完璧です

次に行ったのは庄内地方有数の酒倉「渡会酒造」。ちょうど新酒が出来上がったところでしたので、さっそく。

Next, we visited Watari Sake Brewery, which boasts a history of over 300 years. But they are not resting on their laurels. The brewmeister has developed both a sparkling sake which taste just like champaign, and a sort of hyper distilled sake whiskey which reminded me a lot of the Chinese liquor “Shoko-shu”. Potent stuff. Completely habit forming.

「寝覚屋」で山形そばと「むぎきり」を試食

寝覚屋でそばと「むぎきり」のコンボーを試食。

東北の麺類といえば、山形に板そば、秋田の稲庭うどん、盛岡の冷麺、白河のらーめん、などが有名ですが、「むぎきり」というのもある。「ほうとう」とか「きしめん」よりはほそめだが、歯ごたえはしっかりとある。

太さは、んだね、宮城県と福島県の「うーめん」に近いかな。

とにかく、んめ〜〜ん。

「寝覚屋」のおかみさんと

Check out the "Snow Monsters" behind me.

Mt. Zao in Yamagata is an amazing place. Snow quality is great and when the weather is nice, you can see nearly half of the entire prefecture. Best of all, near the top is an army of what they call “Juhyo”. These are ice encrusted trees twisted into all kinds of wild shapes by the wind and frozen in place until the Spring thaw. A silent army of guardian snowmen. Wish we had some in Los Angeles.

２０１０年２月、ちょっと久しぶりに蔵王の山頂まで行って樹氷を見て来た。雪の質は最高だった。

蔵王の樹氷は世界遺産に登録すべし

オラ、カリフォルニア州南部生まれだから、山形さ来るまで、雪はほとんど見たことのねーものだった。でも、せっかくだから、蔵王でスキーを習った。一番上の「ざんげ坂」まで行けたのは二年目。

あの坂に、スノー・モンスターが出るぞって、英語の先生に言われたときは、「ほんまかいな」と思いましたが、樹氷を見たら、意味がやっと分かった。

本当に不思議な存在だ。じっと冬眠している。でも、なんだか大きな仙人が黙想しているような、そんな気がする。

実に美しい光景だ。そのあと、何十回も見ているが、飽きること、絶対ない。

２０１０年２月１８日（木）撮影

Check out the deep blue sky above the “Snow Monsters” up at the top of MT. Zao ski resort in Yamagata. Great quality snow.