Fun of Good Old Japanese - 江戸・明治に学ぶ　楽しむ生き方

Suzaka City is in Nagano prefecture (central Japan) . The museum shows exhibits concerning the primitive and the ancient age mainly (it is not related to the theme of this blog). So, I show you its exhibits briefly with its city scape . 須坂市は、長野県北部の都市 。長野市の近くです。博物館では、 須坂の原始時代、古代の発掘物を主に展示 しています。このブログのテーマとは異なりますが、 須坂の町とともに簡単にご紹介 します。 Six facilities show about Suzaka ; it says “functionally distributed general museum”. Exhibits about folklore which is related to this blog's theme is in Suzaka City “Kasaboko” dream hall. I’ll show it in the following article. 須坂市では博物館の機能を分散 していて、本館（須坂市立博物館）は原始古代と自然の展示、笠鉾会館が私が好きな民俗と須坂藩を展示しています。ユニークですね。次の記事では、笠鉾会館を紹介します。 Swords in the ancient era 、古代の刀剣などの展示 Ancient highways, post-towns and government ranches in Nagano prefecture 古代長野県の地図と街道・宿駅・牧 The exhibition room above is  about Garyu-park, wherein the museum is . The park was planned as a recreational place for silk mill workers. A famous professor (Dr. Honda) designed the park, because Suzaka wa...

Part 1 of this article is about festival floats and key industries such as hemp cultivation. Kinasa Folk Museum (1/2) 、鬼無里ふるさと資料館 きなさーれ（part1 ） パート１は、祭りの山車とかつての主力産業（麻作りなど）の記事です。   Agriculture and Forestry 、農林業 Although water wheel on the right was used for milling rice, a machine took the place after WW2. Not only rice farming tools but also papermaking ones are displayed. 水車小屋は米を搗くために使われましたが、戦後、機械が導入されて姿を消しました。米作りだけでなく、紙漉き用具などが展示されています。 Forestry was also important industry of Kinasa area. A full-scale model of a charcoal hut is displayed (lower right). 林業も重要産業。炭焼き小屋の実物模型（右下）や漆製造の展示もあります。   Horse breeding 、馬の飼育 Locals had raised horses since long-time ago and had used them for farming and transporting. It says, “ Locals had held an event “ Kannon-kou ”. They thanked to horses for their hard work and pray for their safety .” Horses were family members. The decorated saddles and the banner were used at the event. 鬼無里では古くから馬が飼育され、農耕や運搬に利用されていました。「 村人は馬の日頃の労苦に報いるため観音講...

The village “Kinasa” is in central Japan (Nagano prefecture). The name “Ki ( 鬼 , demon or powerful being)-na ( 無 , non-existent)-sa ( 里 , village)” is interesting; it is said that demons were driven away in the ancient era. Although the village is in a mountainous area, it prospered as a hemp production center and made money to own gorgeous festival floats . There had been smart people who were good at creating business probably. 鬼無里。 古代に鬼が退治されて居なくなったという伝説がある集落 です。長野市と合併する前は鬼無里村でした。山中の村ですが、 麻の生産で栄え、精緻な祭り屋台を作るほど富を集めました 。糧を得る知恵をもつ人々がいたのですね。   Four actual festival floats  are in the first exhibition room. The village had seven floats in the peak-time. Master craftsman (Kitamura Kiyomatsu, 1830-1906) made all in a decade; he was invited from the neighboring prefecture (Niigata). 最初の展示室には 祭り屋台（市重要文化財） が並びます。往時は７台ありましたが、４社の４台が残り、祭りの時は展示室から出ます。越後の北村喜代松（ 1830 ～ 1906 ）が 10 年で７台を製作しました。 The one above (Kagura) is similar to a portable shrine . Locals shoulder it and parade around the...

The village in central Japan (Nagano prefecture) is in a mountainous area. The museum in a village facility “Furusato land Ogawa” which has a cafe; I reckon it would be a gathering space of villagers. The exhibition room is about half the size of a classroom in which exhibits concerning history and folklore are displayed. Photography was prohibited. 長野県北部の小川村 、“ふるさとらんど小川” にある資料館です。展示室は教室半分ぐらいの広さで、歴史と民俗を展示しています。喫茶室があり集いの場としての機能が強いようです。室内の 写真撮影は禁止 でした。 A temporary art exhibition was held in the entrance hall. The permanent exhibition room is in behind. エントランスホールとの仕切りが取り払われた特別展示室では絵画展が開かれていました。奥が常設展示室です。 Images of the exhibition room are  pictures on the brochure . There were three items which looked like portable shrine which is named “Kagura”; its wood carving is so elaborate. Similar ones which are also named Kagura are exhibited in the museum of the neighboring area. The same clan "Oohigata" ruled the villages in the medieval era. I just guess the cultural exchange am...