日本人の若者と温泉旅館 Young Japanese and a hot-spring hotel

日本人の若者と温泉旅館

女房と10月31日から一泊二日で下呂と郡上八幡へ行ってきた。旅行中で驚いたこと三つ。

１．名古屋から高山行特急に乗ったが、私の乗っている車両の乗客は日本人より外国人（白人、中国人）が多くて、彼らは大きなスーツケースを列車の棚に上げていたが、棚にはスーツケースがずらりと並んでいた。まるで外国旅行に来ているみたいだった。

2．旅館の夕食の時にテーブルに食事を次々に運んできたのは二人の若い中国人であった。受付の女性も中国人であった。聞けば、旅館には20人ほど中国人の従業員がいるとのことであった。日本人の若者は旅館で働かないのか。

３．その日は木曜日で、休日ではないのに、平成生まれと思われる若い日本人（男女とも）が15人ぐらい宿泊していた。週日であるのに温泉に泊まりに来るとは、彼らは働いているのだろうか。それにしても、彼らは高級温泉旅館に泊まりに来るだけの金を稼いでいるのだろうか。中国人が一生懸命働いているのに。

Young Japanese and a hot-spring hotel

I went on a trip to Gero and Gujyo-hachiman with my wife from October 31 and November 1. Three things surprised me during the trip.

1.    There were a lot of foreign passengers, both European and Chinese, in the express train bound for Takayama from Nagoya. The number of the foreigners was larger than that of the Japanese. I saw an array of their huge baggage on the shelf. I felt as if I were in a foreign country.

2.    Two young Chinese were waiting us at the dinner table. The woman at the check-in desk was also a Chinese. I heard that there were more than 20 Chinese people working in the hotel. Young Japanese were not working in the hotel.

3.    We went to Gero on a weekday (Thursday), not on a holiday. However, I saw about 15 young Japanese men and women staying in the hotel. How can they afford to stay at a luxurious hotel in a hot-spring resort on a weekday? What are their occupations? Are they earning enough money to stay in an expensive hotel where Chinese people are working?