瞽女（ごぜ）さん

In Japan “Goze” (go-ze’) means a blind female who travels around villages to entertain local people with her stories, popular songs, ballads, and so on for a living.
In the Edo era (1603-1867) many Goze were seen everywhere throughout Japan, except Hokkaido. After the Meiji era (1603-1867), their activities gradually declined due to the spread of radio and TV.
However, in some local areas, especially in Niigata-prefecture, Goze continued, with their popularity lasting up until 1977 in the Showa era, when Goze finally ceased their trade.

Goze songs played an important role as one of the Japanese traditional entertainments. Naoko Kayamori, pupil of Haru Kobayashi, who was the very last Goze (1900-2005), is one of the few people to hand down Echigo (Niigata area)
Goze songs to our generation.

福島県、山形県、新潟県の三県にまたがる飯豊山地（いいでさんち）の藤十郎山に源を発する胎内川。
アイヌ語が語源で「清い水が流れるところ」という意味だそうです。
その穏やかに流れる胎内川を正面に望むように小林ハルさんは眠っています。
ハルさんは、平成17年（2005）4月25日、盲人のための特別養護老人ホーム「胎内やすらぎの家」で眠りにつきました。享年105歳。
やすらぎの家から車で5分という近さです。

墓石には戒名「無量院春芳慈聲大姉」が刻まれています。