Social media posts by our community

I went with my family to Gongen General Park, a charming new playground located near a rest area and at the base of a mountain. The park was opened just last year, and has lots of slides for children to enjoy while being conveniently located next to family-friendly dining like a Katsudon restaurant, and most importantly connects to a pleasant and easily walkable nature trail. There are stairs for those who would like to take a short-cut, but its well worth doing the leisurely hike up to the summit. The view from the peak is really wonderful! It seems there is a bug theme to the park, with a variety of cicada everywhere. On a holiday weekend it is a little crowded, but only enough to give a sense of liveliness rather than overcrowding. It is nice to see many families out there having fun! If you are in the area with young kids of your own and enjoy nature, you could do far worse than visit Gongen.

The end of Izu, the starting point of emotions. Located at the southernmost tip of the Izu Peninsula, Minami-Izu Town enjoys a favorable climate even on Honshu. Here, it serves as both a "destination" and a place where new emotions begin. With the beautiful white sands of Yuigahama, the dynamic cliffs of Irouzaki, and the crystal-clear sea of Ougahama, the endless horizon and the rich nature brought by the Kuroshio Current soothe the hearts of visitors. In spring, early-blooming cherry blossoms and rapeseed flowers color the town; in summer, it bustles with beachgoers and tide pool explorers; and from autumn to winter, gentle sunlight and hot springs warmly welcome travelers. Throughout the seasons, a relaxed pace of life flows that cannot be experienced in the city. Additionally, this land, which has lived in harmony with the sea for centuries, is home to warm connections between people and a simple yet vibrant culture. The fresh seafood caught locally is also a major attraction. When you reach the end of your journey in Izu, something will stir within you―― Minami-Izu Town is that "starting point of emotions."

Photographed on September 26, 2014. This is the flower water basin at Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine.

【🪭The Arayama Dance Took Place✨】 On September 27th, the "Arayama Dance," which is registered as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO, was held✨ Unfortunately, it rained heavily, so this year the performance took place indoors at the Arayama Hall, but there were many guests at the venue!👏 Being indoors allowed for a closer distance between the performers and the audience, creating a warm and lively atmosphere filled with cheers and laughter throughout the day☺️✨ In the morning, the children from Sakamoto Elementary School also participated in the drumming and performances🥁 Additionally, students from Gokase Secondary School energized the venue in their traditional outfits! Moreover, the students spontaneously joined in the Arayama Dance🤩 It was heartwarming to see the dancers teaching while dancing, and by the end, everyone was able to dance! The sight of generations dancing together was truly delightful☺️💕 The Arayama Dance involves many roles, with various songs, dances, and complex rhythms. While we felt the tradition passed down through long practices, there were also moments of interacting with the audience, switching roles, and hearing shouts like "Lift your feet higher!" and "Keep going from here!"…😂 And when the "monkey" approached the children, picking them up and patting their heads with a fan, cries could be heard from all around🤣🐒 (It seemed a bit scary for the kids. Haha) While the vibrant costumes look beautiful under the blue sky, the closeness and warm interactions between the performers and the audience created a unique scene that was perhaps only possible on a rainy day😌🌿 Despite the rain, this year's Arayama Dance was filled with many smiles and excitement. We were able to witness how the community cherishes and passes this tradition on to the next generation✨ Thank you to all the performers and everyone who came out in the rain! You truly did a great job!👏✨

Taken on September 23, 2026. This is the fig Basque cheesecake and banana espresso latte from LEC COFFEE.

Today, I visited a vineyard on the mountain to experience grape picking. This time, I picked "Kagawa University R-1," a grape developed by Kagawa University specifically for winemaking and processing. It is bred from the wild grape "Ryukyu Ganev" found in Okinawa and Amami, combined with the high-quality greenhouse grape "Muscat of Alexandria." Although the grape berries weigh only about 1 gram, their skins are rich in polyphenols and anthocyanins. I have previously picked grapes at tourist orchards, but this experience was completely different. In tourist orchards, the grapes hang in clusters on the trellises, making them easy to pick, but the grapes for winemaking grow freely on the trellises, with branches and leaves intertwined, requiring some effort to find the clusters. The entire vineyard is set on a slope, with drainage ditches below, so one must be careful with their steps while picking, as it is not the easy fruit-picking experience one might imagine. After washing the picked grapes, they are sent to the factory to be juiced, beginning the journey of winemaking. The wine made from R-1 grapes is named "Sauvageonne Savoureuse," featuring a rich color and less astringency, and is sold in the prefecture under the Kagawa University brand of wine. Walking into the vineyard, I realized that behind a bottle of wine, there is not only the mountain scenery but also the culmination of varietal development and the hard work of farmers.

The Hokusei Line in autumn The white cluster amaryllis contrasts beautifully with the yellow train. Inabe City, Mie Prefecture September 2026

Taken on September 23, 2014. This is the fig Basque cheesecake from LEC COFFEE.

I visited the red spider lilies at Gongendo Park. The vast carpet dyed in red is beautiful every time I see it. The red spider lilies, sparkling brightly in the sunlight, were so lovely that I could gaze at them forever.

[Mochitsuki Challenge] At the Shinto Shrine Festival in Nishiokoppe District, the Women's Association of the Chamber of Commerce tours various neighborhoods with the portable shrine, and after the rituals, they have a tradition of throwing rice cakes to the attendees. This time, we will introduce the preparation of those rice cakes. The amount of glutinous rice prepared is a total of 55 kg, combining both white and red rice cakes. A few members of the Women's Association gathered in the morning to soak the glutinous rice. After dispersing once, 40 participants gathered at 4 PM for the mochi pounding. Villagers and cottage guests, in addition to the Women's Association, also joined in!✨️ While a machine is used for the "pounding" part, the more people there are to quickly finish tasks such as cooking, tearing, shaping, cooling, and bagging, the better. Once the mochi is pounded, it becomes a race against time. Starch powder is spread on the work table, and the freshly pounded mochi is quickly torn apart. Since the mochi is extremely hot, we put on thick gloves and managed to tear it apart. Once shaped nicely while still hot, it needs to be cooled down! If it is bagged without cooling, it will mold, so the cooling process is very important. Once round, small, and cooled mochi is ready, it is bagged and the process is complete. Thanks to the wonderful teamwork, all the mochi (about 2,300 pieces!?) were successfully bagged. After about three hours of focused work, we filled our stomachs with handmade udon and pickles before dispersing. I feel that these behind-the-scenes tasks add more color to the festival atmosphere. This big job happens once a year. I secretly look forward to next year as well. #Nishiokoppe Village #Mochitsuki #Shinto Shrine Festival #Red and White Mochi #We did our best.

Photographed on September 23, 2014. This is the quiche plate from LEC COFFEE. It includes quiche with ratatouille and two types of sausage, salad, homemade bread, and butternut squash soup.

Photographed on September 23, 2014. This is the Aitai fortune slip from Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine.

Notice of the Hitomeguri Train Operation 📣 From September 28th to November 4th, the special charter train "HOKKAIDO LOVE! Hitomeguri" will operate, taking you on a tour of autumn in Hokkaido 😊 This train, using JR Hokkaido's limited express cars "Lavender" and "Hamanasu" formations, will have JAL flight attendants, the "JAL Furusato Ambassadors" and "JAL Furusato Supporters" on board, providing various hospitality services such as original onboard announcements and window guides to enhance your travel experience ✨✨ Every year, we welcome tour guests at Obihiro Station 🎵 This year, we will hold a joint welcome event with Makubetsu Town, where the town's mascot character "Pao-kun" is also expected to join us in cheering 🎵 Among the tour options, there is a course that allows you to stay at the famous "Moor Hot Springs," known for its beautiful waters, so please enjoy the rich scenery and gourmet food of Tokachi 😍 If you see the "Hitomeguri" train along the line or at the station, please wave and support the creation of travel memories 🤗 May your journey through autumn Hokkaido become a wonderful page of memories for everyone ✨✨

I visited the grave during the equinox. The red spider lilies were blooming beautifully nearby. It's autumn now. My heart felt at ease.