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Event Announcement📣 On July 19 (Sunday), the 15th Furusato Ginga Line Rikubetsu Railway Festival will be held😊 For nearly 100 years since 1910, this public railway has been running through Rikubetsu Town. After its closure in 2006, it was reborn in April 2008 as a tourist facility where visitors can experience actual train operations! To promote this historic "Rikubetsu Railway" and encourage more people to ride and experience it, we are hosting this event🎵 On the evening of July 18, about 2,000 fireworks will light up the summer night sky🎆 In conjunction with this, a special fireworks train will be operated, allowing passengers to enjoy the fireworks from inside the diesel train!! Passengers will receive local specialty products from Rikubetsu Town as a gift. Reservations are currently being accepted🚂 (Note: Fireworks train → Capacity 32 people, 1,500 yen) Additionally, stage shows featuring street performers and music performances by Backyard Music are also planned‼ During the stage event on July 19, we will welcome the popular Yoshimoto Kogyo comedians "Slim Club and Denjin Band" for a comedy stage performance. Moreover, in the "Special Train Experience Ride," we will extend the ride experience, which is usually limited to the station premises, as a special train for this event to Koi-yamagata Station in the suburbs. Those wishing to ride can register on the day of the event. (Note: Special train → Adults 500 yen, Elementary school students 300 yen) Don't miss this rare opportunity for a unique experience😍 Other activities include horseback riding experiences, a bingo tournament with a chance to win a Nintendo Switch 2, and dance performances by elementary school students from Rikubetsu, among various programs planned🎁🎁 Many vendors will also be present, so we invite everyone to come together and join us🤗 🔶 Date and Time <Pre-festival> July 18, 2026 (Saturday) 18:00–20:30 <Main Festival> July 19, 2026 (Sunday) 10:00–16:00 🔶 Venue <Pre-festival> Midori-machi Soccer Field <Main Festival> Inside Rikubetsu Railway Station & Multipurpose Square in front of the station 🔶 Fireworks Train Applications & Inquiries Furusato Ginga Line Rikubetsu Railway Festival Executive Committee Office (Rikubetsu Town Hall, Industrial Promotion Division) TEL: 0156-27-2141 https://www.rikubetsu.jp/kanko/event/tetsudoumatsuri/...

\Kawayu Onsen's First Event!🍻/ "Kawayu Onsen Yuke-muri Beer Garden" On July 24th (Friday) and 25th (Saturday), we will host the first beer garden at Kawayu Onsen! The venue will feature food booths and food trucks from local restaurants, offering gourmet food and drinks 🍕🍟🍺 Additionally, there will be a "Children's Festival" with activities like super ball scooping and ring toss! In the evening, we also plan to have handheld fireworks, making it enjoyable for families 🎆 At the same time, "Awake from KAWAYU" will offer a walking tour to explore the charms of Kawayu Onsen. Tuesday: Registration starts! Search at the Kawayu Information Center! https://www.kawayu-onsen.com/awake-from-kawayu/... ↑ Check the details here 💁‍♀️ We invite you to come to Kawayu Onsen with your family and friends! 📅 Event Date and Time July 24th (Friday) and 25th (Saturday) 15:00–21:00 (Last order at 20:00) 19:00– Handheld fireworks *Free 📍 Venue Former Kyu-Yufu-In site (across from EZO Rider) 1-6-1 Kawayu Onsen, Teshikaga, Kawakami District, Hokkaido 🚗 Parking: Kinki-yu Inn Parking Lot and Kawayu Onsen Dai-2 Parking Lot *Please do not drive if you will be drinking.

Taken on July 1, 26. Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine, this is a wind chime symbolizing the connection of the engawa (veranda). I'm curious about 🇪🇸🆚🇫🇷.

Taken on July 1, 2014. This is the matchmaking wind chime from Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine. I found a red thread wind chime.

On a summer day with light rain continuing, Kobe Meriken Park was a sight to behold. The fine rain fell and stopped intermittently, and the raindrops resting on the white petals that had fallen due to the wind were beautiful.

I love my hometown so much✨️ I want you to know its charm.

The "2026 Artisan Summer Asparagus Fair" starts on Tuesday, July 21! This year, 26 restaurants will participate!! Using the summer bounty of Engaru Town, "Engaru Nyokki-zu Summer Asparagus," participating restaurants will offer original dishes created with creativity and ingenuity at the "Asparagus Fair." This year, 26 restaurants are participating. Be sure to enjoy the original dishes at many establishments. When you order asparagus dishes, there will be special benefits at each restaurant, and you also have a chance to win "1 kg of Summer Asparagus" or "common meal vouchers for participating restaurants" for 30 lucky winners through a lottery! The event will be held from Tuesday, July 21, to Thursday, August 13! 🎶

I recently visited Glicopia, a factory in Kobe that makes Pocky and Pretz. I think Pocky was the first chocolate I ever knew was specifically Japanese, and I think it is definitely an iconic snack well-recognized around the world. It was fun to get a closer look at its production! The guided tours show the history of the company, from its early 20th century origins to the postwar expansion of products, with old commercials, toys that came included with snacks through the years, and a fun "digital cooking" game where you design and decorate your own sweets. The assembly line itself is very advanced, and you can see pocky being made in great quantities. This time they were making a flavor that has yet to hit shelves, which made it even more interesting. The air near the production area has a warm, delicious scent, which is a bonus. If you liked pocky a lot yourself growing up, or are travelling with kids, I think it is a great place to visit! Reservations are necessary, and I believe most of it is Japanese-language only, but looking at a chocolate factory is pretty universal regardless of language.

If you're exploring the Omuta and Arou area, Manda Pit is a must-visit spot. By learning about the history of the Miike Coal Mine, you'll gain insight into the role this region played in Japan's industry. It's also recommended as an entry point for a journey through industrial heritage. How about extending your trip to the World Heritage site in Arao City before or after your outing or festival in Omuta? [Visiting Information] 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM (Last entry at 4:30 PM) / Closed: Mondays (or the following weekday if a holiday) and during the New Year holidays / Admission: 410 yen for adults and university students, 310 yen for high school students, 210 yen for elementary and junior high school students / Manda Pit Station (free exhibition room and ticket sales) #Omuta #MiikeCoalMine #IndustrialHeritageTour #ModernIndustrialHeritage #HistoricalTravel #WeekendTrip #CoalMineRuins #MandaCoalMine #Omuta #AraoCity #KumamotoTravel #JapanTravel #VisitJapan #IndustrialHeritage #WorldHeritage

Visiting Ichinomiya-ji in Kagawa Prefecture during the summer, aside from the usual pilgrimage, what I look forward to the most is the traditional summer event, the "Cucumber Blessing." As I step into the quaint temple, the first thing that catches my eye is the neatly arranged boxes of vibrant green cucumbers. Each cucumber is tied with a wish paper bearing the names and ailments of the devotees, creating a scene that is both novel and filled with a sense of sacred ritual. People firmly believe that through the master's spiritual power, they can temporarily entrust their internal pains and misfortunes to the cucumbers. Standing in front of the master's hall, I watch the devotees earnestly writing their wishes, with the rising incense and the deep, resonant chanting filling the air, even the summer cicadas seem to quiet down in this moment. The serene energy makes one naturally calm, and I silently pray for health and peace for myself and my family with my hands together. After the ceremony, these cucumbers, which carry the ailments of many, will remain at the temple, where they will be collectively buried in the Cucumber Mound. As the cucumbers naturally decay in the soil, the tormenting pains and misfortunes will also fade away into the earth. This seemingly simple tradition is wrapped in the most sincere and profound hopes of people for their health. For me, the Cucumber Blessing at Ichinomiya-ji is not just a special travel experience; it is a summer memory intertwined with the warm humanity and ancient beliefs of Shikoku.

Taken on July 1, 2024. These are the enmusubi wind chimes from Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine. 🎐

In Memuro Town, at Memuro Shrine, during the summer, it is beautifully decorated with flower water offerings, wind chimes, and pinwheels. Recently, there was a fireworks festival, and it was said to be illuminated as well.

The Wombadals

Taken on July 1, 2014. These are the matchmaking wind chimes at Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine.

Grand Front Osaka The Green Bear This bear is named "Ted Ibel," with the nickname coool. In fact, this is a work by the contemporary French artist Fabrice Hyber. It sprays water from its mouth.