Social media posts by our community

Winter break travel to Akanko!
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Akanko dedicated booking site & Marimo Pay
As an opening commemorative campaign
While Marimo Pay normally offers up to 5% points back
we are offering an incredible 10% back for stays during the campaign period!!!!
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With Christmas, New Year and other events packed into winter break
why not spend it at Akanko??
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Book from the link in our profile!!
https://lake-akan.com/marimopay/

Akanko Winter Illumination Giveaway Campaign!!
Today between 5:00 PM and 6:00 PM
Post a photo of the illumination on any social media and show your post to the tourism association counter staff to receive an immediate prize by lottery♪
We do not require any specific hashtag for social media posts, but if you would like to add one, please use
#Akanko Marimo Gate
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Today, December 8, is "Rice Day" 🍚✨
Satoyama no Yume, a branded rice from Shobara City, Hiroshima Prefecture, won first place in the "Osaka Residents’ Most Delicious Rice Contest" and is a carefully selected rice with a taste score of 80 or higher.

By creating a branded rice, Satoyama no Yume aims to build an environment where young people can take up farming with hope, contribute to agriculture and regional development, and bring dreams and aspirations to the community. This rice packs the dreams of satoyama farmers. To promote circular agriculture by reusing bamboo that damages farmland, farmers spent years experimenting to achieve this proud flavor. They cut bamboo into powder, ferment it for use as fertilizer, and use oyster shells—Hiroshima Prefecture’s specialty—to replenish soil minerals. These practices contribute not only to great taste but also to building a sustainable society that cares for the environment.

(Rice Day falls on the 8th, 18th, and 28th of every month.)

1) [Shobara Satoyama no Yume Farm]
New crop: Shobara branded rice Satoyama no Yume
Set of 3 × 1 kg 6,800 yen (shipping and tax included)

Product here 🔽
https://ec.satoyamaselect.jp/view/item/000000000034?category_page_id=ct45

2) [Shobara Satoyama no Yume Farm]
New crop: Shobara branded rice Satoyama no Yume Premium
Set of 3 × 1 kg 7,500 yen (shipping and tax included)

Product here 🔽
https://ec.satoyamaselect.jp/view/item/000000000005?category_page_id=ct45

December 7th
Azumino greeted a below-freezing morning
The sendangusa, known locally in Nagano as "baka", was frosted by the river mist that formed in the early morning
The frost will melt as the sun rises
In the distance, the landscape of the Northern Alps

December 6th
Azumino Cold Moon
The full moon sinks behind the Northern Alps
A December morning turned bitterly cold.

December 6th
Good morning
This morning in Azumino the sky is a crisply clear blue
The summit of Mount Nagamine is minus 5 degrees…
It’s a very cold morning, but the full moon, the alpenglow on the Northern Alps, and the sea of clouds together make an amazing sight!!

Photographed on December 3, Heisei 25.
This is the Tori-no-Ichi fair at Kawagoe Kumano Shrine.
Here is a kumade decorated for the Year of the Horse, the zodiac sign for next year. 🐎

“Midwinter!” Yamabiko Falls Viewing Event—Applications open from Monday, December 8th!

Experience the winter form of Yamabiko Falls, a sight shaped by nature—see it for yourself.

Event dates: Sunday, January 18th, 2026 (Application deadline: January 8th)
Sunday, February 8th, 2026 (Application deadline: January 30th)

Eligibility: Elementary school students and older (Each day limited to 30 participants; minimum number to hold the event: 5)
*Elementary school students must be accompanied by a guardian*

Participation fee: Adults 600 yen; elementary, junior high, and high school students 300 yen

How to apply: Use the QR code on the flyer
(Applications by email, fax, or phone are also accepted)

Inquiries: Engaru Town Board of Education Maruseppu Education Center

TEL 0158-47-2456
FAX 0158-47-3817
e-mail m-kyoui@engaru.jp

We hope you’ll join us♪

This is Mount Fuji in early winter. Silver grass sways in the wind.

The ginkgo tree-lined avenue in front of our Ekimae station is magnificent. It was a late-autumn day.

This photo was taken at Ritsurin Garden in Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture when the autumn leaves were at their peak. The crimson maple branches spread over the water like a cloak, and I captured the moment a sightseeing boat slowly passed through. Seeing the autumn colors reflected on the calm surface and the peaceful expressions of the passengers, I felt the gentle passage of the changing season.

It was my second visit to Ritsurin Garden, and I was surprised to find that the scenery had changed dramatically since my first visit—two hours had passed before I knew it. I enjoyed seeing so many different scenes. Ritsurin Garden, where time drifts by in a tranquil space, felt so comfortable that I wanted to return.

Photographed on December 3, 2025.
This is the Tori-no-Ichi fair at Kawagoe Kumano Shrine.

The autumn leaves at Shinnyodo Temple in Kyoto were more beautiful than I expected, and I really enjoyed them.

Frost lingering in Obara Village

At minus 2 degrees, frost coated the plants, creating a scene I had never seen before. However, the autumn leaves were almost finished, and although I had heard the four-season cherry blossoms were about half in bloom, the recent snowfall seemed to have kept flowering from progressing. I’ll look forward to next year.

Date: 2025/12/6
Location: Obara Village, Toyota City
Shot on: DJI MAVIC 3

※Flight application approved by Toyota City Hall
※Unmanned aircraft flight permission obtained from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
※Flight plan reported and flight log created

This is the great ginkgo at Choraku-ji Temple in the Agi District of Nakatsugawa City, Gifu Prefecture.

The great ginkgo at Choraku-ji is about 1,100 years old. From roughly 3 meters above ground the trunk splits into four sections, and the thickest part measures about 4 meters around. The tree exceeds 30 meters in height, its entire trunk measures about 9 meters in circumference, and it was designated a Natural Monument of Gifu Prefecture in 1967.
The trunk is divided partway into a large, old section and the sections that grew from it.
About 250 years ago, when a bridge over the Agi River was washed away, legend says a portion of the trunk was cut off and used for the bridge beams, and the cut surface was reportedly charred with embers to prevent rot.
Also, some 450 years ago when Takeda Katsuyori’s forces attacked Iwamura Castle and the Oda army, which had come out to meet them, were routed, Choraku-ji is said to have been burned; scorch marks from that fire still remain.

Over its long history, this tree has been carefully tended and protected by the local community.
It is so large that its branches spread beyond the temple grounds, making it visible from a distance with a strong presence.
The trunk is thick and, when seen up close, the ginkgo is impressively majestic.