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Minase Shrine 3-10-24 Hirose, Shimamotocho, Mishima District, Osaka Prefecture Minase Shrine stands on the site of an Imperial villa from the Heian period once used by Emperor Go-Toba. The shrine enshrines three emperors: Emperor Go-Toba, Emperor Tsuchimikado, and Emperor Juntoku. After the Jōkyū War, following Emperor Go-Toba’s exile to the Oki Islands, Nobushige Minase and his son Chikanari Minase—who had served the retired emperor—built a memorial hall on the former Minase Imperial Villa site to honor his spirit, and that is considered the origin of the shrine. Selected as one of the 100 Famous Waters: Rikyu no Mizu One of Minase Shrine’s notable features is Rikyu no Mizu, a spring chosen for the Environment Agency’s list of 100 Famous Waters. This spring water has long been used as an offering to the deities, and many visitors still come to collect it. It is said that Sen no Rikyū favored this water, and a tea-offering ceremony using it takes place each year in the shrine’s tea room, Toshintei (Toshin-tei Tea Room). Visitors may take up to 20 liters home per person. Water collection hours are from 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

From Hakuba Mountain Harbor, you can see breathtaking views of the Northern Alps on clear days. The first time I saw them, I was so captivated by the scenery that I lost myself for a while.

Kamigamo Shrine 339 Kamigamomotoyama, Kitaku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture Kamigamo Shrine is one of the oldest shrines in Kyoto, located in Kyoto City’s Kitaku. Its formal name is Kamo Wakeikazuchi Jinja Shrine, and it enshrines the deity Kamo Wakeikazuchi no Okami as the main kami. 🐴 Sacred Horse "Kouyama-gou" A sacred horse, Kouyama-gou, has been dedicated to Kamigamo Shrine. Visiting daysEvery Sunday, on public holidays, and on festival days, the sacred horse pavilion in front of the Nino Torii welcomes visitors. LineageKouyama-gou is a former racehorse descended from a famous horse that once competed successfully in G1 races. White Horse Presentation RitualOn January 7 each year, the White Horse Presentation Ritual is held. Kouyama-gou approaches the shrine, is presented before the deity, and is given soybeans.

Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine offers a "Mirai An-tai" fortune slip exclusive to new adults. It runs until January 12. I hope to receive one too. 😊

Shimanto City, Kochi Prefecture — Little Kyoto of Tosa What is the Little Kyoto of Tosa? About 550 years ago, amid the Onin War, Lord Norifusa Ichijo, the former kampaku, relocated to Nakamura (now Shimanto City) and established his residence there. In homage to Kyoto, he laid the foundations for shrine and temple construction and the development of the town. ※kampaku: the highest court noble post assisting the emperor Lord Ichijo’s move brought many Kyoto cultural elements to the area and fostered local pride. Even today, place names and shrines recalling Kyoto—such as Gion, Kyomachi, Kamogawa, and Higashiyama—remain. Because the community has long preserved ties with Kyoto, the Nakamura district of Shimanto City is known as the Little Kyoto of Tosa. The town, however, sits in a region prone to natural disasters. Flooding of the Shimanto River, fires, and earthquakes have erased most old buildings, yet the grid-like street pattern formed from the medieval to early modern periods still survives. History of the Tosa Ichijo Family The Tosa Ichijo family began when Lord Norifusa Ichijo moved in 1468 (Onin 2) to Hata no shō in western Kochi Prefecture (present-day Shimanto City), his hereditary estate. The lord directly managed the manor, controlled logistics along the Shimanto River basin, and laid the groundwork for the town to prosper as a trading hub linking Kyushu and Kansai. Norifusa’s son Fusaie remained as a local lord instead of returning to Kyoto, expanding Hata no shō and bringing the Tosa Ichijo clan to its peak. The Tosa Ichijo governed this land as court nobles-turned-daimyo for 106 years—through Fusafuyu, Fusaki, and Kanesada—until they were driven into Bungo by Motochika Chōsokabe in 1574 (Tensho 2). Historic sites that evoke the Ichijo family Tama-hime’s grave Tamahime, a daughter of Prince Fushimi-no-miya Kunitaka and the wife of Ichijo Fusafuyu, came to Nakamura in 1521 (Dai-ei 1) when she married. Because she arrived on June 22 and died on August 22, the 22nd of every month is still affectionately observed by locals as Tamahime Day. Fuwa Hachimangu Shrine During the Bunmei era (1469–1487), the Ichijo family invited the kami from Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine in Kyoto to serve as the protective shrine for Hata. The honden preserves Muromachi-period architectural style and is the oldest shrine building in Kochi Prefecture, designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan. Ichijo Shrine Established in 1862 (Bunkyū 2) on a plot of the former Nakamura Gosho Site by local volunteers honoring the Tosa Ichijo legacy, the shrine precinct contains Ichijo-related historic features such as the makeup well and the “never-blooming” wisteria. Shimanto City Museum "Shirotto" This castle-shaped museum stands within the Nakamura Castle Ruins. From its keep-like building you can look out over the Shimanto River and Higashiyama and enjoy sweeping views of the town. The museum exhibits valuable materials on Shimanto’s nature and culture, as well as the history of the Tosa Ichijo, the Nakamura Yamauchi family, late-Edo period patriots, and Shimanto-born socialist Kotoku Shusui. Festivals and events that evoke Little Kyoto Seasonal events that recall Kyoto culture are held here, including the Tosa Ichijo Kuge Gyoretsu Fuji Matsuri (May), the Daimonji Okuribi bonfire (lunar calendar July 16), the Fuwa Hachimangu Grand Festival (September), and the Ichijo Grand Festival with the Sacred Fire Procession (November). Shimanto City carries a deep historical bond with Kyoto and a living tradition of inherited culture and performing arts. It is for these reasons, and its historical name Nakamura, that the area came to be called Little Kyoto of Tosa—Nakamura. A history linked to Kyoto, a culture passed down through generations. Come and feel the charm that makes Shimanto City known as the Little Kyoto of Tosa.

I watched the New Year’s fire brigade ritual by the Kawagoe Wakatobi Association at Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine. They look sharp.

Photographed on January 1, 2014. This is a beckoning cat omikuji from Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine. 🐈 It looks like something good might happen.

This is Nakajima Park in Sapporo. There is a large pond, but it has frozen for winter and has become a path for red foxes.

This is the Year of the Horse omikuji from Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine. May it bring you blessings as well.🐴✨

2026 Tangram Motto Winter Triathlon in Shinshu Shinano Town — Entries Open! The Winter Triathlon will return to Tangram Motto in March 2026 as part of the Japan Winter Triathlon Series. A winter triathlon is a multi-sport event contested by snow running, snow biking (MTB), and cross-country skiing. ◆ Date and Time: Sunday, March 8, 2026, 8:30–12:00 ◆ Venue: Tangram Motto, Special Winter Triathlon Course ◆ Entry Period: December 1, 2025, 12:00 to January 31, 2026, 23:59 (first come, first served) ◆ How to Enter: Register via the flyer QR code or the website below. https://do.l-tike.com/app/dss/race/detail?acd=iJ7jyoer_-4... We warmly welcome participants of all ages, from kids to adults!