2026 Ice and Snow Lantern Festival February 15, Okuwa village Okuwa Village Sports Park

Photographed on February 11, 2014. A cafe latte from cafe andon and a carrot cake with figs and prunes. They will be setting up a stall at KAWAGOE COFFEE SELECTION this Sunday.

2026 Ice and Snow Lantern Festival February 14, 2026 Nagisomachi Tsumago inn Tsumago-juku

2026 Ice and Snow Lantern Festival February 11, Agematsu Town Bed of sleep

Saijo Shibetsu Store 29th Anniversary Birthday Festival 🎉 Saijo Shibetsu Store celebrates its 29th birthday with a special festival! During the two days of the festival, we hosted a Nishiokoppe Village booth where children could play with wooden toys. Kids enjoyed wooden sandboxes, the Miracle Korokoro Tower, wooden cars, and many other playthings brought from the Forest Museum “Mokumu.” In a corner of the play area, we ran a Setoushi‑kun coloring activity and a castanet-making workshop! Children colored with the original Nishiokoppe Village crayons created as souvenirs for the village’s 100th anniversary—did everyone enjoy them? The castanets were simple in structure: two wooden boards smoothed by the village’s woodworking instructor are stacked and tied together with elastic cord to finish. After decorating their own castanets, participants took their finished instruments home as gifts. Some children played with their homemade castanets right at the booth, filling the air with pleasant wooden tones. Setoushi‑kun seemed delighted to mingle with many children and other local mascots. Thank you to everyone who stopped by! - From the 21st to the 23rd, the birthday festival offers even more exciting events. Check Saijo Shibetsu Store’s account for updates 👀 Come do your shopping at Saijo Shibetsu Store this weekend! #Saijo Shibetsu Store #Birthday Festival #Setoushi‑kun #Forest Museum Mokumu

／ Almost in full bloom✨ There are spots currently at 80% bloom😍 ＼ A small, delicate flower that heralds spring “Setsubunso”🌼💛 A native habitat in Soryo Town, Shobara City, Hiroshima Prefecture!✨ Once considered extinct in Hiroshima Prefecture, a local elementary school teacher happened to spot it during an outdoor lesson, and in 1985 members of The Joge Nature Lovers Association and researchers from Hiroshima University confirmed its wild presence. After local people shared more information and a detailed survey began, they found it growing naturally in over 40 locations. Here is the blooming status as of Thursday, February 19🔽 https://shobara-info.com/special/4467... Come to Shobara City in Hiroshima Prefecture to seek out the wildflower “Setsubunso”📸✨

Photographed on February 11, 2014. This is cafe andon’s carrot cake with figs and prunes.

Photographed on February 11, 2014. This is a cafe latte from cafe andon. The mug bears cafe andon’s logo.

Winter scenery: farmland waiting for harvest and sowing. Along the road from Shinoyama in Hyogo Prefecture to Sanda, fields that have finished rice harvesting and await the next sowing, and other fields awaiting a golden harvest, stretched beneath a winter sky after cold rain.

🌈Sumo Wrestlers from Ajigawa Stable and Chanko Party After Morning Practice ❖Thursday, February 26 only! Enjoy a post-practice social gathering with the wrestlers of Ajigawa stable, home to ozeki Aonishiki (a Ukrainian who won consecutive tournament titles), and share a bowl of chanko ahead of the Osaka tournament!✨ Before the chanko party, you will watch a bit of morning practice. After feeling the power of sumo, you can take photos and receive a commemorative shikishi board with Aonishiki’s handprint. This event is organized with the cooperation of Matsubara City Tourism Association!✨ ⭐Highlights 🔹Watch Ajigawa stable’s morning practice from seated chairs 🔹Take photos with the wrestlers 🔹Enjoy a social chanko hotpot with wrestlers after practice 🔹Includes a shikishi board with ozeki Aonishiki’s handprint ⭐Date and Time 📅 Thursday, February 26, 2026, 9:50 AM–12:30 PM 💰 Participation fee: ¥15,000 (includes a commemorative gift 🎁) 📌 Application deadline: Noon the day before the event (first come, first served) 🔍For details and to apply, search “Sumo Wrestlers from Ajigawa Stable and Chanko Party After Morning Practice” 🔗 https://www.sakai-tcb.or.jp/tourism/detail/207... We also offer a limited number of accommodation package plans titled “Stay at Hotel Agora and Support Wrestler Agoura” for participants. (Transfers between facilities are not included) 🔗 https://www.sakai-tcb.or.jp/tourism/detail/207...

A honeybee has landed on the adonis ramosa blooming in my garden and is happily sipping nectar. It’s spring.

<Scenic Night 2026 in Kimobetsu is coming!> Scenic Night 2026 in Kimobetsu, an event that lights the town with snow candle glow, will take place. We have planned children’s games, snow candle making, and a midwinter fireworks display, so please come dressed warmly! At the midwinter food court we will sell pork miso soup and takoyaki, and at the midwinter beer garden we will offer draft beer, pork skewers, chicken skewers, and more. We look forward to seeing you. Date and time: Saturday, February 21, 2026 13:30 Children’s games registration 15:00 Snow candle making, midwinter food court, and midwinter beer garden open 17:00 Snow candle lighting 18:30 Midwinter fireworks display 20:00 Scheduled end (Program may change due to weather or other reasons) Location: Around Hotto Kimobetsu Roadside Station, Kimobetsucho Organizer: Kimobetsu Scenic Night Executive Committee, NPO Kimobetsu WAO

🎎 Mini Exhibition at the Local History Museum: Hina Doll Festival The Local History Museum presents a full display of its hina dolls collection. With support from the Michikusa Tsurushi Hina Group, hanging tsurushi hina will also be exhibited. Please come and see for yourself 🎎݁˖ . ݁✶ Dates: Saturday, February 14, 2026 – Tuesday, March 2, 2026 Hours: 9:00 AM–5:00 PM Closed: Tuesdays Venue: Local History Museum inside the Kushiro Area Mashu Tourism and Culture Center Admission: Free; no advance reservation required

A 200,000-year-old guide to water The Mikata Five Lakes Nature Cruise website has been renewed! https://mihama-lakecenter.com// It is now easier to check the operating status for the day. Mihama Town Lake Center Location: 24-4-1 Hayase, Mihama Town, Mikata-gun, Fukui Prefecture Phone: 0770-47-5960 Closed: Wednesdays (the following day if a public holiday) Year-end and New Year holidays: December 29 to January 3

Photographed on February 11, 2014. This is Andon Chicken Curry from cafe andon. It's a delicious curry I find myself craving regularly. 😊🍛

🏅 The winners of the 15th Teshikaga Photo Contest have been announced!! We accepted entries from November 1, 2025 through January 20, 2026, and this year’s contest attracted more submissions than last year. A panel of 15 judges, including contest chair Takeshi Mizukoshi and Takayuki Watanabe, President of the Lake Mashu Tourism Association, reviewed the entries and selected the winning works 📸🖼️ [Grand Prize] "Colors of the Earth" Etsuko Yamamoto [Excellence Awards] "Listening to Ice Patterns" Shinmen Yasushi "Bare Mountains and the Milky Way" Yoshikazu Jimbo "The Cosmos of Lake Kussharo" Daisuke Utsumi [Tourism Association President’s Award] "Capturing Sheer Impact" Isao Nagaya See other winning entries and details on Teshikaga Navi. (Check the link in our Stories‼︎🔗) Starting today, we will gradually share the winning photos on Instagram and X (Twitter), so look forward to it 🤩 *This post’s fifth image: Grand Prize "Colors of the Earth" by Etsuko Yamamoto* Congratulations to all the winners‼︎ Thank you to everyone who entered‼︎ We appreciate your continued support for the Teshikaga Photo Contest and for Teshikaga Navi 🙇❣️

This is Diamond Fuji seen from Tokyo DisneySea with Tokyo Gate Bridge in the foreground.

Photographed on February 15, 2014. This is Hara Florist’s Valentine’s Day hanachozu (floating flower basin). 🩷🌹

On February 21 at 3:30 PM, we will hold the “Take-akari Small Market” in front of Sakuma Dam Lake Hanami Plaza. Vendors will offer amazake, vegetable miso soup, rice balls, mochi, and other items. The event is organized by Kyonan Town Tourism Association and the Hotagawa Yoritomo Sakura no Sato Executive Committee. The market will end once the bamboo lights are lit and food items are sold out. It will be cold, so please come dressed warmly. #Kyonan Town#Sakuma Dam Lake#Take-akari#Small Market#Yoritomo Sakura

Imashirozuka Kofun Park is “imashirozuka kofun kouen” 48-8 Gunge Shinmachi, Takatsuki City, Osaka Prefecture Imashirozuka Kofun Park features a spacious park developed around the burial mound. With haniwa clay figures and plenty of woodland, it’s a pleasant place for a walk. The kofun has been restored to its former appearance. You can get detailed explanations at the nearby history museum, but visiting the kofun itself is enjoyable as well. This green park spans the equivalent of two Hanshin Koshien Stadiums (9 hectares). The inner embankment that circles the mound measures about 1 km, making it ideal for walking or running, and on sunny days you’ll often see families picnicking. The inner embankment also uniquely recreates the Great King’s haniwa ritual site (haniwa ritual place) in Japan, and the sight of some 190 clay figures representing houses, people, and animals is spectacular! Some of these are available to touch.

Imajo Ancient History Museum "imashirozuka kofun rekishikan" 48-8 Gunge Shinmachi, Takatsuki City, Osaka Prefecture Opening hours: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM (last admission at 4:30 PM). Closed: Mondays (open if Monday is a public holiday), the day after public holidays, and during the New Year holidays (December 28 to January 3). Admission: Generally free, though special exhibitions or planned exhibitions may charge a fee. This ancient history museum in Takatsuki City displays haniwa and other artifacts excavated from the adjacent Imashirozuka Kofun, offering a free way to learn about ancient history. Staff members provide various explanations. The Imajo Ancient History Museum also offers a variety of hands-on workshops that both children and adults can enjoy. It is located next to Imashirozuka Kofun.

Shinike Haniwa Factory Historic Park (shiseki shinike haniwa kouba kouen) Kamitsuchimuro 1-Chome, Takatsuki City There is no parking. 😂😂😂 Hours: Haniwa Factory Museum 10:00–17:00 (park grounds open all day) Closed: Haniwa Factory Museum December 29–January 3 This ancient haniwa workshop and kiln site has been recreated within a cluster of high-rise housing. Shinike Haniwa Factory Historic Park preserves one of the oldest and largest haniwa production sites on the hills east of Shinike. Through manga-style ceramic panels and reconstructed haniwa, visitors can enjoyably learn about the Kofun period and the process of making haniwa.

A food-walking event, Nobeoka Tapas 2026 🍽️, will be held!! Nobeoka Tapas is an event for “food-walking” enjoyed while strolling through the town of Nobeoka. Visit participating shops and taste the tapas (small plates) and drinks each shop prepares, then move on to the next place, and the next. Hop between places that catch your eye and enjoy Nobeoka’s flavors and the town’s atmosphere. Discover new places you’ve never entered, see a familiar shop in a new light, and notice the faces of Nobeoka that only appear when you walk. Nobeoka Tapas is a townwide food culture. Please enjoy this special night, available only on this day, one plate and one drink at a time. ____________________________________ ■ Food-Walking Event Date and Time: February 27 (Fri) and 28 (Sat) Location: Various restaurants and eateries across Nobeoka City ■ Tapas Marche Date and Time: March 1 (Sun) 10:00–15:00 Location: Nobeoka Station West Exit Ekimae Building Around Waiwai Play Lab <Value Food-Walking Ticket> A value ticket that normally pays for 600 yen × 5 plates for 2,500 yen goes on sale from Monday, February 2, 2026!! ⁡ <How to Purchase Tickets> Advance in-person sales (cash only) ▶︎ ① Higashi Kyushu Basque Vision Promotion Office, 3rd floor, Nobeoka City Hall ② Onokobo Design LLC ⁡ Online reservation ▶︎ Purchase via “Nobeoka Tapas 2026 Tickets – Online Advance Sales” and receive by mail, or exchange for tickets at the information desk on the day of the event. Please note that refunds are not available after payment. ⁡ Same-day sales ▶︎ Purchase at the City Information Center or at the Marche Information Desk ※ If advance tickets sell out, same-day sales will not be available. If you can’t use all your tickets during the event period, you can use each unused ticket as a 600-yen voucher at participating shops, so there’s no need to worry! (Valid March 2–22) Tickets are sold until they sell out, so please get yours early ☺️💚

Enjoy the mesmerizing light displays ✨ Here’s the latest on the Nagano Lantern Festival! Overview of the Nagano Lantern Festival Date and Time: February 20 (Fri)–February 23 (Mon, holiday) 6:00 PM–9:00 PM Venues: Zenkoji Temple, Zenkoji Omotesando area, Shiroyama Park area, Nagano station front Recommended Events 1. Yume Akari Art Exhibition and Future Yume Akari Alongside the five-color illumination of Zenkoji that paints the winter sky, the festival’s emblematic “yume akari” lantern artworks shine. This year’s display will again be at Shiroyama Park, where about 900 lanterns—mainly elementary school pieces on the theme of “Future Dreams”—will fill the park and create a grand spectacle. Date and Time: February 20 (Fri)–February 23 (Mon, holiday) 6:00 PM–9:00 PM Venue: Shiroyama Park (in front of the Prefectural Art Museum) Admission: Free 2. Zenkoji Yume Joya-to (Zenkoji Everlasting Light) The lighting design by internationally renowned lighting designer Mikiko Ishii is a must-see at Zenkoji! With a prayer for peace, the night sky over Nagano will glow in five colors. Date and Time: February 20 (Fri)–February 23 (Mon, holiday) 6:00 PM–9:00 PM Venue: Zenkoji Temple Admission: Free 3. Floating Light Balloons in the Night Sky A new highlight this year! Ride a hot-air balloon featuring Nagano Prefecture’s PR character Arukuma for a special aerial view of the illuminated sites. Date and Time: February 21 (Sat), February 22 (Sun) 6:00 PM–9:00 PM (registration opens 5:30 PM, last registration 8:30 PM) Venue: Shiroyama Elementary School grounds Fees: Adults ¥2,500, elementary school children ¥1,500 (same-day registration, first-come first-served) / limited capacity Notes *Schedule may change due to weather. Thank you for your understanding.* *For day-of-event updates, check the official website and social media.* 4. Lantern Ramen Festa Five of Nagano’s famous ramen shops gather at Shiroyama Park. Enjoy steaming hot ramen under the magical lights on a cold night. Date and Time: February 20 (Fri)–February 23 (Mon, holiday) 6:00 PM–9:00 PM Venue: Shiroyama Park (in front of the Prefectural Art Museum) 5. Nagano Lantern Festival Special Live A one-night-only special live performance by Afro (the rap member of MOROHA, currently on hiatus). Date and Time: February 21 (Sat) 5:00 PM (doors open 4:30 PM) Venue: Zenkoji Daikanjin Manzen-do Hall Admission: Free *Entry may be restricted during busy periods. Please dress warmly.* 6. “I Fell in Love Today.” Special Talk Show Enjoy a talk show featuring cast members from ABEMA’s popular love-reality program, hosted by Nobuo Okubo. Date and Time: February 21 (Sat) 6:15 PM Venue: Zenkoji Daikanjin Manzen-do Hall Admission: Free *Entry may be restricted during busy periods. Please dress warmly.* For details, please see the official website. #Nagano Lantern Festival #light up #events #Nagano City #Nagano Prefecture #Nagano tourism #Nagano travel #nagano #naganocity

Photographed on February 17, 2014. After visiting Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine, I relaxed at the Starbucks Kanetsuki‑dōri Store. I had a chocolate mousse latte and a chocolate tart. SAKURA starts today. 🌸

Good morning ☀ #This morning in Tsukigase #Satoyama landscape #Blooming is progressing #A village of flowers, greenery, and water #I want to connect with people who like photography #Nara Prefecture #Nara City #Nara tourism #tsukigase baikei plum festival February 14, 2026 to March 29, 2026 Photograph by Yasuki Okamoto

A fire lookout tower and MtJonen together!! Nagano Prefecture apparently has a lot of fire lookout towers…

Jikkasegi Irrigation Canal flowing beside the Northern Alps An irrigation waterway built in the Edo Period Now it serves as a resting spot for ducks

February 17th Yesterday Azumino was mostly cloudy, but today it’s clear Mt. Jonen appears in a dignified, striking view