Notice of Municipal Products Sale at City Hall♪ From today for two days, Isehara City Hall will host a pop-up sale of local specialties in the first-floor entrance hall★While supplies last! Cheesecake from Kashiwagi Farm; Frieden; Tanzawa-Ooyama soba from Jinenjoka; seasonal vegetables from the Katano family; shiitake mushrooms from Takei Mushroom Farm; Suzuki chili peppers; karabuki (braised butterbur stems) from Otsuya; Ryoben Ooyama manju available only on the 19th; Kururin goods; and many other tasty treats from Isehara. We look forward to seeing you! Wednesday, December 18th and Thursday, December 19th 10:00–14:00 At Isehara City Hall, 1st-floor lobby

The main gate at the entrance of Mt. Koya, Wakayama Prefecture, is 25.1 m high and is designated as an important cultural property.

It is a snowy view of Mt. Gomadan along the Dragon God skyline in Wakayama Prefecture. It's about 3~40 minutes by car from Koyasan, but it's very cold~.

It is an icicle of thirty hammers in Saitama prefecture. I was fascinated by the sight of ice art.

Photographed 12/15/24. It is a limited time Hanachozu of Kawagoe Kumano Shrine. For the first time in a long time, yellowtail attended the festival of the Zenarai Benten Itsukushima Shrine.

Frozen-like illumination 📸 This is "Marigold Hill" in Honjo City, Saitama Prefecture. Squid with marigolds 🤤🤤 that can be enjoyed until winter

Yellow Leaf Reflection ✨ A large "Ginkgo" tree at Yen Tsuji Temple in Kuwana City. I tried to reflect on the roof of the Car parked in the Car parking lot. It has become a popular Spot. I'm worried about my manners in the future. Kuwana City, Mie Prefecture "Yen Tsuji Temple" 2024/12

Accommodation at a hotel near Joetsu Myoko Station Mt. Myoko before departure the next morning, snow-covered scenery

We went to Tama Zoological Park on an excursion! We will ✨ post the best shots taken by students

Nagawacho’s image character “Nacchan” now has LINE stickers✨ There are many expressions, plus stickers you can use for Christmas, New Year and more🎄 Bring Nacchan into your messages! (Send a single sticker and it works like a stamp☺️) https://store.line.me/emojishop/product/675a8cbcb1c791561f00de3a/ja...

We are looking for participants for the "39th Yubetsu Wilderness Okhotsk Cross Country Skiing Tournament"! A major winter Events "Yubetsu Wilderness Okhotsk Cross Country Skiing Tournament" will be held in for people who are fascinated by the Yubetsu Wilderness. In the competition, we have prepared 6 individual courses, such as the Yubetsu Wilderness Course, which runs 80 km, the longest course in Japan, and the 5 km Course, which even those who are not confident in their physical strength can easily participate in, and an ekiden in which one team of 5 people runs 95 km. Enjoy cross-country skiing surrounded by the majestic location of Kitadaisetsu. < Held in and Course > Engaru Town, Yubetsu Town Yubetsu River Basin Special Course ~ From Engaru Town Shirataki Tengudaira (Kita Daisetsu Cross Country Course) to Yubetsu Town Nakayubetsu Naka Towns (Yubetsu Town Cultural Center TOM) < For inquiries, please contact> Yubetsu Wilderness Okhotsk Cross Country Skiing Tournament Executive Committee Secretariat Yubetsu Town Kamiyubetsu Government Building Commerce, Industry and Tourism Division Phone: 01586-2-5866

🍁Gokase Autumn Leaves 2024🍁 Please vote! [Until January 5, 2025!] Thank you very much for the many entries to the “Gokase Autumn Leaves 2024” contest held recently on the Gokase Tourism Association Instagram account 🥹✨ We have taken the liberty of conducting a strict first-round selection by the tourism association staff and have chosen 12 entries from all submissions 🤔💡 From these 12 entries, we would like to decide the winners by asking followers of our Instagram account to vote 🤩👏 Please follow the Gokase Tourism Association Instagram account (@gokase_kanko), then in the comments of a post with the hashtag #Gokase Autumn Leaves 2024 Vote, choose one of the 12 entries and comment the number of the entry you selected ✍ Voting is limited to one vote per account. [Voting period: Until Sunday, January 5, 2025] [Gokase Tourism Association Instagram account] https://www.instagram.com/gokase_kanko/... Please check the original posts by the entrants before voting 🤗 1 @gokase_pan 2 @kaaazuuu1123 3 @thusandleavis 4 @mitsu_yumi.0520 5 @san.shimako.1105 6 @hiroko.gf1 7 @kaaazuuu1123 8 @niidome2110 9 @sakai_0808 10 @sakai_0808 11 @thusandleavis 12 @naomin168 Ten winners who vote will be selected by lottery to receive specialty products from Gokase Town as a gift 🎁💫 We look forward to your many votes 🥰

The poster for Tomakomai City's major winter Events "Tomakomai Skate Festival" has been completed! We are looking forward to welcoming you to the "Tomakomai Skate Festival", which is "good to eat and good to play" and "Shibareyaki" that is baked and eaten in a drum under the cold winter sky, and the "Little Slide" about 4 meters high made of snow!

【Snow-covered Yatsugatake】 I took a picture from Fujikawa Town Station Street!

We've posted a "Kanagawa NOW" feature about illuminations in Kanagawa Prefecture on our website!

Kurara Band Christmas Live 🎄 On Saturday, December 14th, Kurara Band Christmas Live took place at Gion Terrace Kuraraku Multipurpose Hall 😆 This was the third Christmas live, and once again a large crowd came to enjoy the show 😀 Despite the winter chill typical of Kuraoka, the venue buzzed with heat 🔥 as adults and children alike jumped and danced with excitement 😁🎵 It was a concert that brought smiles to everyone who attended, and we look forward to it happening again next year 🥰

Photographed 12/15/24. After the Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine Monthly Festival, I relaxed at the Starbucks Bell Ring Street store. On Sundays, it is crowded. It's a gingerbread latte and a chocolate cake.

Kit wishes come true — we have put up ema plaques 😍 A few years ago we collaborated with KitKat on the Kito Line and installed ema plaques then; we have installed those same ema again this year‼️ If you visit Takaharacho, please stop by Takahara Station and write your wish on one‼️😝 We will properly dedicate the ema at the shrine ⛩️! About ema — we looked into them a bit! ⭐︎Unlike omikuji, ema are things you “dedicate” ⭐︎You can write vertically or horizontally—either is fine ⭐︎Since you are asking the kami (gods), it’s good to write phrases like “May 〇〇 come true” or “I hope 〇〇 is granted.” ⭐︎You may sign with either your initials or your full name—both are OK! In fact, it used to be recommended to include your address and date of birth, but many people avoid that now to prevent personal information from leaking. ⭐︎You can write several wishes on a single ema, but it’s better to separate different prayers by using different ema. ⭐︎It seems acceptable to dedicate the same wish on ema at several different shrines or temples. This is what we found in our research, so we can’t say it’s definitive, but remembering these guidelines might help your wishes come true even more! 😍 Please drop by Takahara Station to write an ema — they are free of charge‼️🤩 Place: Takaharu Town Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Takahara Station) Address: 473-6 Nishifumoto, Takaharacho, Nishimorokata District, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan Parking available (free)

It seems that it is 🐻 fashionable to wear ice accessories on the front paws again this year

Miyanomori Draped in Snow Over the course of a few days, Miyanomori deepened in snow. While helping a wood education program coordinator, I took a short stroll through Miyanomori. I trudged through the snow, my boots sinking as I walked. If I had been alone, I would have kept my eyes on the ground, but when someone spoke to me and I looked up, I found flower buds and leaf buds. They’re putting out buds and patiently waiting for the long winter to pass. There was a hollow opening in a trunk. I wondered whether someone lives there or had lived there. I learned that the cracked bark on the Sakhalin fir is caused by frost cracking. Moisture inside the tree freezes and expands, splitting the trunk. When the trunk cracks, a clear sound is said to ring through the whole forest. I tried walking alongside deer tracks and picked up fallen fruits and flowers from the snow. I also loved the view of the town dusted in snow from a slightly higher vantage point. #Nishiokoppe Village #Hokkaido #winter #snow #snow-dusted #Miyanomori #wood education #kobushi (Japanese magnolia) #yachidamo (Manchurian ash) #Sakhalin fir #deer

【Hanachozu】 It's been cold every day. Hanachozu was also covered with ice this morning.

Kanto's largest Ginkgo 🍁 This one is located in Ota City, Gunma Prefecture 　　　　　　　　　　　　"Jozoji" It is one of the largest Ginkgo trees in the Kanto region. The best time to see it is now and be sure to 🤤 visit it at the end of autumn

It is winter on Mt. Koya, a World Cultural Heritage Site. Snow removal work was being carried out for Worshippers who visited even in winter. The vermilion building is the main tower.

Photographed 12/12/24. It is an orange annual sea bream lottery.

Ginji Katsura Rakugo Performance Today, December 15, a rakugo performance by Ginji Katsura, who hails from Nobeoka and is also active in Tokyo, took place🪭✨ This event held the morning show at Kurun and the afternoon show at Kuraokakurara🤗 As a poster, this was my first time seeing live rakugo properly, and I was very excited to watch🤩✨ Rakugo uses almost no props! Performers remain seated, using only a tenugui (hand towel) and a sensu (folding fan), skillfully expressing characters through gestures, facial expressions, and eye contact😯 They make the audience imagine the scene, delivering stories that end with a punchline that makes you laugh out loud🤭 It was truly funny, and I listened with excitement wondering how each punchline would land🤣💫 The scene of eating soba was especially striking. It was incredible—he really made it seem like he was eating. It looked delicious🤤💕 lol In the afternoon, students from Gokase Secondary School also came to watch, and the venue filled with laughter✨ A boy of around five laughed out loud too, and I felt rakugo is a wonderful art that transcends gender and age😳 He kindly agreed to commemorative photos, and both the morning and afternoon shows provided a consistently enjoyable time🥹👏 I hope he will hold another rakugo performance in Gokase soon🤗✨ Thank you very much for today, Ginji Katsura👏👏👏

Today, I attended the Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine Monthly Festival. Preparations for the New Year 🎍 had begun, and Shichi-Go-San's shooting spots were moving.

These are photos I took at the seaside in Kyonan Town at sunset on December 14th. The sky burned with a fiery dusk and Mount Fuji stood against it. I felt something sacred. A stroll along the Kyonan coastline comes highly recommended.

We are pleased to announce the annual “First Sunrise Cruise,” a refined way to welcome the New Year aboard a ship. Enjoy an exquisitely luxurious moment as you watch the first sunrise rise from the horizon in the special, unobstructed setting of the open sea. A geopark guide will once again provide commentary about the Izu Peninsula! This event requires reservations, so please book below as soon as possible if you wish to join. [From Atami Port: First Sunrise Cruise] Boarding location / Atami Port (regular ferry terminal for Atami–Hatsushima service) Date / Wednesday, January 1, 2025 6:00 Ticket sales begin (Atami Port counter) Around 6:30 Depart Atami Port for a sightseeing cruise; the ship will stop so passengers can watch the first sunrise from on board (sunrise around 6:50) Around 7:15 Return to Atami Port ※Cruise time approximately 45 minutes Vessel / Ile de Vacances Premiere or Ile de Vacances III Capacity / 250 passengers Reservations / Required by phone: 0557-81-0541 ※Reservations open from December 2, 2024 ※If cancellations occur on the day, those seats will be released for general sale. Fees / Adults ¥2,600; elementary school students ¥1,300 (preschool children free); pets ¥1,300 ※Depending on weather, the first sunrise or Mt. Fuji may not be visible; refunds cannot be issued in such cases. ※The cruise may be canceled due to poor sea conditions. ※The above information may change without notice for weather or other reasons. Thank you for your understanding. https://www.ataminews.gr.jp/spot/181...

Cleaning of a large aquarium in Kushimoto Marine Park in Wakayama Prefecture, and the service of a staff member dressed as Santa Claus. Waving and jaunting to the children.

Photographed 12/11/24. This is Hanatetsu's Hanachozu.