About the 40th Lake Oketo Ice Fishing Tournament Event on Monday, January 6, 2025: The 40th “Lake Oketo Ice Fishing Tournament” will be held on the schedule below. Why not fully enjoy the charms of Lake Oketo in winter. We look forward to many applications. ⇒ Applications are now closed because the participant limit has been reached. Date and Time: Sunday, January 26, 2025 Registration: 8:00 AM to 8:30 AM; Competition: 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM Expected finish: 12:00 PM Participation fee: Adults ¥2,000; junior high school students and younger ¥1,500 (includes fishing site cooperation fee, insurance, and bathing ticket) Application period: Wednesday, January 8, 2025 to Monday, January 20, 2025 * Reception hours: 8:30 AM to 5:15 PM (excluding weekends and public holidays) * Applications will close once the capacity (60 people) is reached. ⇒ Applications are now closed because the participant limit has been reached. Where to apply: Oketo Town Tourism Association Office (Oketo Town Hall, Industry Promotion Division, Commerce and Tourism Section) Please apply by phone or fax. TEL: 0157-52-3313 / FAX: 0157-52-3353

Woodworking Instructor and Box Making Held at the Childcare Support Center A box-making class led by a woodworking instructor. This is the woodworking instructor who has been with Nishiokoppe Village since April last year. We often meet and talk, but I rarely get to observe a woodworking lesson, so I decided to watch the box-making class. The materials and tools needed are wooden boards, wood glue, nails, and a sledgehammer (genno). They were making a box the perfect size for a pen holder. The four boards for the sides had grooves to fit the bottom board. There were even nail starter holes where the nails would be driven. (With these holes you can tell exactly where to drive the nail and the nail stays steady, so it’s easier to hammer.) Even for a simply constructed box, such thoughtful details make the work much easier to carry out. This time, to get used to handling the sledgehammer, they deliberately included the step of driving nails into the box. After gluing the boards together to form the box, they drove nails to secure the boards to each other. Driving nails straight and keeping the boards from shifting is fairly difficult. Watching the woodworking instructor handle it lightly with a rhythmic “ton, ton, ton,” I thought, as expected, they’re skilled. We moved to Somukan (a workshop the villagers can use for free!) to finish with sanding and other final touches, and then it was complete. That was a look at the box-making class. ＊＊＊＊＊ From Saturday, February 1 to Friday, February 28, the 28th Woody Winter School will take place! Details will be posted in another update📢 #Nishiokoppe Village #Hokkaido #woodworking #mokuiiku (wood learning) #woodworking class #woodworking instructor #childcare support #sledgehammer (genno) #I had always called it a tacker or hammer #Woody Winter School

The event will be held in historical buildings such as Osaka Castle, and will offer an experience that combines bushido, such as iaido and seppuku, and traditional Japanese culture, such as tea ceremony and calligraphy, which were practiced by samurai as self-discipline, as "contents of honor". #SamuraiExperience #katana #samuraisoword

Photographed 1/1/25. It is the Hanachozu of Honshu Inari Shrine in Shiawase Inari Alley.

Zen / Calligraphy Calligraphy is a way of practicing Zen with a brush, or in other words, a way of writing calligraphy in a state of unmindfulness. ZEN is basically searching for the truth of who you are. #Zen #kanji #traditional

With winter approaching, in preparation for the cherry blossoms and rape blossoms of Spring, the Shirakimine Highlands is now quietly resting. Across the Ariake Sea, hazy in the distance is Mt. Unzen. I have an empty Highlands all to myself. Welcome to the special seats!

Happy New Year 🎍 This is En'emon Denshokan. In the crisp winter air, Kanazakura Shrine, which sits at the top of Shosenkyo Gorge, drew many worshippers again this year for its reputation of bringing good financial fortune! With a week into the New Year gone, you might find a bit more time to visit and pray at a more relaxed pace 😊 This year is the Year of the Snake, and besides “improving financial luck,” it is also said to mean “seizing happiness” and “being reborn as a new self.” ✨ People also say that carrying an item related to the year’s zodiac brings better luck. At En'emon Denshokan we have snake-motif items available, so on your way back from visiting the shrine, please enjoy the scenery of Shosenkyo Gorge and stop by En'emon Denshokan. We keep the shop warm and look forward to your visit 😊

Hinata Yakushi Hojobo First Yakushi Opening of the Principal Image 2025 On Wednesday, January 8, 2025, the Hatsuyakushi ceremony was held at Hinata Yakushi, counted as one of Japan’s Three Yakushi, to pray for a year of good health and household safety. On the temple grounds, visitors were served yakushi-gayu, a medicinal rice porridge made with vegetables and rice cakes produced in Isehara City, and many worshippers attended. The principal image, the nationally designated Important Cultural Property of the Yakushi Triad, is unveiled only on five days each year: this Hatsuyakushi day, the first three days of the New Year, and the spring annual festival. If you missed this opportunity, please come to the last unveiling of the year on April 15, the spring annual festival, which also features the sacred-tree-climbing ritual where yamabushi begin their mountain training from Hinata.

Happy New Year😊 Thank you for your 🌹🌹 continued support this year

Kumejima Tsumugi Exhibition and Kumejima Tsumugi Fair Week Held in February 6th is Kumejima Tsumugi Day! This year marks the 20th anniversary of the national designation of Kumejima Tsumugi as an Important Intangible Cultural Property. February 1st ~ 16th is Kumejima Tsumugi Fair Week. When you come to Kume Island, be sure to enjoy the charm of Kumejima Tsumugi, a traditional craft that Kume Island is proud of. How do you like it? to be rediscovered through seeing, touching, and experiencing? 【Kumejima Tsumugi Exhibition】 Venue: Kume Island Museum Period: February 1 (Sat) ~ February 16 (Sun), 2025 (Reiwa 7) *Closed on Mondays * The first day, February 1 (Sat) 11 o'clock ~ Opening Ceremony Held in at Kume Island Museum Contact us Kume Island Museum 542 Katekari, Kumejima, Shimajiri-gun, Okinawa TEL　０９８－８９６－７１８１ Kumejima Tsumugi Fair Week Events will be held in on Sunday, February 2nd! 〇 Free dressing experience * Reception on the day, first-come, first-served basis 〇 Free weaving experience * Reception on the day, first-come, first-served basis 〇Exploring the historical background of Kumejima Tsumugi (10 o'clock ~ 14 o'clock) * Advance reservation required Information: President Toru Matsumoto February 1 (Sat) ~ February 16 (Sun) * 2/13 (Thursday) will be closed due to the old 16th Day Festival. 〇 Sales of special service items 〇Tsumugi Day Limited SALE Location: Kumejima Tsumugi no Sato Yuimaru-kan (Opening hours: 9 a.m. ~ 5 p.m.) TEL:０９８－９８５－８３３３

Happy New Year: New Year’s Castle Goshuin for the Year of the Snake 2025.01.09 / Last updated: 2025.01.09 The “Goshoin” castle seal—now a staple among castle goods—appears at Kuniyoshi Castle as the “Gosho-shuin.” Wakasa Kuniyoshi Castle History Museum will begin selling a New Year limited castle seal. It features a gold “snake” seal appropriate for the New Year of Reiwa 7. In keeping with Kuniyoshi Castle’s reputation as an impregnable fortress, the museum also offers a “Pass-the-Exam Version” stamped with the “Unfallen” seal for the upcoming exam season, as well as a “Castle Visit Commemorative Version.” For the start of the New Year, and for examinees, these make a fitting protective charm for success in exams. Sales Period January 6, 2025 (Monday) – January 31, 2025 (Friday) *Excluding closed days. Note that January 6 is a special opening day. Closed days: every Monday (if Monday is a public holiday, the following day), and the day after public holidays. Information Sales location: Wakasa Kuniyoshi Castle History Museum reception desk Price: 300 yen each *Limit of 3 per person. *Please check the museum’s opening hours and closed days in advance. Sales are not available outside opening hours. Mail-order sales are not offered. Wakasa Kuniyoshi Castle History Museum Address: 25-2 Sakaki, Mihama Town, Mikata-gun, Fukui Prefecture Phone: 0770-32-0050 Opening hours: 9:00–17:00; winter (Dec–Mar) 10:00–16:30 *Last admission is 30 minutes before closing. Admission fees: Adults 100 yen; Children (junior high school age and younger) 50 yen *Group discounts available for 20 or more people. *Free admission for holders of a physical disability certificate, a rehabilitation certificate, or a mental disability health and welfare handbook, and for preschool children. Closed: every Monday, the day after public holidays, and during the New Year holidays (Dec 29–Jan 3) *If Monday is a public holiday, the following day is closed. *Other temporary closures may apply. Access: ◇ By JR (get off at Mihama Station) ・Walk along Route 27 toward Tsuruga: 25–45 minutes ・By rental bicycle: about 15–25 minutes ・Bus toward Tsuruga, get off at “Sakakiguchi,” then 5 minutes on foot ・Mihama community bus, get off at “Sakaki,” then 3 minutes on foot *Walking and rental bicycle times vary by individual. ◇ By car (Route 27) ・About 20 minutes from Tsuruga ・About 40 minutes from Obama

["Togakushi Dondoyaki Festival" will be held in] Held in Togakushi Dondoyaki Festival on Saturday, January 18, 2025. The general public can also Fun the "Torch Procession", the performance of "Togakushi Drums", and the gorgeous "Snow Grand Fireworks Festival" that spreads out on the dark night of deep snow. Barrel sake, amazake, amulet mochi, and red and white mochi behavior! --- 《Held in date》 Saturday, January 18, 2025 19:30~21:00 《Venue》 Togakushi Ski Resort Naka Shrine Slope 《Schedule》 19:30~ Torch Procession Depart from Dosojin in the Naka Shrine district (opposite Togakushi SS at Yamaichiya Gas Station Co., Ltd.) 20:00 Torch procession arrival (Naka Shrine Slope) Yagura lighting, Togakushi Drums, Grand Fireworks Festival on the snow --- 【Organizer】 Togakushi Dondoyaki Festival Executive Committee 【Contact】 Togakushi Tourist Information Center TEL.026-254-2888 FAX.026-254-2678 ym

Here are Horticulture LABO’s hands-on programs for February. Our recommendation is “Grow a Mini Apple.” It would be lovely to have an apple tree in your own garden. We also offer Saturday-only programs that don’t require reservations and our usual experiences, so if you feel like trying gardening, come to Horticulture LABO no Oka! Fukui Prefectural gardening experience facility Horticulture LABO no Oka Address: 35-32-1 Kugushi, Mihama Town, Mikata-gun, Fukui Prefecture 919-1123 (Adjacent to the Fukui Prefectural Horticultural Research Center) TEL: 0770-47-6162 FAX: 0770-47-6163 E-mail engei-ken@pref.fukui.lg.jp Closed: Every Monday (if Monday is a public holiday, closed on Tuesday).

Even after the New Year, it is still sunny in Okuyamanashi. The blue skies of the day continue into the night, with scattered jewel-like stars dominating overhead. You can clearly see the difference in the color of the stars in the night sky here. This winter, Jupiter and orange Mars are in the constellation. It's gorgeous with 10 first-magnitude stars. Why don't you check it out in the extreme darkness of Hayakawa Town?

Happy New Year, albeit belatedly. Thank you for your continued support of Kanagawa Prefecture this year. https://www.kanagawa-kankou.or.jp//

KushiHonmachi Tahara is famous for its sea fog, but I think you can see a superb view if it gets a little cooler.

Tonight is the second broadcast of HTB "Street on-chan" Tsubetsu Town Edition! First yellowtail in a month? Please take a look! Check out YouTube for the first broadcast!

Photographed 1/1/25. It is Hanachozu of Naritasan Kawagoe Betsuin.

[Notice] Grand Sumo January Tournament The first tournament of Reiwa 7 will begin on Sunday, January 12 It’s starting❗️ Ichiyamamoto’s ranking is His career-high of West Maegashira 6!! Let’s cheer for Ichiyamamoto together again this year! Thank you for your support🙏

“From the Sea to Izu! From Izu to the Sea!” Inatori–Izu Oshima Route Operation Information In spring, when plums and Kawazu cherry blossoms bloom in Izu, high-speed ferries will run from Inatori to Oshima to coincide with Oshima’s camellias. Route "Inatori–Oshima Feb. 3 (Mon)–Feb. 28 (Fri)" Oshima departs 10:45, 13:35 Arrive Inatori 11:20, 14:10 Depart Inatori 11:30, 14:20 Arrive Oshima 12:05, 14:55 "Tokyo–Tateyama–Oshima–Inatori Feb. 8 (Sat)–Feb. 28 (Fri)" Tokyo departs 8:10 Tateyama arrives 9:25 Departs 9:35 Oshima arrives 10:30 Departs 10:45 Inatori arrives 11:20 Inatori departs 14:20 Oshima arrives 14:55 Departs 15:10 Tateyama arrives 16:05 Departs 16:10 Tokyo arrives 17:25 During the period, you can reach Higashiizucho and the eastern Izu coast by sea from the Kanto region! For timetables and details, please check the Tokai Kisen Co., Ltd. website below. https://www.tokaikisen.co.jp// Also this year, on weekends from Feb. 8 (Sat) to Feb. 23 (Sun) we will operate a complimentary shuttle bus for passengers: "Inatori–Kawazu Free Sightseeing Bus" Enjoy the Kawazu Cherry Blossom Festival and the Hina no Tsurushi Kazari (hanging hina doll decorations) festival. For details, see the URL below https://www.tokaikisen.co.jp/news/618222/... Access to Inatori Port boarding point From Izu-Inatori Station to Inatori Port… On foot about 15 minutes By car about 3 minutes (parking available) Special fares and tour information Round-trip by ferry from Tokyo to Izu! "Tokyo ⇔ Inatori Round-Trip Ticket (valid up to 4 days)" Adult ¥10,800 Child ¥5,400 For details see the URL below https://www.tokaikisen.co.jp/news/618222/... "Inatori ⇔ Oshima Round-Trip Ticket" Normally ¥8,820, now Day trip Adult ¥3,000 Child ¥2,000 With overnight stay (up to 4 days) Adult ¥3,900 Child ¥2,400 For details see the URL below https://www.tokaikisen.co.jp/news/618222/... "From Oshima to Inatori: Shopping and Cherry-Viewing Cruise" Feb. 3 (Mon), Feb. 19 (Wed), Feb. 28 (Fri) This tour offers a bus sightseeing loop around the Higashiizu area departing from Oshima! Adult ¥5,500 Child ¥4,000 On the first sailing of the Inatori route in 2025, Feb. 3 (Mon), adults receive ¥1,000 off and children ¥500 off! For details see the URL below https://www.tokaikisen.co.jp/news/502387/... "Inatori Departure Rapid Bus Tour to Izu Oshima" Feb. 8 (Sat), Feb. 15 (Sat) It’s truly rapid—takes less than three hours!? It’s practically a one-stop stay on the Izu Peninsula! The tour from Inatori includes a boxed lunch and bus on Oshima. Adult ¥4,000 Child ¥2,500 For details see the URL below https://www.tokaikisen.co.jp/news/620883/...

[Winter on the Rekifune River 2025] The year 2025 has begun! Best wishes for the year ahead! This winter feels colder than last year, and the Rekifune River running through the center of Taiki Town has frozen over a larger area than before. Placed side by side with photos from the same time last year, it looks like a completely different river! Being able to enjoy the sight of the river freezing is a unique pleasure of such a cold region. Find Taiki Town tourist information here! ↓ https://visit-taiki.hokkaido.jp//

[Fuji Bridge under demolition] The old bridge was narrow, but the new bridge was wide. It's 😊 comfortable The length of the new bridge is 304 m and it was completed in August of 2023 (Reiwa 5).

Photographed 1/1/25. It is Hanachozu of Naritasan Kawagoe Betsuin. I took it from a different angle.

Learn Zen in a class of making Japanese sweets and Enjoying Wabicha with wield the brush. Zen / Wagashi Yokan, which came to Japan along with Zen, was refined over many years to become a complete Japanese confectionary in the Edo period. Zen / Tea Ceremony The tea ceremony was a type of tea ceremony in which Zen ideas were added to the tea ceremony, resulting in the creation of wabicha (a type of tea ceremony). Zen / Calligraphy Calligraphy is a way of practicing Zen with a brush, or in other words, a way of writing calligraphy in a state of unmindfulness. ZEN is basically searching for the truth of who you are. #Zen #kanji #traditional

Photographed 1/1/25. It is Hanachozu of Naritasan Kawagoe Betsuin. It is a New Year's specification. 🎍

The 59th Suisen Festival flowering update is now available! Blooming remains at about 50 percent, but the white petals are slowly increasing little by little🎵 https://www.shimoda-city.info/post/20250108...

Kyushu, Oita Prefecture’s Bungo Ono City event information ■■ Bungo Ono Megurukura 2025 On March 16, 2025, Bungo Ono Megurukura 2025 celebrates its event. Why not tour four sake breweries in Bungo Ono City and savor fine sake and Bungo Ono gourmet treats? Date and Time Sunday, March 16, 2025, 9:30 AM–3:30 PM Megurukura Tickets Now on Sale Advance sale price: 2,000 yen (tax included) Same-day price: 2,500 yen (tax included) Special zodiac-themed sake cup also on sale Single item price: 880 yen (tax included) (Ticket holders can buy one for 500 yen) Buying the sake cup together with a Megurukura ticket is a great deal. Ticket Sales Locations Hamajima Sake Brewery TEL 0974-42-2216 Kira Sake Brewery TEL 0974-42-2205 Muretsuru Sake Brewery TEL 0974-72-0101 Fujii Brewing TEL 0974-37-2016 Bungo Ono City Tourism Association TEL 0974-27-4215 Win a Prize by Lottery If you enter with a Megurukura ticket stamped by all four breweries, you will be entered into a prize drawing. How to apply: Fill in the required information on the application field on the back of your Megurukura ticket and put it in a designated collection box. Collection boxes are available at each brewery and at Mie-machi Station. Winners will be notified by shipping the prize. Shuttle Bus Information Shuttle buses will run on the day of Megurukura. You need a Megurukura ticket to board the shuttle bus. Shuttle buses running between JR Mie-machi Station and the venues operate at intervals of about 30–40 minutes. You may board or disembark at any venue. ※When boarding, please show your ticket to the staff. Inquiries about the Megurukura event Bungo Ono City Hall, Commerce and Tourism Division TEL 0974-22-1117 ■■ Bungo Ono Megurukura Bungo Ono City is home to two sake breweries and two shochu distilleries. Megurukura is the day when all four breweries in Bungo Ono City welcome visitors together. It’s a special day to enjoy delicious drinks and snacks while touring the breweries and taking in the scenery of Bungo Ono City. ■■■ Access to central Bungo Ono City ■■■ About 3 hours by car from JR Hakata Station, Fukuoka Prefecture About 2 hours by car from JR Kumamoto Station, Kumamoto Prefecture About 1 hour 20 minutes by car from JR Beppu Station, Oita Prefecture About 1 hour 20 minutes by car from JR Yufuin Station, Oita Prefecture ■■■■■■■■■■■■ On Instagram we share recommended sightseeing, gourmet spots, and accommodations in Bungo Ono City ⬇ Bungo Ono City Tourism Association @satonotabiii We would be happy if you follow us. You can access the Bungo Ono City Tourism Association website from the profile link. ■■■■■■■■■■■■ For details, please see the Bungo Ono City Tourism Association website. https://sato-no-tabi.jp/news/20241225megurukura/...

📍 Nakasendo This is ❄ the Scene of the Nakasendo of 2025.1.8 (馬籠峠~Tsumago) 1-3: Magoro Pass 4: Ichiseki Tochi Stand Tea House 5: Entrance to the pass 6-10: Male Waterfall Female Waterfall 11: Kooshinzuka-mae Thereare snow ❄ cover If you are walking on the Nakasendo Road, please prepare sufficient winter equipment such as snow boots, gloves, knitted hats, socks, etc. In particular, mountain passes, male waterfalls, and female waterfalls require caution of ⚠ snow and freezing

📍 Momosuke Bridge and shopping street in front of the station The Taosuke Bridge is a symbolic bridge ✨ in Nagiso that students and residents of Sunan High School in Local regularly Use The snow-covered Momosuke Bridge is powerful and cool. With the snow that has been falling since last night, the whole towns is a silver world! Fun the ❄ winter scenery

The 59th Onuma Hakodate Snow and Ice Festival, a major winter Events in southern Hokkaido that has been going on for many years, will be Held in again this year! The jumbo slide made by cutting out the frozen Lake Onuma is Popular! !! Please come and visit us! 【Date and time】 February 8 (Sat) 9 (Sun) 10:00~16:00 [Place] Onuma Park Square (near 1023-1 Onuma-cho, Nanae Town, Kameda-gun, Hokkaido)