【Matsumoto Castle】 松本城 - Matsumoto Castle Nagano Matsumoto Castle is the oldest national treasure castle in Japan among the existing five-story and six-story castle towers. In 1936 Showa 11, the entire site was designated as a national treasure. Later, in 1952 Showa 27, five buildings, the castle tower, the Inuiko castle tower, the Wataru tower, the Tatsumi tower, and the Tsukimi tower, were designated as national treasures. Half of the body is illuminated by the setting sun, and the light and shadow form a wonderful harmony. Ducks swimming leisurely in the moat accentuate the enormity of the castle.

Tamba Sasayama City Daishoin While many castles in various parts of Japan were destroyed by the decree for the abolition of castles after the abolition of feudal prefectures, Daishoin escaped the disaster, but it was unfortunately destroyed by fire in Showa 194 1944. After that, it was rebuilt in April of 2000 Heisei 12 Heisei 12 with the passionate wishes and precious donations of citizens. The structure is similar to Nijo Castle in Kyoto.

Photographed 4/23/24. This is Chasoba Juan's Hanachozu. The mock roses are very nice.

The 16th Rotary Fureai Festival Saturday, May 18th, 10:00–15:00 (postponed to a rainy day) At the rotary outside the south exit of Aiko-Ishida Station on the Odakyu Line The event is held to promote communication among local residents and to stimulate commerce and industry Please enjoy various stalls and stage attractions Inquiries: Naruse Revitalization Committee Tel. 0463-94-5955

After all, it's a parent and child! 1st photo: Mother Lucky 2nd photo: Daughter Pirika

The Great Buddha watching over Gifu This is the Great Buddha of Gifu in Gifu Prefecture Among the Great Buddhas, it is made in a slightly slouched state, which is rare. Its history dates back to the 1800s, and it watches 😆 over the city of Gifu to this day

【Twin Dragon Ceiling】 Kenninji Temple Kyoto Kenninji Temple is famous for having Tawaraya Sotatsu's "Wind God and Thunder God Diagram" and Kaihoku Tomomatsu's fusuma paintings. The hall was rebuilt in 1765 and is a designated tangible cultural property of Kyoto Prefecture. On the ceiling of the hall is a "Twin Dragon Ceiling" drawn by Junsaku Koizumi in 2002 to commemorate the 800th anniversary of its founding. A piece unique to Kenninji, which always challenges new things and adapts to modern times.

Katsuren Ruins of the Castle / World Heritage Site Katsuren Ruins of the Castle located in Uruma City, Okinawa Prefecture, is a World Heritage Site. Built around 1200, it is the oldest of the World Heritage Sites of Okinawa's castles. It is said that the castle owner, Amawari, tried to take a different path from the Ryukyu royal government, but was destroyed by the Ryukyu royal government. The gracefully curved city walls are impressive, and you can see the Pacific Ocean from the top!

Katsuren Ruins of the Castle / World Heritage Site Katsuren Ruins of the Castle located in Uruma City, Okinawa Prefecture, is a World Heritage Site. Built around 1200, it is the oldest of the World Heritage Sites of Okinawa's castles. It is said that the castle owner, Amawari, tried to take a different path from the Ryukyu royal government, but was destroyed by the Ryukyu royal government. The gracefully curved city walls are impressive, and you can see the Pacific Ocean from the top!

Katsuren Ruins of the Castle / World Heritage Site Katsuren Ruins of the Castle located in Uruma City, Okinawa Prefecture, is a World Heritage Site. Built around 1200, it is the oldest of the World Heritage Sites of Okinawa's castles. It is said that the castle owner, Amawari, tried to take a different path from the Ryukyu royal government, but was destroyed by the Ryukyu royal government. The gracefully curved city walls are impressive, and you can see the Pacific Ocean from the top!

Katsuren Ruins of the Castle / World Heritage Site Katsuren Ruins of the Castle located in Uruma City, Okinawa Prefecture, is a World Heritage Site. Built around 1200, it is the oldest of the World Heritage Sites of Okinawa's castles. It is said that the castle owner, Amawari, tried to take a different path from the Ryukyu royal government, but was destroyed by the Ryukyu royal government. The gracefully curved city walls are impressive, and you can see the Pacific Ocean from the top!

Chionji Temple, Miyazu City, Kyoto Prefecture Amahashiyama Chionji Temple is located in a scenic spot next to Amanohashidate, one of Japan's three scenic spots. It was founded in the fourth year of Enki 904.

Photographed 4/8/24. This is the scenery of the approach to Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine. It is a very beautiful flower, but what kind of flower?

This is the Iwata City Tourism Association. Nice to meet you all!! Iwata City in Shizuoka Prefecture sits in western Shizuoka roughly midway between Tokyo and Osaka. Known as a “sports town,” it hosts professional teams such as J.League soccer club Jubilo Iwata, Nadeshiko League women’s soccer team Shizuoka SSU Bonita, and Japan Rugby League One’s Shizuoka Blue Revs. The city actively promotes community-building through sports and health initiatives centered on athletics. ◆What is Iwata City, Shizuoka Prefecture?◆ The population is about 160,000. The city has interchanges on both the Tomei Expressway and the Shin-Tomei Expressway, making it about a three-hour drive from Tokyo and about 1 hour 15 minutes from Nagoya. The shinkansen gateways are Hamamatsu Station or Kakegawa Station; transfer to the Tokaido Line and reach Iwata’s three city stations (Iwata Station, Toyodachou Station, Mikurigaoka Station) in 10–15 minutes. Since ancient times, Iwata has flourished as the center of Toei Province, home to the Tōtōmi Kokubun-ji and Toei Kokubu. With more than 900 kofun (ancient burial mounds) dating to the Kofun period, the city carries a long, living history. In the Edo period it prospered as Mitsuke inn (Mitsuke-juku), a post town on the Tokaido’s Fifty-Three Stations. In recent years, Iwata has developed as an industrial city with traditional textiles plus metalworking, automotive, and musical instrument industries. Its agricultural output ranks among the top in the prefecture, famous for greenhouse melons, tea, white leek, ebi-imo (taro), Chinese vegetables, and seafood such as shirasu. The city balances urban and rural development. ◆Tourist attractions in Iwata City, Shizuoka Prefecture◆ [Mitsuke inn] Located near the midpoint of the Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido (the 28th post town), this post town still preserves small side alleys off the highway, with many shrines and temples that evoke the former atmosphere and lodging-town charm. The area also features the Former Mitsuke School, Japan’s oldest surviving wooden pseudo-Western style school building, and Iwata Bunko (both national historic sites); Mitsuke Tenjin Yanahiru Shrine, the stage of the Mitsuke Tenjin Hadaka Festival and the site of the Shippeitaro spirit legend; and the Former Akamatsu Residence Memorial Hall, designated as prefectural and municipal cultural properties. In 2022, the Former Mitsuke School and Iwata Bunko were recognized as Shizuoka Heritage sites, celebrated as ‘‘the crystallization of Shizuoka people’s passion for modern education,’’ alongside Mitsuke inn and Mitsuke Tenjin Yanahiru Shrine. [Ryuyo Marine Park] A seaside park featuring a marine center with sports facilities and a multi-purpose lawn. The expansive grounds include tennis courts, baseball fields, a playground, a roller slide, and an auto camp ground, making it family-friendly. The adjacent Shiosai Ryuyo complex at the auto camp ground sells local products and offers a restaurant, BBQ facilities, and bathing amenities. The marine center also offers hands-on experiences such as stand-up paddleboarding (SUP). [Nagisa no Koryukan and Fukuda Fishing Port area] Nagisa no Koryukan sits within Fukuda Fishing Port, looking out over the vast Enshū Sea. It has a food court where you can enjoy fresh shirasu bowls, such as raw shirasu don and kama-age shirasu don, while gazing at the ocean. The area also features the “Minna no Sunaba” sand ground for beach soccer and beach volleyball and an event plaza for outdoor gatherings. A nearby fishing spot offers easy shore fishing, and adjacent Toyohama Coast is a surfing location that has hosted national competitions thanks to its excellent waves. Fukuda Fishing Port is known for shirasu fishing and also supports recreational fishing charters, serving as a base for offshore fishing in the Enshū Sea. Within one to two minutes from the port, several shirasu processing plants line up, attracting customers from far away. [Shishigahana Park] According to legend, Kobo Daishi founded this park, which has well-maintained walking trails and athletic play areas. In spring, cherry blossoms and azaleas bloom; in early summer you can enjoy fresh greenery for forest bathing and birdwatching; in autumn the foliage is beautiful. It’s ideal for hiking and walking. From the observation deck you can see the Enshū Sea in the distance, and the park is a popular spot to watch the first sunrise on New Year’s Day. [Yamaha Stadium] [Yamaha Motor Communication Plaza] Yamaha Stadium is the home ground for Jubilo Iwata (soccer) and Shizuoka Blue Revs (rugby). It is about a 15-minute walk from JR Mikuriya Station north exit, and on match days attracts many fans from Japan and abroad. Next to the stadium, within the Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. headquarters, the Communication Plaza corporate museum showcases Yamaha Motor products and history and serves as an engaging industrial tourism spot. [Ruins of Tōtōmi Kokubunji Temple] Excavations began in 1951, and the site was designated a Special National Historic Site the following year. The kokubunji layout once centered on a main hall (kondo) and included a seven-story pagoda, lecture hall, middle gate, and cloister. Major structures, including the seven-story pagoda site, were discovered, and the site received national special historic designation in Showa 27 (1952). In fiscal 2022 work restored the wooden foundation platforms for the lecture hall and monk’s quarters on the north side of the ruins, and in fiscal 2023 the wooden foundation platform of the main hall was restored. Plans call for reconstructing cornerstone stones that supported building pillars and the stone steps placed on the front of the platform. This valuable heritage testifies to Iwata’s role as a regional center. ◆Local specialties of Iwata City, Shizuoka Prefecture◆ Iwata’s specialties let you taste the bounty of the land: ebi-imo, iwata tea, aroma melons, white leek, and dried persimmon rounds (koro-gaki). Locally grown ingredients are known for their freshness and flavor. Seafood such as shirasu, wild tora-fugu, and grilled white-cut eel are also popular; shirasu in particular are prized for their firm texture from swimming in the area’s swift coastal currents. These specialties are popular as souvenirs and as return gifts for hometown tax donations. ◆Festivals and events in Iwata City, Shizuoka Prefecture◆ [Fu Hachiman-gu Shrine Festival] Held each year in the Nakaizumi area on the first Saturday and Sunday of October. Each neighborhood parades elaborately decorated floats. The festival is full of atmosphere, with drums, flutes, and spirited calls filling the air. [Mitsuke Tenjin Hadaka Festival] The grand festival of Mitsuke Tenjin Yanahiru Shrine is designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. It takes place on the Saturday and Sunday just before the 10th day of the eighth month of the old lunar calendar. The festival’s highlight is the nighttime procession of naked participants and mikoshi (portable shrines), which runs from around 9:00 p.m. into the early hours of the next morning, reaching a peak around 1:00 a.m. Naked men, grouped into four units called teidan, parade through the old Tokaido route within the Mitsuke area and proceed to the shrine’s worship hall. Inside the worship hall, the excitement builds each time a new group joins, and intense chants and vigorous dances (oni-odori) continue. In the deep of night, all lights in the area are extinguished, plunging the scene into pitch-black darkness as the mikoshi run in a breathtaking climax. ◆Sharing information about Iwata City, Shizuoka Prefecture◆ In Iwata you can feel history and culture nurtured over long time. In 2022, Iwata’s Teratani water was registered as a World Irrigation Structure Heritage, adding another chapter to the city’s proud historical story. In 2023 Iwata reclaimed the top spot nationwide in a ranking of municipalities most associated with the phrase “sports town,” helping to solidify its brand as a city of sport. Yet even now this post cannot fully capture all the charms and strengths alive in Iwata’s history, culture, sea and mountain nature, industries, and people’s lifestyles. We will continue sharing recommended information via Cool Japan videos, so please stay tuned!

A sheep shearing competition is held at Yorkshire Farm in Shintoku Town. A competition in which the wool of a single sheep is competed in terms of speed and cleanliness of shearing. Adult sheep and rambunctious sheep while shearing. Is this luck? Or is it a technology that makes you adult? The 70 or so spectators who came to Visiting the site were also fascinated by the technology of harvesting each animal in about 5 minutes.

SAMURAI⚔HONOR offers a Bushido Plan that includes all the experience tours offered by SAMURAI⚔HONOR. Both bushido and chivalry respect universal values to behave proudly and live better. youtu.be/dWhKHcpezew?si=9SYvwORmFzZLC16x

I took a picture over the Okumotori of "Kumano Kodo". Kumano Kodo has a history of more than 1,100 years, and this year marks the 20th anniversary of its registration as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountains".

The largest of the 200,000 tombstones and memorial towers on the approach to the temple in the depths of Mt. Koya is the memorial tower So-Minamoto-in Temple of Oda Nobunaga's sister, the third daughter of Oda Nobunaga the official wife of the second Tokugawa shogun Hidetada of the Sengoku Warlord period. It is 6.6 meters tall and was built about 400 years ago by Suruga Dainagon Tadanaga.

Metasequoia trees shining in the morning sun Takashima City, Shiga Prefecture

Empty blisters, harvest!

Shizuoka, Mt. Fuji Hongu Sengen Taisha in the main shrine of Asama Shrine, which has more than 1,300 shrines nationwide. I wonder if it is a Torii shrine gate that shines naturally in everyday life, from the car window

Alive! Tokyo Ikebukuro, Sunshine Building!

Photographed 5/3/24. This is a demonstration of the Enokikai Shrine in Koedo Kurato. Adult Hyotoko.

Ise Jingu Shrine that I went to for the First Pilgrimage to the Shrine! !! Both the outer and inner shrines are lush with greenery, and you can feel the natural taste and divinity from ancient times, and it is truly Power Spot, and I think that you should definitely go with someone who wants to have a relationship with you *^^* To get to the Inner Shrine, you need a bus from the Outer Shrine, but you can get to the Outer Shrine from Osaka Namba to Ise City without changing trains on the Kintetsu Limited Express, so I think it is easy to access from the Kansai area. If you also visit the Inner Shrine, it is also recommended to taste Specialties dishes such as Ise Udon noodles from Ise Specialties and beef skewers from Matsusaka beef at Okage Yokocho, which is a stone's throw away.

Photographed 5/3/24. This is a demonstration of the Enoki-kai Shrine in Koedo Kurato. The lion's head is dancing.

A beautiful double rainbow in the rainy Gari sky... I feel a little gained.

Kobe Maiko's Transfiguration Pavilion and the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge. There are two types of history: the history that our predecessors have preserved, and the history that we will pass on and protect to the future.

Hyogo Prefecture Tamba Sasayama City Sasayama 🏯 Castle Sasayama Castle was built in the 14th year of Keicho 1609 by order of Tokugawa Ieyasu in the center of the Sasayama Basin, which is a key point of transportation in San'in Province, for the purpose of preparing for the Toyotomi clan's attack on Osaka Castle and suppressing the daimyo of the Western Kingdom.

Funaya in Ine, Kyoto Whenever I look at it, I feel that it is amazing to be able to maintain this scenery even though it is close to the sea, and it seems that the reason why Ine Bay is less affected by disasters is because Qingdao, which becomes a bay, protects it.

How do you do! This is the Togakushi Tourist Association. Togakushi, Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture was created in 2005 when Togakushi Village was incorporated into Nagano City. Access from Nagano Station is about 60 minutes by bus without transfer, and it is also a well-located tourist destination. COOL JAPAN VIDEOS will send out recommended information on Togakushi, Nagano City! Best regards. ==Legend of Togakushi, Nagano City== Nagano City Togakushi is steeped in myths and legends. Mt. Togakushi Mountain is revered as the home of the nine-headed dragon, the god of water, and has been worshipped and flourished by many people since ancient times. ==Togakushi Shrine and Togakushi Kodo == One of the tourist spots in Togakushi is Togakushi Shrine. It is a shrine with a history of about 2,000 years that was founded in the foot of Mt. of Togakushi Mountain, and consists of five shrines: Okusha Shrine, Naka Shrine, Hokosha, Kuzuryusha, and Hino-Mikosha. It is a temple where many Shukubo have gathered since ancient times, and there are many attractions such as the scenery of cedar trees over 400 years old on the Okusha Shrine approach, and many worshippers visit throughout the year. The road that connects Togakushi Shrine Okusha Shrine and Zenkoji Temple in the center of Nagano City is the "Togakushi Kodo" carved out by Shugenja. The ancient road is dotted with famous places and old sites such as "Ichinotorii first torii", "Fushi-wogamisho", and "Inkstone", and you can trace the trajectory of Togakushi's faith and culture by walking. ==Popular tourist destinations in Togakushi, Nagano City== In Togakushi, Nagano City, there are other recommended sightseeing spots besides Togakushi Shrine. Here is a brief introduction to some of them. ・Kagami Pond At 1,200 meters Elevation, the Kagami Pond offers a beautiful view of the mirroring of Togakushi mountain range on the surface of the pond. Enjoy the beautiful scenery of the four seasons. ・Mt. Mt.Iizuna It is one of the Five Mountains of Northern Shinshu and has an elevation of 1,917 meters. There are three mountain trails: the Togakushi Ski Resort Koshimizu slope, the West Trail, and the South Trail. The Trekking course takes about 2 hours and 40 minutes each way, so even beginners can enjoy climbing. ・Togakushi Ski Resort It is a ski resort where you can enjoy Togakushi in winter, and from the top of the mountain you can see Mt. Togakushi Mountain, Mt. Takatsuma, and the Northern Alps. Slope with 19 mountain trails of smooth powder snow can be enjoyed by beginners and advanced skiers. ==Beloved Specialty Products of Togakushi, Nagano City== Togakushi Soba, which has been passed down with a long history and unique techniques, is one of Japan's Three Great Soba Noodles. It is also known as a popular Specialty Products for its traditional crafts and Togakushi Bamboo Crafts, in which a single craftsman consistently finishes everything from collection to processing using Chishimazasa, which grows naturally in the Togakushi. These Specialty Products are created by the rich nature of Togakushi and traditional techniques. It is also recommended as a souvenir when sightseeing in Togakushi. ==Accommodations in Togakushi, Nagano City== When sightseeing in the Togakushi of Nagano Prefecture, we recommend Use Shukubo as a memory of your trip. Shukubo is a temple or shrine accommodations where you can enjoy a beautiful historic appearance and traditional Vegetarian cuisine. Shukubo, Minshuku, Pension, Hotel, etc. are also available, so please Use the Accommodations that suit your travel plan. ==Enjoy your trip to Togakushi, Nagano City== Togakushi, Nagano City, is an area that is attractive for its mysterious natural landscape, rich history, faith and culture, and local specialty products. Come and spend a peaceful time and feel the beauty of nature and the depth of history. We will continue to send out recommended information about Nagano City Togakushi, so please follow us!