As part of the Kumamoto Prefectural Theater’s 40th anniversary projects, five videos were produced under the theme “A Moving Theater.” One of these, a collaboration video pairing Manda Pit with dance, has been released on YouTube. The performance set against the historic Manda Pit features professional dancer Yusuke Hayama as lead, choreographer, and scriptwriter. Art director Takashi Yoshida composed and directed an original piece for this project, and the film was produced by OP Films from Onigashima Productions. True to the phrase “Dance is Timeless,” the video offers a dance interpretation of Manda Pit’s history that transcends eras. https://arao-kankou.jp/info/11207/... Other videos created under the “A Moving Theater” theme are also available. Please take a look. ・Sakitsu Village × Double Bass ・Yatsushiro Myoken Festival × Tsugaru Shamisen and Japanese Drums ・Aso × String Quartet ・Misumi West Port × Marching Band

📢 The “Futari Demo Sakai” Campaign Is Here!💑✨ Starting Friday, March 14, Sakai City kicks off the “Futari Demo Sakai” campaign!🎯🚶‍♂️ Enjoy plenty of activities made for pairs, from journeys decided by dart throws to special Sakai-only experiences💛🎉 📅 Period: Friday, March 14 – Saturday, May 31 ✅ Free to participate 🆓 ✅ No reservation required 📆✖️ ✅ Chances to win prizes!🎁 🔍 For details, visit the Sakai tourism guide website and search “Futari Demo Sakai”! 💡 Campaign Highlights 1. Dart Trip Let fate choose your destination! Visit spots while taking on quizzes along the way🎯 Answer all questions at a spot correctly to earn a chance to play a prize-winning dart game✨ 2. Special Experiences Try Sakai cultural activities like wagashi (Japanese confection) making and tea ceremony experiences🍵 3. Digital Stamp Rally Visit any 4 of the 7 spots to enter a lottery for prizes🎁 4. Share Campaign Post photos or videos of your pair trip in Sakai on Instagram with both hashtags #futari_demo_sakai and #futari_tabi! 🏯💑💫 Five winners will be chosen by lottery from those who post to receive lovely prizes!🎁 Share your memories and join the campaign!📲✨ We have posted a reel video for this campaign on our official Instagram and Facebook. Please take a look👀

❄️ "Winter Gokase 2025" Voting Now Open ❄️【Until Sunday, March 16, 2025!】 Thank you all for entering "Winter Gokase 2025"! We have conducted a careful first-round selection by the tourism association staff and chosen ten entries from all submissions.🙏✨ From these ten entries, we will ask everyone to vote to decide the prize winners.🤩👏 Among those who vote, ten people will be randomly selected to receive specialty products from Gokase Town as a gift.🎁💫 We appreciate your participation.🙇‍♀️ How to vote is explained below.💡 [Voting period: Until Sunday, March 16, 2025] ⚠️ Voting is limited to one method per person and one vote per account or individual. <To vote via Instagram> https://www.instagram.com/gokase_kanko/... ・Follow the Gokase Tourism Association Instagram account. ・From the posts marked with the hashtag "#Winter Gokase 2025 Vote," choose one of the ten featured entries and comment the photo number in that post's comment section.✍ ⚠️ If you are not following the account, message exchanges may be unreliable and you will be excluded from the gift drawing. Please be aware. <To vote via Facebook> https://www.facebook.com/gokase.kanko/?locale=ja_JP... ・Choose one of the ten featured entries in this post and comment the photo number. ・Voting is limited to one vote per account. ⚠️ If you win the gift drawing, we will contact you via Facebook Messenger. If there is no reply within two weeks, the prize will be forfeited. <To vote via the website> ・Go to the "Winter Gokase 2025 Vote" page from the Gokase Tourism Association website's news topics (https://www.town.gokase.miyazaki.jp/kanko/ivent/1994.html...） ・Click the URL on the "Winter Gokase 2025 Vote" page to open the voting form. ・Enter your email address. ・Choose one of the ten entries, check the box for that entry, and submit your response. ⚠️ If you do not enter an email address, you will be excluded from the gift drawing. Please be sure to view the original posts by the applicants before voting.🤗 1. @yamabico_san (photo 2) 2. @gokase_entertainment (photo 3) 3. @photo_ay_umi (photo 4) 4. @mgm_1228 (photo 5) 5. @eco9syu_sekiryo (photo 6) 6. @goto0619 (photo 7) 7. @fowafuwarin5 (photo 8) 8. @thusandleavis (photo 9) 9. @mas8787a (photo 10) 10. @photo_ay_umi (photo 11) We look forward to receiving many votes from everyone 🥰

🎿 Ski Resort Final Event 🏂 Sunday, March 9 was the last day of operations for Gokase Highland Ski Resort ❄️ Under a clear sky, a big prize drawing took place from 11:00 AM 🎁 Cheers erupted each time the winning numbers for lavish prizes were announced, and the drawing ended in great excitement 😆✨ After the drawing, visitors immediately enjoyed the last runs of the season on the slopes 🎿 Gokase Highland Ski Resort, revived this season ❄️ Thanks to everyone, we were able to operate safely through today 😊 Thank you very much 🥰 We look forward to seeing you again next season!!

Inochi no Hi Project in Gokase Town On Saturday, March 8, I visited the "Inochi no Hi Project in Gokase Town" held at the Gokase Town Welfare Center 🤗 Although the event took a four-year pause during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has continued since the year after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake 😌 The beautiful event invited people to remember those affected by earthquakes and other disasters across Japan, to keep those memories alive, and to cherish life ✨ A donation box to raise funds for disaster recovery was placed at the venue, and visitors kindly contributed what they could ☺️ There were stalls selling tasty snacks and cute crafts, and the venue was lively 🥳 On stage, hosted by members of the organizing G Ongakutai, a full program of singing and dancing entertained the audience 🤩✨ Many songs in the lineup carried messages for disaster-hit areas, creating a program unique to a charity event 😌👏 The finale featured everyone joining in to sing "Hana wa Saku" together 🎶 At the end of the event, children lit wax balls in a lighting ceremony, and wrapped in gentle light, all attendees observed a moment of silence. May the thoughts from Gokase Town reach those in the disaster-affected areas…🙏

[❄️ Introducing photos submitted to Winter Gokase 2025 — Final installment ❄️] The Gokase Tourism Association held the “#Winter Gokase 2025” photo event on its Instagram account through February 28. This is the final showcase of the entries we received.🥹✨ @fowafuwarin5 @mas8787a @mgm_1228 (in no particular order) Making its long-awaited debut is Unoko Falls✨ These lovely photos capture the ski area where snow still lingers and the surrounding great outdoors.👏 Thank you all for so many submissions.😭 It was a harsh winter, but many of the winter photos felt warm and heartening.😊☀️

📍Izena Island, Okinawa Prefecture The largest uninhabited island in Okinawa Prefecture, offering a survival experience Build a raft using only items found on the uninhabited island and escape within 48 hours! A close-knit group of six took part as a graduate school graduation trip! They wanted to test their limits, create memories with friends, and try their survival skills. Paddling the raft to the finish and reaching the goal gave them an incredible sense of achievement. It became the best graduation trip! The impromptu tour finished safely! Thank you for also collecting large trash from the uninhabited island / Currently / We are recruiting participants nationwide for three tours in May, July, and September! https://www.mujinto-yanaha.com//

Photographed on March 8, 25. LEC COFFEE's black latte and tiramisu.

View from a commercial facilities in Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City. Godaigo's "MONKEY MAJIK" streamed into my brain.

Sunrise and Enoshima

Michihiraki Ōkami Sarutahiko Shrine 2-1-10 Ujiurata, Ise-shi, Mie Prefecture Sarutahiko Shrine is known as the god of "Michihiraki" who serves as a guidepost at the beginning of things and guides everything in a good direction. It is also the god of traffic safety because it guides the road safely, and many Locals pray here when they buy a new car.

Ise Jingu Inner Shrine Mie Prefecture, Ise-shi, Ujikan-cho 1 The Inner Shrine is officially called the Imperial Grand Shrine and enshrines Amaterasu Omikami, the Imperial Ancestor God. It is said that about 2,000 years ago, during the reign of Emperor Hirohito, the empress Yamatohime Mikoto traveled to various places and established the place of the enthronement of Amaterasu. The shrine area covers an area of 55 million square meters. It takes about 1 hour.

Ise Jingu Outer Shrine 279 Toyokawa-cho, Ise-shi, Mie Prefecture The outer shrine is officially called the Toyoke Grand Shrine. It is one of the two shrines of the Jingu Shrine, which consists of 125 shrines, and the god of food and industry, Toyoke no Omikami, is the God of worship. As the god who presides over the Meals of Amaterasu of the Inner Shrine, he was enshrined here about 1,500 years ago. A Shinto ritual called the "Daily Morning and Evening Grand Feast Festival," in which Meals is offered to Amaterasu and other gods, is held once a day without missing a day.

Mountain Opening Climb ⛰️ Participants Wanted! We will hold the 2025 Mountain Opening Climb. *Participation in the ritual alone is free of charge* ⭐ Date: Saturday, April 12, 2025 ⭐ Participation fee: ¥1,000 (includes insurance and a protective charm) *No registration is required for participation in the ritual only.* ⭐ Course: Tenson Kourin Course ⭐ How to apply: Please apply by phone or via the application form below. ⭐ Application deadline: Monday, April 7 Our staff will lead a slow-paced climb, so beginners 🔰 can join with confidence! 🥳 Important Notes * The age limit is set at 70, but people who exercise regularly may participate even if they are older than 70. * Junior high school students and younger must be accompanied by a guardian. * Please bring your own lunch and emergency rations. * After the ritual, participants will return to the trailhead (the Fifth Sabo Dam) by their own cars. * The event will proceed in light rain, but the secretariat will notify you by the evening of Friday the 11th if it is canceled. The ritual will be held even if the event is canceled. Application Form https://docs.google.com/.../1ik84ozPLmto7PgPEXKrGsPI.../edit... For applications and inquiries Takaharacho Tourism Association 0984-42-4560

Announcement of the 57th Banei Kinen📣 On Sunday, March 16, the pinnacle race of Banei horse racing, the Norin-Suisan Daijin Shoten—the 57th Banei Kinen—will be held at Banei Tokachi Obihiro Racecourse to decide the strongest Banei horse!!😄 In this event, massive draft horses weighing about one ton pull one-ton sleds as they compete in speed and strength!! At Obihiro Racecourse, the Banei Kinen events will run from March 14 through March 16. Enjoy three days packed with a variety of activities🎵 This year, Tokachi Aozora Ladies will join the Banei Kinen events. Around 2:00 PM on March 14 they will make on-track predictions together with expert tipsters—please come by and join the fun!! Recently, Tokachi Aozora Ladies promoted the Banei Kinen in Sapporo together with Banei racing officials and Banei Tokachi’s mascot, Ricky. They appeared on FM North Wave, then were interviewed by Hokkaido Shimbun, Sports Nippon, and Sports Hochi. Thank you very much!! Come to Obihiro Racecourse and cheer as these giant horses take each powerful step right before your eyes🎵

🛕 Main Hall Guided Tour & Uncovering the Mystery of Sakai Prefecture In addition to a guided tour of the city’s largest wooden structure, the Main Hall, the temple’s sutra repository will be open for two days only😲 We will explore the mystery of “Sakai Prefecture,” which existed for 14 years in the past✨ 📢 "Untie the Strings: Exploring the Mystery of Sakai 2025"🎉 🗓️ Saturday, March 22 and Sunday, March 23 📍 Honganji Sakai Betsuin, free admission! 🔍 For details, please check the Sakai Tourism Guide website news. 📬 How to apply: On the day, please speak to a nearby sightseeing volunteer guide. ※ During chanting, visitors cannot enter the Main Hall, so you may be asked to wait.

Hello 😊 This is Ryusuido. In March, Shosenkyo Gorge feels the sun grow warmer, gentle sunlight pours onto the water, and you can slowly sense spring☘️ arriving. We can’t wait for the cherry blossoms🌸 to bloom‼️ March’s birthstone is aquamarine💎 A member of the beryl family, like emeralds, its color and gem name vary according to the minerals it contains. With its pale, gentle aqua hue, aquamarine symbolizes healing and happiness, and a legend says it brings joyful love and marriage✨ We also offer a wide selection of other natural stones and accessories, so please stop by to enjoy the soothing space where gemstones and the sound of the falls weave together. We look forward to the day we can see your lovely smiles 😊

Notice of Temporary Closure for Sandayu Public Toilet Repairs The Sandayu public toilet in the Sandayu parking lot at Lake Kussharo will be temporarily closed for repair work from Monday, March 17, 2025, through Friday, March 21, 2025. Closure period: March 17, 2025 (Monday) from 8:00 AM to March 21, 2025 (Friday) Location: Sandayu Parking Lot, Miruwa, Teshikaga, Kawakami District, Hokkaido For safety reasons, please refrain from using or entering the facility while the public toilet is undergoing repairs. The facility is scheduled to reopen as usual from March 22, but the schedule may change depending on the progress of the work. Any changes will be posted on this site, so please check for updates. Please note that the parking lot will remain available during the public toilet closure. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused during the closure period. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

Today, in Mishima City. It's so warm. Genbeegawa (Genbee River) and Hasunumagawa (Hasunuma River) (March 13, 2025)

Photographed on March 8, 25. This is LEC COFFEE's black latte. It's a stunning latte art. I like it. 😊

🌊 【Kanagawa】Impression experience in the suburbs of Tokyo! Diving 🌊 with a beautiful view of Manazuru's soft coral Did you know that there is a diving Spot in Kanagawa Prefecture where you can see beautiful soft corals like a painting? 🤩 Just the other day, I went boat diving to the rocks of Manazuru and the scene was absolutely fantastic! 🪸✨ Colorful soft corals vividly colored the world in Water, and along the way, we met Traditional Japanese straw raincoat scorpionfish swimming gracefully. 👀🦁🐟 🌟 There is a to all the wonderful smiling guests who had a good time with us! 🤗 We can't wait to dive with you again! 🤿 🚗 Just a 30-minute Car ride from Our Store in Hiratsuka, Manazuru Rock Boat Diving is a special Spot where you can see the Water world of Impression without long travel! ✨ The instructor will support you firmly, so you can rest assured even if you are a beginner. This Spot is also recommended for photo divers for an unforgettable diving experience near Tokyo. 🙌

A new spot for climbing Mt. Morotsuka: the ruins of Higashi-no-Kamimae Once a gathering place for ascetic practitioners, this site was known as Utsugi Plain. Members of the Morotsuka Village local history research group, Shidankai, investigated the area and installed a sign last year. About a five-minute descent from the summit along the ridge that extends northeast, the site sits on a rocky outcrop with excellent views. ◎The route can be hard to follow in places, so please check maps and other information before you go. #miyazaki #miyazaki_countryside #morotsukavillage #morotsuka #Miyazaki Prefecture #Patchwork Village #Morotsuka Village #Morotsuka Village Tourism Association #Mt. Morotsuka hiking #Mt. Morotsuka mountain opening 2025 #mountain opening #Mt. Morotsuka mountain opening

Choukokuji Temple during the fresh greenery season. Looking at the Buddha statue that emerges in the green light reflected in the hall is refreshing.

Today, Thursday the 13th, at 1:40 PM the Nanatsuboshi train 🚃 The Nanatsuboshi bus will also stop at Takahara Station 😝👌 Takaharacho tourist guides will lead a tour of the Oike and Kirishima Higashi Shrine course! Parking: Free

Busan Shrine dyed in the color of snow This is Busan Shrine in Yorii, Saitama Prefecture. It is dyed in a snowy landscape and becomes 😊 a mysterious space

Hello to everyone watching Cool Japan Video—nice to meet you! This is the Morotsuka Village Tourism Association. We will now share plenty of reasons to fall in love with Morotsuka Village in northern Miyazaki Prefecture. First, let us introduce Morotsuka Village. ◆◇◆About Morotsuka Village, Miyazaki Prefecture◆◇◆ Morotsuka Village, Miyazaki Prefecture, sits nearly in the center of the Kyushu Central Mountain Range. About 90% of the village area is forest. There is almost no flat land; 84 small settlements dot the mountain slopes. Under the slogan of building a forestry-centered village, Morotsuka has promoted village development by protecting mountains, creating forests, and living in harmony with nature while benefiting from the forest. This is a village that lives with the forest, thinking not only about themselves but also about one another and not only about the present but about children and grandchildren. ◆◇◆Access◆◇◆ * About two hours by car from Kumamoto Airport * About two hours by car from Miyazaki Airport * From Miyazaki Airport take the train to JR Hyuga City Station (limited express about 65 minutes), then a route bus runs from Hyuga City Station to Morotsuka Village. If you use train and route bus, take the JR Nippo Main Line to JR Hyuga City Station, then a Miyazaki Kotsu route bus to Morotsuka village center, "Morotsuka," which takes about 90 minutes. * Please board a bus bound for "Kamishiiba" or "Tsukahara." (For route bus details, check the Miyazaki Kotsu website.) ※For current traffic restrictions, please check the Morotsuka Navi Website. ◆◇◆Tourist Spots in Morotsuka Village, Miyazaki Prefecture◆◇◆ ■Ecomuseum Morotsuka Shiitake Hall 21 This facility houses the Morotsuka Village Tourism Association office and Restaurant Donkotei. It used to be a place to learn about shiitake, but it has been renovated as a tourist information and community space. Across the Hotaru Bridge, on the opposite bank, stands the main statue of Kunugi Jizo carved from a sawtooth oak more than 100 years old. You can walk down to the river to enjoy a boxed lunch or play in the clear stream. ◇◆◇Accommodations in Morotsuka Village, Miyazaki Prefecture◇◆◇ ■Tenku no Mori Ikenokubo Green Park Perched around 800 meters above sea level in nature-rich Morotsuka, Tenku no Mori Ikenokubo Green Park offers log houses and a campsite. From the Hyuga direction the road is a single lane each way, so drivers who are not used to mountain roads can still feel at ease. The park features an athletic course, grass skiing, and putter golf, so families with young children can enjoy themselves together. A scenic cross-country course nearby makes for a pleasant, leisurely walk amid nature. The popular Akimasa Observatory, known for its views, is about a five-minute drive. We recommend rising early to watch the sunrise; with luck you may see a sea of clouds. Spring bursts with flowers, summer brings lush greenery and cool highland air, autumn ignites in brilliant foliage, and winter offers quiet days with occasional snow flurries. It’s a place to savor the changing seasons and relax in nature. ■Morotsukayama Mountain Stream Village One of the village’s two campgrounds is Morotsukayama Mountain Stream Village. Morotsukayama, one of Kyushu’s 100 famous mountains, towers here amid rich nature. Nearby is a river park next to a water-rich gorge, where you can enjoy river play and fishing in summer (fishing requires a permit). ■Forest Folk House Yamashigi Forest The Forest Folk House consists of two historic houses: "Shitashigi," built in the Taisho era, and "Nakashigi," built in the Meiji era. You reach them by climbing a winding mountain road, yet these homes once served as a transportation hub before roads and cars existed. Today they serve as an experiential exchange facility where city visitors and mountain residents deepen ties through farm work. Perched high as if touching the sky, the site preserves nostalgic scenes such as an irori hearth, a goemon bath, and a wood-fired stove. ■Forest Folk House Series These traditional houses let you fully enjoy the breath of nature. Surrounded by mountains, with the warmth of wood, the scent of earth, and a communal irori hearth, Morotsuka’s forest folk houses offer a relaxed pace and a restful place to experience human–nature coexistence. [List of folk houses] ・Yamashigi Forest ・Heida no Sato ・Sakura no Tsubone ・Yoshiya ◇◆◇Local Specialties of Morotsuka Village, Miyazaki Prefecture◇◆◇ ■Shiitake Shiitake cultivated using 100% log-grown mushrooms from rich forests certified as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage. Morotsuka Village proudly offers these flavorful, aromatic log-grown shiitake—please savor them. ■Mori no Hyakkamitsu (Forest Wildflower Honey) This honey comes from Japanese honeybees cherished by Morotsuka’s honey hunters. Natural beekeeping in the mountains draws nectar from a wide range of flowers. The honey the bees diligently collect—called "mori no hyakkamitsu" or wildflower honey—is highly nutritious with a rich taste and aroma. A single bee produces only about a spoonful of honey in its lifetime, making it very precious. ■Yomogi Dango (Mugwort Rice Dumplings) Fresh yomogi gathered from the mountains, nurtured by clean air and water, are made into yomogi dango using traditional methods. These treats are a countryside-only luxury, full of yomogi fragrance and filled with expertly kneaded sweet bean paste. ■Mountain-Processed Foods Women’s associations active across the scattered mountain settlements prepare goods in local workrooms every day. They transform mountain-harvested ingredients into the village’s delicious products—miso, yuzu pepper, konnyaku, dressings, and more. We will continue to share the charms of nature-rich Morotsuka Village—stay tuned!

｢... (Is it time to wake up~)"

Kumamon Island finally appears in the popular game Fortnite!! The hugely popular online game Fortnite has introduced a new stage set in Kumamoto called Kumamon Island!! Kumamon Island isn’t the usual shooting game; it’s a business simulation game!! The game’s story centers on Kumamoto’s major tourist spots, including Kumamoto Castle, and features a plot in which players help Kumamon and friends build a giant Kumamon robot!! One of the tourist sites featured is the Manda Pit!! Enjoy the game together with the adorable Kumamon♪ Island code 0507-8727-1071 https://www.pref.kumamoto.jp/kumamonisland/...

Spring-like weather is finally here.

-Samurai Sword Trial Cutting You will learn how to use a sword and become aware of your self-respect and the responsibility of carrying a deadly weapon. At that time, you will be allowed to wear a serious sword. You will try your hand at sword cutting with a samurai sword. Experience the best cutting edge in the world. #samuraisword #bushido