[2026 Japan Heritage Marche — Isehara City Will Also Be Present] The Japan Heritage Marche, which shares the stories of Japan’s culture and traditions from each region, will be held this year in Yurakucho, Tokyo. Isehara City will also have a booth at the event to showcase its unique local attractions. At the venue, visitors can experience Japan’s heritage sites through tastings, samplings, and hands-on workshops from across the country. Please come and join us. Dates: Saturday, February 14, 2026 – Sunday, February 15, 2026 Times: February 14: 10:00–17:00 February 15: 10:00–16:00 Location: Yurakucho Station Plaza and Tokyo Kotsu Kaikan (1st-floor event space and others)

🏖️ Third Shimoda City Beach General Election Results Announced! 🏖️ Thank you very much for all your votes✨ Here are the results👇 🥇 1st place Shirahama Ohama Beach 🥈 2nd place Shirahama Central Beach 🥉 Tied for 3rd place Kujuppama Beach · Tatadohama Beach · Nabetahama Beach · Iritahama Beach We have already shipped the prizes to the five winners🎁 They should be arriving at your door soon…?📮✨ And now, the Fourth Shimoda City Beach General Election will be 🗓️ Held from 2/16 to 6/30! Whether you’ve voted before or haven’t joined yet, please cast your vote for your favorite beach🌊💙 We look forward to your participation 😊✨

Photographed on February 1, 2014. This is a black latte from LEC COFFEE. It features very beautiful latte art.☕️✨

Good morning ☀ #This morning in Tsukigase Tsukigase Plum Valley Plum Festival February 14, 2026 to March 29, 2026

Photographed on February 1, 2014. This is a chocolate Basque cheesecake from LEC COFFEE.

Fushimi Inari-taisha 68 Fukakusa Yabunouchi-cho, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture The biggest attraction at Fushimi Inari-taisha is the Senbon Torii. The sight of rows upon rows of vermilion torii gates is simply breathtaking! The items held in the mouths of the foxes at Fushimi Inari-taisha are mainly four kinds: rice ears, a scroll, a jewel (hoshu), and a key. These are said to be carried by the foxes (white foxes), messengers of Inari Ōkami, and each has a different meaning. Types and meanings of the items the foxes hold The fox statues at Fushimi Inari-taisha typically hold one of the following four items. Rice ears: Symbolizing a bountiful harvest and indicating that Inari Ōkami is a deity of agriculture. Scroll: Representing wisdom and knowledge, and believed to record the divine virtues of Inari Ōkami. Jewel (hoshu): A symbol of Inari Ōkami’s spiritual virtue or soul. Key: Seen as the key to Inari Ōkami’s treasure house, or as a symbol of the desire to possess the jewel (spiritual virtue).

Event Announcement 📣 From Saturday, February 7 to Monday, February 23, Roadside Station Pia 21 Shihoro will host a "Korea Fair" 😊 In 2025, a direct flight from Tokachi Obihiro Airport to Korea began, making access to Korea more convenient ✈️ This is a collaboration between JAL and Roadside Station Pia 21 Shihoro, designed so those who can’t travel right now can still enjoy the feeling of being there 🎵 You can taste "Korean gourmet and sweets" recommended by Korea-loving staff, and try a cabin crew role-play experience where you perform in-flight announcement practice and drink service like a JAL flight attendant. Take this chance to enjoy the atmosphere of a trip to Korea 🤗 https://tokachibare.jp/event/xo_event-22980/...

Suishinin Temple Suishinin Temple Hana no Ma Kyoto Yamashina Suishinin Temple Hana no Ma♪ Let's go to Kyoto. (February 2, 2026 – March 13, 2026) 35 Ono Goryo-cho, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture The "Hana no Ma" at Suishinin Temple transforms a space usually used as the Noh room into a vivid floral display for a special event. Held annually in honor of Ono no Komachi, a Heian-period poet often counted among the world’s three great beauties, the display offers visitors soothing beauty and moving impressions.

Hello! This is Waraji, a Koshu local cuisine restaurant. Although February marks the arrival of spring on the calendar, Shosenkyo Gorge is wrapped in crisp, cold air and offers the clear winter scenery unique to the season❄️🌿 After a walk taking in the majestic nature formed by rocky cliffs and evergreen trees, why not rest with us for a while😊 Our recommendation is a piping-hot freshly fried tendon (tempura rice bowl)🍤 We generously use three large prawns; their crispy, fragrant batter pairs perfectly with the fluffy rice. Its impressive appearance makes it a dish you’ll want to photograph📸✨ The interior offers a calm space warmed by wood accents. You can warm up your chilled body and enjoy a leisurely time with us over tea🍵 Shosenkyo Gorge is still quite cold, so please make sure to dress warmly before you come🧣 We sincerely look forward to welcoming you😊

Just in time for the first day of spring, fukujusō have bloomed in the garden again this year.

Reihoku Sunset Marche — February Announcement📣 Hello everyone! With the season full of events like ehomaki and Setsubun, here is the announcement for the Reihoku Sunset Marche in February♪ 👀 Highlights of this Sunset Marche 👀 ❣ Reihoku Sunset Marche will offer agricultural products, processed goods, and prepared foods from Reihokumachi, including bagged mikan (tangerines) for sale🍊. This time, a kitchen car from Ninoya Amakusa will also be on site offering ikinari dango❣ We look forward to seeing you 😊 Don’t forget to bring your own shopping bag🛍✨ Items expected for sale ・Cauliflower ・Pumpkin🎃 ・Cabbage ・Cucumber🥒 ・Rice🌾 ・Taro ・Shiitake (log-grown) ・Potatoes🥔 ・New onions🧅 ・Tomatoes (Aiko, mini) ・Broccoli🥦 ・Green peppers ・Beni Haruka (sweet potato variety) ・Ponkan ・Mikan🍊 (bagged) ・Lettuce (sunny) 🥦🍅🥕🍠🥬🧅🫑🌽🌶🫛🍆🫚🥔 Reihoku Sunset Marche Date: Sunday, February 8 — 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM Location: Amakusa Reihoku Tourist Association (reihoku town products hall facility, 4535-1 Kamitsufukae, Reihokumachi)

Photographed on February 1, 2014. This is the quiche plate from LEC COFFEE. It features a spinach, chicken, and basil quiche, homemade pork ham with salad, a white vegetable potage, and homemade bread. The basil gives off a lovely aroma. 😊

Snowplow Dozer Has Arrived Around 4 a.m. on a winter morning. When I hear a loud peep, peep!, I groggily realize that a lot of snow has fallen. That loud sound is the warning signal a snowplow makes when it backs up. On days when snow piles up thick, snowplows start working before dawn. By the time many people head to school or work, both the roadway and the sidewalks have been cleared and look neat. The other day, during daylight hours, a snow-dozer arrived at the parking lot of the tourist information center the Rizumu. Because the parking spaces are smaller than usual, we asked them to shave down the snowbanks a bit, and they came the next day. Snow-clearing machines come in many sizes, but this snow-dozer was really huge! The bucket on the front was big enough for an adult to lie down in completely. The snowplow itself looked cool, (just seeing a big vehicle gets your spirits up), and the operator who handles such heavy machinery looks cool, too. If we had scooped and carried the snow with handheld shovels, it would have taken half a day, but the snowplow cleared it smoothly in about an hour. With the parking area widened, parking and turning around became much easier, and driving grew more comfortable. - In a post by the neighboring town Takinoue Town account "Takinoue Biyori," which shares the lives of local people, their interview with the town’s snow-removal center explains the snow-clearing system in detail. It was interesting to read about how they use technology to check roads in summer and how different snow-removal contractors coordinate with each other. - We are grateful to the snow-removal crews who support safe, comfortable winter living. Thank you always. #Snow removal #Snow-dozer

Yasaka Shrine Setsubun Festival 2026 625 Gionmachi Kitagawa, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture The highlight of the Yasaka Shrine Setsubun Festival is the dance offerings and bean-throwing performed by geiko and maiko from the hanamachi. At Yasaka Shrine’s Setsubun Festival, the bean-throwing is done with participants calling only “Fuku wa uchi” (good fortune in). This tradition stems from the belief that no oni (demons) reside within the shrine grounds, so there is no need to shout “Oni wa soto” (demons out). Dance offerings and bean-throwing: From four hanamachi—Pontocho Kabukai, Miyagawacho Kabukai, Gion Kobu Kabukai, and Gion Higashi Kabukai—beautiful geiko and maiko present gagaku and imayo performances, followed by bean-throwing. The fortune beans (offering fee 300 yen) distributed at Yasaka Shrine’s Setsubun Festival always include a raffle ticket that guarantees a prize, making them extremely popular each year. Offering fee: 300 yen No blanks in the raffle (everyone wins something) Raffle draws take place on the spot at the raffle venue Items distributed: fortune beans, skewered talismans, and other festival-limited offerings. Some fortune beans include a prize raffle ticket. After the dances end, geiko, maiko, and men and women born in the zodiac year corresponding to Setsubun toss beans from the Maiden stage. This moment offers the only chance to receive fortune beans handed directly to you. The area in front of the Maiden stage fills with excitement, and the shrine’s atmosphere transforms into the lively buzz of a true Setsubun festival.

Lake Tanuki in Fujinomiya City, Shizuoka Prefecture Mount Fuji around 5:00 PM on January 31 Bathed in the setting sun, the lake’s surface was relatively calm and the reflections were beautiful. It’s the classic upside-down Mount Fuji scene that makes you want to take a photo.

Photographed on January 31, 2014. This is the hanatemizu (flower water basin) at the omikuji distribution booth of Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine.

Event Announcement 📣 On Saturday, February 7, 2026, Memuro Town’s big winter event, Ice Candle Night, welcomes visitors 😊 About 2,500 ice candles will light up Meimuro Park, creating a soft, glowing atmosphere 😍 The venue offers a variety of attractions, including Tokachi Pro Wrestling, a strike-out game, footbaths, and handheld fireworks. Fireworks will be launched from 7:30 PM to brighten the winter night sky ✨ Enjoy a space shaped by winter’s cold, where beautiful ice and warm light come together 🤗 📍Date and Time: Saturday, February 7, 2026, 1:30 PM–8:30 PM 📍Location: Meimuro Park 📞Contact: Memuro Town Roadside Station TEL: 0155-66-6522 https://town.tonxton.com/event/hyotoya2026/...

Teshikaga Town Public Hall Presents How to Enjoy Teshikaga’s Starry Sky 13th Session: “Learn About the Total Lunar Eclipse!” — Join us🔭🌕 A total lunar eclipse will occur on March 3. To mark this event, we will learn about total lunar eclipses and, if the sky is clear, observe the phenomenon together! How to Enjoy Teshikaga’s Starry Sky consists of a lecture to deepen your knowledge of Teshikaga’s night sky plus a segment on current astronomy topics. Let’s enjoy the magnificent starry sky together🌌 For details, please check the February issue of Teshikaga Public Relations. We look forward to many people joining us🌟

📝♨️ Hot Spring Website "From the Information Dispatch Office" Updated📝🆙 Notice from the Tourism and Commerce Division, Kawayu Onsen District Improvement Office: We will hold an open-house style briefing on the reorganization and redevelopment of the Kawayu Onsen district. The event will take place at Kawayu Furusato Kan on March 1 and March 2. Please feel free to drop by!

In February, the spring-blooming bai-kaouren flowers reached their peak for viewing and photography.

The judging meeting for the 15th Teshikaga Photo Contest was held ✨ The winners will be announced in mid-February. Stay tuned for the results 🏆📸

"Come to Miyoshi Town and stop by ‘Yorinsai♪’" Let us introduce Yorinsai, a diner on Miyoshi-machi Ishidatami Street. The name uses a dialect often heard in Miyoshi. It means "feel free to drop in." 😊 This cozy spot welcomes not only locals but also visitors touring the area.✨ It is run by members of the Miyoshi City Silver Human Resources Center. The menu features home-cooked set meals, noodles, and prepared dishes made largely with seasonal vegetables from Miyoshi. Daily side dishes offer a comforting, nostalgic home-cooked taste.😋 Child-friendly tableware is available, and on sunny days the outdoor tables are recommended. The signature "Spicy Udon" is a one-of-a-kind creation born from a collaboration with Egusa Store.✨ Its vivid red broth leaves a strong impression, with savory flavor and lingering heat. Orders are taken by hand and payment is cash only. 💰 "You may have to wait a little sometimes, but we do our best—relax and take your time." Warm, personal interactions between people are a special part of this place’s charm.😊 "Hearing customers say, ‘That was delicious! I’ll come again,’ is our greatest encouragement." This is a place where you can feel the warmth and spirit of the people of Miyoshi. When you visit Miyoshi Town, be sure to stop by Yorinsai! Yorinsai @yorinsai12_sc Address: 1550-2 Miyoshi-machi, Miyoshi City, Hiroshima Prefecture Open: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday Hours: 10:00–14:00 Phone: 0824-63-8500 Other: Payment is cash only. *The dishes shown were available at the time of posting."

Spinning Yarn from Wool Ski classes have also started in Nishiokoppe Village and it has become an even more enjoyable season for outdoor play in the snow. (At the same time, the cold grows severe, and we also face a season of heavy snow.) How do you spend your time at home these days? Lately, I have been spinning yarn from wool. A local dairy farmer in Nishiokoppe Village raises sheep, and because there is so much fleece, they asked if I would join them in spinning. 🐑🐑🐑 First, I wash the fleece again and again to remove dirt like dung and straw clinging to it. At this stage the wool is fluffy and full of mats, so it is hard to pull out the fibers; I use a tool called a carder to loosen the wool and make it soft and airy. I am very grateful that an acquaintance does all these pre-spinning steps for me… The blue fleece in the photos was dyed by that acquaintance. They grew indigo leaves for dyeing and gave the wool a pale sky-blue tint. 🐑🐑🐑 Now, at last, I begin spinning the yarn. At my friend’s house there was a spinning wheel where you pedal to twist and wind the yarn. It pulls fibers from the fluffy mass thinner and thinner, twisting them as it winds. You control the winding speed with the pedal, but if drawing out the fibers lags, the yarn can become overtwisted and the process fails. So I decided to spin using a tool called a spindle. You hook the drawn-out thin fibers on the top hook and set the spindle on the floor like a top; just give it a spin and the wool fibers twist into yarn. When I have spun yarn as far as my arm can reach, I wind the twisted yarn onto the shaft and continue spinning from there. 🐑🐑🐑 Round and round, twist and twist. If I move my hands while watching dramas or anime, the time flies by. By the way, if you hang the spun yarn on the wall with a weight attached overnight, the twist won’t come undone. This is how the balls of yarn you see at craft shops are made. Today I shared one moment of my time at home. I’m thinking about what to knit with the yarn I spun… When the knitted item is finished, I’ll let you know again. #sheep #wool #indigo dye

【✨Spectacular View from Omachi Park 🏔️】 On February 4, the first day of spring in the traditional calendar, the Northern Alps were visible beautifully from many spots across the city area 🏔️ So we headed to Omachi Park, a small hilltop park on the city’s east side. Omachi Park is an easy-to-reach scenic spot by car ✨ With no obstructions, you can take in a sweeping view of the town and the snow-capped Northern Alps 😊 If you happen to be nearby, this is a view you should enjoy ✨ ⭐️For more details about Omachi Park, see below 🔽🔽🔽 https://kanko-omachi.gr.jp/spot/omachipark/...

[Isehara Setsubun Festival] Yesterday, February 3rd, Setsubun festivals were held at various locations throughout Isehara City. As a traditional event to drive away evil spirits (oni) associated with illness and disaster and to pray for health and safety, the festivals drew many worshippers and became a lively, energetic day.

#021 [Tourist Spot Feature Part 4 ✨] Introducing one of Tsunocho’s landmarks, Roadside Station Tsuno! Roadside Station Tsuno sits along Route 10 in Tsunocho and buzzes with visitors every day. Look around the parking lot and you’ll be surprised to see mostly out-of-prefecture license plates on the cars and trucks. Although it fills with travelers and drivers, the station is actually still relatively new. Roadside Station Tsuno opened on July 31, 2013, the day before Tsuno Shrine Summer Festival, the town’s signature celebration. From the moment it opened, it welcomed many guests and contributed greatly to Tsunocho’s growth. Its location on National Route 10 helps draw crowds, but there are other reasons too. Those reasons are its low prices and its facilities. Roadside Station Tsuno has even ranked third in past Miyazaki Prefecture roadside station listings, a sign of its strong reputation. First, about the low prices: items are noticeably cheaper than usual. That’s because products come straight from local producers. Skipping middlemen lets vendors sell at lower prices. By the way, I also buy vegetables and fruit at Roadside Station Tsuno. Next, the facilities. While they haven’t changed much since opening, the station offers a well-equipped product area, a food court, an information and rest corner, a nursing room, and restrooms with diaper-changing stations. Having diaper-changing tables is especially helpful for families with young children. The information and rest corner holds flyers and posters about Tsunocho and attractions across the prefecture. In the food court you’ll find Fukuura Cafeteria, famous for its seafood bowls; Osuzu‑an, serving jidori chicken soba; Ichido ramen; and a soft-serve ice cream stand. I love ramen, so I often eat here. The product area is naturally very popular, offering seasonal vegetables and fruit. At this time of year you’ll see many mandarins, strawberries, and cabbage on display. Isn’t having well-equipped facilities something very important for visitors? Whether you’ve never been to Roadside Station Tsuno or you’ve visited before, please come and see it for yourself.

Photographed on January 31, 2014. These are the floral water displays at Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine.

February 4th A snow moon two days late and MtJonen This morning in Azumino the sky was perfectly clear The moon setting behind MtJonen

February 3rd In the morning, snowflakes drifted over Azumino The sky cleared and the Northern Alps stretched into the distance as far as Hakuba The OitoLine runs toward Hakuba