Cherry blossom update for this week—photos taken April 5–6 🌸 ① Chausuyama Dinosaur Park Entrance About 80 cherry trees line the embankment at the Chausuyama Dinosaur Park Entrance. At full bloom they form a lovely cherry tunnel. Varieties include Somei-Yoshino and Higan-zakura. Cherry trees also bloom within the Chausuyama Mallet Golf Course. [Bloom status] Full bloom ※Photographed April 6 [Location] 2358 Shinonoi Okada, Nagano City [Parking] Available ② Kourinji Temple A weeping cherry about 300 years old stands here, along with Somei-Yoshino trees. Many visitors photograph the magnificent tree and the temple. [Bloom status] Full bloom ※Photographed April 6 [Location] Shinonoi Komatsubara 2329, Nagano City [Parking] Available ③ Matsushiro Castle Ruins Matsushiro Castle was the residence of the Sanada clan. About 100 cherry trees stand out beautifully against the late-Edo castle grounds. [Cherry light-up] April 4 (Sat)–April 13 (Mon) 18:00–21:00 [Bloom status] Full bloom ※Photographed April 6 [Location] 44 Matsushiro, Matsushiro-machi, Nagano City [Parking] Available Municipal Tonomachi Tourist Parking: 7 large buses, 50 standard cars, 2 accessible spaces Matsushiro Castle North Parking (north side of Matsushiro Castle, 5-minute walk): 10 large buses, 60 standard cars, 2 accessible spaces ④ Kawanakajima Battlefield Historic Park This battlefield is famous for the clashes between Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin. About 100 Somei-Yoshino trees create a popular hanami spot. [Cherry light-up] From bloom until April 11 (Sat) 18:00–21:00 [Bloom status] Full bloom ※Photographed April 6 [Location] 1384-1 Kojimada, Nagano City [Parking] Available (Park parking may be crowded. Please avoid parking without permission at nearby facilities.) ⑤ Shiroyama Park Adjacent to the east of Zenkoji Temple, this is Nagano City's premier cherry spot with about 470 Somei-Yoshino trees in full display. The cherry tunnel at peak bloom is especially beautiful. [Bloom status] Full bloom ※Photographed April 5 [Location] Hakoshimizu, Nagano City [Parking] Available Parking 1: 155 spaces, Parking 2: 123 spaces, Parking 3: 155 spaces 100 yen for up to 20 minutes, then 100 yen added every 20 minutes ※Visitors using the park or zoo who present a Nagano City Childcare Passport get up to 2 hours free ⑥ Saijo Mountain One of Shinshu’s top 100 sunset points and also known as a cherry-viewing spot. During the fourth Battle of Kawanakajima, the Uesugi army camped on this mountain’s summit on the Chikuma River’s south bank to watch Shingen’s movements. [Bloom status] Full bloom ※Photographed April 6 [Location] MatsushiromachiIwano, Matsushiro-machi, Nagano City [Parking] Available ※The road from the Saijo Mountain observation deck entrance to the deck is narrow and not passable for large vehicles. ※The Nagano Tourism Net website posts cherry blossom updates for Nagano City! 🌸Please use this as a reference for your hanami🌸 #cherry blossoms #hanami #bloom #Nagano City #Nagano tourism

Azumino Cherry Blossom Update The cherry trees at Ryugamonbuchi Park in Akeina are about 80% in bloom Still, with a forecast for summer-like temperatures today, they might reach full bloom… It’s a pleasant park. Visit with a picnic spirit!!

April 6th Azumino cleared to a brilliant blue today Forecasts say the temperature will rise to 25°C by midday It looks like an unseasonal summer day… MtJonen in the Northern Alps is watching over us!!

Introducing Our Sponsors – The 15th Teshikaga Photo Contest The winners of the 15th Teshikaga Photo Contest have been announced, and we presented prizes to each recipient. This Teshikaga photo contest is held with the cooperation of businesses based in Teshikaga. On the official Teshikaga Navi Instagram, we will gradually introduce the sponsoring companies that have supported us. (In no particular order) This time, we introduce Kussharo Prince Hotel‼︎📝 Teshikaga Navi offers a wide range of information, so please take a look✨ Thank you very much to Kussharo Prince Hotel for supporting this event🙇❣️ We look forward to your continued support for the Teshikaga Photo Contest and Teshikaga Navi. https://www.masyuko.or.jp/enjoy/k_princehotel/...

Twin Arch 138 with the morning glow and a row of cherry trees The hazy morning sun painted the scene in a soft orange light. Ichinomiya City, Aichi Prefecture April 4, 2026

April 6th Spring has arrived in Azumino, and plants are bursting into new growth all at once!! Wasabi flowers, cherry blossoms, and even the ridges… After a long winter, Azumino is at its most radiant right now♪

April 5th Azumino Cherry Blossom Update The Hyakuraku Cherry tree in front of the Yukio Tabuchi Memorial Museum is in full bloom This is an Edo-higan cherry, and its pale pink petals are beautiful!!

April 5th Azumino’s tourism hub, in front of Hotaka Station on the JR Oito Line The willow tree that starred in the so‑called "symbol tour" is budding, and the daffodils are in full bloom When you visit, stop by briefly and then pop into the Tourist Information Center!!

April 4th Azumino Cherry Blossom Report The weeping cherry tree at Anyouzan Seigenji Temple, located along the foothill road in Azumino, has begun to bloom Two large weeping cherry trees stand beyond the moss-covered approach This Soto Zen temple is also notable in summer for the lotus flowers beside the temple grounds!!

April 4th Azumino Cherry Blossom Report The weeping cherry tree at Hodakasan Soutokuji Temple near hotaka station in Azumino is in full bloom!! You can also enjoy a zazen meditation experience here♪ For details, check the official site of the Azumino Tourism Association

Photographed on April 4, 2026. This is LEC COFFEE’s matcha Basque cheesecake with cherry blossom topping. It smells of cherry blossoms. 😊🍵🌸

Would you like to visit Komu during Golden Week? At the Forest Museum Komu, we are holding the Golden Week Festival again this year🎉 The festival runs for three days from Sunday, May 3 to Tuesday, May 5. Activities change each day! - May 3 (Sun) Naruko (wooden clapper) workshop 🪚 These are the naruko used by dancers in the Yosakoi Festival. You will use a coping saw and hammer to make them, so please participate with a guardian. ① 11:00 AM / ② 1:30 PM Duration: about 30 minutes Capacity: 4 groups per session Fee: 500 yen; register on the day Location: Komu woodwork room - May 4 (Mon) 11:00 AM – Kihako Live♪ Location: Kim no Shima Kihako, who visited Komu in December 2024, returns! They plan to perform children’s songs and original pieces. You’re sure to be enchanted by Kihako’s gentle tones. - May 5 (Tue) Setoushi-kun coloring experience 🖍️ We offer several coloring sheets featuring Nishiokoppe Village’s character Setoushi-kun. The first 100 children (ages 3 to elementary school) will receive an original Setoushi-kun crayon as a gift! ① 10:00 AM–12:00 PM / ② 1:00 PM–2:00 PM A coloring area will be set up somewhere inside the Komu building. Entry and exit are free, so feel free to join anytime. - We look forward to your visit. - Forest Museum Komu Opening hours: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM Closed: every Tuesday *During Golden Week the museum is open through Wednesday, May 6. It will be closed on Thursday, May 7. Admission fees: High school and older: 500 yen 4th grade to middle school: 300 yen Ages 3 to 3rd grade: 100 yen Under 3: free Inquiries: 0158-87-2600 #Forest Museum Komu #GW Festival #Komu

On April 3, on the second day of a business trip to Toyama, I stopped by Matsukawa, where the cherry trees were in full bloom, just before returning home to Chiba. The setting sun sank into the valley lined with cherry trees covering Matsukawa, blending with the blossoms to create a mysterious gradient. Moved by the fleeting changes in the light, I kept pressing the shutter.

Information about the 4-day valid “New Nissho Peninsula Story Ticket” 😊 The “New Nissho Peninsula Story Ticket,” valid for four days and connecting Tomakomai and Obihiro, can be purchased and used on your smartphone 🎵 You can choose either Tomakomai or Obihiro as your starting point 😍 Within the bus free area (Obihiro–Hiroo–Shizunai), Tokachi Bus and JR Hokkaido Bus offer unlimited boarding and alighting (one-way travel only; backtracking is not allowed). The reserved limited-express Tomamu-go is also available 🚌 Plus, the ticket includes great benefits redeemable at more than ten facilities along the route, including Roadside Station Nakasatsunai‼ Leave your busy routine behind, relax with local flavors and scenery, and take a free-spirited trip to discover your own favorite spots. Use this for planning your trip 🤗 Model itineraries are also posted, so please check the Tokachi Bus website for details. https://www.tokachibus.jp/kankou/#kippu...

Having studied in Japan for two years, I visited Chidorigafuchi for the first time and met the night cherry blossoms for the first time as well. Under the lights, the sakura no longer seemed merely soft in daylight; they quietly glowed in the night like stars overhead. Layers of blossoms reflected on the water as small boats drifted through, and time itself seemed to slow. In that moment, I only wanted to keep this tranquil, flowing spring in my memory.

In Japan there is a ceremony called omiyamairi in which people pray at a Shinto shrine for a baby’s healthy growth. Since it takes place about one month after birth, it is not limited to spring, but my grandchild born last November had their omiyamairi in March after several postponements when the weather warmed. Held by my wife, the child’s paternal grandmother, the baby received a blessing from the Shinto priest. On the same day we also celebrated the older sister’s Shichi-Go-San, for which she was dressed up. It is rare for grandparents from both the father’s and mother’s sides to gather, so we had a catered meal at our son’s home. The children’s bento was especially lavish. In rural Japan, these old-fashioned customs still remain.

I gave up on the famous cherry blossom spot a ten-minute drive away because its parking lot was full, so I took photos along an ordinary roadside on the way back home. In Japan, spring means cherry trees line the streets everywhere, not just at famous sites.

Photographed on April 4, 2014. This is LEC COFFEE’s Cherry Blossom × Espresso Latte. It features espresso, milk, and cherry blossom sauce, topped with cherry blossom chocolate. The latte art shaped like a cherry tree is truly lovely. 😊☕️🌸

At a park near Mount Fuji filled with blooming flowers, I took photos with my wife and our beloved dog. It was extremely crowded, and I contracted COVID-19 after returning home, but since it became a pleasant spring memory, I’m okay with it 🤣

[Spring Stop] Cherry blossoms in full bloom decorated the stops (stations) along the TodenArakawaLine (Tokyo Sakura Tram). The tram offers an all-day ticket for just 400 yen, making it very affordable, and there are many sights to see from Minowa Station to Waseda Station. Lately I have been photographing it as a lifelong project. At night, when the nightscape takes over, the overhead wires seem to disappear and a different scene appears.

[Soten ni Saku] In a corner of the welfare center for the elderly’s garden stands a single splendid cherry tree. Beneath that magnificent, full-bloom cherry blossom set against the blue sky, some people were enjoying themselves.

"Spring Reflections" This is Suijin Shrine in Toride. A little promontory juts out by the river, creating a postcard-perfect scene.

Spring Corridor This is Shimizu Park in Chiba. It is famous for its field athletics course, and in spring cherry blossoms and yamamomo (Japanese bayberry) bloom in profusion, creating a beautiful scene. The autumn foliage is also striking.

The cherry trees in the garden of the Sakura no Mon Elderly Center bloomed every time. Two cherry trees welcomed us like a gate.

"To the ends of the earth! To the ends of the earth!" Along the nearby Edogawa embankment, fields of rapeseed flowers stretch for many kilometers each spring, dressing the banks in yellow. Many people visit on holidays to take commemorative photos. The blooms last a long time, so please come by if you can~~♪

The soft breeze swayed the fields of spring color stretching as far as the eye could see. It was a scene that made me pause, a sight like that. I was captivated by the gentle hues spreading across this lovely world. 🌸🌷

Today, after visiting Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine, I stopped by LEC COFFEE. I had the hot sandwich set. The hot sandwich was filled with tamagoyaki, bacon, and lettuce, served with a salad of homemade ham and a Fukaya negi potage. After some injuries and a bout of the flu, I treated myself to good food and took it easy.

From March 2026, we will offer e-bike rentals in addition to regular bicycles. Kyonan Town has many routes suited for cycling, and the tourist information centers in front of JR Hota Station and Awakatsuyama Station rent out bicycles, electric-assist bicycles, and e-bikes. Electric-assist bicycles and e-bikes are 1,000 yen each, regular bicycles are 500 yen for two hours, and each one-hour extension costs 100 yen. (For regular bicycles, we collect 1,000 yen in advance and return the difference when you bring the bike back.) You can borrow a bicycle at the information center in front of JR Hota Station and return it to the information center in front of Awakatsuyama Station. We also rent Nordic walking poles for flat terrain at 500 yen per day. Please refrain from using these poles in the mountains.

This photo was taken at Kansui Park in Toyama on April 2, when I traveled to Toyama on a business trip. It feels like a scene from somewhere that isn’t quite a photograph.

One-day unlimited ride pass for Obihiro City buses 😊 Ride all Tokachi Bus city routes all day with no limits‼ Get off wherever you like and transfer as many times as you want 🎵 This value pass is perfect for strolling the town or hopping between sweets shops and cafes 😍 Make it your go-to for sightseeing around Obihiro City 🤗 For details, please check the Tokachi Bus website below. *Please note that airport shuttle buses, intercity buses, and other temporary services are not eligible for use.* 🔶Sales locations: Obihiro Station Bus Terminal Tokachi Bus ticket counter, Tokachi Bus Head Office 🔶You can purchase and use this pass on your smartphone. Download a transit app to make use of it. https://www.tokachibus.jp/obihiro1day/...