#Himotokeba Sakai \/ Miyakumyaku Comes to Sakai🔵🔴 Himotokeba Sakai 2026 ~OSAKA SAKAI EXPO~ Miyakumyaku Photo Session in Sakai Confirmed! A chance to take photos and videos together🌟 Relive the excitement of the Osaka-Kansai Expo in Sakai once more! 🗓️Date & Location: Friday, March 20 @ Inside Daisen Park Saturday, March 21 @ Sakai Risho no Mori, Lecture Room, 2nd Floor ⏰Times: ①11:00 / ②13:30 / ③16:00 (30 minutes each) 💰Free ✅Advance lottery system; application period: Tuesday, March 10, 10:00 – Monday, March 16, 10:00 ※Winners will be notified by email on Wednesday, March 17. 🔍Search for "Himotokeba Sakai 2026" for details! 🔗 https://www.sakai-tcb.or.jp/news/detail/20260227145543...

Himeji Castle is justly famous and sees visitors from around the world. But for many, Himeji is a short trip from Osaka or elsewhere, and no sooner have they seen the castle than visitors head right back to the station. In a way, Himeji is a victim of its own success in designing around the castle, with it being directly in view the second visitors step out of the station, and the castle being so famous that it overshadows everything else the city has to offer. Well, that's fair. Koko-en garden and Engyo-j on Mt. Shosha are also well worth your time, but for someone who would only like to focus on the castle, there is one minor detour I would recommend, and that is the Senhime Trail. Directly running along the moat of Himeji Castle itself, it is surrounded on both sides by water, with excellent seasonal tree foliage at any time of year. The path is named after Princess Senhime, the granddaughter of Tokugawa Ieyasu, who lived at Himeji Castle in the early Edo period. Strangely, just a fraction of those who wish to see the castle go here and so it is not a very busy trail. It feels much more quiet and peaceful than the main castle approach, and shops and crowds give way to maple trees, waterfowl, and reflections of the castle in the water. Best of all, in light of Himeji Castle fees being newly raised for visitors, the trail is completely free! It is a hidden gem beautiful and well worth the time in any season, but especially spring or fall. For those with time to enjoy beauty, I highly recommend making a stroll of it before turning back to Himeji Station.

＼👧All children enter free👦／ From Wednesday, March 25 to Tuesday, March 31, for seven days, Noah Dolphin Dome celebrates its first anniversary by offering free admission for children (ages 4 through elementary school)🎊 We have many other special anniversary programs lined up just for the occasion📢 Of course, our regular animal-interaction programs will run as usual! Make wonderful spring memories at Noah Dolphin Dome…🌸 Admission fees ◯ Regular rates Adult (junior high school and older): ¥1210 Child (ages 4 through elementary school): ¥770 ◯ Night time (entry from 17:00) Adult (junior high school and older): ¥770 Child (ages 4 through elementary school): ¥550 *Children aged 3 and under are free all day* Opening hours 10:00–20:00 (last entry 19:30) Parking None (please use nearby coin-operated parking; no partner parking available) 🔍 Search for "Noah Dolphin Dome" for details! 🔗 Website: https://www.dolphindome.jp//

Photographed on February 22, 2014. This is a meal set from tomori dining. It includes domestic chicken karaage, homemade ganmo (fried tofu fritter), simmered hijiki seaweed, miso soup, and pickles. It's quite a feast. 😊🍚

A plum grove in Katsuragicho, Wakayama Prefecture, is planted on the slope of a hill. Unlike the plum groves in the Kinan region, nets are not stretched out to catch the fruit at harvest.

Tsukigase Plum Valley Ume Festival Now ongoing! Thanks to the cold weather, the plum blossoms are likely to last longer✨ The area around Lakeside Village Tsukigase is at its best, too✨ Photo courtesy of yasunori okamoto

Photographed on February 22, 2014. This is the hanachozu at Naritasan Kawagoe Betsuin.

The winter season runs through March 7. The winter private barrel sauna is also available for stays through March 7. And — The green season opens on April 25, 2026. We truly look forward to seeing you. 📍Kussharo Prince Hotel ＠https://www.instagram.com/kussharo_ph/...

Comfortable stay in pollen-free Kushiro! Enjoy a refreshing pollen-avoidant spring Kushiro City, Hokkaido, is called a “pollen-free area” because cedar and cypress do not grow wild there. This spring, Kushiro Prince Hotel offers stays ideal for people troubled by hay fever! Combine a pollen-avoidant travel style with a high-floor stay overlooking Kushiro’s sunrise and night views for a trip that relaxes both body and mind. We also prepared sweets and drinks that let you enjoy the unique “refreshing” feeling of pollen-free Kushiro in taste, featuring the cool sensation of mint! The “Mint Tiramisu” is an original Kushiro Prince Hotel sweet that’s perfect for tea time or as an after-meal dessert. In a comfortable environment where you don’t have to worry about pollen, savor this item that spreads a fresh aroma and gentle sweetness, and spend a light, pleasant spring moment. @seibuprincejp #The best views are at Prince #Kushiro Prince Hotel #Pollen-avoidant #Pollen-free area #Pollen-avoidant trip #Hokkaido #kushiroprincehot https://www.princehotels.co.jp/kushiro/plan/kahun202602/...

📢 Program Broadcast Notice 📢 The final episode covering various aspects of Teshikagacho will air on STV Sapporo Television Broadcasting’s “Dosanko WEEKEND” on Saturday, March 14th, at 9:25 AM 👀✨ Last week’s first half about Teshikagacho showcased a miraculous clear view of Lake Mashu, relaxing hot springs and footbaths, and savoring delicious Mashu Wagyu, among many other delightful highlights 🍦🧚🏻‍♀️ We’re excited to see what the finale will bring this weekend❣️Please be sure to tune in‼︎

March 9 −10°C Akanko early morning walk tour! Thanks to the cold that let clouds settle over the lake like a dragon, we could see frost flowers and rime ice gleaming against the blue sky♪ We walked across the lake, where diamond dust sparkled in a magical scene. ✨

Photographed on February 21, 2014. This is the hanachozu (flower water basin) at Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine.

Making the puppet faces! In Nishiokoppe Village, there is a club that performs puppet theater. It’s called the puppet theater club Doremi. They have performed at local daycare centers, elementary schools, and the Forest Museum “Mokumu,” and they have also held shows in Shimokawacho and Monbetsu City. During winter and spring, they spend time making puppets and preparing props and background decorations for performances. One afternoon, we dropped in while Doremi members were gathered. Preparing for performances from summer 2026 onward, they were just shaping the faces and torsos of the characters that will appear. This year’s piece seems to feature humans and several animals. They glued several sheets of styrofoam together, then shaved and shaved, comparing their work with reference photos and shaving again. Areas shaved too much and add-on parts like noses are formed with paper clay and attached to the base. They then paste shoji paper over the surface to build the final shape. There is still painting and sewing of fabric parts to do, so completion will take more time, but I could have watched forever as the members chatted while working—happy and serious at the same time. #Puppet theater #Doremi #Puppet making

Himeji

Okayama

Photographed on February 24, 2014. These are the hanachozu (flower water basins) at Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine.

(2026-01-30) Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo Forest Aurora I posted earlier about the Tokyo sea of clouds Actually, this event upgrades at night the :40 hourly show by adding colored LEDs and lasers onto the sea of clouds to create the “Forest Aurora” ※From last November until this Wednesday 18:10 Sea of clouds 18:40 Forest Aurora (sea of clouds + laser projection) 19:10 Sea of clouds 19:40 Forest Aurora : : and so on Not the “Tokyo sea of clouds” but the “Forest Aurora” This was my first 2026 challenge of catching moments I might otherwise miss in life Even a slight breeze can send the mist rushing toward us or drifting off in unexpected directions, constantly changing its appearance by the minute So I take many shots and then pick a few that feel right.

Photographed on February 21, 2014. This is the hanachozu (flower basin) at Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine.

Photographed on February 17, 2014. This is the hanachouzui (decorative flower water basin) at Naritasan Kawagoe Betsuin.

Photographed on February 15, 2014. This is the hanachozu (flower water basin) at Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine, located at the omikuji distribution area.

A photo of Hamarikyu Gardens near my office on March 5th. Returning from a business trip after a week, the gardens are in full bloom with rapeseed flowers.

Photographed on February 18, 2014. The red plum blossoms line the approach to Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine. 🌸

Photographed on February 20, 2014. These are the red plum blossoms along the approach to Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine. 🌸

"Mimosa Draped in Spring Light" Mimosa, a flower that announces the coming of spring. I wandered through the park because I had to see those yellow blossoms. After a while, I happened upon a mimosa tree bathed in the light of dusk. The sinking sun backlit it, making each tiny flower glow as if translucent. In that soft light, it felt as if spring itself stood there. Japan’s spring arrives with warm light. I captured that gentle atmosphere in this single frame. 📍Location: Yamada Pond Park 📷Camera: Nikon Z6II 🔍Lens: 70-200mm f2.8 VR S

Come and see! We received pamphlets from two elementary schools in Kushiro City ☺ ★ The sixth graders of Shiroyama Elementary School created a pamphlet about the Shiroyama area. They walked the neighborhood themselves and conducted on-site interviews at various facilities, producing very in-depth content. This booklet tightly captures the students’ feelings and the charms of Shiroyama! ★ The fifth graders of Kushiro Elementary School produced a Kushiro tourism pamphlet. Each student researched and reflected on Kushiro’s attractions in their own way, resulting in a collection full of personality. With 31 different entries covering sightseeing spots, recommended shops, information on wildlife, and more, there’s plenty to explore! You can take any pamphlet you like home. Come see the children’s wonderful work (^_^)/ We look forward to your visit. 📍 KKS Convention Center (Kushiro City Tourism and International Exchange Center) 3-3 Saiwaicho, Kushiro City The pamphlets are available at the Tourism Concierge counter.